Hot Rods Big Daddy's 55 2 door wagon gasser

I like race boat big blocks. My motor was borrowed from a boat project. I have a .030 over big block with closed chamber rectangular Port heads that is 12.5:1. I stole the blower from it and trying to decide what to do with it now. Open chamber oval ports might work. What size chambers (anny port work or bowl blending) and valves does you 781 heads have and what do you want for them?

 

Or really piss off everyone and do a S10 frame swap

 

I love 348/409’s, but for what they cost and their scarcity, Lloyd might as well get a 426 Hemi!

 

Apparently they've had bowl work, but they still have 2.06 valves.

 

Uh......

 

Yeah, I'm feeling like I don't have enough money to compete on the hamb. Lol... "can't use that transmission, it's junk" "that rear end won't hold up to a big block" "gotta build the big block"

 

Another vote for the big block here. Torque is what moves the car.

 

I’m with you Brother.

 

Best comment right there you'll still love me if I don't have a big block??

 

Put a LS in it….

Big block for the wow factor, small block for the me too factor.
Not as many big blocks on the road anymore, so it would be different than the run of the mill small block. But a big block is gonna cost more to build, and gonna need a stronger transmission and rear end. How much you want to spend? Only you can answer this question.

 

When they say it won’t hold up, they mean if they were driving it. I’ve had people tell me what will and won’t work on my build. Some people that really know their stuff explained that if I could control my right foot then a lot of things become doable. Sooner or later everything wears out or breaks. How we use it and care for it helps determine how soon. Your build sounded good from the start. We can make it better, faster, stronger and all the rest of that 6 million dollar man talk, if it’s not our money. You need to build it for you. Don’t second guess yourself because we want to spend your money. There will come a point when you have to pump the brakes and stop and think about what you really want to do. Then turn the stereo up and don’t listen to anyone telling you to do something else.

 

Yeah but when the time comes to pump the brakes they won’t work and his timing won’t be right and it’ll probably be overheating if the transmission doesn’t explode before all of that.

 

I would do the 454, you don't need to spend a bunch trying to impress anyone, it will be impressive enough in stock or near stock form!

 

With the big block, your going to have to consider the cost of replacing the rear tires more often.
Then you probably should consider if the "can get as high as 15 mpg" someone stated earlier, is that going to matter while you own the car?

The fact is, the last few rides didn't hang around long after you got them running, in which case either thing above won't matter. With that in mind, I believe there is a bigger market for a sbc in the wagon. The big blocks (branding doesn't matter) all have a larger appetite for gas and replacement parts then the small block does, its their nature, they have no problem pointing out the next weak link. Any one that ever had one and pushed it a bit knows.

There are going to be more people begging you to take their money with this one when its a driver then the others had. It needs to be hot rod black primmer, ready for paint! Then you can offer your services to provide what ever paint scheme they can come up with. You could also off the "other" engine as an option. Just trying to help man.

 

Run what ya got, figure which way will cost less or be more cost effective, be what you really want and go with it. If something breaks down the road deal with it then. Like @corncobcoupe stated above not a competition. You know and I know and everyone on here should know that if you hammer hard enough and long enough just about anything will break. This build is going to be excellent no matter the engine!
Dan

 

I love ya man, you taught me the Cascade trick lol, but Ford guys hate sbc engines, you call it run of the mill, but I've always built and ran them. It's my favorite engine. I can't be a Ford guy because I can't keep track of the 19 transmissions they have

 

Ah I'm going sbc. It's what I'm comfortable with, what I've always built. Thanks for your input, even though you all want a big block. Come to my shop and I'll sell you some parts. Then it can be your dilemma .

 

Man you’ve got the greatest dilemmas I know of, well maybe @Moriarity trying to decide which car to take to the drive inn tomorrow might have a slight edge.
Dan

 

Lol I'm such a lucky piece of shit

 

Exactly. Whole lot of mig wire to burn this winter.

 

Yes sir. My parts stash is helping push me. I have a flywheel for a sbc, tons of small block stuff. Jerel left me all of the clutch linkage. Look in your cabinet, I need a Hurst T handle, 3/8 threads

 

to quote the movie Dazed and Confused “it would be cooler if you did”.
Even if you don’t run the Big Block I’ll still think the world of you. Then again I have always been a shitty judge of character.

 

OD model was used in power wagons with 400

 

Not from the factory they didn’t.