the only reason i recommend a crate motor is they can be found for cheap with quality parts. even though chevy stuff is cheap its cheaper to get a crate that makes some power and bolt it in. now if you just feel like throwing money at it and getting the experience of building one yourself then i would get a rebuild kit for it with bearings, pistons, rings and what not. have the rods reconditioned and the block bored get a set of aftermarket heads. iron eagles or sportsman IIs a reasonable cam an intake and carb. and then think to yourself that was cool built my first motor. then say damn i wish i had bought a crate ready to rock it would have been way cheaper made the same power and been done overnight. i speak from experience. with my 406 it makes good power and can take a decent nitrous shot but at the end of the day price and power was similar to the zz383. i could have just ordered it bolted it in and drove the car. instead i pulled the motor disassembled it and sent it to the machine shop reassembled it with a forged rotating assembly and missed the whole season and spent more doing it. building your own motor nowadays isnt a fiscally responsible decision now that crate motors are a dime a dozen. oh and fuelie heads suck. they were good back in the day when aftermarket heads were expensive now a days a set of vortec heads will blow them away. oh and the bottle is certainly not for babies. theres a difference in having a shot on a sbc thats built to the hilt and doesnt need it to be competitive on the street and a motor that is only competitve because of a shot. sorry for the long response just trying to be helpful.

 

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