514 Ford Crate Motor or 408 Stroker

[Ant]

Ron,

You are right they went well with 60's technology, and with being a bit short and narrow in the wheel base, they dont cut it with other longer wheelbase race cars such as a 2005 Transam car, but I am having a go to make one as fast as possible on 17" slicks etc all alloy SBF Nascar type engine with well over 600hp, and the big difference will be the chassis my car has a backbone chassis designed by Reynard, so its not really anything like an original car!

Having said all that a 385 engined car would be very hard pressed to stay with my car on the type of race circuits we have here, I have been there with Big blocks my Hilborne injected, dry sumped etc etc full race engine LS7 Chev was so fast in a straight line, but had the weight wanting to go outwards in a turn, and when you gave it heaps it would do a massive drift and not that forgiving!
Fun to drive, but hard on the drivetrain etc.

I reckon you can have as much fun with each and as you elude to the 385 is cheaper and you get absolutely awesome power for the $$$$$ but one wont suit my application so I am just biased at the moment!!!!

Happy motoring is everything ........eh!

[Dominik]

I like this discussion!

looks a bit more educated than older BB vs. SB discussions :-)

while a racer (the minority of us) would give his left arm to shave off weight, a "coffee racer" doesn't mind.

talking about weight: who actually did weigh his car???
who checked drivetrain losses?

I had a lot of fun racing a 302 and also a lot of fun taking passengers from the local hang-out for a quick 0-to-120mph blast with a 514 side by side to a motorbike.

you decide what you prefer!

but which street tires can handle more than 400hp, let alone 700 anyway?

dominik, leaning towards BB ;-)