My New Toy

cut a half coil

We used to take a torch and heat up the bottom coil until the spring "sagged" to lower the car. Very easy to do, just take some measurements from the wheel opening to the ground before you start so you can get both sides equal. It also lets the spring unwind during launch for more weight transfer.
 
I've also cut another 1/2 coil out of the front and lowered the rear coil overs 1 1/4 " moving them down 1 hole on their mounts. Haven't rolled the car out of the garage to take a pic yet
 
The heads are oval port open chamber. Wont be using them though I only wanted the block and crank but had to buy everything to get them.
 
Putting the big 2.19 intake valve in the oval port heads and doing some bowl work and port matching makes very close to the same power as the big square port factory head. Using the earlier closed chamber or later semi-open chamber is more preferable, though. I had a talk with AFR about which head to use for a street 540 engine and they suggested their oval port head. I ended up using a set of closed chamber factory ovals with the mods mentioned above and it's a beast. My Nova ran high 9's with a flat-tappet 427 and oval port heads. They make SICK mid range.
 
If you plan on using the crank, it's probably cast if the block is a two-bolt. They don't like getting beat on with big power. Plus, it's external balance (like the steel) when all your quality aftermarket cranks will be internally balanced. If you are on a budget find a 396/427 steel crank (internal) to put in the 454 block and you can run the living crap out of it from here to eternity. If money is no object keep us in the loop.
 
Thanks grill billy for the info, I talked to the engine builder a few weeks ago and he suggested a four bolt block (good luck finding one) or a 2 bolt with splayed caps, Eagle rotating assembly displacement and compression of your choice up to 496 cid and either Dart or Brodix heads. He said by the time you play around with stock heads getting them the way you want you're just about into the price of aftermarket heads done.
10 to 1 compression 700 - 800 horse and a pretty flat torque curve
This isn't going to happen this year and maybe not next but I couldn't pass on this motor, this stuff is getting pretty rare up here.
 
Yep, hot-rodding anything always snowballs into more money. What your guy is suggesting is building a real nice engine, using all aftermarket parts , except the block. You'll end up with at least 6-7 grand in the finished product, and for less than a grand more (if you had bought and had a stock block machined) you could have an aftermarket block with splayed caps and 540 or more inches. Or go the other way, use your block with main studs and a 3.76 stroke factory steel crank, re-work some factory heads, then all your big expenses will be pistons, rods and valve train. Decisions, decisions....I guess it depends on how fast you want to go and how soon. I am a machinist by trade and build and machine all my own stuff, yet still come to a crossroad trying to decide what to do next. I hate saying "I should of" after a build. I would build a budget motor with what you have while saving up for the world-beater down the road. You can always sell it when it's time to pay the bill on the next one.
Feel free to PM me if you want. I have 40 years experience building engines for a living, and more than that being a cheap SOB who wants to have a good time.
 
One of the best values is to bite the bullet and buy a fully-assembled long block or short block. By the time you build an engine piece by piece you will usually end-up with a lot more money invested unless you are doing all the machine work and assembly yourself.

It's hard to beat one of the new pro street/race assemblies with aftermarket block, crank rods everything or even the GM crate engines. Guaranteed HP. Most even come with limited warranties.
 
It's been a while again but we finally got the car in the 11's !!
Lowered the rear coil overs 1 hole (1 1/4 inches) ended up cutting 2 coils out of the front springs, got rid of the electronic distributor with the vacuum advance and set the timing to 34 degrees instead of 8 !!!
the result was an 11.88 @ 113.5 mph
Now it needs a higher stall converter and a trans brake lol

 
It's been a while again but we finally got the car in the 11's !!
Lowered the rear coil overs 1 hole (1 1/4 inches) ended up cutting 2 coils out of the front springs, got rid of the electronic distributor with the vacuum advance and set the timing to 34 degrees instead of 8 !!!
the result was an 11.88 @ 113.5 mph
Now it needs a higher stall converter and a trans brake lol

Very nice work, bet that makes you happy. What size convertor are you currently running?
 
You know I was under the car once and measured the converter and for the life of me I can't remember but I know it wasn't a 10 inch one
 
You know I was under the car once and measured the converter and for the life of me I can't remember but I know it wasn't a 10 inch one

Sorry l wasn't very clear, thought later you might have thought l meant diameter, l meant what "nominal" stall speed?
 
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