cheapest way to get a fast car

[BigBlock454]

Hey what's up people, I just want some opinions here... I was wondering if I could get some suggestions on how to make a muscle car extremely fast for the cheapest price possible... I mean like late 1960s, early 1970s Camaros, Mustangs, Chevelles, Chargers, etc. I have a 402 engine from my dad's old 1972 Chevelle SS, which is sadly no longer with us... so any suggestions on what type of car I should invest in and the mods I can do will be helpful. I have been debating with a few of my friends who know what they are talking about and just wanted some outside opinion... thanks a bunch...

[fastrThanU]

I'll handle this one, guys......

ok. first, let's see what ya got to start with. you have a 402ci big block. it was actully called a 396 by chevy in the chevelle to avoid the confusion of switching ci numbers. it's just a 396 with a .030 overbore. i assume that it's completely stock.

i put a number after each mod to determine the most important(1) to the least important

i'd advise you to get a '68-'71 Nova to put the motor in. you could get the 396 from the factory in tha nova under the SS396 option, so all you have to do is switch the motor mounts to big block motor mounts, and it will slide right in. as far as mods go, the stock chevy heads are awesome. pull them off, and have them ported, and decked(3) to bring the compression ratio up to no more than 10.5:1 if you want to run pump 93 octane on the optimum spark advance.(i can't remember if '72s had dished pistons. if so, you DEFINETELY want to switch to flat tops(1)) i don't have the factory stats with me here, so i can't tell you what your current cc's are or comp. ratio, but i estimate the CR to be around 8.5 to 9:1. next, install a Crane Energizer cam(4) with a nice lumpy profile(exact specs are dependant on the streetability you want) next, install an Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake manifold(6)(these are one of the best street intakes on the market for muscle cars, as they combine single plane and dual plane characteristics. they have the high rpm power of a single plane intake, and the crazy low end torque of a dual. HOT ROD did a shootout with one of these, and it beat out every other single and dual plane in both the HP and Torque departments) after that, look into some headers and a high flow exhaust(2), and if you are serious, a Street Demon carb(5) rated at around 800cfm.

by the time this is all said and done, you will be making in the neighborhood of at least 520HP and 550ft/lbs at the crank. all in a very light musclecar. a killer combo if you ask me.....

total cost for mods(not including car, will probably hover around $1,100, but i'm not sure because i don't have a cataloge right here.)

i'll get back to you on optimum cam profiles and total price tommorrow.

[fastrThanU]

as far as cams go, look for something in the ballpark of 230-235 degrees of duration and .5" lift or so. that will give you a great boost in power without sacrificing too much sub- 2500 rpm torque. also, if your budget will allow, look at the Crane Powermax series (the one above the Energizer). total price will be around $1500 depending on how far you want to go. if you're super serious about power, change the stock heads and Edelbrock manifold for a Dart single plane and Dart heads. these are serious race parts. good luck.