The downside to that long block is that the heads are not modified for a higher lift cam so they would need some work. Also you are paying for cam you won't be using.

It's a shame Tony Feil's place is gone. Used to be on Orlando Dr in Raritan. They built some awesome stuff.

Yea I noticed about the cam. The one that it comes with is really tiny and probably why it only has 255hp. If I change the cam I probably void the warranty too...

Yup. Stock valvesprings are weak too.

This one is only a little more and seems to have a little better cam but no vortec heads. Damn it, this sucks.

http://www.jegs.com/p/GM-Performance...55609/10002/-1

If you haven't already, shoot an email to Josh at JS->

He's very good with 3rd gens and may be able to do better than a GM crate engine build.

Not for nothing but most of the GM crate stuff either A) Requires a carb or B) comes with heads that need work and a small cam which will nuke your warranty

Yea I've been talking with him. This one looks good but doesn't list cam specs.

http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/f...ngine&SM=1&SC=

Damn its a good thing you didnt run the car on Saturday. If your willing to spend some time on the build, go find a junkyard 5.3 and go from there. One of the magazines (I think it was hot rod but dont quote me on it) built a stock shortblock 5.3 for less than 5k that put down 1200 hp

man the ideas keep flowing!

ok, i guess the key questions are what work can you do yourself, how much do you have to spend, and what are your goals for the car?

A 5.3 will likely end up about the same cost as an ls1, most likely more. i would build a nice short block and use the same top end, you can always upgrade later. I also saw your interested in vortecs, GET SCREW IN STUDS!

Build copy of my motor, run 11's and be done. :D Tho I'd still give Josh a calll over JS Performance and see what he could for ya.

1200hp for 5k?

I would guess it was E85, and a turbo.

with an ebay twin turbo kit on 118 rockett brand it made more than 1200 hp at the crank. best part about it was they ran it 60 pulls in that configuration and it didnt blow...

btw....it wasnt a 5.3....they thought it was but when they pulled the heads and ran the casting numbers it came back as a 4.8!!

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/h...g_bang_theory/

The tpi stuff gets pretty expensive to make power out of, just keep that in mind. Need something like a stealthram or miniram to flow well. and an l98 with good pistons and rods and a new stock crank is a pretty solid bottom end, why do you say you wont rebuild it?

I usually work 6 days a week and I have no garage and no tools so there isn't much I can do myself. I'm hopeful that I can get a $5000 401k loan (should know in a few days) but that would need to be for everything. Including ignition, towing, headers, tuning, mounts, accessories, taxes and any other parts that could come up.

My goal is minimum 350hp/350tq with my stock or midly ported TPI as the intake for now. I am looking for reliability and longevity over all out performance. I'd like to do this once, correctly and not worry about it again. The car will be occasionally drag raced in the 1/4 mile but will hopefully see auto-x April through October so I'm looking for best average power and flat hp/tq curves mid range not peak power. Plus it will be TPI for now so I don't need a screamer.

I will be taking it to Josh at JS once I have the money, so it will be in his hands. He's going to build me the best motor to reach my goals and use his infinite wisdom in the process so I'm sure it will be great. If my budget allows, it will be 383 but could be a very well built 355 which I don't mind.

~Matt

My mechanic says its the crank and I'm pretty sure it is too by the way the balancer is shaking but no one will know for sure until the motor is disassembled. Taking the motor out and taking it apart will be a lot of money I don't have to waste if it's worse than the crank. Then if it is ok I'd be getting it hot tanked, honed and rebuilt with a new crank, cam, at least head work if not new heads and I'd likely have a nicely rebuilt 355 L98. That is definitely a sound option, but one problem was that I didn't know of a local shop that could do all that.

My main goal is reliability, so it made more sense to Josh and I to build a new, sturdy long block and go from there. Rather than spend money on the intake I'm spending it on the bottom end, cam and heads for now. I'll worry about the intake after I have a running engine again.

Plus I saw some 383 TPI videos and those things are rocket ships... :mrgreen:

http://www.jegs.com/i/GM-Performance...ductId=1192223.

It doesn't have to make sense.

I think you are on the right track then. Josh knows those cars as much as anyone. and your budget blows out a lot of the crazier suggestions here. good luck with it!

Yea stupid budgets. I trying to win that lottery now.

too bad you won't because I am going to win it. :lol:

I'm into my 383 engine for about $5k. AFR heads, forged pistons, rods and crack, TPIS cam, TPIS intake and Accell SuperRam. The Block is a vortech truck block with 4 bolt mains.

My problem is that part of my budget has to go to labor and towing. I'm hoping that using as many parts off my stock motor, especially the intake, will offset some of those expenses for now. Eventually I'll get the entire motor where I want, but then I'll still have to paint the car, change the headliner, do body work.... it will never end.

AAA+ ftw

Yea good looking out, I forgot about that. I have basic now and plus is only like $40 more/year

you should check out RPM as well. He is local to you and he does awesome work. He is one of our site sponsors.