What's your definition of cheap? Assuming the bottom end is good shape and using the stock (flat top or likely to be dished slightly) pistons: Lowest budget is just add new bigger cam and use the original peanut port heads. Stock HEI will work, can recurve with lighter springs for quicker advance. Run on cheapest regular gas. Mid budget is get some standard oval port heads and a bigger hydraulic flat tappet cam. Swap meet dual plane alum intake and you're in business. HEI will still work here. Good strong street engine that runs on cheap pump gas. Higher budget is smaller chamber rectangular port or some small chamber oval ports with some porting on heads to raise compression up and possibly a roller cam. Alum single plane intake would work good with this. Should consider ignition upgrade. Getting less street here depending on cam, will still be low enough compression for pump gas. Will work best with looser torque converter. Higher yet is aftermarket heads and roller cam, but then you might consider forged pistons and more upgrades inside. Kind of defeating the cheap build. I also agree, once you strip the MH chassis down, it is prime COE or other big truck frame swap potential. Get some money back to help pay for those upgrades on the engine!
Tear it down and build it like a LS 7. If I was going to buy different heads, I would buy square ports.
I did take your guys advice with the frame. We are saving it and selling it to keep the COES alive out there. I wanted to build kinda still want to build one but I got a bunch of irons in the fire. But anywho I am looking around 2500 to 3500 build, all top end and some balancing/machine work. Kinda want to keep the rotating assembly as is till she goes then step up. To a bottom end full build. Oliver rods nice foraged stuff and what not. I’m wanting to get some high end heads and a moderate to high end cam. Capable of pump gas but best on race fuel obviously. That’s kind of where my mind is at currently. I got a wieland action plus intake and a demon carb, may upgrade the carb. I do have a 850 quickfuel but it’s jetted for alky. I could redo the carb back to race fuel or keep that alky till I get to that point and mod the demon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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