The tower seems to be leaning more and more into this direction. We'll see what happens. This is what someone at FABO stated not too long ago.



As much as I'd love EFI, I don't think I'll afford it this go around.

Do a leakdown test. See where the air is leaking- crankcase (rings), intake or exhaust (valve), or head gasket (offsetting cylinder or bubbles in the antifreeze). This can be done with the motor out. This will better tell you what is wrong, and will help with your decision.

I would still try for the EFI if you don't already have a good carb, with systems like FITECH you would only be up a $1000 over a good carb, and if the carb runs bad you will be putting out money for jets and tuning.
I would personally shoot for 400-425HP at the crank for a car like yours, it will be fast enough to be fun on the street, enough for autocross and if you take it to a road race track it won't be overpowering your brakes, chassis and tires.

With all you've done to your car the last few months, you may consider what will it take to get that supercharged 360 running and get it in the car after swapping to a duel plane intake.

The problem with the long arm 360 will be getting it to breath, cam heads, more money and at that point you maybe wondering why you didn't go with a GEN III.

The trees are blocking the view of the forest.

A 4bbl OEM 318 will humble most here real fast on a road race circuit. Baby steps, are better at making progress then pondering. Seems to be two polar opposite groups here in thinking and suggestions, wonder which one has actually spent any time on track?

As I shared on FABO, I think your best bet is an edelbrock headed stock stroke 360. This will help you hook, you'll spend your money on something that both increases performance of the engine (better flowing heads) and also makes the front end significantly lighter. You can keep the costs down but I would suggest swapping the edelbrock standard springs out for some beehive ones (they are SBC sizes so it's cake). Get some light hypereutectic pistons that get it to zero deck and I would invest in a hydraulic roller in the high 220's duration at .050 and it will really rock.

My car is pretty fast and you can actually put the power down pretty well on the 275's.

You want a fresh reliable engine with an investment towards reliability and simplicity. A balanced lightweight 360 can take you A LONG way in parking lots. I went Gen III because a deal fell in my lap. I also want decent fuel mileage and the ability to take 2000 mile road trips. All those things can be had in a 360 for almost pennies on the dollar.

As I shared in Rylis' thread, I'm a proponent of a stock stroke 360. A basic rebuild with Eddy heads will give you more power than you need for a beginner.

If I were in your shoes, I'd stay with the iron heads and just freshen up the motor with a cam and intake. Lots of bang for the buck in J heads. If the heads require work, go with a set of out of the box edelbrocks.

K.I.S.S. It'll be cheaper, easier to maintain, more reliable, and you'll have less down time. The more exotic you go, the longer it will take to complete and swallow cubic dollars.

I built my 360 up over 3 years as I bought parts as budget/deals allowed.
Externally balanced (B&M flexplate for converter)
KB Hyperuetectic pistons
Hughes Stage 1 Eddy Heads
Hughes custom grind cam, lifters, pushrods, and rockers
Eddy Air Gap
Quick Fuel 750 Slayer (started with a 670 Avenger but it wouldn't run right)

This motor is a torque monster that Hughes helped me build for autocross. I am very happy with it. However, the Hughes top end was more than half the cost of the build and was one of those "might as wells" as I knew I wasn't going to be single much longer. I probably could have gotten 90% of where I am with more traditional components, and saved a bunch of money. However, since I needed decent heads, I still would've gotten the Edelbrock's. Just maybe not ported.

MuuMuu -- forget the supercharger... it adds too much weight up front where you DON'T want it for any handling intended car (AX in particular).

SB with aluminum heads... stroke it if more wide-spread torque is needed. Keep it light up front.

Interesting to read through all of this as I think of building a motor for my wagoon which I'd like to occasionally autocross, but mainly just street drive as often as possible.

I'm currently considering a 360 Magnum loosely based on the recent build that Mopar Action did. I've been looking for decent mileage 2WD Rams and Ram Vans to scavenge the motor and OD tranny out of and then the rest will be based on cost from there.

I likely won't build it with EFI right off the bat, but if FITech turns out to be cost effective, I might do it that way. Their systems seem pretty good to me.

As my son would say, derp.

Build the blower motor, if it's too much power for the course PULL THE BELT OFF. Best of both worlds.

It's already built.

He bought a complete air cleaner to oil pan tuning driving setup.

All he has to do is install it and start driving

Did he not say it needs going thru and should he stroke it or go with the blower?

I'm with you though, I'd put it in and drive.

Or put a clutch on it.

http://www.eaton.com/Eaton/ProductsServices/Vehicle/Superchargers/clutched-supercharger/index.htm

I would rather have a positive displacement supercharger over a centrifugal, less heat, more power.

I did say that. Again, throwing it in there means getting another hood which I don't want to do.

Eddy 625-650 4bbl and Performer intake. Leave the internals and heads alone. Install engine. Drive it and autocross it for a summer. Learn the car. Then next winter hop it up by stroking. Don't want, and don't need the blower for autocross.

What intake is on it now an M1 Single plane? An RPM is probably an inch shorter I bet. Drop base air cleaner and go.

I think Samy already knows what I think, but after flogging my Valiant at Optima, my first recommendation is reliability. Some of my competitors were having overheating issues in the 105 degree heat, and there is nothing more frustrating. Next I like simplicity, the Borgeson box, the TTI shorty headers on a small block made the car not only easy to build, but easy to work on, and surprisingly great handling. I'm all for newer technology, if fitting a newgen Hemi was not cost/time prohibitive, and didn't add a bunch of weight, sure why not. After racing the Valiant all year, the ideal combo for me would be an aluminum or IMM headed stroker, with a Passon 5 speed.

That's what I have. But I will cheap out and eventually go just 4 speed.... a no frills aluminum headed 419 stroker from a kit I bought from IMM. No real fancy parts, F/I, etc. A cam everyone says is too small. A $130 used M1 single plane to kill a little low speed torque and hopefully? add some high speed HP and TQ. With a $80 used Edelbrock RPM to try if I want. I got about 8,000 care free miles on it. I adjust the solid lifters, but someone could just spec a hyd cam and get a tick less rpm out of it.

The one place where I tried to be cute and make a spreadbore into a squarebore carb flange, I got stinged. It cost me a intake and exhaust gasket, valve lapping compound, and my free labor.

But I though the Supercharged motor Samy got from the green Redline Valiant was good to go. If it needs hood clearance, add a scoop, bubble, whatever. It is what it is.

The engine was bought from the get go knowing it would need to be gone through and at the very least making an intake change to something that would fit under the hood. I posed the question to see if it would be better to go a stroker (or stock stroke) since the engine will be taken apart anyways. As said before, a hood scoop is out of the question.