[erkii]

I have a 1973 AMC Javlin AMX, with a 360cubic inch V8, T-10 4 speed transmission, and a 3.54:1 rear end differential ratio. I want to get 400+hp from my car. From anyone that can help i was wondering what kind of parts i should get to have a healthy combo to get the desired horsepower... and a good car. these are some things i need... so if you have any tips... please e-mail me or reply to this post thanks. I need to know:
-what kind of intake
-what type of pistons and rings
-what type of connection rods
-what type of bearing and gaskets
-what type of starter and flywheel
-what type of supercharger
-what type of valves and springs
-what type of clutch system
-what type of camshaft and rocker system
-what type of ignition system
so... if you have any good combos please let me know. also i need to know what the compression ratio should be in the cylinders, and the camshaft lift and duration + if it should be a roller cam with rockers. thanks a bunch.

[tjk2000us2000]

Well I don't think a blower is called for here. Besides it would add a few grand to the project. If you had planned that sort of cash for the project I say use the money else where and go find a 390 or 401 to start out with. With a 390 or 401 400 hp should be cake though there is not alot of parts made for AMC's. A 401 with a performer intake, Holly carb, headers, good cam, maybe a different pair of heads would be a good start. I had a 68' Javilin with a 343 that was sporting 134,000 miles on it and it would smoke the tires still. Good cars just overlooked.

Tim

[mpescatori]

Hmmm...
400 hp from a 360 cu.in. (that's 5700 cc in European terms) is the equivalent to a specific performance of about 70hp/litre, which means 140 hp from a 2 liter engine (which is just about what the Chevy Chevette Cosworth sported in the mid'70s but that was Cosworth working on a 4pot) In those days only Alfas and BMW sported that kind of power from engines with carbs. Nowadays with Star Wars and black boxes everywhere even a delivery van can be made to smoke tires.
Back to you.
Make the engine breathe, I mean 8 babies suck in a LOT of air, so you need the air flow of a locomotive. A good specialist can worl your heads form much less than you think, and keep appearances. Same applies for exhaust manifolds. You want to maximise air flow, possibly exploit air pressure waves so that one exhaust puff sucks in the following one. Made myself clear?
Carbs. Tis side of the ocean we'd all say "go for 4 Dellortos, or 4 Webers" They're double barrel carbs with siamesed throttle bodies, fit four of these on a V8 and you've got 8 throttles staring at you... sexy sught if you can tune them! Dellorto also made triples for Ferrari, if you can find 2 of those you've got a regular pipe organ peeking through the hood!
Compression depends on fuel as well as desired performance. High compression demands high octane and advanced timing, which may not be compatible with pump gas. Skim the heads to raise compression, cheaper than changing pistons&con rods. Rather, lathe and file con rods of any and all excess metal.
Electronic ignition may give you a little extra HP at high revs, but for clean pulling away power points&condenser are just as well; rather, a HD coil may well do the trick (20,000 V rather than 12,000)
In my experience, a lightened flywheel is good only for the quarter-mile. For long races (3-24hrs0 and street work, a balanced _heavier_ flywheel may be preferred - see race regulations that state _max_ weight as well as min weight for flywheels... there's got to be a reason! Also, a heavier flywheel will allow for a stronger starter motor (high compression etc.)
Last, you sure the clutch and gearbox can stand 400 hp? a 4 speed auto box may be worth thinking over, or a 5 speed auto "borrowed" from a wrecked Mercedes-Benz or BMW.
What have I built?
A 2 liter Fiat sedan (ex-Vatican) with more grunt than the average Police AlfaRomeo (engine borrowed from a wrecked "Formula Fiat single seater), a small Fiat 1300 cc diesel (72hp!) that could outpace most 1600 cc gas sedans (turbo and diesel pump from a delivery van)... now I'm working on an MGB which appears to have only one carb... only it's a 2" Weber double barrel instead of an english SU 1.5" single barrel, high compression stage 3 head, + 0.080" pistons & sleeves (to bore engine from 1800 to 1950) and 4pot disc brakes on 15" rims insteadof the old 2pots on 14" rims. Sorry, no Nitrous Oxide, makes the baby laugh hiself silly ;-)

[middspecauto]

buy a dick landy hemi for that much per cube.]

[cbxsage]

That would not take a SC to pull off. If you look in the first issue of "Performance American Style" there is a section on headwork, by Dave Maskin, that gives precise instructions on what to do to heads. But first you need to start with 1970 360 4bbl heads with the 3291 casting. Have your machine shop follow those specs to the letter. I was part of a team that modified and race tested 2 full bodied '72 (9 to 1 401's) Matador cop cars in 1974. One car, with only "those" heads done to spec with 3.91's, Thompson street/strip 727 with 2500 stall converter, a Torker, 750 Holley vacuum secondary, and MSD blowing through corked Headman small tube headers and 2.5" exhaust to the rear splashpan, we ran consistent 12.60 @ 103-105 times on unleaded pump gas (94 Octane then)!

The cars dynoed at 366 RWHP which translates to well over 400 at the crank. On top of all that fun, the cam was stock (dual pattern .477/ 296-303) so it was VERY sleepy for a street car. MPG was 13/17 if you drove wise around town and kept below 3 grand on the freeway.

Note: At 2836 Javelin weighs in considerably less than the Matador at 3576, which will only add to the power-weight ratio. MORE FUN STILL

And just imagine, with out the S/C adder! I'm not against superchargers but they are pricey. This mod would be about $5k in 2010 money; not bad for an AMC 125 hp (est.) build-up. Spend another $3k for 10lbs. (would not recommend more on 360 bottom end) from a Vortech or similar and you might get another 100+ out of it.

(I know the original post is way outdated, but thought I would throw my hat in anyway)

[bigdog7373]

I think he's figured it out by now. 8 years later....