Building an 11 second 70's nostalgic SBC

[1980RS]

Do you want it externally period correct or period correct right through?
I'd go 383 cube with scat pro I beam rods & modern pistons with 1mm/1mm/2.8mm ring pack.
292 heads if you can find them & ported by someone who knows them well.
Strip dominator intake 300-25.
Old style 850 pumper holley - but send it to someone to have screw in air bleeds etc fitted.
Cam something like 264/270 on 108 centres, 1.6 ratio rockers.
11:1 comp.

This is where I was headed on my own. 300-25 intake if I cam find one but I hadn’t looked for 292 heads. I thought about doing an externally looking only deal and running the TFS double hump heads with a roller... I still might. The flat tappet deal is still what I want to do, it’s just cooler for something like this.

Do you think that cam can be better? What you’re describing doesn’t sound too far off from an old school GM grind I know about.

I have run a 300-25 and a 300-36 dual plane and both are pretty comparable. With the 300-36 you can grind the Holley name and other names on the intake off and it will look like a Z/28 intake and make as much power as any of the new style air gap stuff. As for 292 heads, they are junk IMO. The 034 Bow Tie heads especially the later ones are way better and don't crack as bad as 292's. Yeas ago I ran 11.80's with 292's, switched over to the 034's and the car ran 11.50's.

[rustbucket79]

Do a 406, 2 bolt with studs will do the trick. Find some decent GM iron heads, Turbos, Bowties, 492 bolt hole castings should achieve the period correct, and nearly free to acquire because most sane people shelve them for modern aluminum.

Back when I ran flat tappet I loved Comp’s Tight Lash series of solids, just cough up the extra for EDM oiling lifters.

[vortecpro]

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That "3600 lb " car will weight 3800 lbs with you in it.
Which is it low 12's? or mid 11's ? Big difference in engine horsepower required @ 3800 lbs all in street trim to get there.
The fast 70's era cars were stripped down weight to bare bones race ready weight 3200 lbs max. (under 3400 lbs w/driver)
Big 4.56++++ gears.
Any of the ERA factory heads will need extensive full porting to get there . Big difference between a 68-72 Nova and a pig tank weight 77 Camaro.

Better to use modern stuff diguised to appear era correct.
3800 lbs will need 450 hp for low 12's 550 hp for mid 11's ET slips..

Again, this information is NOT WHAT I AM ASKING FOR!! I need specific well known part numbers for SBC performance stuff of the vintage era!

I know what HP level it takes to run what number... Ive been there. I am asking for details. Thanks.

Well then you can just read any hot rod magazine from the 70's through the early 90's and get that info your self complete with dyno numbers.

What the guys are asking is valid questions and assuming you have a unlimited funds budget to do this

the readily available heads in iron from Dart will be much cheaper then playing with 50 year old obsolete heads that are impossible to locate to start with.
Crank and rod combos from back then were welded stroker stuff or billet custom.

I can go on but if you are really dreaming of a factory race car build using stock parts thats your call but the info you are seeking is generally vague at best as there is only a couple heads that fit the bill and they crack when ported which is why the suggestions of other options.

Maybe we should start by establishing how big your budget is for the engine alone for parts R+D as well as machining and assembly most of all how many inches of displacement do you want to start out with 283 327 350 400 etc etc etc???

"one of the main issues is how are you going to mount accessories on a later model camaro with no bolt holes in the heads"


Think a little out of the box.

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292 are fine but you don't need them for what your doing.

[ClassicRob]

Looks like I’m on my own. Guys just move on from the old stuff and knowledge gets lost or rusty. I myself have forgotten a bunch.

[lefty o]

there's a reason everyone moved on. if the look is important, pick up some sportsmanII's and do a pocket port on them, and slap em on a 383 or 400.

