A couple weeks ago I bought my first 3rd gen and first project car. A 92 Camaro RS with T-Tops. Transmission is the stock 700r4 and there is currently no engine. I figured it would make a great blank canvas for a build.
But I've run into a dilemma. I can't decide between the 350 sbc, the 396, or the 454. My goal is 400+ ft. lbs of torque and the kind of sound the turns heads 3 blocks away. So my question is which of these three engines will best accomplish these goals?

 

Any one of those motors can produce over 400 ftlbs of tq. Obviously the bigger the motor the more tq. As for the sound an open pipe will get plenty of people turning their heads and wondering why that idiot in the old car has no muffler

 

Thanks!! I'll post an update as soon as I get the engine in and hooked up.

 

Curious, where did 400+ ft-lbs come from?

Small block: No reason to settle for a 350, do a 383.
Big block: Forget 396, go 454.

Even better: 6.0l truck engine, stroke to 4", 400 cubes. No bigger outside than a small block, lighter than a big block. For reference, replacing the 396 in my '57 Bel Air with such an engine took a full second off 1/4 mile ET. Drives better on the street, too.

Oh, for the sake of the whole 3rd gen community, no exhaust that turns heads at 3 blocks. Our reputation is soiled enough as it is.

 

don't forget to give some thought and attention to that "stock 700R4"

 

Poor stock 700R4 will turn to sludge.

 

My recommendation has always been, "Plan on spending as much handling the power as you spend to make it."

 

As of right now, the best thing I've found price wise is package deal on a 350 sbc with a TH 350 for $600.

 

Got it, no white trash exhaust.

 

Sell the TH350 for $200, spend that and another $1800 to get the TH700 to handle 400 ft-lbs. Money ahead vs. adapting the TH350 into a 3rd gen, especially if you cruise at more than 50 mph on a regular basis.

Now, the 350 SBC - you've got basically a block, maybe a crank and some tin. Spend $1500-$2000 on a 3.75" stroke rotating assembly ($1000 or so if you stay with 3.48" stroke and just get rods/pistons, but you're still looking at cleaning up the crank and balancing it all), $1000-$1500 on good aftermarket heads, $250-$400 on a cam/lifter/timing set kit, $700 on intake/carb/distributor. You're in the ballpark now for your 400 ft-lb torque engine.

But you still haven't done anything about exhaust, or the weak 10-bolt rear end.

You may think my prices are out of whack, and maybe you'll find slightly better deals, but this is experience/reality talking.

 

My original plan was to convert to a manual later down the road, could the t5 handle that kind of torque, or should I be looking for something different?

 

Plan on replacing that transmission sooner than later. When I installed my straight-up 350 crate vortec, it fried my 700R4 in less than 20 miles. $2K later, all is well and happy except for my bank account...

 

If you're thinking about keeping the 700r4 they sell sell rebuild kits to handle up about 900 hp, 650 lb. torque, can get pricey depending on how you use it. Mine's handles 650 hp, 600 lb torque with a shift kit, race style clutches, 5 gear pinions and a upgraded sun shell, gotta nice 1-2 shift, cant really step into it without the tires barking and im on stock engine

 

Old school technology and a BBC has better power potential than a SBC however since you're starting with a clean slate, don't even consider these platforms unless you're very budget minded. A stock 454 isn't more powerful than a hopped up 383.

Your best option is to go straight to an LS engine. A 5.3 is a common swap. The 6.0L is good and both have a lot of power potential.

As with any buildup however, it's a package deal. You can't build a powerful engine and expect the rest of the stock driveline to handle the increased power. Price out a new diff. Ford 9", Dana 60 or 12 bolt bolt in diffs are the best choices and none of them are inexpensive because of the third gen torque arm suspension. Then consider a better transmission. The 4L80E is an electronic version of the TH400 and has a 0.7 OD gear. Lastly, a new driveshaft to match the length for the new transmission and diff.

Once you figure out what it's going to cost for the driveline, you'll know how much you can spend on a much better engine.

You could also just build an engine and drop it in and hope the rest of the driveline survives.