Well, I will hopefully be picking up a cheap '86 Monte SS very soon with a super high mileage, overheating motor and am looking to upgrade soon after to a motor with particular characteristics.

Shortblocks are plentiful, so I was just wondering what would be a good starting point and build for the type of motor I'm looking for? Mild set-up, with a enough torque to leave off the line but have enough top-end to not fall on its face at 6k and be running 13.0's and 90MPH. A solid 350 with a healthy cam is kind of what I'm thinking, but I could find/go bigger for not much more. I figure for what I'm describing, a lot of it will be determined by the top end selection but I figure cubic inches might keep a more extreme top end more street-able, but anyway, any help and advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

^ How much are you looking to spend....?

 

I'd say like 4-6k on the motor, but not all at once. I know you have to pay to play, but like I said, I'm not looking for something super extreme just a solid strip/street car.

 

The best way alot of people go is GM zz4 crate motor. $3600 longblock from intake to oil pan I had an 84ss with one. youll need a converter and a rear gear but best mine went was 12.8
never had any clue on teh condition of teh motor ive seen soem at are local track go faster with zz4s may have done more work to them though
should exceed your expectations and still be in your budget

 

Yea man I have an 84SS with a ZZ4...really solid motor for not too much money, and it's all together there for you. I went 12.9s with mine on a crappy DA. If you're looking for a crate motor to simply drop in, I don't think there's many others out there for the price/power/reliability. Good luck with the car!!

 

The ZZ4 is actually the motor I have been looking at. But is the motor a good starting point for a top-end package to turn this thing into a highway monster? (and if it is, what should I be looking for in a cam and heads?)

 

If you're willing to stray away from crate motors and build exactly what you want, you can have a nasty small block for far less than $6k. I've got just at 6k in my 383, and it's ~475hp/500ft lbs----and $1k of it was retrofitting my 60's block to a roller cam. Find yourself a late model one piece main 4 bolt block with factory roller cam provisions---they're plentiful and relatively cheap. Stroker kits are dirt cheap these days. I picked up my entire Scat rotating assembly for less than $700. Slap on some decent heads, a 230ish roller cam, rpm air gap intake and 750 carb and you've got yourself a runner.

 

I have no problem with doing that at all, as that was my original plan. I know of a bunch of good condition bare-blocks laying around for a good price (a very nice 400 is what I originally had my eye on). But after reading all my posts, I think I am looking for more of a road-race oriented motor. That 383 of yours, I have no doubt that that thing hauls *** from a dead stop, but how would you compare it to your LS1 upstairs, taking into consideration the more effecient head design and so forth.

The car will see track duty, but will mostly be a cruiser. And I really want a car that can hang with its modded equivalent EFI car (2/3/4v Mustang, LS1 Camaro etc.) on the highway. It's always fun to be able to leave one of those from a stop light or a slow roll but i'd think it be more fun to be able to hold it off above 90, maybe even reverse the rolls and come flying past one of them once it gets moving.

 

383 is the way to go, as long as you match your heads with the right cam you get what you want, look up builds from rags and see what power band you want to have and replicate whatever you find.

 

It's hard to compare the top-end between the two motors, as my LS1 is moving a 3500lb aerodynamic body while the 383 is pushing a 4200lb brick on wheels. The 383 pulls HARD all the way to 6k rpm, but quickly falls off thereafter.
Based from your description, I think you'd be happy picking up that 400 block you mentioned and build a long rod 406 with some seasoned afr 195's, a decent roller cam and a rpm air gap intake. I think that could be done pretty easily for under $6k.

 

yea the zz4 is more less a dont fk with it motor in my eyes. runs great and is setup, hard to tell what it would do for top end. may need a lil more *** depending on what kind of roads you got and what rear gear you had in mind what tranny did you have in mind?? I picked up a 2nd monte we wont go into what happend there lol but it was gonna be built for highway. sbc - t56 - 4.30's.. roads are short and curvey here and no auto-x tracks and i like shifting hahaha