Late last year, the engine to my '02 overheated BADLY, welding valve rings and generally screwing itself up to the point that it wouldn't run at all. The engine has been taken down to the block, and the block has been sent out for cleaning and sonic testing, the tests coming back positive (ie. the block's still good). It's always been a dream of mine (and I'd bet the dream of a lot of people on here's) to have a stupid fast car that can roast the tires off itself on the street and burn the track. I figure since it's entirely apart right now I may as well build it up while it needs an overhaul anyway. I'm aiming for 600+ hp, but am trying to stay away from turbo's/superchargers, and I'm not putting nitrious on it, because I'm biased and think that's cheating. A friend of mine put togather a parts list, but quoted me at $20k for the parts alone?!? I'm no great mechanic or anything, but I'm pretty darn sure that's a little steep for performance parts alone. If anyone here as ever undertaken a build like this, or has any knowledge of what would be best for this kind of build, I'd really appreciate the advice.

 

You are going to be limited sticking with your factory block. I don't know about 600, but 500 is pretty easy with a simple 403 build. Just get a 6.0 iron block ($300 used), Get a 4" stroker kit for it ($2200 or so balanced SDPC for example), some factory L92 heads ($1000), GM L76 intake ($200), and a cam kit in the 230's or 240's (mine was 236/248) for $600 with springs. I think I paid about $600 in machine work. There is probably another $1000-$1500 in little stuff like throttle body, injector, head gaskets, bolts, etc.

I am sure you could get close to 600 with some $3000 heads and a $1000 port matched intake, but you can always add that stuff later. The build above is about what mine cost except I got the stroker kit on sale. The car runs 11's in its sleep and I haven't even though about putting the killer heads and intake on it.

-Geoff

 

We can't give you any good recommendations until we know your budget, EXACTLY what you expect from the car (realistic power goals, drivability, emissions, gas mileage, etc), what transmission you have, and what modifications are already done, if any.

The block is still OK, correct? What about the crankshaft?

The stock block and crankshaft can take alot of abuse, reliably. 600hp+ isn't necessary to make the car fast, or to spin street tires at will if that's your thing.

If you've got a completely stock car, you can rebuild the engine, make 500-550hp, and purchase all the required supporting mods (intake, exhaust, clutch/converter, etc) for half of that $20K quote.

 

I've never understood why people think nitrous is cheating.

 

@Mark85Z28, The budget I'm lookin for is $12k or less, tho over time I'll be adding more on no matter what, as I'll explain later. Power goals are somewhere around 625HP, 500+ Torque. The only driveability issue I'm worried about is keeping it on pump gas, and I'm not worried about mileage, gas is still gonna be expensive, no matter what. I live in an E-Check county in Ohio, they're not the biggest ****'s on the issue, but if need be I'll get the car titled in a different county. Transmission (automatic) and rear end are stock, although I'm hoping that those turn into next winter's project (hence the afore mentioned changing budget). The only real modification is the exhaust, headers back, not exactly sure of the manufacturer, but they seem to be a knockoff of flowmasters.

The block is still good, yes, as is the crank. Honestly though, if I'm gonna be upgrading my internals, figure I may as well do them all.

As for spinning the tires, I'm sittin on 295's, and if you've ever been up near Cleveland OH and seen the roads...it takes a bit to spin.


@RaulZ28, NOS is among the cheapest and stupidiest ways of getting HP. Most guys who use it go to Advanced Auto Parts, slap a 100 shot on, and wonder why 3 launches later their stock engine is shooting rods and pistons through their hoods. If your car is built and has a spray plate under a blower or something like that and you're running high 7's low 8's, I understand. But face it, on the street just about the only cars running NOS have LED strips along the body and an airplane wing strapped to the back.

 

And WhiteHawk, thanks for the info, I'm actually lookin into that now, although I'm still trying to figure out a way to do this with the stock block, it's a weird thing for me. Want to keep at least some piece of the origional engine running in it.

 

Then take the stock block and stroke it.

