i am looking to build a 80's camaro. I am also new the chevys, i usually deal with fords. What motor should i put in my project to get the most hp and performance capabilities for the best price? I am not looking to make a drag car, more like one step under still on 93 gas mabe octane boster. Any ideas, what size motor or what kind of tranny?

 

Pretty hard to beat a good old 350 to get the best bang for your buck but if you find a good deal on a smallblock 400 they can be badass.
A turbo 350 is a good auto trans that can be had for pretty cheap,I'd get a rebuilt not a used though,T400 is stronger but harder to come by,700R4 is a 4 speed auto and pretty tough,it can also be retrofitted to your car.
If your are wanting a 4 speed stick I'd go with a Muncie or a T-10,the Saginaw 4 speeds are a dime a dozen for a reason.

 

I can find TH400's around here for cheap but in need of a rebuild. If you're going to be driving a lot I would recommend an OD transmission such as a 700R4. They can be built to handle great horsepower and can be setup pretty easily. I almost went that route but went six speed instead.

The TH400 is bulletproof pretty much but you'll loose more hp/tq from it due to the huge amount of mass it spins around. It won't break though unless you just throw monster amounts of tq at it.

Like Y2K said, a 350 is great but a 400 is better but do research on them as they're prone to cracking in the lifter valley. They take a lot of the standard sbc parts such as intakes, lifters (.842 bore), headers, heads, distributor, etc. You can stroke a 350 to a 383 and make good power as well.

 

You also have to decide which generation you plan to build. I'm assuming a 3rd gen (82-92.) You'll want a small block, so a plain old 350 or a 383 would be nice. It takes a few modifications to make a TH350 or TH400 to work in a 3rd gen, so it's typically best to use a 700R4. As mentioned they can be built to handle a good amount of HP, I had the 700R4 in my 83 built to withstand 600 HP.

 

Cheers!
Valikie
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Excellent ! I like it very much.

 

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