Now for some orange paint. Great job and your having fun and learning more than what you thought. Keep us posted.
Looking for 307 build advice
I've got a bone stock 69 with a 307/TH350. I'm just looking to make it a little more fun and capable. Planning to do a full suspension upgrade next. But for starters, the engine.
I was planning on just doing exactly what they did in the following article and using that as my first foray into engine building. I've done plenty of motorcycles/ATV's but never tore into a v8 before.
As it is, I'm not very knowledgeable on the technical details of which cam/head/etc specs work best together so I'm leaning on articles like this one for parts lists as a baseline. But as I was putting together a cart at Jegs, I noticed an issue with their setup.
307 Chevy Engine Build - Danger Mouse - And Now for Something Completely Different (motortrend.com)
So this article says they used "Edelbrock E-Tec 170 cylinder heads, a Performer intake manifold with a Performer 600 carb, MSD Pro Billet HEI, and a complete COMP Cams kit that included a CS X4 262H-11"
The E-Tec 170 says "S/B Chevy heads may not be used on engines with less than 4" bore (262, 265, 283, 305, 307 c.i.d.) except with cams having less than .450'' valve lift."
And the kit I found at Jegs with the CS X4 262H-11 (marketed as an extreme 4x4 cam [part # 249-SK12-239-3]) has the following specs: .462'' Intake / .480'' Exhaust
So I went and found the Edelbrock Performer RPM Cylinder Head (Part Number: 350-61019) which has a higher maximum valve lift and is designed for a range of engines including the 307.
Am I missing something obvious about how they managed to get those parts (cam + heads) to work together or did they maybe miss the obvious and put the wrong stuff together?
To make matters more confusing, Everything I've read about the 262 cam seems to be the way to go but it's usually referred to as XE262H-10. The one in the article is an "X4 262H-11" and the specs that pull up on comp cam's site seem to indicate this model was made for big blocks/etc.
Anyone care to help a brother out?
EDIT: Well ****, looks like this went in the brakes forum. Tried to delete/move but I guess I don't have permissions to do that.
I was planning on just doing exactly what they did in the following article and using that as my first foray into engine building. I've done plenty of motorcycles/ATV's but never tore into a v8 before.
As it is, I'm not very knowledgeable on the technical details of which cam/head/etc specs work best together so I'm leaning on articles like this one for parts lists as a baseline. But as I was putting together a cart at Jegs, I noticed an issue with their setup.
307 Chevy Engine Build - Danger Mouse - And Now for Something Completely Different (motortrend.com)
So this article says they used "Edelbrock E-Tec 170 cylinder heads, a Performer intake manifold with a Performer 600 carb, MSD Pro Billet HEI, and a complete COMP Cams kit that included a CS X4 262H-11"
The E-Tec 170 says "S/B Chevy heads may not be used on engines with less than 4" bore (262, 265, 283, 305, 307 c.i.d.) except with cams having less than .450'' valve lift."
And the kit I found at Jegs with the CS X4 262H-11 (marketed as an extreme 4x4 cam [part # 249-SK12-239-3]) has the following specs: .462'' Intake / .480'' Exhaust
So I went and found the Edelbrock Performer RPM Cylinder Head (Part Number: 350-61019) which has a higher maximum valve lift and is designed for a range of engines including the 307.
Am I missing something obvious about how they managed to get those parts (cam + heads) to work together or did they maybe miss the obvious and put the wrong stuff together?
To make matters more confusing, Everything I've read about the 262 cam seems to be the way to go but it's usually referred to as XE262H-10. The one in the article is an "X4 262H-11" and the specs that pull up on comp cam's site seem to indicate this model was made for big blocks/etc.
Anyone care to help a brother out?
EDIT: Well ****, looks like this went in the brakes forum. Tried to delete/move but I guess I don't have permissions to do that.
41 - 50 of 50 Posts
I was thinking about doing that but I was just so close to being done that I didn't want to spend a bunch of time on how it looks before I make sure it's running right first. It's a long story but I've owned this vehicle for ~20 years now and only just now able to get it to this point.Now for some orange paint. Great job and your having fun and learning more than what you thought. Keep us posted.
I was even thinking about throwing the original orange valve covers back on even though they're faded and really rough looking but they're pretty warped along the gasket surface. I don't like the chrome valve covers on there but again at this point I only care about getting it on the road and having fun with it.
I don't remember exactly but "you don't build a Castle on sand". Build what you want. Have fun brother, you noted you are a lot younger than most here and that would likely be true. Lots of experience here and lots of opinions but usually comes down to build what you want and live with it. We will still be here and hope you are successful. That can be a really nice car. Didn't you say it was your wife's car or was that another post? Ask her what she wants.A new motor is the easy method but also the most expensive. Also, I would assume there's not as much satisfaction out of simply sticking someone else's brand new motor in a vehicle vs one you poured your blood and sweat into.
