Big block build on a budget
 

If you had a realistic budget to build a big block, what would you use and how would you build it? What would it all cost?

By realistic I mean something that most of us would be working with.

My 2 cents:


Start with a 440:

- Bore .030 over
- H-beam rods
- Lunati cam or mopar performance cam
- Ported closed chamber heads (516s, 906s i think too?)
- Aluminum intake... Holley street dominator is a good one
- Holley carb: CFM 650 - 750


Just some things to get the ball rolling..

400 or 440 block with a stroker kit [$2000]. 440 source aluminum heads [$1000]. Comp cam selected properly for package, and intended use. Intake, depending on use. My goal would be a low-revving, stoplight-hero, torque beast, burn-out king that can be driven daily. Above 6500 RPM, [The limit that most near stock components can handle], the centrifigal forces increase exponentially. I.E, every 1000 rpm increase, increases rotating stresses by a factor of ten. So if ya start spinning it fast to make power, you start burning through cash for other things to handle it.

getting a 440 (383's it think too) from the sixties to the early 70's would be a good start
they came with things such as heavier rods and a forged crank
while this wont be a stroker motor, you dont need one to achieve well over 500hp
those are good starting points

aluminum manifolds (i like dual plane) would help in lots of ways (weight savings and better flow)

heads: either closed or open chamber (that is up to debate)
but, those heads came with the years that I mentioned before
they are all pretty good heads, and can be worked
moderate work such as bigger valves can give an increase in hp

You don't really want heavy rods... you want light durable rods. Unless you don't plan on racing it, then yes, those are good for a build.

I have been very careful with the parts for my 451 build, and I am going over board on the heads (starting with alum. 440source heads) cost wise for my tight budget, it will come in under 5000. That is everything minus the carb, and headers, and doing the work myself. Of course for me it helps having the access to the machining equipment! Yeah, alot of used pieces from swap meets and watching online ads too. But it should be in the 600 hp range when finished.

You know guys, ill share a quick story w/ yall, and take it as you will , Me and a buddy were both building 440s at the same time, he went all modern tech and I went old school. his words, your motors just sittin there runnin BORING!! Ill have magic goin on inside mine. alum, adj, rollers alum this racer that. he went through his motor 3 times and on the third time he went back to BORING!! just like i did the first time, I guess he didnt get the magic he wanted. Ive done mopes for 25 yrs. and most builds on a budget. 1500 in machine work, .30 over ,stock crank cut standard treatment on the crank n rods. basic head cleaning, and prep work w/ the big stainless valves.on boring stck cast heads LOL, 10.1-1 forged slugs, a good purple cam .509 all day long. a good edy intake n 750 holley. lookin at 3500 real money. great for the street. My cars sat all winter, I ran them round 1500 miles a summer. then back in for the next winter, never touched them other wise. that motor is still running after 6 years. His third ones doin great after 4 years n 3 tries. moral of the story is you wanna work on them all the damn time or just drive them. new is great dont get me wrong. but for all the extra cost involved in new tech, for the extra maint. and common maint. ill take an old school build any day. you may go faster then me but you paid a hellofa lot more to beat me and mine still gets groceries on sat. n fires right up w. no probs after 6 nos. of hibrernation.My 2 cents.

I am in the process of building my ultra low budget big block mopar.

My first step is to use what I have. I have a 1968 383. I would like a 440 but this is what I have. I have a machine shop that seems to do good work for low prices. I found a craigslist add that said 383 shortblock with new in the box 11 to 1 .060 oversize pistons. I bought the shortblock and pistons for 300 dollars. I had the crank turned for 70 dollars. The block is hot tanked, bored and honed plus cam bearings for 150 dollars. I bought ARP rod and main bolts for 110 dollars through summit racing. I Paid 100 dollars to have my rods resized after the rod bolts were installed. I bought gaskets, moly rings, clevite 77 bearings, melling high volume oil pump, and double roller timeing chain. for around 420 dollars. I also picked up a pair of .080 thick copper head gaskets from a mopar swap meet still in the original packaging for 25 dollars.

I plan on re using the Mopar Purple .509 cam out of the old motor. Only has about 500 miles on it. My old heads have the matched valve springs from Mopar already on them. The valves have been rebuilt about 5000 miles ago so I will take them apart clean and inspect them but hopefully will not have to do a full valve job. I also pan on porting them myself while they are off the engine. Valve train is stock but I do have a set of 440 source roller rockers and shafts I purchased for 100 dollars a while back..I am not happy with the condition of the shaft bearings on them and may find a way to bush them and run them with out the needle bearings for reliability. The motor already has a mopar performance windage tray, Holley Street Dominater manifold, Mallory dual point distributor, Edelbrock 650 carb which I will probably go to a 750 or 850 holley at some point. The car is a 1968 Plymouth Satellite 2door hard top. Trans is a 727 with TurboAction Reverse pattern valve body, 3000 rpm stall converter and a 3.9 to 1 sure grip rear axle. I figured I would spend my money on the shortblock and then I can change heads and other stuff as money becomes available.


So far that is 875 dollars if you dont include the rocker arms. I am sure there will be some other charges along the way but I should have this thing running for around 1000. I am hoping for power in the 400 to 450 range. And with some good gas 100 octane or more maybe a shot of nitrous to bring it to 500 to 600.