With the economy going the way it is my plans to finish my ongoing projects are going to be put on hold for a while. So I have decided to build a budget 12 second bracket car to go to the local track with and have some fun and blow off some steam. After loosing almost half of my savings in the market I have come to the realization that I need an outlet and this will be it. I'm tired of bench racing...Its time, while I still have a house to live in and a garage to work in....lol

This forum has always been extremely helpful with past projects and I am looking forward to building this car with you guys..


As soon As I can figure out how to resize pics ill post pics as I go along.

Here is what I have to use.

1966 Belvedere II. Its an old race car from the 70's. It has an older cage in it. The car is gutted. I can pick it up and move it over...lol Im not sure what it weighs as a Roller? It has a fiberglass hood, trunk lid and bumpers.


1977 Lo Mi. 440 Cast Crank Engine Runs Great

Two 727s Im rebuilding one as we speak....

742 Case with 4.88 brand new...I know I know I need gears

Torker Intake, Headman Headers, 750 DP
MSD 6AL & Blaster Coil M/T 29.5x10w slicks and other misc.parts.
Being this is a Budget Build and My budget is next to nothing im looking for your ideas and input to help get me where I need to be.

My first question is I need a cam that will make power with a low compression motor. Any suggestions? And what gear ratio should I use with that cam? Also stall what stall speed.

I have ordered all new brake lines and will be doing that this weekend.

Thanks in advance...looking forward to hearing your input..

Pics to come asap
Oh btw I weigh 230lb...haha

There is a post in the archives about smogger 440s. Sorry I would post a link...but . Easy build, .528 cam works good, if your car is lite, You should be able to dip in the 11's.

Do you plan to race 1/4 or 1/8 mile?

Here's the combo in my all steel '64 fury that went 11.70s

10:1 440, .509 cam, 346 heads that I ported using the mopar templates, eddy performer rpm, holley 850dp, 1 3/4 heddmans, 3" exhaust ending before the axle..4200 converter, 3.91 gears, 275-60-15 (28x9) drag radials. Weight was/is 3515 with driver.

Just put it together with what you have or can get cheaply. My car runs mid 12's and I bracket race it all year as much as I can. I have fun with it.

FWIW
My dads challenger is basic:
Probably at least 3700# with driver
10:1 440
stock 906 heads, no valve job, just put new springs on
Comp XE294H 519/524 250/256 @.050
stock stamped steel rockers
Torker 2 intake
850DP holley
9.5" 3800 stall PTC
basic rebuild 727
4.56's and a 30" tire

11.91@112 best
nothin special but its still fun.

Buy a good converter and gear it right and it'll go 12's easy.

Build it and have some fun but in my opinion the 4.88 gear is way too much gear for the tire. Unless you build a wild high reving engine you will run out of motor before you run out of track. IMO then you will be out of the budget category.

Hey thanks for the quick responses. And for your combos. I have read the link about the smogger 440 combo in the tech archive. Good read and impressive results. Thats what gave me the idea to put this together and have some fun.
I will be running the 1/4 mile at Atco Raceway as its 2 min from my house. I used to race brand x cars here since high school until I saw the light
I read somewhere about some cam grinds that work really well in low compression motors. They build alot of cylinder pressure. I think it was Hughes. The thing is I could swap heads with a set of ported/polished 452 from another project that are milled to 73cc. But that means milling my intake or getting another one....more$$$$. Any way I only want to run the 12.o bracket class. I want a car with little to no maintenance.
Thanks again Rich

I think you'd do quite well with about 4.30's or 4.56's and about 4000-4500 worth of convertor and the MP 509 juice cam, given the rest of what you have. The 4.88's might be too much gear for the rest of the package. On the flip side, you could put a hemi grind stick in it, and about 3500 convertor and then you wouldn't make as much mph as the bigger cam, but it would still leave hard and maybe leave you some revs to spare at the stripe.

I think the 451 low deck stroker is the cheapest and easiest way to stay at low 12's. I had 400 block, steel 440 crank, KB quench dome pistons, ly 440 rods, 906 heads 181-214 valves and home ported, torqer intake, holley 800 dp, super stock springs, 727 reverse VB, had a cheep ger 10" 4000 converter till it fell apart then a dynamic, 8 3/4 4:10 gears, 28 x 9 MT, 66 plymouth sat full street interior was around 4000 lbs with me in it, for 7 years it ran 12.0'somthings, besides a couple of regualar small problems and tune ups I never really had to work on it. I'm just lazzy and when I go to the track I want to have fun and not have to be under the car all the time. At night I unloaded shut off the light and started it up for the next race. Good easy reliable cheap motor.

No doubt the 451 is a great motor. I have a 451 short block sitting on a stand in my garage. It will someday go in my Duster if I can get my finances in order. But cheap it wasn't in my opinion. I have about $3000 or so in it between the machine work to the block, crank, manley rods and diamond pistons. I know I could have done it for less but I wanted a solid bottom end and at the time $$$ wasn't an issue unlike now. That's why in going the Cheapest way I can right now in trying to use what I have. I had a GER in my old car that lasted 6 seasons in an 11 sec. car.. lol

Once I get it up and running I will post Improvements and the ET. I think it will be cool. Im a little curious what the motor would run as is in such a light car...arent you guys.

You have a built short block, a set of ported heads, I say put 2+2 together and you have a race car. Keep your 4.88's, run a Mopar 590 cam and a 4200 converter and go 10's.

id go with something close to the ol 509 cam and 391/410 gear.

i had a 9 or 9.5:1 440 / 509/4:10 car about 3500lb or so - total budget car that went 12.20's with a el cheapo 3000 stall , 902 heads, cheap parts,etc . it ran forever and i never had any problems .

My combo last year was a 68 cuda I pulled a 440 out of a 76 new yorker changed the intake, put 500 lift voodoo cam in it, 830 holley carb, 4;11 gears stock 727 with shift kit I put in it. Went 11;97 @ 118 I was shocked if you run the numbers on some of the other web sites that calculate horspower based on e.t it works out to 430hp which i know its not making.

I'd just stick it together. Maybe cut the heads a skoche to jack up the compression on the smogger motor.

Use a .509 cam.....they're around, cheap and make good power.

Lose the 4.88's....that's way too tight a gear for most wedge motors. Use a 4.56, max, better 4.10's, 4.30's.

Use a loose converter.....go have fun.