But again I ask: of what value is the original unmodified 307 for a base coupe? It's not like this is a z28/ss/rs or something where original stuff is highly sought after/adds value. You've seen the response a simple question about a 307 elicits: It's apparently just a useless boat anchor.
Maybe I'm just crazy, but I'd like to wear my car's wimpy 307 fender badges with pride as I tear around the autocross track with a set of new headers/intake/exhaust and beat lap times and then comfortably cruise back home sipping minimal gas along the way all the while telling the haters to kiss my arse.
Perhaps that's where the confusion lies. I have no plans to swap out the engine. The only reason I can see swapping out the motor is if this one dies. Or if I get bored at some point down the line and have money burning a hole in my pocket. But that's not at all in the plans at this point.
I don't disagree with this sentiment. But. Conveniently, I actually know some of the history of the engine fairly well and while old, it's not particularly worn out.
I wasn't trying to get into my life story on here but I've owned the vehicle for over a decade and I was told the odometer is correct (fairly low mileage) by the previous owner and I was able to get semi-verification of this with someone who knew the vehicle before them by having recognizing something unique about this vehicle (a very small barely noticeable modification done before my time). They saw it parked outside my work, inquired and accurately identified one of the car's previous paint colors (which wasn't visible anywhere on the exterior) and gave me some history on it and confirmed the mileage was low at the time they knew the vehicle.
Furthermore new heads, intake, carburetor and probably even the exhaust system would all be transferrable to a 350 if I ever decided to go that route. As far as the cost of doing so, well this might kill some of you to learn but I have (altogether) less than the total cost of the upgrades I'm looking at already put in this car and that includes what I paid for the thing originally. In other words, I lucked out and got this thing for dirt cheap and have hardly put any money into it in all the years I've owned it. I could realistically dump 3x the amount of money I have into it and still be able to recoup all money invested if I had to sell it. But you would have to pry this car out of my cold dead hands.
I don't want to jinx anything but the 307 runs extremely smooth. It therefore seems like a good base upon which to improve. I don't see any reason not to wake the old girl up with some new stuff.
As far as the comments about building a network in the hobby and knowing enough people to get motors handed to you for nothing, well that's cool and all and good for those of you who have been doing this long enough to have such a network of people. Me, I'm just a guy who's (probably close to half the age of most people who own/drive these cars) just now getting a game plan together and going it alone. If I had a network of friends with spare 350's falling out their arses I probably wouldn't be posting here.
So yeah, I'm not interested in arguing about what motor I should put in here. I'm only interested in building upon the 307 that's already in it. And I only came here seeking out clarification on the discrepancy I found in the motortrend article to see if there was something I was missing and to possibly see what others had to say in regards to the specific components I had selected or alternatively what components they would use (in a 307), etc.
Hell, if there was a simple way to plug the specs into an engine calculator that would tell you if it works or not, I'd just do that and call it a day. I found this, but I don't know if it's actually reliable or not. Auto-Ware (Autoware Inc) Engine Shop Software
Nope, this car's all mine. Bought it as a daily driver back in like 2001. I was broke and happened to be in the market and randomly stumbled on the deal of a century. For what I paid, I should have gotten a rusted out roller chassis with no interior. What I got was a low mileage all original v8 coupe. But it took me about 20 years of grinding away and clawing my way up the career before I could afford to start fixing it up. All the work I've done do it has been in just the past few months since I originally posted this thread. Been working my *** off on this thing lately and just got her all dialed in and running good yesterday. 20 long years of dreaming about this day. I've basically dedicated my life to this car. And I can now be proud to drive it down the street without worrying that it was going to finally fall apart on me. For example: When I got it in the shop to replace the subframe bushings, the guy said the subframe started to separate from the body when he was lifting it. The bushings/bolts were basically non-existent.Didn't you say it was your wife's car or was that another post? Ask her what she wants.
That may have been me. I still haven't figured out if mine is a 307 or 327. I decided to just throw some headers on it and l98 corvette aluminum heads to up the compression, even though she said she was already happy with it. I plan on using the heads on a 383 later, with an LT4 hot cam. Should be fun for a while until I can get the 383 built.I don't remember exactly but "you don't build a Castle on sand". Build what you want. Have fun brother, you noted you are a lot younger than most here and that would likely be true. Lots of experience here and lots of opinions but usually comes down to build what you want and live with it. We will still be here and hope you are successful. That can be a really nice car. Didn't you say it was your wife's car or was that another post? Ask her what she wants.
When I was a kid beating on these used cars, a 327 would wind and keep performing. The 307s seemed to have short legs not really going anywhere when wound up.
