WisT02ws6

I currently have a 68 Firebird with a 73 454 and TH350. The person I bought the car from had no clue as to what was done before him, so I have been working on ID'ing what I am working with. So far I have the following:

Cam of some sort, appears to be flat tappet with hydraulic lifters
049 Heads
Harland Sharp roller rockers
Holley Street Dominator low rise intake (Old school part number #300-3 701R-3)
Holley 800CFM double pumper (List 6213)
2 inch unknown brand headers

I had the car on a Mustang chassis dyno and it made 297whp/411wtq so I am assuming the cam isn't very aggressive (has a nice lope though) and its a low compression smogger.

I was thinking about swapping the motor for an aluminum 5.3/4.8 LS motor with a carb for now. The pros to me are:

Reliability
Gas Mileage
Weight
Same HP?

I'm looking for open opinions on whether I should keep the BBC and start researching a build for that (H/C/I etc..) or if I should just move to the more modern technology and use that as a base for a build.

The car is a weekend cruiser/warrior, will see the track maybe 5 times a year. Budget is the same for both, $4000.

Any and all input is welcome!

biketopia

iTrader: (5)

I'd h/c/i the BBC. I love LS swaps, but also absolutely love a good built BB. My brother has a 80 leman's wagon with a built iron headed 496 in the 600hp range, does 11's in the quarter, is totally streetable and gets mid teen's mileage wise when we take it to cruisn' OC with a TH400 and 3.5x's in the 9inch. 4k will go a long way with what you currently have, especially if you scour swap meets and classified ad's. The LS swap you'd need a hand full of swap parts, ignition controller, headers/new exhaust, swap torque converter/flex plate, wiring, motor mounts, hoses, possibly a radiator, misc fittings and hardware, the engine, then you'll probably want to put a cam in it while it's on the engine stand, and re seal it just to be sure. Swaps tend to snowball, even seemingly simple ones.

adk61

agreed... no replacement for displacement... especially seeing you're on a tight budget!! $4k will go a long way to build a BBC that you already own VS buying and modifying an LS... the LS stuff is modern and cool but more costly as BBC parts are everywhere!!

Jacobs1585

great thread.