best readily available 302 to start with

[1987cp]

hmm...300hp or so with an explorer motor and headers, right? seems like i could buy a dozen of them for the price of a shortblock anywhere

Depends on what you want. Do you know what you want? Do you have certain performance goals? What kind of budget are you going to be able to put together, and in what timeframe? You can afford a lot more motor if you call your current junk good enough and save for a few years, but that might not be worth the trouble if "a little more than stock" is exactly what you want and you'll be thrilled to death with a warmed-over HO for the rest of your car's life.

You read about David Clafin's build, right? 360rwhp and 26mpg sound like a pretty good street combo to me.

[1980c10]

I believe mrltd made in the neighborhood of 245rwhp with his explorer combo in his wagon.

[1987cp]

I believe mrltd made in the neighborhood of 245rwhp with his explorer combo in his wagon.

Which is exactly what I'm talking about. His car is oodles better than a stock Vic, but it's not supposed to be that hard to do a lot better still.

[1990LTD]

Depends on what you want. Do you know what you want? Do you have certain performance goals? What kind of budget are you going to be able to put together, and in what timeframe? You can afford a lot more motor if you call your current junk good enough and save for a few years, but that might not be worth the trouble if "a little more than stock" is exactly what you want and you'll be thrilled to death with a warmed-over HO for the rest of your car's life.

You read about David Clafin's build, right? 360rwhp and 26mpg sound like a pretty good street combo to me.

no I have not read that build...my current junk is plenty because the car is getting parked next year when it won't be my DD anymore.

budget? I honestly don't know, I suppose buying it piece by piece over time would be the easiest and probably cheapest route for me.

performance goals? that 360 26mpg sounds dandy to me.

[gadget73]

mind you that 245 is at the rear wheels through an automatic trans. On an engine dyno, that would probably be damn close to 290 hp.

[1987cp]

That 360 was RWHP, and I want to say that was with an automatic as well. I'll have to check again, though.

Of course, to be fair, David's not running a stock engine with just a cam change, but I think it's a really neat example of what can be done.

[1990LTD]

I'd probably be happy with anything 250+ - especially if getting much higher will be mucho expensive

[hemihotrod402]

That 360 was RWHP, and I want to say that was with an automatic as well. I'll have to check again, though.

Of course, to be fair, David's not running a stock engine with just a cam change, but I think it's a really neat example of what can be done.

Is there a detailed write-up on Larry's hatred site? (I'm assuming that's where it is). That might be something to look into.

[1987cp]

Is there a detailed write-up on Larry's hatred site? (I'm assuming that's where it is). That might be something to look into.

I think this is the thread: http://sbftech.com/index.php/topic,5081.0.html

I noticed another post; evidently it was actually 345rwhp and as much as 28-29 observed mpg.

[Lincolnmania]

linky no work, have to be a member or something, and isnt that site run by that camgrinding clown?

[1987cp]

Run by? Hardly.

[sick88tbird]

A 351W is the best swap you can do. My 351W(sitting on the engine stand now) would spin the tires @75mph in 5th gear(my old t-5) if the highway was anything but perfectly clean and dry. That was in my old 3800lb T-Bird with 3.73's and sweet tires. The best part of that was I had only had $1800 into it, including fllywheel, clutch and every little odd and end part.

In these cars, gaining a ton of bottom end torque is never a bad thing. You don't have to use Lightning stuff if it's not in your budget(as it's astronomically expensive). I used a stock 351 truck lower(ported) with a BC Broncos intake adapter(also ported) with a seriously ported HO upper plenum. It's got a stupidly mild Crane cam in it(wish I went bigger) and pulls hard to about 4800rpm though a stock HO throttle body. Before I cut open, ported and shortened the runners in the HO intake, it would quit pulling around 4000rpm, before that....with a stock fox 55mm MAF it stopped pulling around 3600rpm. It's getting pulled apart and some more port work is getting done and it's getting an 80mm TB before it goes in my 'Vic.

I'm running mildly ported GT-40 iron heads(not the "P" heads) with stock 1.84"/1.54" valves on a stock truck/van shortblock. I had the heads milled down to 59cc's and it works out to about 9.3:1 C/R.

It all comes down to what you HONESTLY want and can afford...for budget power, I'm your guy...if you want a high-winding 302 based stroker...well that's somebody else's territory.

Everybody will tell you any factory head is junk, that's not true, it just depends on what you're trying to do. You can make 350+ rwhp with well worked over GT-40 iron heads all day...BUT if you don't have the means or knowledge to do it yourself it can easily cost you as much as a set of aluminum heads.

Good luck,
Don

[1987cp]

Ah, but what's your efficiency going to be like pushing 350hp with tiny heads?

[hemihotrod402]

theoretically, the only major expense in a lightning 351 build is the intake, which will most likely cost you more than the motor.

But than again the most valuable part of the whole setup (the plaque) can be sold again so you will get some of your money back.

While we are on this topic, my setup will be this

351 Roller Block
Comp XE264
TrickFlow 190 heads
1.6 roller rockers
Lightning GT40 intake
Lightning EGR bored to 70mm
70mm Throttle Body
Whale K&N Intake
24lbhr Injectors

Costly, yes. Fun, HELL YES.

[1980c10]

Dont forget my measurements a super Vic with the medium elbow is only 1/2" taller than the lightning. The lightning intake is not enough intake for a 351 with good heads IMO that's why I got rid of mine.