That has been my experience too. Felt great down low and in the mid range, but up top it DIED off quick, which is why I feel like my engine is a 307. When I get the heads rebuilt(hopefully in july) I will find out! If it is really a 327, I will have 10.75:1 with an L79 cam so it should run VERY well.When I was a kid beating on these used cars, a 327 would wind and keep performing. The 307s seemed to have short legs not really going anywhere when wound up.
Yeah I just don't see what you all have to complain about with the 307. Unless you were born driving big blocks or something. I just got mine up to 100mph on the highway yesterday (with ease) and it acted like it wanted to keep going. And this is with the stock, rusty, original exhaust manifolds/exhaust. Only engine performance upgrades being the intake and carb and a new timing gear/chain set.
It's not the fastest thing ever but it has no problem overtaking vehicles at speed and propelling me faster than I should be going. That's what's important, ain't it?
When I drove a family member's Chevy truck with a 350 in it, I accidentally did a burnout halfway down the road. That extra power is fun and all but hardly necessary and probably way too tempting to do even stupider **** than I already find myself doing in this car.
How many of you are driving these things 150mph? Are you racing your cars? Care about cornering ability or just straight lines?
As for me I'm happy as hell to run the hell out of this 307 until a 350 or LS falls into my lap. It's a sweet *** car, it has a v8 and I couldn't be happier to have the good fortune to own it. I have the car of my dreams and it has the minimum acceptable engine already in it so I'm just gonna run what she brung. And yes, I'll be making a fool out of myself with it at the local SCCA autocross. Don't even care if I'm in last place because it's fun regardless.
Hell, at this point I've put way more money into the suspension than the motor because the stock suspension is the car's weakest link. If you all are running 350s with single leaf springs, stock control arms/etc and drum brakes then I don't even know what you're thinking.
It's not the fastest thing ever but it has no problem overtaking vehicles at speed and propelling me faster than I should be going. That's what's important, ain't it?
When I drove a family member's Chevy truck with a 350 in it, I accidentally did a burnout halfway down the road. That extra power is fun and all but hardly necessary and probably way too tempting to do even stupider **** than I already find myself doing in this car.
How many of you are driving these things 150mph? Are you racing your cars? Care about cornering ability or just straight lines?
As for me I'm happy as hell to run the hell out of this 307 until a 350 or LS falls into my lap. It's a sweet *** car, it has a v8 and I couldn't be happier to have the good fortune to own it. I have the car of my dreams and it has the minimum acceptable engine already in it so I'm just gonna run what she brung. And yes, I'll be making a fool out of myself with it at the local SCCA autocross. Don't even care if I'm in last place because it's fun regardless.
Hell, at this point I've put way more money into the suspension than the motor because the stock suspension is the car's weakest link. If you all are running 350s with single leaf springs, stock control arms/etc and drum brakes then I don't even know what you're thinking.
My issue isn't going 150. I just want to be faster than a new rav4 or Hyundai to 100.Yeah I just don't see what you all have to complain about with the 307. Unless you were born driving big blocks or something. I just got mine up to 100mph on the highway yesterday (with ease) and it acted like it wanted to keep going. And this is with the stock, rusty, original exhaust manifolds/exhaust. Only engine performance upgrades being the intake and carb and a new timing gear/chain set.
It's not the fastest thing ever but it has no problem overtaking vehicles at speed and propelling me faster than I should be going. That's what's important, ain't it?
When I drove a family member's Chevy truck with a 350 in it, I accidentally did a burnout halfway down the road. That extra power is fun and all but hardly necessary and probably way too tempting to do even stupider **** than I already find myself doing in this car.
How many of you are driving these things 150mph? Are you racing your cars? Care about cornering ability or just straight lines?
As for me I'm happy as hell to run the hell out of this 307 until a 350 or LS falls into my lap. It's a sweet *** car, it has a v8 and I couldn't be happier to have the good fortune to own it. I have the car of my dreams and it has the minimum acceptable engine already in it so I'm just gonna run what she brung. And yes, I'll be making a fool out of myself with it at the local SCCA autocross. Don't even care if I'm in last place because it's fun regardless.
Hell, at this point I've put way more money into the suspension than the motor because the stock suspension is the car's weakest link. If you all are running 350s with single leaf springs, stock control arms/etc and drum brakes then I don't even know what you're thinking.
I have 630hp bbc in my 2nd gen and driving it yesterday reminded me why I should probably go to a big block.
Good for you and your dream car, way too many guys spend/waste money on these cars to no avail for what they use it for. I currently have 8 of all different configurations and at the top of the list is my 56K all original survivor, excepting paint and normal Maintenace over the last 32 years, it is so quiet you can hardly hear it run!
![Tire Wheel Plant Car Vehicle]()
ver the last 32 years, it is so quiet you can hardly hear it run!
ver the last 32 years, it is so quiet you can hardly hear it run!
41 - 50 of 50 Posts
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