Hello Everyone,

This is going to be my very first car build and I just have so many questions so here goes. While i'm searching for the right 70-73 camaro one thing I know is my car is going to have a 454 with a muncie 4 speed.

Does it make sense to work on getting the motor till I can find the right car? Is it cheeper to buy a 454 block and rebuild it that way, or to buy a crate 454 new. They are pretty pricey new, so I was wondering if it would be better to just get a block from the local junk yard and start there. There are also plenty of machined blocks on craigslist. Do I want to start with a long or short block? The muncie trans, do I was the m-20 or the m-21? Does year matter? Is it better to buy one rebuilt or maybe cheaper to just buy one and have it rebuilt?

Gus

 

I wouldn't buy any parts prior to buying the car. What if the car is a 4 speed and you don't need the tranny? Might even find a big block car that somebody already built.
Find the car first, then decide what you need, and whether you have the budget to buy it.
If you do need an engine I personally would try to find a vehicle with a decent running engine in it, then build from there, if money is a concern. Buying a short block or rebuilding an old engine is the next cheapest, but unless the old engine is apart, you might be buying scrap metal if it's not rebuildable.
M20 or M21 depends on whether you want a close ratio or wide ratio, and the top of the line is really the M22 Rock Crusher tranny, or even the Tremec T56 5 or 6 speed. I'd go the Tremec myself, and get both strength and overdrive.

 

Is a 454 a bad choice for these cars? I'm not looking to take it the track I just want something thats bad *** on the street. Is there any thing I should look for when buying a 454 block I would hate to gamble and find out the dam think isn't rebuildable.

 

No, a 454 isn't a bad thing for these cars, and if it's not too radically built you can get away without major changes to install one.
Not a set list of things I can give you that will ensure you don't get stuck with a boat anchor if you buy an engine that's not running. That's one reason I wouldn't buy a complete engine that wasn't running. I'd either want it disassembled to get a look at it, or I'd want it still in the vehicle to hear it run, and see it. I also wouldn't buy a running engine that didn't have cooling still connected. I know guys who bought engines that had been in vehicles, but seller had started tearing out radiator, and drained the engine's coolant. One guy caught taken when the engine had blown head gaskets, and the seller drained the oil and put in new so you didn't see anything to indicate a leak. We had to pull the heads and change gaskets, and hope it wasn't cracked.
I love to start with donor vehicles, and a 454 is more commonly found in a truck, so they're a good start. You can buy a 2wd truck with 454 pretty cheap. Pull the engine, sell the rest, and end up into it cheaper than if you bought the engine outright, plus not only hear it run, but check the tailpipe for smoke, etc., and maybe even drive it.

 

I'm not at all a big block fan. These cars are front heavy as it is and you can get gobs of power out of a small block these days.

 

My input would echo 1971BB427 posts. Dont spend money until you have your car in your driveway..you will spend enough later..lol..

 

I agree with Alki70 these babies are real rear end light. My first Camaro was a 70.5 RS... 350... it was great to drive unless the roads were wet or sandy... then you just spun the tires... it got great stop sign paint stripe barks with even a medium stomp on the gas.

A big block can be fun but they defeat what the car does best... it handles better then most other cars of it's era. A modern small block with a 5 or 6 speed would be nasty too... Just one more thing to think about... We all will back you in what ever you decide to build and will make man noises about the outcome.

 

Man Noises LOL AR AR AR