Hey guy's I'm looking for a little advice on building an engine for my '67. Currently, the car has a smallblock that I know little about. Big cam, 462 casting number heads. Whole lot of bark, not a whole lot of bite. The block decodes as a 283 from 1961. I know-big time. It runs pretty well, Probably in the 250-275 hp range. I doubt near 300. It's really a mystery-

I want to be able to cruise with little drama with the wife and 2 kids, run on pump (premium), support A/C (which the car has), and run a high 12-low 13 quarter.

Right now, the car does everything but the quarter time. So, what do I build/buy? 350, 383, 406? What hp level would be needed there? The car currently has a TH350, newly built with a 3000 stall, 3.73 rear.

Do I keep the heads, or sell the motor as whole/running? What would you do?

I would normally sell the whole thing as a running motor, but someone might be more inclined to pay a descent price for the heads alone rather than the whole motor. So, I might Ebay the heads for whatever you can get, and then sell the shortblock later for whatever you can get. You could actually sell it as a running motor that you can hear run with the exception that you are keeping the heads. You just kept em on so the buyer could hear it run.


Anyways, Id probably build a 383 with around 10:1 comp(a little less is ok, you shouldnt need more), a simple set of vortecs with the valvetrain upgraded, performer rpm intake, 750 vacuum secondary carb and a lunati voodoo 268 hydraulic camshaft. If you have money to spend on better heads, by all means do so, but you can get the vortec package with the assembled heads(with valvetrain upgrades), the vortec performer rpm intake and gaskets and such all for 900 something. Thats hard to beat. With your drivetrain and a motor like that, it would be a descent driver(probably better than what you got by a longshot) and of course satisfy your quench for power. 13's would be easy....A little suspension work to get it to leave well(in other words, hook well and stay hooked) would be good for 12's with that motor. If you happen to stumble across a good 400 block though on your search for a core....theres no reason not to go for it.

I might be inclined to look for a 350/383 crate motor. If you go with a short block, grab the vortec package for it. As Greg stated, I don't think you can beat it.

buck did they let you go for having your car up on blocks in driveway lol