[DEMONSPEED]

I need some guidance on this build. I will be asking questions on this thread as I have them. This is a long term build. It will take quite a while to bring in the funds to finish this. I'm not rushed to get it done, I want to take my time and make sure everything down to the last nut or tenth-thousandth is correct. Onto my plans,

The car is my 1989 Camaro. It will mainly be a street car, pro street, if you will. I really like the drag car look and feel but I'm not too interested in actually racing, legally that is ; )

I'm wanting to back half the car. 2x3 square tubing for the rails. 4 link with a built 9 inch, narrow axle. I want some pretty wide tires, undecided on how wide.*

Tubular k-member, adjustable coil overs, rack & pinion.*

I have a thing for building things. I'm wanting to do every bit of this myself, within reason. I'm wanting to build a fiberglass hood, cut and shape lexan windows (polycarbonate), engine, *transmission, etc.*

The engine I'm wanting to build is a 731 cubic inch BBC. I have been doing a lot of calculations trying to plan this out. I am just working on the rotating assembly right now.

5.500" stroke crankshaft
7.200" connecting rod
1.15" compression height piston
11.1" deck height

I do not want the wrist pin getting into the rings much. I need to call some piston manufacturers but, does anyone have thoughts on that rotating assembly?

Now, about airflow. This engine is going to need a lot of air, obviously. I am reading about valve curtain area and cross sectional area and I'm having a hard time understanding this.*

Help me understand this. You need to have a cross-sectional area that flows enough air for the flow curtain area and the amount the valve is lifted off the seat. Correct? Explain some more, please.

I'm going to stop here until I understand this some more.*

I will keep posting on this thread.
Thanks in advance,

Rob

[Siggy_Freud]

Illegal street racing isn't condoned here, so I'd be weary of detailing your intents with your pro-street 3rd gen Camaro. Yes, many of us like to get a little squirly from time to time in our cars, but if you're building this to go reenact Fast and Furious, you're probably in the wrong forum .

Just advice from one semi-youngin to another.

[cobalt327]

In my honest opinion that is too much engine for the street. It's hard enough getting traction w/a 355 w/some balls. This engine will be all but usable at WOT on the street. Even at the track w/a well prepped starting pad, it'll be hard getting traction w/something like that.

You could build a good 502 for a fraction of the cost, and STILL be fighting wheelspin.

[AutoGear]

I live like 20 minutes from Rick Dobbertin's shop. Want his number? He sold all his Faux Street cars to build some weirdass amphibious monstertruck thingy. Its cool and all but dang man he has a TON invested in this thing and not much to show. He shoulda kept building killer street cars (like the blue nova, not the J2000)

That being said; buy a Mercruiser 502, throw on a Mooneyham 8-71, a lot of stickers and some '900cid BBC' valve cover logos; and a Thumpr-style solid roller and you'll be light years ahead.

You havent mentioned one of the incidentals of insane engine building; what are you going to put behind it? Hopefully a prepped 'glide. Well hell you can put a T5 behind it, cuz you'll never get it to stick anyway.

Incidentally, DO NOT...DO NOT put a spool in this car. Im warning you. This all-out racey (ricey?) must have has killed more than a few faux streeters

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by AutoGear

I live like 20 minutes from Rick Dobbertin's shop. Want his number? He sold all his Faux Street cars to build some weirdass amphibious monstertruck thingy. Its cool and all but dang man he has a TON invested in this thing and not much to show. He shoulda kept building killer street cars (like the blue nova, not the J2000)

That being said; buy a Mercruiser 502, throw on a Mooneyham 8-71, a lot of stickers and some '900cid BBC' valve cover logos; and a Thumpr-style solid roller and you'll be light years ahead.

You havent mentioned one of the incidentals of insane engine building; what are you going to put behind it? Hopefully a prepped 'glide. Well hell you can put a T5 behind it, cuz you'll never get it to stick anyway.

Incidentally, DO NOT...DO NOT put a spool in this car. Im warning you. This all-out racey (ricey?) must have has killed more than a few faux streeters

↑X100! on the J2000. That body/paint was just... wrong. The rest was over the top but photos of the engine and chassis lacked any defination/detail due to everything being polished aluminum or stainless, w/no contrast to speak of.

Also full agreement on the spool. My first car ('55 Chevy 2-door post) had a 301, 3-speed manual w/aHurst Mystery Shifter and a welded 4.56. The Mystery Shifter was a little quicker than the column shift, but guys like us back then who ran 3-speeds could speed shift the column shifters just fine. How I managed to never wreck it was nothing short of a miracle.



The Surface Orbiter deal is beyond me. The Nova was the best of them IMHO.

[malc]

"The rest was over the top but photos of the engine and chassis lacked any defination/detail due to everything being polished aluminum or stainless, w/no contrast to speak of."

An all-aluminum, 350ci small-block was certainly not commonplace in 1986, and neither were the 1,500 man-hours of polishing on the car.

[AutoGear]

He sold everything to build his 4wd amphibious vehicle with a jet drive. I remember seeing the Nova drive past my parents house when I was a kid (Im 30) that car was just 'right.' Even today it would turn heads. LOTS of heads.

I *think* the J2k had valvesprings for the rear 'suspension' just to irk people.

Back to the OP; do what you want, but theres a former prostocker here that runs a 327 smallblock with a snippy cam with a th200-4r and its street legal. He thumps just about everyone; and the motor is very sane. It sounds racy and looks racy, and doesnt kill his wallet. Ditto with the gasser 54 chevy with a box stock 454 low compression motor with a 8-71 and big tires. fools 90% of the people 100% of the time; and he can drive it almost daily; which is what most of us are about anyway.
You want a giant engine and giant tires? build a digger. It'll be more fun

[AutoGear]

You think the aluminum block and hand polishing is what made it nuts? the 1050 dominator into 2 turbos into 2 superchargers with a 20 port nitrous and water injection set up with probably 500ft of hardline...and it ran and drove.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by malc

An all-aluminum, 350ci small-block was certainly not commonplace in 1986, and neither were the 1,500 man-hours of polishing on the car.

"Over the top" = extravagant, excessive, dramatic, i.e. not commonplace.

The photo shows exactly what I meant when I said "the engine and chassis lacked any definition/detail due to everything being polished aluminum or stainless, w/no contrast to speak of." 14 different colors in the graphics, but the engine and bay area are basically monochromatic polished metal, devoid of any color except for the AN fittings. The detail is there, and mechanically speaking it's a sight to behold. Just that to my eye the lack of contrast cause the intricacies to get lost.

[cool rockin daddy]

Pro Street. Ultimate poser cars for ultimate posers. Yeah, man, sweat the details of that piston compression height so you can go vrooom vrooom at 35 miles down Main St. with your rumpity rump mega big block.

Guess this is what you meant by reinventing the wooden wheel in your other post. Re-hashing a trend from the late 70's.