A friend of mines suggested that instead of spending a fortune on a crate engine, I could save money by going to the junk yard and pulling a 350 4-bolt main block, gut the entire thing, then rebuilding it with all Hi-performance parts. If this is a good idea, Whats the best place to look for a good hi-performance engine rebuild kit that would put out at least 380hp at the tires :confused:

I like your friend's idea as long as you or someone that will help you has done this before. Take the block to a machine shop and have them inspect the block to make sure its worth while . . .

Then look here for a stroker kit :D www.dirttrackthunder.com (http://www.dirttrackthunder.com) (never used them but they have great prices and offer complete reciprocating assembly kits). Look at Jegs or Summit for a set of good heads - I like the Trick Flow 23* heads personally.

380HP at the rear wheels might be a little bit much to shoot for on a budget - 380 HP at the rear wheels could get you into the low 11's in the 1/4 mile.

we can help you here with specifics of your combo once you decide exacty what you want and what you have to spend.

Garfield,
This reminds me of my first big engine project. I had played with bolt-ons for a few years but wanted a whole new enchalada. I bought a 357 (.040 over 350) crate short block and bought some heads and intake etc from other sources. If you are on a budget, that is a good way to start out. See if you can get a good shop in the area to sell you a short block and go from there.

-Mark.