Real Budget Vortec Engine build

[GARY C]

What did you use for carburetor and ignition?

It used a 6AL and a MSD billet on the dyno, Braswell 1.490 x 1.75 carb if I remember right. He has a used digital 6 box for the car and is buying a new carb with similar dimensions for the car.

Would have been nice to have his carb for the dyno.....but I had him get an O² bung added to his header so we can get it tuned up a bit quicker in the car. Not sure what to expect with the new Holley carb.

What system do you use for in car tuning?

[CGT]

What did you use for carburetor and ignition?

It used a 6AL and a MSD billet on the dyno, Braswell 1.490 x 1.75 carb if I remember right. He has a used digital 6 box for the car and is buying a new carb with similar dimensions for the car.

Would have been nice to have his carb for the dyno.....but I had him get an O² bung added to his header so we can get it tuned up a bit quicker in the car. Not sure what to expect with the new Holley carb.

What system do you use for in car tuning?

Its always just been jetting for best mph at a track day, and fiddling with driveability here and there. But I think a wideband would shorten that process quite a bit. Still likely jet for best mph regardless of o² reading(within reason) but its nice to know if your way out in left or right field driving around in different scenarios

[RevTheory]

Widebands are handy, little dudes to have as you tune your way through the circuits and transitions.

[cpmotors]

FWIW-
906 heads with 1.94/1.50 and mild porting, Comp XE HR 230/236° @ .050" 110°, 1.6 rockers, 10.5:1, Scat Rods with Mahle pistons 1.5/1.5/3.0 ring pack, stock lifters, Beehives, Pro Magnum Rockers. Stuska Dyno.

It says fully blue printed as in the lifter bores and cam tunnel have been machined to blue print along with cylinder locations to blue print, If so that was not a cheap build. I would like to see what that job cost.

Not to sidetrack the thread, but lifter bores,cam tunnel were as GM and 150k miles left them, as were the bore locations. It was a relative budget build @ $6k.

[Bob Hollinshead]

Lots of good info shared in this thread, what did the car run?

[CGT]

IMG_04481.jpg

It recently went 117mph on its first outing, 2:73 open rear end 700r4. So pretty decent, needs some tuning and obviously gears and a posi, but runs good for sure....I'm not positive what it weighs, not sure if they've scaled it or anything. But itd be whatever a stock 3rd gen weighs give or take I guess. I think was running 11.80's or so. Fast car for a 17yr old in my opinion, and likely to keep getting faster with time.

[travis]

How did the idle vacuum/low speed response turn out? I’ve wanted to try a very similar cam in one of my small valve ford heads, but always end up chickening out for fear of losing all the “streetability”.

I’m also curious what torque converter and exhaust system he ended up with. Any video of it running in the car?

That is pretty amazing results for a probably 3600-3800 pound car with 2.73’s!

[CGT]

How did the idle vacuum/low speed response turn out? I’ve wanted to try a very similar cam in one of my small valve ford heads, but always end up chickening out for fear of losing all the “streetability”.

I’m also curious what torque converter and exhaust system he ended up with. Any video of it running in the car?

That is pretty amazing results for a probably 3600-3800 pound car with 2.73’s!

The idle is surpringly tame....has a decent amount of lope at idle but cleans up instantly..Id describe it as a milder street sound...not sure what converter it is....stall about 3500...it has a stock type single 3rd gen exhaust on it..3 inch looks like...runs were made without it.

I really dont care for 700r4 trannies but i guess its working out ok so far. He has some 410 gears for it but an 11 second car on 273's...id be inclined to keep it. Am I getting old? Lol. These guys are unlikely to stop hunting for ET and mph so we will see how it ends up. You sure those cars weigh that much?

[travis]

Yeah, 3rd gens F-body’s are surprisingly heavy, especially the trans am’s. Fully optioned ones easily go over 3800 pounds.

I’m not a big fan of 700r4’s either. The 3.06 first gear ratio really helps with a tall rear gear, but the 1-2 gear spacing is brutal.

My old age may be showing too...I’d be plenty happy with an 11 second car with 2.73’s. 4.10’s with a 700r4 will probably turn into serious traction problems. As is, top speed would be in the “go directly to jail” range

I probably wouldn’t have survived my teenage years with a car like this lol

[GARY C]

Here are some Gen 3 specs. https://www.thirdgen.org/generaltechdata/

[steve316]

My son's 71 nova ran 11:80's and I got ( WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING ) from friends. We always want something better for our kids.

[CGT]

I figured the car would be around 3500 with driver, I could be wrong. But it should be pretty similar in weight to stock, several things have washed each other out, remove compressor, added iron heads...stuff like that. The drivers are both big boys too. They really need to see what it weighs I suppose, mostly because it matters to me .

I kind of thought after dynoing it could run about 120ish depending on air, car and stuff like that, and I still think it can. Its got a mid-length header I guess you would call it that im sure is hurting it some from the dyno headers it also had a carb spacer i made for it that was worth some power on the dyno that isnt on the car...still plenty of tuning and tinkering to do. But it is what is, its got plenty of smash for him for now.

From the flat torque curve it had I'm not surprised it pulls the 2:73 gear, but i didnt think it would pull it that well, especially with a lock up type street converter. I knew it would mph good, but I didn't foresee it in the 11 's with that gear and converter.

[paulzig]

IMG_04481.jpg
It recently went 117mph on its first outing, 2:73 open rear end 700r4. So pretty decent, needs some tuning and obviously gears and a posi, but runs good for sure....I'm not positive what it weighs, not sure if they've scaled it or anything. But itd be whatever a stock 3rd gen weighs give or take I guess. I think was running 11.80's or so. Fast car for a 17yr old in my opinion, and likely to keep getting faster with time.

Thats getting it done... 117mph and into the 11s... Everything going against it, with 2.73 gear, no stall etc...

Put the guys and the car on a diet lol

[BOOT]

Got a short tire, I always do that with highway gears. The flat torque curve = wide powerband I'll assume. The 700r4 1-2 is just like a powerglide with more gear.

[CGT]

I probably wouldn’t have survived my teenage years with a car like this lol

Exactly, I got my high school car 81 Monte Carlo dipping in the high 14's by the end of high school and I was dangerous as hell with that.

The 3.06 first gear ratio really helps with a tall rear gear

Yeah that's helping the situation with that rear gear. It would take a 3.30 gear with a 350 turbo to get the same SLR.