Thread: new kid on the block

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Hey guys (and gals!). 22 year old automotive student in the Portland/Vancouver area. Moved to Indiana from South Africa in 2004 and then Oregon in 2011. Fell in love with muscle v8 when I heard my first Mustang fly by on the free way. Recently purchased a 454 big block looking to start my first build so I will be asking a lot of questions!

welcome to the club.. what will the BBC go in?

I just love the build. At this point I'm just going to build and then im debating between a c3 vette and a 72 cutlass.

I'm guilty of the same.. prefer the build more than the cruisin'..

Welcome aboard mate, enjoy your stay!
There are some very clever people on here.
Just don't listen to me; I don't know everything about anything, and I don't know a lot about everything.

and a big gidday from me
look forward to hearing more from you.

Welcome! Lots of experience here to help with just about any question you come up with. Looking forward to seeing your engine become a project, and the project to become a driver.

Welcome to the western hemisphere-
there are several paths to go down with the BBC---------at 454 cubes they are big enough to get gobs of horse power / torque and if you want to race the blocks are strong enough to hold 8 - 900 hp reliably. If the crank/block you have are 4 bolt mains and forged crankshaft, I would suggest that you pick a nice set of alum heads 0( Edelbrock, afr, dart,etc) to not only save weight, but get away from the valve seat/unleaded fuel issurs and build it up for a hp level of 5-600 with comparable torque----


However, if its a 2 bolt block---you can convert to center 3 caps splayed bolts and stroker kit and go up to the 500 inch area for a reasonable amount.

So jerry, would a 2 bolt main be able to take the second option you listed for the 4 bolt? Alum. heads, mild cam, .30 bore and maybe a scat rotating assembly? 750 cfm carb too much? Checked my casting # it's a 2 bolt main from a '75-'87 gm truck

A 2 bolt block with main studs, an alighn hone on the mains can stand about anything you can throw at it on the street--------
It can certainly stand a .O3o bore (not a .30 )
casting number not a good indicator of main bolts
out of a truck, good chance its a 4 bolt
750 carb waste of time------go much bigger

Welcome...."If you build it they will come!" as they say in Field of Dreams. Might be fun in an old Impala or Cutlass!

Wondering should I just grab a stock 454 crank and have a machine shop fix it up? Should handle 500hp? My goal is 450-500 hp. I'd be very happy there. I've driven a lot of fast cars and after 350hp I don't feel much. I'm in it for torque. maybe a stock crank with I or H beam rods? Which one is better? Flot top pistons and bare heads (again for the machine shop to build up) and then a a cam with no more that .550 lift?

Ugh. The spelling... I apologize. I should do this on a computer!

was it from a big truck??? with a tall deck block??

I just finished running a +0.030" 454 with Brodix RR OBB aluminum heads on another forum. Copying it will be easier than telling you what we did.......
engine build help needed - Hot Rod Forum : Hotrodders Bulletin Board