should have plenty of torque. it want a torquer motor then look for a 400 small block chevy. they are litte torque monsters. that or a old 348-409

 

I though about a 400 SBC, I'd love to do something completely different to make people gawk with disbelief, I want my truck to be the Ford that scares all Fords away lol. That's why I have been a little undecided as to what should be under the hood. An Olds Caddy or Buick would be unique, but Chevy blocks have a dedicated, available aftermarket to buy from.

 

ever thought about a 348 chevy big block?





or a wild induction on a straight 6?

 

Never considered a 348. It would be different. I found the engine I do want, which is the GM Performance 502. I'll have to save hella money before I could get it. Are the 348's rare to find? That I6 looks mean as hell, never seen that setup before.

 

If you looking for a BBC 502 you could start with any of the 396 403 427 454 long bock motors. Then you would have everything you need to put in the 502 when $$ is burning a hole in your pocket. Might look at some of the later model EFI big blocks that are in trucks and you might as well take the 4L80e trans as a complete package. Old meet New, I don't think their is a big demand for these late model BBC motors so the price is right. A friend just pulled the complete set up out of a 1 ton truck that a guy wanted to scrap. Just some thing to think about.

 

You can find 348's they used them in both trucks and cars from 1958-1961. you do want to try and find a car block because the trucks have a grove in the cylinders to reduce compression and other than a cruiser motor they are not good for anything.

 

If it wasn't for the looks of the W block the 348 weren't much good for anything to start with. Very expensive to rebuild and not much power. Even the 409 were getting spanked back in the day by the 389 SD Pontiacs.

 

No the problem with the 348 is people try to ring them out like a small block. They are not rpm motors they redline at around 6000 but the low it torque will stop the earths spin. A 409 in the lighter body bel air or biscayne was quite the car. The hottest street Pontiac was equal to the 348s the super duty cars were like a thunderbolt specially built not for the street. The w motors are like most Chevys they had a better head on the high hp ones and either tri power or dual fours depending on the motor

 

If you're looking for HP, and torque there's no better way than cubic inches. And if you want to do it on a budget there's no better choice than a 454 truck motor. A good 454 can often be found cheaper than a 350 SBC because people are in an economy mindset now, and don't want the big gas hog 454 Chevy. I see them often in ads stating come see it run, and prices around $500.
I bought my 454 BBC that was rebuilt and bored .040" with 781 heads for $550. I sold the 781 heads to a friend for $250, and picked up a pair of Edelbrock heads, Crane roller rockers, pushrods, Pete Jackson gear drive, and a Weiand tunnel ram, ARP engine stud kit; all for right at $1,000. After buying a Comp Cam I am in this engine $1500 complete, and it's got all the power I can use and more!
If you want to go Chevy, impress people with power and torque, get a cheap 454 and a pair of good heads, a cam, and an intake. You wont find anything that will beat it for the money you'll have in it.

 

Well, if I couldn't spend almost 7 grand on a GM Performance 502, then a basic 454 would be another option. Anything to hot rod a vehicle and irk purists with, I'll use. I do know I'm definitely using a TH400 regardless what engine I use.