I would do a 5.7 stroker which would work out to a392" motor
I would go with the eagle head for $
The 6.1 stuff is more expensive. the 5.7's can be found comeplete motors for a few hundred bucks.
With bobs K frame you could even keep the truck oil pan.
A 392" eagle headed motor could make 600hp easy with all stock stuff except for the stroker kit and lil head porting.
I know this was one of the original responses... but ultimately for a budget build this is a hard to beat combo. We've been involved with quite a few 5.7 builds and the current "magic" budget build is a 5.7 block, 6.1 crank, shelf rods (Eagle, K1, Manley etc.), good shelf pistons w/reliefs (Diamond, Weisco etc.), 6.1 lifters (non-MDS), Apache heads (although the original 5.7's configured properly are hard to beat for port velocity), a 6.1 intake, a 90mm throttle body, SRT4 injectors, a .600/230/240 cam, good headers and fuel pump(s) and you have a killer street/track combo that will knock high 10's down all day in a 3500# car. Add a meth injection system and you can do it on pump (87 oct) gas.
I'm an old school Mopar guy but really am impressed with these engines and the power potential.
The last combo we tuned containing the parts listed above made only 12whp less than my 3700# [Email]10.5@126[/Email], roller cammed, BME rod, Venolia piston, Indy headed, Dominator fed 440!
No need to convert these to carb either, just get the PCM when you buy your engine and find a CMR dealer to "flash" a tune for you.
How much would you say a build like this one would cost?