[canuc]

Maybe not In the 11's but you could do what you asked with a stock 350 . Buy a set of good rods and good pistons , I haven 't seen them but the tfs camel humps sound good paint em orange . 300-25 intake 750 dp and headers should be well under 10k if your doing it yourself . Are you planning on going to a track or just street ? What gas are you planning to use ? 11.5-1 would be nice and I still like a lumpy solid f/t in a street rod just use good parts still less than a good roller and still love the sound

[canuc]

If you found a victor jr it would also be a good choice with some porting , I think they came out in around 77-78 , and as already said 4.56 or more gears depending on tire .

[F-BIRD'88]

I don't think the Holley 300-25 intake existed in 1977.

It was 300-1 or 300-3 strip dominators.. Edelbrock Scorpion/Trantula, EdelbrockTrYX or Weiand tunnel ram.. 2x660 holleys The current version 034 did not exist. Early Phase 1 did.
Darts not till 80-81. The hot heads were Crane Fireball prepped and ported 492 or 1st version 034 bowtie or 292 angle plug,
Isky Z60 Z70 cams Isky 547-A gets it done at 10.5:1cr (pump gas) 5…13 gears in heavy heavy car.

Don't remember what year Vic Jr sbc intake came out.

[dfarr67]

This particular situation is a waste of time.

[PRH]

383-406”, close to 11:1, modern solid cam, Trick Flow “camel hump” heads, modern high rise dual plane with all the logos/lettering removed.

[GARY C]

383-406”, close to 11:1, modern solid cam, Trick Flow “camel hump” heads, modern high rise dual plane with all the logos/lettering removed.

That was my thought, they come with or without bolt holes.
https://treperformance.com/i-23902883-t ... atch%20All
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Chevy-SB ... eb28_2020)

[ClassicRob]

This particular situation is a waste of time.

Why? Because nostalgia isn't your thing?
Sorry to say, but at a car show, talking about the car, I would be much more interested in hearing about a nostalgia built old school 350-400 than an LS swap. It isn't a racecar and it doesn't need to have the latest and greatest stuff in it to be cool or be fun. Thanks for commenting.

[ClassicRob]

I don't think the Holley 300-25 intake existed in 1977.

It was 300-1 or 300-3 strip dominators.. Edelbrock Scorpion/Trantula, EdelbrockTrYX or Weiand tunnel ram.. 2x660 holleys The current version 034 did not exist. Early Phase 1 did.
Darts not till 80-81. The hot heads were Crane Fireball prepped and ported 492 or 1st version 034 bowtie or 292 angle plug,
Isky Z60 Z70 cams Isky 547-A gets it done at 10.5:1cr (pump gas) 5…13 gears in heavy heavy car.

Don't remember what year Vic Jr sbc intake came out.

I think theres some phase 1 292's for sale on ebay right now. If I cannot find good old heads, I will probably just pull the trigger on some TFS double humps. The car has 3.73's and I really want to stay where its at. It's a cruiser.

[ClassicRob]

Maybe not In the 11's but you could do what you asked with a stock 350 . Buy a set of good rods and good pistons , I haven 't seen them but the tfs camel humps sound good paint em orange . 300-25 intake 750 dp and headers should be well under 10k if your doing it yourself . Are you planning on going to a track or just street ? What gas are you planning to use ? 11.5-1 would be nice and I still like a lumpy solid f/t in a street rod just use good parts still less than a good roller and still love the sound

Street car. Some limited track use. 93 pump. I would love to use those TFS heads if I cannot find anything else. I will buy the heads first so I can build the motor around those.

[dfarr67]

This particular situation is a waste of time.

Why? Because nostalgia isn't your thing?
Sorry to say, but at a car show, talking about the car, I would be much more interested in hearing about a nostalgia built old school 350-400 than an LS swap. It isn't a racecar and it doesn't need to have the latest and greatest stuff in it to be cool or be fun. Thanks for commenting.

No- from what I understand you want high dollar early 70's retro hp into a '77. Now I would understand the sand box boundaries with a '70ish Z with day 2 mods. I don't give a shit about LS.