Car is a 98 Corvette daily driver. Current engine is a 450hp build from C5 Concepts (out of business for years now). It has CNC ported heads, comp cam and valve train, FAST intake (think its a 78mm), stock exhaust. RPM Transmission and Dynatech 3.42 rear end. Engine started knocking and I'm looking for a quick turn around (month or so) to get it back on the road. Stipulations are:

1. Must be a reliable daily driver

2. Must be tame sounding like stock or just off stock, thinking mid .500 lift, 220 ish duration and lsa thats not too lopey.

3. Must make around 500 or more crank horsepower.

4. Budget in the $7k range

I'm considering right now a LS376/480 crate motor, one of Texas-Speeds long blocks in that price range, and a custom build from a local shop (no specifics on it yet). What would you do?

 

Are you going to be reusing your current topend of getting new stuff? Cuz that 7k for just a shortblock is alot, you can get a good 402+ stroker for under 5k.

 

I would consider reusing the top end components although I'm not positive of the flow rate on the heads so that becomes a wild card.

 

You can always resell those for some decent money (depending on who ported them) and pick up better stuff for not much more.

Personally I would do an aluminum 402 for ~5k and then use the remaining 2k + any proceeds from selling the old stuff to do a new topend with AI/TEA 243s and a fast 92/102. That should be within your budget and make killer power.

 

My thoughts exactly on the existing parts I have - sell to recoup costs

 

I'd throw an A&A Supercharger Kit or ECS kit on there and be done with it. Swap the cam out for something like you were thinking. A 224 114 cam would be good.

Those kits fit your budget, don't make the car harder to drive, easily will surprass 500HP given you have ported heads and a FAST intake. It also won't be loud until you get on it.

 

Thanks but I'm wanting to stay simple N/A, might do a 150 shot from time to time but not interested in boost for this car.

 

Local shop is suggesting TSP 408 at around stock compression with the Torquer V2 cam at 117lsa (site says 115lsa is widest available tho so not sure if thats right). Anyway, sounds to me like the perfect setup for a stock sounding car. Agree?

I should add that LS stuff is what they do, its not Jimtom's Machine Shop since 1935