Ok, I suppose I should clarify the goals for the build:
1. Car will be a weekend warrior (cruising to local shows, maybe hit the strip once or twice a year, maybe a longer road-trip once a year).
2. Definitely want it to not be a slouch in stoplight to stoplight, and don’t give a damn about gas mileage. Figure on running 93 octane all the time.
3. The 400 hp number was pulled after seeing the articles on that budget build in the magazines, and finding a 318 that already has the zero deck, .060 over. Not married to it.
4. Would like to run against a buddy’s 392 challenger someday, and the calculator I ran it through showed me needing 450 to win, but 400 would be pretty close. 13 in the quarter would be pretty sweet if I can get there and still be streetable.
5. Budget. Ideally, looking for 3k and under, total for the engine, but can squeak up to around 4.5k if I dump onto credit cards.
Now, here’s another wrinkle. Just found a stock 70 340 that needs carb, water pump, new seals (from sitting), pulleys and accessories for 3k. I figure that with a 6-pack setup and headers would get me around 360 horses.