[kmartinnrc]

I'm trying to get into drag racing and i have a 92 camaro i was wanting to know what would be the best motor to build a 350 4bolt mail or a 400 i don't have a motor yet also witch would cost less to keep up over the period of the track i want it to be street legal but also turn heads on the track if possible i also would like to tub it out should i go with a 9' ford rear end or some thing else also it right now has a standard transmission what trans would you recommend for this

 

[firestone]

If you are going to be buying aftermarket parts, it will be about the same price to build a 400 as a 350. You could actually build a 421 stroker with a stock 400 block for about the same price that it would cost you to build a 383 with a 350 block. As far as up keep goes, it will be about the same. I personally dont like the looks of a tubbed car unless you actually need it. You can easily run in the nines without tubbing your car. I dont think it looks good for a tubbed car to go out and run a 12.5 in the quarter. A ford 9" would be good as would a 12 bolt. As far as a transmission, that depends on how much power you want to make, and how much driving you will do on the street. let me know what your expectations and budget are, and I can help more.

Adam

 

[chrisflock]

I have heard that automatics can give more consistentt times on the drag strip, but I think that has more to do with the abilities of the driver than the actual transmission. Also, I'd like to have that extra 10% of my power hitting the rear tires

Also, since the car already has a stick, putting in another stick will be easier than putting in an auto (no getting rid of an extra pedal, buying and mounting the automatic shifter, hooking up a cooling system for the automatic, etc.

I'd take a look at some of Summit's richmond gearboxes; anything from a t10 to 6speed should be good, depending on the amount of power you're going to make.

 

[kmartinnrc]

as for budget i have not set one i going to do it a littel at a time i gess if i had to put a dollar amount no more than 7,000.00 me doing most all the work my self with my two boy's it is a project car for us to do together they are loving it and so am i they are both 11 and 12 so no cost for labor ha ha i wont drive it much on the street it will be mostly for the strip i gess i dont half to tub it out i was just told it would give me better traction on the strip than regulare tires would i would really like to be a good competitor on the track most of all i dont want to lose every race i know a lot of that will depend on me as getting off the line right and all and im working on that when i ran it on the track just stock i ran 13 in the 1/4 here in bg ky i ran against a montecarlo that was built a little he ran 12 i 'm just trying to give you some inside info so you can help me better decide what i need or should do thanks for the responces and merry christmas to you all

 

[Siggy_Freud]

lol your gonna have to start using periods buddy . Do you have any of the Fuel Injection stuff from the Camaro?

 

[RegaMaro]

Your 92 Camaro isn't stock if it ran anywhere near the 13's(They run mid/high 14's). Cheapest way to go would be to build a 383 since you already have the 350 in there. You're looking at 12's no problem with some aftermarket heads, roller cam, headers and 10:1(then programming of course). Of course to get any deeper than mid 12's you're going to have to lose the stock TPI and go carb'd or to an aftermarket EFI setup. The stock TPI will NOT flow over 4500rpm unless you hit it with some forced induction or nitrous. You should find out exactly which rear you currently have in the car. If it's an Eaton they're actually pretty strong and you should be ok in the 12's as long as you're not launching too hard. As for heads, nothing is going to beat AFR 180's with your stock TPI setup.

 

[Siggy_Freud]

An aftermarket base and runners would help cure the 4700rpm fall off. Are you using a TPI or plan on running a carb or something?

 

[kmartinnrc]

sorry there are no periods never was good at shcool but i will try.i would really like to run nos and maybe a blower and i wouild like to run a regular carb what ever you all suggest like i said im just getting into it and im learning.if a 350 is best thats what ill run or a 400 i dont care im starting from scratch and going up with it i took it down to the frame and in going back up

 

[THADD]

Big project you are undertaking!!!!
I think that the engine basics have been covered above, but a cardinal rule is "there ain't no replacement for displacement". That means that if you start with a larger engine, you will make more power...If it were mine, I would probably build a 383. A 383 is a 350 with an overbore and a 3.75 stroke crankshaft (Basically a 400 crank machined to fit).

Horsepower is easy. It is getting it to the ground that is the problem. You mentioned that you have a manual transmission...Is it a 5 speed or a 6 speed?? If you are going to do any serious racing, you will need to change the flywheel and clutch assembly to those certified by S.F.I., and you will need to add a scattershield to keep you from losing toes if the clutch/flywheel blows up (not a pretty sight). If it is a 5 speed, be advised that it won't hold up to the rigors of drag racing(well, not for long!)

You will also need a safety strap for your driveshaft, so if you break a U-joint, you won't be pole vaulting down the track.
Then you need to do something about the rear end. First you need to know what is in there...i.e. Posi or peg-leg, what gear ratio? Then you need to think about suspension up-grades so that the tires will hook. And on the subject of tires, you will probably want to go with some Drag Radials..I also suggest that you pick up a NHRA rulebook to see what the safety requirements are..and above all, HAVE FUN !!

 

[RCastle]

Lose weight.That rear glass alone weighs a metric ton.The doors are heavy items also.Getting some of that weight off will help with whatever engine combo you do go with.Running at BeechBend right?Nice track 1/4 mile.