I like the earlier models too, but those, like the first gens, are usually pretty expensive

 

Yeah, just about everyone wants a pre-'73 'vette, Camaro, or Mustang, because starting in '73 they all had all those emissions and lost about 40% of their punch.

 

Not only did the emission standards hurt the HP ratings in a true sense,the way horsepwer was rated from the 60 to the 70s also changed. An engine HP rating in the 60s would be around 25% less in the mid to late 70s. The 2nd gen is a fairly straightforward car to work on they have a good rear end and you can fit a big block or a small block in them withoiut a problem and parts are relativly cheap. The main issue with these cars is rust, the rear frame rails and the leaf spring purch are danger zone areas. The smallblock is a great engine to learn how to build if you want to attempt it. If you find a car with a good 350 a cam change vortec heads, intake, headers and 3.73 rear end gears will wake it up.

 

Vortec as in L31??I could see getting a truck engine from a junkyard, though its not build for power its gonna make more right off the bat and should have good enough interals to handle some bolt ons and get it making so more power.
if you are talking about l31 heads my concern in the intake. My mom had a 96 tahoe (which she never used and i did because "it was too big) I couldnt find any manifolds for that thing, the best thing was upgraded polished marine intake of the same kind it came with.
I dont know much info on them though, maybe there are some good intake manifolds that i just didnt find because i was lookin through truck stuff.
That would be very easy to do, theres a bunch of gm trucks at the junkyard, my concern would be rust though since i live in the Fla keys.

 

Yes the L31. The truck engine is a good idea they are already roller cam equipted. You could just get a intake for a carb... summit has them, professional products makes them also. There was a factory L31 vortec with a carb I think it was in a van. Pennsylvania is bad for rust also....

 

I dunno how good thatll do me, As i recall the 5700s only make around 210hp (but like 330fl/lbs). Maaaaybee that was it, I couldnt remember. I think I couldnt find a intake because i was looking at Fuel injected.
Yeah i think some vans and trucks used carbs.

What about the ECUSs and stuff

 

75 was the year that HP & driveability hit bottom for all manufacturers. 70 was the peak at that time.

 

I thought the vortec made 255 hp which isnt bad, the 1970 to 72 LT1 made about the same hp. Put a better cam in the vortec headers and a good carb and you will surpass the old LT1. If you go to a MSD distributor or an hei you will not need the computer. You could just put the vortec heads on the old 350 also.