Engine rebuild info/questions

[MoparFan]

Hi,

so I have my old 1978 360 on the stand in the garage now, and don't exactly know what to do with it !!! :tard:

I removed the head, and check some things ... as well as a novice can do. Now I wonder if I should give it to a rebuilder and spend the 2500$ or more it will cost me for a warm over engine.
Or is there something that I could do by myself without changing everything, to give him life. I mean if I rebuild it myself (would be my first try ever ... good idea, not so sure), the block would go to the machine shop to be check, cleaned, bore over if necessary, have the crank and cam alignement check and bearings changes, maybe a block and head shave also.

Maybe I am very wrong to think that I can do any thing close to a performer with stock piston and head, but how wrong am I.
Can an engine like that produce 350hp, with stock piston and head (milled?), an Holley street dominator intake, an Holley 1850 600cfm secondary vacuum carb, and probably a cam change. Would use a set header as well.

What I am looking for is a fun engine, that can burn tire on a open 8.25" with tall gear (for now at least). Just want to have some fun with the car before investing too much money in it.

Rigth now the piston is down in the hole by 0.100" ... here is a pic of the piston (flat ? I guess not!)

Thanks let me know what you think.

 

[BJS racing]

You can do what you are looking to do with a fairly stock set up motor. You would want to get your compresion up around 9.5 to 9.7. I would use something along the lines of a comp cams 280H or even a 272H style cam. I would also possibly look at doing a little bit of head work. go up to 2.02 int. and 1.60 exh. valves and do even a little port work on the heads. You can build alot more motor for the same amount of money that a machine shop will charge you to build a bone stock motor. You could even build a stroker motor for pretty close to the same as a shop would charge. I would suggest going and getting an engine book for around $15 - $20 from the book store and taking a look at it and see if it is something that is over your head. If it isn't you can use if for a guide to doing to work yourself. I built the kinda motor that you are talking about for about $2000 with the machine work included in that price.