Better engine?

[MrMagoo]

I have heard knowledgeable BDR persons state that the ideal motor for the BDR, as far as sheer driving pleasure, is the 302 stroker, like for instance your Roush 342.

A lot of the feel of the car on the road is weight distribution. You dont want the car to nose into a turn feeling heavy, and you want the power to pull out effortlessly. 400+HP will get you there. A lot of people feel that your combo is the best, just as many people associated with Shelby in the 60's (Freidman states this clearly) loved the 289 cobras, and feared the 427's. The 427 was shoehorned in to the AC chassis to keep the somewhat outdated cobras competitive in the racing world during a time of rapid technological advance, and let loose upon the civilian world to meet homologation rules for the various sanctioning bodies, and generate cash to keep the racing operation going, not because anybody thought it would be the ultimate driving machine.

Now, SB vs BB is a religion. You pick your religion, defend it to the death and attempt to convert the heathens. I love the BB's, they look "period" awesome, sound great, and produce unbelievable power and torque. But my belief is that > 330 cid and 400+ hp is enough motor for this car, and you want that front end to be as light as possible assuming you want to drive it on the back roads. Aluminum blocks with aluminum heads change the equation, where you can get the lightness of the 302 in an FE package, for a price. Your Roush will have aluminum heads, and will be as light as you can get without a*pricey exotic aluminum block.

I also think that if I were doing a BB, I would not choose a BDR to do it in. It's a car that was designed with the small block windsor in mind.

In summary, Ralph, you are getting what many believe to be the exactly right motor for the BDR, if you intend to drive it like a sports car, as opposed to racing or cruising the car shows and burger joints (all of which are good things).