thoughts on engine choice?
 

ok so ive been talking alot about rebuilding the 454 i got.well after talking to my dad today he may be getting a deal on a car that has a 400 sbc thats bored to a 406,running driving.now im stuck to either spending the money and time and all that to do the 454 or just wait and see if he gets the 400 and snatch it from him.i know he doesnt like small blocks at all,im starting to see why everytime i drive my car.i do love my mc but i dont like the 350.i know you can get the same hp and tq out of a sbc as you can a bbc and be lighter.but all the reading ive been doin says that stock bbc heads flow better than aftermarket smb heads.and i know if i wanted 600hp out of a sbc i know id have to have head work, that would be more than getting 600 out of a 454.so id just like to hear some thoughts.ive rode in a 400sbc powered car.well it was a 80's 3/4 ton chevy 4x4 truck.and i was young.like maybe 7-8 so what it felt like idk.as always thanks for the time and thoughts all you wonderfull mc owners "and not mc owners" put in replys and posts.have a great xmas and new yr all..snow pics will be up 2morrow for sure..been meaning to but i forget

theres pros and cons to either choice. if i had money to burn i would build the 454 just because theres nothing like a first gen monte with a big block. the bbc is giving you 50 cubes off the bat and there are stroker kits. a bigger motor shouldnt have to work as hard as smaller motor to make the power. the bbc factory heads will probably flow better than the sbc factory heads, but either way to make 600hp with the bbc your factory heads will need work, or youll need a set of aftermarket heads.(unless youve found one of the more rare 454s, LS5,LS6,ZL1). probably not the case most probably a truck motor in which case the heads probably will need to be swapped. the 400 is kind of rare and were never built as performance motors. the 2 bolt main ones are supposedly stronger than the 4 bolt main ones in the main bearing web. i couldnt tell you if this is true or not. i can tell you that i have a 4 bolt one and have you to have an issue of any kind. they have a bad habit of running hot too and dont like to rev. theyre the torquiest small block youll find so if built correctly it should make close to the torque of a bbc, its lighter than a bbc, and it shouldn't have to rev like crazy to go, parts will be far more affordable. thats good cause its going to need a nice set of heads cause the 400 heads are most definitely trash and are not going to make 600hp. personally i wouldnt take your ride in that 400 pick up as any indicator of what a serious 400 can do. i dont know how old you are and how financially well off, but i assure you that if you build that 400 with a good set of heads and a serious cam you wont be disappointed. dollar for dollar itll blow that big block away. with all that said here you go. money to burn=bbc and bragging rights. budget=torquey 406 and no one will ever have to know what the secret weapon is. best of luck to you.

I've got an aftermarket GM crate motor in a 69 Camaro. It's the Fast Burn 385. The "385" is for the horsepower rating. It's actually a 350 ci engine. I also threw in GM's Hot Cam and 1.6 roller rockers. These are all aftermarket GM parts. GM rates this setup at 430 HP. It's got a 4 speed and a 3.73 rear gear. Quit frankly, I can't use any more power in this car. At least not with stock tires and suspension. It just lights up the tires all the way through first, second and into third. I've never driven a big block, so I can't speak for them.

Isn't the 402 they used in the 1st gen Montes considered a big block?

430hp is pretty good whats the tq rating on that motor? the 385 is the zz4 with different heads? your camaro is a good deal lighter than that monte but it would still go pretty good at 430 hp.

yeah 402 and 454 were both used in the montes. 402 is basically a bored 396. entry level big blocks. 400 was also used but is a small block.

My Fast Burn 385 with the HOT cam is essentially the same thing as the "zz430" that GM sold in limited quantities. HP is 430 @5,800 rpm and torque is 430 ft lbs at 4,000 rpm. It does haul ass.

http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/imag...page1small.jpg

Want more power - GM sells several version of their ZZ572. There's a 620 hp version and a 720 hp version.

In GM's words - The ZZ572/720R is rated at 720 horsepower at 6250 rpm and 685 lb.-ft. of gut-wrenching torque at 4500 rpm

It's only $17,221.99 at Summit Racing.

http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pub...bnvQQapxgY=s90

i think a crate motor is a great way to go if you shop around. i think gms stuff is a little bit of a rip off. even there short blocks are pricey. if you shop around you can find a few places out there that sell stout motors for less than you can build them. the 572 is tough but im not overly impressed with the power it makes for its size and price. for that price the op could get a world products 420+ small block, get the bodywork and paint done, build a tranny to take the power, and still have money to top off the tank and take his girl out to dinner.

well one thing i forgot to mention is,the 600 hp im looking forward to get is goin to be a slow build..like if i did the 454 it would be just a rebuild to get it running..then i would want to buy a forged crank,forged rods and forged pistons.diff cam slap that all in,dyno it and see what that gets me at then go from there prob with diff valves an valve springs.hoping to make a 427 out of it and be able to get power up in the 8k rpm range.now for the 400sbc that is bored out,that would probably be just slap it in and see how it goes.then a bigger cam and such..but if i do the 454 into a 427 what would be about the biggest cam i could run..would like to use a 700lift or so..ttyl take care hope you all have a good xmas

cam selection is important. the bigger the motor the less radical a cam in it will seem. youre going to have to decide if your going to keep the auto trans or not. from there youll need to run a convertor and gearing that will work with the cam. personally i think it woukld be a waste to just throw either motor in the car just to test it and then do a whole build up. do it once right and save yourself the time and effort. 427hp should be fairly easy with either combo and shouldnt require a cam thats anymore than 500 lift in either. a roller cam would be nicer and more docile. personally i would build a small block for it. forged rotator isnt truly necessary, but if youre going to spray it it would be a good idea. id build the 400 with a forged rotator, AFR heads or similar and a roller cam heading towards 600 lift. with a 150 or 200 shot it would still be very streetable and make well over that 600hp firgure.