trans am.. where to start

[Firebirdjones]

WHO CAN COMPARE TO A SUPER STOCK CLASS, where just poor boys building SBC in a shop in the backyard and hurting alot of peoples feelings that are running BBC. i see your point for that era thats impressive but maybe its me im fond of the the SCB there are so many ways to build one. god knows i've sunk thousands into em the last 12 years or so.

Just an example to show what can be done. Spending money, not spending money,,,either way I think it's been shown.

I like the small block chevys too, had several 406's, one with 18 degree heads. Some 327's, one I still run in the nomad that spins pretty tight, and a 69 Z with the little 302 that will be turning alot of rpm when the restoration is complete.

I still have a few bigblock cars, one of which I regularly turn 6500 with using a very heavy valvetrain, (hydraulic roller) I really don't have that much money in it compared to some of the small blocks I've built.

[JaycenK]

I have never seen a stock 305, 327, 350 crank turn 9K in any situation. I know they built some factory bruts back then that found thier way to a car here and there from the factory when racing was about sneaking the best built motor in to a stock class car, but 9 grand on a cast crank and rods? They were pink rods they could do about 7 at max and that was if-e

[JaycenK]

ICK!!! If ya want to put a small block chevy in something, go buy a camaro. Stop putting bad thoughts in this guys head,,,,lol.

LOL see your old school build that 400 or 455 to spank that chubby chevy. Would be nice to keep a pontiac motor in that thing but is he talk about the same 400 block that chevy guys raped for the cranks for stroking out thier 350's back in the 80's and 90's or was thier a BB version of the 400. Only one I knew of was the sb400

[Firebirdjones]

LOL see your old school build that 400 or 455 to spank that chubby chevy. Would be nice to keep a pontiac motor in that thing but is he talk about the same 400 block that chevy guys raped for the cranks for stroking out thier 350's back in the 80's and 90's or was thier a BB version of the 400. Only one I knew of was the sb400

Pontiac made a 400 long before chevy ever had one. From 67 through 79. He mentioned his 78 being a W72 400 which in fact is the pontiac engine.
GM didn't put the chevy engine in the birds until 82 when the body style changed to the 3rd gen.

[Firebirdjones]

I have never seen a stock 305, 327, 350 crank turn 9K in any situation. I know they built some factory bruts back then that found thier way to a car here and there from the factory when racing was about sneaking the best built motor in to a stock class car, but 9 grand on a cast crank and rods? They were pink rods they could do about 7 at max and that was if-e

And you probably won't either. There were plenty of factory forged crank offerings back then too. Most of your factory solid lifter engines came with forged cranks. I've used them as well as the stock rods (reconditioned with good bolts of course) to spin well past the 7,000 rpm mark without issues. With todays lighter weight pistons it's even easier on parts.

[JaycenK]

Pontiac made a 400 long before chevy ever had one. From 67 through 79. He mentioned his 78 being a W72 400 which in fact is the pontiac engine.
GM didn't put the chevy engine in the birds until 82 when the body style changed to the 3rd gen.

Are you sure? I have had several 83, 84 T/A's and an 83, and 85 camaro and I don't ever remeber the small block 400 being an option. There wasn't even a 350 motor option in a 3rd gen untill 87 as a TPI, or TB injection. I thought there were sb 400's in the late late 70's and last of the 80's 2'nd gen birds?

[NavyTATwo]

Are you sure? I have had several 83, 84 T/A's and an 83, and 85 camaro and I don't ever remeber the small block 400 being an option. There wasn't even a 350 motor option in a 3rd gen untill 87 as a TPI, or TB injection. I thought there were sb 400's in the late late 70's and last of the 80's 2'nd gen birds?

I remember when I got out of boot camp in 1986, I picked up a Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine that had an article about swapping out the 305 with a small block 400 in the third gen F-body. From what I remember it was an easy job, everything hooked back up, including the wiring and the computer. I can't imagine the transmission and rear lasting very long but I guess thats the chance you take.

Scott

[JaycenK]

ok this is actually for me. my questions are leading this further out the door and down the wrong path so I am soory I have help get this thread off topic. I will start a thread latter for all this dicussion.

