1976 Camaro engine buildup?

[suprapimpa]

Hey. From my name you can see im an import guy so I dont know quite as much about domestic cars, but still do have much love for them.

My question is if anybody has any links to engine buildups on a 1976 camaro ... from what i hear they have a 305 but im not quite sure so if anybody could inform me if that is correct.

Another question I have deals with the same thing ... somebody told my friend that you can build up a 11 sec camaro with junkyard parts ... i remember something about the heads off of a dart but i dont exactly remember and i am questionable becasue of the fact that that dart is a dodge and all ... but once i find out what parts this guy actually told him to get ill post them to see if any of you think its a good idea.

So basically my question is how can i make a 1976 camaro fast on a budget i know the basics but i figure you guys know more .. so if you could help me id be really thankful

-peace

[-The Stig-]

Hmmm... Well if you want to go fast in a '76 Camaro...

Ditch the 305, it is possible to get power out of them but it would be cheaper and less time consuming to make more power from a 350 motor.

How much a of a budget are we talking?

I can work up some cheap motor ideas if i've got a budget ceiling...

Also, would you want it to be streetable? or a track only car? Do you have to worry about smog regulations?

[suprapimpa]

Ummm were lookin in the 2000-2500 range for money spent on motor ... i dont know how much you can do with that and i already know that you cant put in a supercharger or a turbo with that so we have decide on an N/A setup

This is what the guy said he did to build up an 11 sec camaro. I dont know how much of it is good but its really all im workin off of right now because I really only know so much and lately ive been lookin into learning how to build fiberglass stuff and setup stereos so i havent been able to read up on engines, plus half the shit on the tv car shows is useless

well heres this quote:

just get a good 4 bolt main block, use the stock crank... you can also reuse the stock rods... just get decent pistons and some decent rings... nothing crazy... this motor was bored .040 over. you can go .030 or .060 if you wanna get crazy on it... i wouldnt advise goin .060 over because of heating issues that may come along with it.pistons are a dime a dozen... just get hyperutectic pistons... no need to get forged unless you plan on running boost or large amounts of nitrous in it.. the heads that are on the motor are Dart II heads... inexpensive and flow awesome for the price you pay... if you go with Dart II heads... MAKE SURE YOU GET THE DART CASTING.... World also makes the same head but with their casting numbers on it... the World heads arent as good as the Darts but cost the exact same amount.rear ends are also very easy to find... junkyards have em EVERYWHERE... a 10 bolt should hold up to the power just fine... as long as its not horribly beaten up..i got a TH350 reverse manual valve body that was race prepped for $250... great deal on a trany that would otherwise cost me several thousand dollars... only downside is that it was used for one season of racing... but i saved a HUGE amount of money on it so im happy... you can find a lot of great deals but you have to look around... it takes time to find a lot of good deals...

Sorry for the length

[-The Stig-]

Hmmm sounds like a pretty decent build up.

Technically you dont need a 4-bolt main block, the good rule of thumb is if you're producing more than 400hp or revving over 6000rpm than a 4 bolt would be best. But if you look back and take a gander at the 67-69 Camaro Z28s with the race bred 302s. They were a 2 bolt that revved well past the 7k mark.

Now since you've got to hunt down a 350 motor from either a J-yard or New... theres a slight dilema here. I've got a problem with J-yard motors, I personally feel new is always better. Thats not always the case I know, people make bitchin J-yard motors all the time. But I'd rather buy or build my own motor than use a motor from the J-yard... not sure why.

But if you want to start from scratch.
Brand New 350 260hp/350tq $1289

This motor alone with a 4bbl carb(~$350), intake(~$130) and headers(~$300) will make those advertised power numbers.

And it comes with a 3 year/50,000 Mile warranty straight from GM. With 260hp/350tq you'll put that '76 Camaro deep into the 14s which may not sound like much but seeing as the stock 305 that it has makes barely 140hp. Its a HUGE step in performance.

Next up, Transmission. The Stock transmission which I'll assume is a Th350. Spend a few hundred for a Stall Converter of around 2200-2600rpm and a Shift kit and just got to town. The Stall shouldnt be more than $250 from B&M, Shift kit is like $50 also from B&M.
Converter Shift Kit

Next in line, Rear End. The stock 10-bolt that resides there now should do for short term. Best thing to do is throw in a Posi unit. That shouldnt be more than $300-450 for the unit. But I dont suggest on installing it yourself unless you've got access to somebody who really knows how to do it to help you. A 3.73 gear would be your best bet.

That right there should be enough to get you into the low 14s... maybbe 13s but i seriously doubt it. Doesnt have the power for 13s yet.

That right there is $2300 for very streetable car with a brand new motor and freshened up drive train.

For $465, you can get this Carb/Intake/Cam/Lifter Set from Edelbrock
At this point, you'd void the warranty from GM cause you've opened the motor up to install the cam and lifters. But if done right you wont worry at all.

Upgrade your rocker arms to these little bad boys if you want to keep her "50-state" legal Cast Aluminum Rocker Arms or to these if you want to go all out Billet Aluminum Rocker Arms.

You'll probably need Headers

That Carb/Intake/Cam set and with those rocker arms with stock heads and some decent headers you'll be making upwards of 300hp. Now you'll probably be pushing low low 14s.

Updated Total... $2320. Its cheaper to buy the Carb/Intake/Cam kit together as a package.

To get into the 11's you'll have to go to bigger heads, larger cam, bigger carb. All this will cost money. Theres more to 11's seconds than just Horsepower, you'll need suspension and tires to help you.

