Advice for a FNG: 454 or 350?

Hello all. I've got a decision to make. While I like the reliability and the ease of finding parts for a 350, I would rather do something different and I've got a lead on a 74-87 454 Long block (needs cleaning and a thorough inspection) for a very reasonable price.

So if you please, chip in your $.02.

Here is the project:
'49 GMC 100 Long bed.
Mustang front end installed.

Planning:
Mid to late 70's Camaro/Firebird rear end (2.73 roughly)
t5 tranny

 

With those rearend gears, a TH400 behind that big block would work nice. Usually a 454 that's offered for a good price needs to be rebuilt, though.

 

There is no replacement for displacement.......

 

Thanks Squirrel.

I'm counting on having to do some rebuilding on any engine I get. So that isn't so much a factor.

How reliable are these engines? I know they put out some good numbers close to stock, so I wouldn't be doing much to it.

I might go the TH400 route... If I can find one that doesn't need rebuilding. Otherwise I have the t5 already lined up.

Thanks for your input.

 

SBC and a Powerglide......

 

Thats what I say also.

 

well if your set on the T5....I would run somthing more in the neighborhood of 3.73,3.55 gears....of course this also depends on how tall a tire you run....

 

also if you keep the T5 you sould run the small block, so you dont tear up the transmission.

The 454 is as reliable as you built it to be. Might consider a hydraulic roller cam....flat tappet cams with more than .500" lift seem to have fairly limited life with todays oil.

 

Good point on the T5, hadn't thought about that. Looks like I better start doing some scavenging for a th400...and a AT column...and a spacer for the clutch/brake pedal assy....

Damn. That might be the deciding factor there. Budget and all....damn the man.

 

I just got my 454 running after putting a Hyd roller in it. All I can say is WOW..... stock the peanut port 454s did not show a high HP # but had plenty of torque. A T-5 should live well behind a stockish 454 in a light car

 

i got a 454 in a '66 chevy school bus, with the 4l80e tranny and a 6.73 rear and 42 inch tires and that motor will make that bus go 100mph i shit you not. the motors just got a light cam and an aluminum intake and some cheap headers, dont know much about it as it came out of a wreaked camino. but it gets that 10 ton chassie going and when fully loaded, you still cant tell much a difference. itll cruise at 70mph at 4000rpm for 31 hours straight i know that.

 

I'd go with an old Cadillac or Buick nailhead motor or anything cooler than a 350 or 454 which leaves a lot options.

 

Bigger really is better.
I've used big blocks in my last 2 and the vette is getting a 454.
BBC parts are really easy to get too.

 

Wow,At that RPM I bet you can watch the gas gauge drop real quick.

 

With a big block, you need everything else to be really heavy duty: transmission, driveshaft, u-joints, rear axle, 31 spline instead of 28 spline, etc. A slightly built 454 has about 500 foot pounds of torque. You might be able to get away with less beefy parts if you have skinny tires with no traction. If it hooks up, stuff might start to break when you put your foot in it.

A big block really kicks ass for not too much more dough than a small block, but if you have to beef up the whole rest of the drivetrain to handle the extra torque, it might start seeming like too much dough when you add it all up. A Chevy 10-bolt rearend might not last too long behind a big block. Something like a 31 spline Ford 9" would be better. Even if you keep the big block fairly stock, it has a lot of torque compared to a small block.

 

Sweet! Thanks guys. You've more than gotten my interest peaked on the bb.

I don't have the rear yet, so I can definitely go with a beefier setup. I think I'll invest in it.



(just found a th400 on craigslist, gonna look at it mañana)

 

Big block for drag racing, small block for the street. So, small block.

 

hmmmm...that sounds backwards. For racing, you can run a lot of gear and set up the motor for lotsa high rpm power. For the street, it's nice to have mild gearing, and the torque of a mild big block makes for an enjoyable ride.

But what do I know...I cruise around in a blown big block powered car.

 

Well, maybe, but fast and cheap rarely equates to too much cool as far as I have seen. And I don't recall ever seeing a 454 that I thought was that cool and a 350, well don't need to say too much about that one. Maybe in a 100 mph bus it might be sort of cool, I guess, maybe. But, if you think going fast and build'n 'em cheap is the key to cool, go for it. Different tastes. I am all for that. But why stop at a 454? Better get the 572 if those are the priorities so you will be the guy with the smile when you pass someone with a puny 454.

 

Those Buick 350's are nice engines, lighter than a BBC too!

Shawn