307 chevy fans ?

I bought a 72 nova with a factory 307, muncie 4 speed/10 bolt. It was at a time in my life when I just didn't have the time, money or place to build an engine for that car so I played with the 307. I got a free Q-jet setup and changed the cam to a 350 HP unit...left the manifolds on it but had 2.25" duals put on it.
It was definetely not a screamer but it got good mileage and ran pretty good! Now I'd rather build something with a better bore/stroke ratio but for what it was, it was ok.

 

I still get in a few 307's with cores I buy. I usually just bore to 4.00 and use STD 327 pistons & bolt on a set of early closed chamber 327 heads. i always sell them as 300 HP 327's because now that's what they are. Never had a unhappy customer with one of these. I have also just bored to .030 over and put on a set of power pacs & a performance cam, these also run great & look way more correct than using 305 heads.

 

My 307 is in a 78 olds and has a mild cam and everythin else is stock. Im runnin mid 13s with it. I would rather take my 307 over a 350 olds POS engine... I cant give the damn 350 rocket engine away!!

 

Built one for my dad's truck many years ago...bored 60...added a torque/RV cam...added better heads...ran great then and was still running great a couple of years ago when I swapped for a 462 big block...gonna freshen it up and keep for a spare for my small block cars.

 

There are nearly as many 307s floating around here as 350s believe it or not. And they are cheap or free.

I like them well enough. you can get pieces to make then scoot. I think you can still get off the shelf pistons for them, I haven't tried lately.

One other thing is if you get one that the block is shot you can build a cheap 327 using the 307 bottom and a 350 block.

 

I dident know that!! I got a 307 with a cracked block sitting around. Got to try that.

 

I am building a 327 frankenstien. The block from a 82 chevy truck 350 4 bolt block, and crank and rods from a 307. The 307 crank is large journal, and can be used also for the 69 327 large journal combination. I will use the 461 or 462 heads instead of the 305 heads.

 

Engine Masters and Lunati both built junkyard 305's(why not use a 307). Removed the heads installed a pair of 350 Vortec heads trimmed the heads .030 and pinned the rocker studs. Each build used their version of camshaft selection. They used an air-gap intake,650 d/pumper with headers and distributor work. Both engines produced 375 & 376 horses repsectively. I found the info online several years ago,can't remember the sites, I'm sure they can be found. You could probably scrounge a lot of this stuff up pretty cheap. The cam numbers if I'm not mistaken were pretty nasty. I know the 305's and 307's will take the heads. The 307 bore is slightly larger.

 

I've had a 307 in my beaten up ol' plow truck for the past 18 years. It has pushed several mountains of snow, many fallen trees and who knows what else. I'm impressed. The engine outlasted the truck.

 

Well, it seems that Smokey & zora built the first one (307) in 1955.
And the famous duntov 3030 cam was made for this combo.


http://m.jalopnik.com/5907408/the-million+dollar-story-of-the-first-v8-corvette

How much more heritage can you have?

 

It has the same crank as a 327... So that's a plus...

 

I think all the 396-454 BiG blocks came out of that plant...

 

I also had a Vega with a 307 in it...

 

A '68 307 was rated @ 200 hp with a little 2-bbl carb...

 

They were essentially a 283 with a PCV system. Any I ran across came with the 2bbl carb but they ran well even in the stock form.

In claimer classes of stock cars, they were sought out since they were cheap and plentiful. We'd buy up old cars or get them in the 'yard for free (junkyard sponsor). Swap in a cam, distributor, intake and carb (spring for heads if we were flush) and they were pretty strong and we always made them look attractive enough to bait someone to claim it.. no such luck.

Bob

 

Durable, cheap, decent mileage, the early ones are almost indestructable. Can't say I ever owned one I didn't like. Sure there's better, but in the spirit of the topic, I'm a fan.

 

I think this is pretty cool!
If you're a fan of the 307 this is nice to know - HaHaHa

Search you tube for 307 burnout and there is some pretty impressive power out of these with minimal work

 

307's are just a 283 with a 327 crank - a bit longer stroke for a little more torque in a little 2bbl.
It was strangled from the start but suited all the grandma's for their Novas and must have seemed like a big block to them compared to the 6 cylinder base option.
Go grandmas and your very own engine.

 

Grandmas little engine-
350 HP with a cam and usually free 305 heads.
Smokey got his to run 163 mph

Go grandma Go

Since grandma is in a fixed income that's what she needs. Cheap 307 short block and free 305 heads
And she's making well over 300 HP for next to nothing

 

Even with a stock SS 350-300hp cam those can wake up any old 307....

 

If the block will go 4", I'd build a 327. Otherwise, the lack of cheap off the shelf pistons would constitute a pass in my books. I wouldn't spend big $$ just to build a 307. 327 cores are relatively cheap, parts and machine work are not.

 

No doubts there, if I had to open my wallet and dig in, I don't think I'd buy 307 pistons.

But if I can put one together with a good 307 short block for smoke change that's a different story. I'll be on that one like a fat kid on a donut.

 

The way I'd look at it, ok, lets say I get the 307 free. A set of custom pistons is going to set me back at least $800. Or I can take that $800, buy a 327 core for $150, buy a set of off the shelf pistons, and still have a couple hundred left over. Hmmm, lemme see, build a 327, or spend a couple hundred more and build a 307. Hmmmmm...
Now if I could hunt up some used +030 307 TRW's or something, well, then it starts to look a little better.

 

Get your free 307, it runs and has good compression. Start there ,
I had two fall into my lap just like that.
Might be getting another for next to nothing here shortly.

Please don't tell me about the valve stems

 

DAMN those pesky valve stems!!!

 

A good freind of mine used to race them all the time. He would punche them out and make 317's out of them. His last one ran low 12's in a street car with 5.38 gears, was fun to watch him pull 2ft. wheel stands with the car. I have only had one 307 and after finding out that if you put a set of 530 power pack heads on the little 307 screams. I would think with a set of the newer Vortec heads on a 307, that motor would run pretty strong.

 

You'd be better off with the 307 crank in a 4.00" bore block...
It be probably cheaper to build...
Less $$$ spent on pistons plus you could use the bigger valve heads... That's my .02 cents worth..

 

That what George said.
Exactly only different

 

There are lots of 350 blocks laying around...
You could also keep the 307 block and install 3.00" stroke crank...
You be the only one with a large journal 283...

 

In the early 70s I had a 69 Chevelle 307 with a powerglide. I took to the drags and won several trophies in the stock class. I would run against Olds cutlas's and beat them.

In 1972 I traded it for a new 1973 Z-28, got rid of that 2 years later after it started to rust.