If you really want to run 11's I can tell you how to get there. Wont be cheap... unless you get real shiesty with parts. I'd say at least another $800-900 for bigger heads and another camshaft to feed those heads... that'll be like $100-150 then a larger carb would be nearly $400-450 to dump the amount of fuel needed to run that fast. So say $1400 to get the motor near the power level to reach 11s. Then, you'll need suspension and a higher stall converter to launch harder. It's tricky business.

If this way seems to expensive than by all means go the junk yard route, nothing wrong with it. Its definately cheaper, but I'd figure I'd show you the way it would cost if you were to start over from scratch.

And i'm just bored.

[suprapimpa]

Thanks for the thorough response. I figure our best bet is the junkyard but thanks for all the tips and I'll keep them in mind while building the engine. I figure with what advice you gave me and the guy on supercars.net gave me, I can take all that to this guy I know who works with chevys and hopefully he can help us build our 11 sec beast.

I have probly the last question, sorry for so many:

If we were to get the engine from a junkyard you think it could handle all the performance parts you mentioned? And I'm jus thinkin ahead and figuring you would say it depends on condition so do you have any tips on determining an engines quality when it comes from a junkyard?

Thanks man, peace

[-The Stig-]

Originally posted by suprapimpa

If we were to get the engine from a junkyard you think it could handle all the performance parts you mentioned? And I'm jus thinkin ahead and figuring you would say it depends on condition so do you have any tips on determining an engines quality when it comes from a junkyard?

Thanks man, peace

No problem glad to help you out...

Now about Junkyard components.

As cheap as they are, usually the good stuff like motors/trannys/rearends that are highly sought after are snagged up first by the Employees or somebody else. Its a hit and miss situation to find a good 350. Unless you know engine block codes I dont think you can tell if its a 4bolt with out pulling the oil pan off to checking the mains.

But like i've mentioned, its not important to run a 4bolt block. A 2bolt motor will last you for quite sometime.

As for reliability goes, I wouldnt trust the stock bottom ends like crank/rods/pistons to appreciate to go from some old farmer truck into a high performance environment. I'd at least do a rebuild on the motor which doesnt cost more than a few hundred dollars if that. Your best bet I would think is if you're going the Junkyard route and are having the motor rebuilt. Might want to look into a stroker assembly. They dont cost much... New 383 Stroker Kit. As opposed to say a Stock 350 Rebuild. That stock rebuild kit would make the motor a '355ci' motor. Seeing as you'd have the block machined .030. Which is a good idea when rebuilding an older motor with lots of miles on it.

Its a bit steep in price but it'll gain you sizable increases in power all over. I'd suggest upgrading to at least forged pistons. That way you can run Nitrous or later on boost from a supercharger and not have to go through and rebuild the motor again.

Trust me when I say this... spend a little extra money on the bottom end of the motor and you shouldnt have any problems. Although this route costs a bit more, you'll be closer to your 11 second goal. A stock rebuild with Heads/Cam/Intake will do the job as well but remember a bigger motor doesnt have to work as hard.

[PWMAN]

Originally posted by RedNeck383
Hmmm sounds like a pretty decent build up.

Technically you dont need a 4-bolt main block, the good rule of thumb is if you're producing more than 400hp or revving over 6000rpm than a 4 bolt would be best. But if you look back and take a gander at the 67-69 Camaro Z28s with the race bred 302s. They were a 2 bolt that revved well past the 7k mark.

Well, it only has a 3 inch stroke, not like the 350's 3.48 inch stroke which puts way more strain on an engine.
The 350 Goodwrench engine is a VERY good idea. My dad just bought one. It's a good deal for what you get.

[-The Stig-]

Originally posted by PWMAN


Well, it only has a 3 inch stroke, not like the 350's 3.48 inch stroke which puts way more strain on an engine.
The 350 Goodwrench engine is a VERY good idea. My dad just bought one. It's a good deal for what you get.

Aint that the Truth!

[HemiGeorge]

Originally posted by suprapimpa
Hey. From my name you can see im an import guy so I dont know quite as much about domestic cars, but still do have much love for them.

My question is if anybody has any links to engine buildups on a 1976 camaro ... from what i hear they have a 305 but im not quite sure so if anybody could inform me if that is correct.

Another question I have deals with the same thing ... somebody told my friend that you can build up a 11 sec camaro with junkyard parts ... i remember something about the heads off of a dart but i dont exactly remember and i am questionable becasue of the fact that that dart is a dodge and all ... but once i find out what parts this guy actually told him to get ill post them to see if any of you think its a good idea.

So basically my question is how can i make a 1976 camaro fast on a budget i know the basics but i figure you guys know more .. so if you could help me id be really thankful

-peace

If you do go the junkyard route, your gonna have to work those parts. I'd buy em new, chevy's are reliable but if you don't know that much about american cars its hard to jump on into the game.

[PWMAN]

Dude nice Cuda. I live in PA too, Harrisburg area.

[-The Stig-]

Originally posted by HemiGeorge

If you do go the junkyard route, your gonna have to work those parts. I'd buy em new, chevy's are reliable but if you don't know that much about american cars its hard to jump on into the game.

[Redchev]

Redneck is on the right track, but to save you a few more pennies I would buy a short block, have your 305 heads rebuilt and use them on a 350, and buy a mild cam. As for your drive train I would have to agree with redneck about the stall converter and a shift kit, and the rear end. As far as the rear end goes, the ten bolts are a piece of cake to rip into. You take out a bolt in the differential that holds the pin for the spider gears, take out the pin, push the axles in and slide the C-clips off the end of the axles. Then unbolt the two mains and take out the differential, and put your new differential in. unless it already has posi, if it does just change the ring and pinion to get the gear ratio you want.

[triplerc]

lol