[Old Blue 66]

Ok well after a ton of research, I've decided to dump the 64 389 in favor of a 68 400. The builder that had my 64 was argumentative about how to build it and I didn't trust him.

R & R Engine Rebuilders in Addison il. Don't go there.

Taking the engine back made me think about things. I found a new builder by the name of Rick Johnson out of Crete, IL. He calls his shop Custom Automotive. Great guy. He builds a lot of engines but most of them are Pontiacs. He has a red 62 Cat that he races and it's has the words "no sponsor" on the rear quarters.

We sat and talked all morning about what I wanted out of the motor and his recommendations were spot on. So much in fact that I took it as a sign from the first guy that I should build the motor that I want.

It's nothing crazy. But a 68 400 with a stoker kit. 1976 6x heads, Edelbrock 7157 cam. I'll top it off with a Performer intake and Performer 600 Cfm carb. I don't know all the specifics yet but bore size because of the strokes kit will be at 35. Should be an honest 450 hp. Compression should be right at 10:1.

He found a mostly compete motor core for $350. Should be done in three weeks.

[Greg Reid]

Sounds like a great plan...although I think I'd drop the compression just a tad myself. In fact, I think with the 6X heads, it may be a tad lower than 10:1 anyway?..Which would probably be about right.

[b-man]

Rick Johnson really knows his stuff, good choice.

Edelbrock 7157 cam = RAIV cam.

I would rethink the Performer intake and 600 E-carb choice though, that small-runner intake and small-CFM carb pretty much chokes off the horsepower potential of a 400 (now a 461?) stroker combo. The E-carbs are hard or impossible to tune out the bog when transitioning to the secondaries, they are not adjustable like the Q-jet is.

Edelbrock matches the 7157 Performer RPM cam with the RPM intake. Even the factory iron Q-jet intake is a much better choice than the Performer which is really better suited to stock 400 and smaller engines.

Just calling it like it see it.

Good luck Paul.

Bart

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by b-man

Rick Johnson really knows his stuff, good choice.

Edelbrock 7157 cam = RAIV cam.

I would rethink the Performer intake and 600 E-carb choice though, that small-runner intake and small-CFM carb pretty much chokes off the horsepower potential of a 400 (now a 461?) stroker combo. The E-carbs are hard or impossible to tune out the bog when transitioning to the secondaries, they are not adjustable like the Q-jet is.

Edelbrock matches the 7157 Performer RPM cam with the RPM intake. Even the factory iron Q-jet intake is a much better choice than the Performer which is really better suited to stock 400 and smaller engines.

Just calling it like it see it.

Good luck Paul.

Bart

What intake an carb would you suggest Bart?

[b-man]

Factory iron '68 -'72 Q-jet intake (with '72 being the best match to the 6X heads, exhaust crossover-wise).

800 CFM Q-jet '76 -'77. Can be found on common 350 and 400 engines of this vintage.

What rear end gears will you be running? The RAIV cam like lower gears.

If you have highway gears (2.78, 2.93, 3.08) I'd suggest going a bit smaller on the cam like the Summit 2802 or the Crower 60242. Still plenty of power but a bit more street-friendly than the RAIV cam.

The RAIV cam is a good bracket race cam but not a particularly good cruiser cam.

Consider the type of driving you'll be doing. If you like to hammer it all the time and have enough gear go RAIV. If you want better street manners and better throttle response below 3000 RPM (where you'll be doing 99% of your driving) then go for the smaller cam.

[Greg Reid]

I'm running the Crower 60242. Very pleased with it.

[Old Blue 66]

Got lots of stuff done this past weekend. Brakes fixed. New duel master in (sort of), bled the brakes, welded those crazy worn shock mount holes in front and got the car on the ground for the first time wearing its new temp wheels. So far Im pretty happy with the springs in the back. They gave the car a really nice lift. The wheels will be around for at least one season then it gets treated to 17" Billet Specialties. Found the set on Craigs List 15x7 with new tires. Paid only $600! All mechanical is done at this point. Until the motor is ready of course.

For now, a detail of the engine bay and its off to my friends shop when the motor is ready from Rick Johnson. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

[YNOBIL]

Originally Posted by Old Blue 66

Nice high ceiling Paul, any thoughts on a 4-post lift?

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by YNOBIL

Nice high ceiling Paul, any thoughts on a 4-post lift?

Thoughts? Oh yea! Will it happen? Hopefully in my lifetime.

[george kujanski]

Best money I ever spent (on cars/ car related ) was on a four post lift. Should have done it 20 years ago.

George

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by george kujanski

Best money I ever spent (on cars/ car related ) was on a four post lift. Should have done it 20 years ago.

George

Twenty years ago, it wasn't as common to have them at home and they were far more expensive than today.

Was that the same lift you had when I was at your house a bunch of years ago with the pinon problem?

[george kujanski]

Yep, same thing, Bend-Pak HD-9

George

[old66tiger]

I have 9'9" ceilings and I am able to put the gto on the top and get my wife's 2002 Trans Am under it. It is tight and no room for error. Best money I spent to date.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[YNOBIL]

Originally Posted by old66tiger

I have 9'9" ceilings and I am able to put the gto on the top and get my wife's 2002 Trans Am under it. It is tight and no room for error. Best money I spent to date.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

I have a 9' ceiling. I put my car on old rims with no tires and even then they barely clear. Only do this over the winter season. Used to pay storage at 2 locations so the lift has already paid for itself. Through a lot of maneuvering I get 5 cars and my full size Silverado into my 4 car garage.

[GT182]

I've been running a Weber built, manual choke, 650 Carter AFB Competition Series 4bbl and love it. I do have one here with an electric choke for sale. I've never run it but it does look like it was run very little.

2 years ago I came across a 55 Chevy with dual 4s on it.... both were the AFB Competition Series carbs. The owner said they ran great and would run nothing else but them. I asked why not a pair of Hollies or Edelbrocks and he just laughed. Personally.... I don't like the Edelbrock carbs, and would run a Holley over an Edelbrock. Give me a Carter or Q-jet any day, but that's only me.

[psw]

Originally Posted by YNOBIL

I Used to pay storage at 2 locations so the lift has already paid for itself.

Man I hear you on that, there were several years where I had to store my '66, payed $100 a month for plenty long enough to pay for a lift, a couple a times over. I wish I had learned about the affordable four post storage lifts at that time. I would have certainly bought one.

PSW

[1966geeto]

Storage unit in Tampa burnt to the ground yesterday classic cars motor home's rvs up in smoke had a friend who stored his 67 and found it had been stripped to the bone in his unit they are just scary and expensive wish I had put a lift in years ago would have saved allot of cussing and most of all the body..

[Old Blue 66]

Ok time for some pics of the progress. New 17" Torq Thrusts, The new motor is done and as of this AM the car is at my friends shop in Oswego, IL where the motor will be put in.

The wheels I found used via a seller on Facebook. They are 17X7 and 17x8. 215/45 in front and 275/40 in the back. They are in great shape with Cooper Zeons.

The motor pic is blurry but its beautiful. Ill share more details about it later. BUt it is punched out to a 461 after the 35 bore and a nice stroker kit. All built by Rick Johnson. I should have the car back in about a week. Let me rephrase that - Ill be driving the car back in about a week.

[george kujanski]

My ceilings are right there too. I stack my GTO on top and a '91 Caddy Allante below. The Allante is 51" tall per the spec dimensions. I have about 3" total to spare.

George

[goatmanmitch]

Lookin' good, Paul!