 

I sort of built my car backwards. I wanted a car with great suspension and can handle the horse power when I decide to go there. You should look into all the stuff that goes along with 600+ hp engines. The rear end, transmission, exhaust, torque converter, suspension and many others. Those parts without getting into the engine can get expensive if you get the good quality stuff. Just don't start or end cheap with your budget and have something you wish you would have done differently. I always enjoy the on going projects that let you enjoy them for a while and add when you find the need for more power, which will happen to almost everyone.

 

@greenformula94, I don't know of any stroker kit that will give a straight increase of up to 300HP...

@mrmint69, for an '02 the frame is suprisingly solid and clean, as is the whole undercarraige & bits and pieces found there. I have fully adjustable Koni shocks on it, other than having 295's up front as well as in back the car handle's brilliantly. Exhast is done, and as I said rear end and tranny will be next winter's project (if I can get this done). I'm not looking to go cheap with anything, I'm just in the camp of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Since the engine's the only thing CURRENTLY broke on it...

And not gonna lie, my other driver is a '95 Ford Ranger 4 banger, which I've been drivin around since october when I lost the engine...if I don't feel V8 horsepower soon I'm going to lose it.

 

If you really think you want/need 625+, forget about a rebuild with the stock block and crank Even a solid roller 383 will have hard time hitting that on pump gas. You'll need a minimum 4" bore block as a foundation, and probably stroke it as well.

You can run 10s in a full weight car with a stock block build making 550ish (stock shortblock even), and do it on a budget AND still maintain acceptable drivability. And by that I mean pass most emissions tests, run on pump gas, idle without stalling, and knock down low-mid 20mpg on the highway. But if you need that 625+ number, there are several companies that offer longblocks that will meet or exceed that for a reasonable price.

Are you going to do the engine swap yourself?

 

I would have to disagree I know several cars that are running nitrous on the street and they are built for it. Why is it so stupid? Nitrous has come along way with all the safety features they have on them now it's just now spray and pray it will hold up. The people that break their cars after 3 uses like you say are usually the ones that buy a cheap kit and then spray way more than their more than likely stock engine can handle. Sorry for going off topic.

As for what you are looking for I would say that a 408 would probably be the minimum I would go with and that will still be a tough goal to reach. The thing I tell some of my friends is that they shouldn't set a goal for hp but rather the time they want to run.

 

lol me either, but he made a comment about keeping a part of his old motor.

So i said stroke your block, it will still be the same block, just better....

 

if your truly after 600 hp and 500+ tq; why stay away from turbo's?

a JY 5.3 or 6.0l and an inexpensive turbo kit will get you there with enough room to spare for the trans and rearend upgrades you'll need either way. and if it pops, another motor isn't big $$. you can run a LONG time (if the tune is safe) on a stockish motor and 10-12+ psi boost to make the power you want.

Do what whitehawk said if you can do with 500hp. whereas a NA motor to make 600 HP is going to run up the limits of what you have budgeted. and your still gonna need a trans, converter and rear end to make it work. plus poor mileage (most likely), and poss driveability issues due to cam size.

 

This is the route we are going with my friends LQ4 swapped 98 T/A with the same 600hp goal. We are doing it with truck manifolds though.

 

@Marc 85Z28, yes, I will be doing the engine myself. Have a friend who knows the owner of a shop, says he will let us use his clean room for the full build. I have a full parts list, which I sill post in a bit. The build is based off of an LS2, but I have been assured that it will work for the LS1 (fingers crossed for that...)

@raulz28, you must know a different group of guys than I do. I don't personally know a single person who runs nitrous, specifically because of the reasons I listed. Like I said before tho, I know there's people out there who do build up correctly for it, however, at the car shows that I go to around here, honestly 98% of nitrous users I see are the spray and pray type. As for shooting for time, I want to hit 10's in the quarter, and I figure 600+ should give me that fairly easily.

@greenformula94, it'd be outstanding if there was a 300hp stroker kit out there, but as there isn't, I'm still adding more on top of the stroker kit that will go on it. As I said earlier in this post, I have a parts list, which I will post at a later time, soon.

@rod442, by the time a fully running a properly upgraded block and assembly were purchased along with the turbo kit, it would cost just about as much as an upgrade to the current engine.