My Vote is to stay pontiac unless it is a pos that you want to build a cheap racer out of then you can go any Big Block as long as it is GM not like a guy I saw that put a Ford motor in a camaro!!! WoW that was uber gay let me tell you. by the way he got his doors blown off

[Firebirdjones]

Are you sure? I have had several 83, 84 T/A's and an 83, and 85 camaro and I don't ever remeber the small block 400 being an option. There wasn't even a 350 motor option in a 3rd gen untill 87 as a TPI, or TB injection. I thought there were sb 400's in the late late 70's and last of the 80's 2'nd gen birds?

I didn't mean to imply the small block 400 was available in 83. I said the 400 pontiac was no longer available.

Pontiac went corporate and started using small block chevys in them.

The 400 sbc was never offered in any Fbody. That was used in the full size cars and trucks.

[Firebirdjones]

ok this is actually for me. my questions are leading this further out the door and down the wrong path so I am soory I have help get this thread off topic. I will start a thread latter for all this dicussion.

I don't believe we hurt anything, all the original posters questions have been answered, it's a matter of him choosing a direction. Just turned into a healthy discussion, and I'm sure it was informative to some.

[JaycenK]

I didn't mean to imply the small block 400 was available in 83. I said the 400 pontiac was no longer available.

Pontiac went corporate and started using small block chevys in them.

The 400 sbc was never offered in any Fbody. That was used in the full size cars and trucks.

oh ok that makes sense. Sorry I quit smoking 2 weeks ago and it seems like my brain works slower and is just in a fog half the time.

[Firebirdjones]

oh ok that makes sense. Sorry I quit smoking 2 weeks ago and it seems like my brain works slower and is just in a fog half the time.

Congrats, that's not easy to do.

[JaycenK]

Congrats, that's not easy to do.

lol no it's not, and after 10 years of it I always thought that I could never do it cold turkey but I did so that was cool. Thing that sucked was I found out a day later that I could have used one of those E cigs and not had all the junk of real cigs but got the nicotine. I am off the nicotine now so why go back right. See ya in the threads Mr. Jones.

[Too Fast]

Pontiac made a 400 long before chevy ever had one. From 67 through 79. He mentioned his 78 being a W72 400 which in fact is the pontiac engine.
GM didn't put the chevy engine in the birds until 82 when the body style changed to the 3rd gen.

I thought some late 70s 'birds had Chevy engines (I know, I know, blasphemy!)? In some apps. A 305 for Cali, wasn't there? I'll have to look it up in an oil filter catalog sometime....

[Firebirdjones]

I thought some late 70s 'birds had Chevy engines (I know, I know, blasphemy!)? In some apps. A 305 for Cali, wasn't there? I'll have to look it up in an oil filter catalog sometime....

Well I know Pontiac did some 403 olds motors in the california bound birds, and you also couldn't get the 4 speed in the california built birds either. But I don't remember any chevy motors in the late 70's.

Although Pontiac did practice chevy motors in their cars as early as 1971,,,I have a Ventura Sprint with a factory 307 chevy in it. It was the first and only year, in 72 they went back to Pontiac power for the remainder of the Ventura line. I think I showed you a pic of the engine in a thread about building a 307 in the Classic Muscle section.

[Firebirdjones]

Here is the same car. To my knowledge 71 was the first year Pontiac ever installed a chevy motor in their line. Was the last year until the 3rd gen F-bodies came out.

[NavyTATwo]

The 80 and 81 models had to have a 305 if you wanted a manual.

Scott

[Firebirdjones]

The 80 and 81 models had to have a 305 if you wanted a manual.

Scott

There you go,,,and I believe that was a California only type of thing.

[SMWS6TA]

LS1 with a carb setup?

[Z28_Driver]

Stick with the 400 pontiac. That year is a 8.5-1 compression engine. It can make 350hp about 400ft/lbs on just a basic rebuild.
You can make a lot more power if you find a set of heads from an older 400. I have a 67 400 with 10.5-1 compression. Made 475hp and 510ft/lbs on an engine dyno after a basic rebuild and a little polishing and porting. Cost about $500 for the rebuild kit from Ames performance engineering a few years ago. This higher compression 400 was in full size cars from 65-70. Its not in an F-body, but it hauls the Catalina down the road pretty good.