posum2

Hi folks, I am asking for some advice, should I rebuild my 1968 Corvette 327/350 hp engine in my 1966 (was a big block car), or just buy a crate engine from GM or Summit or somewhere? I like the idea of a new engine but realize the 68 could be good too. Since its not a numbers match, not sure it matters too much. Depending on advice, ,may be looking for a good recently rebuild motor. Otherwise, any advice on how to rebuild the 327, what parts, etc to get about 300-350 hp? was thinking 500 edelbrock carb and alum intake, 262 comp cam, maybe edel alum heads, maybe rollers, hyperetectic flatop pistons? any advie apreciated. thx,k

stingrayl76

I would return you 66 to a BB by installing a crate engine.

Nowhere Man

it all depends what you want out of your car. do you like the look of all original type cars, were you will be just cruising around town. or do want a car were you can hammer it all the time and have the car keeping it up. if it was me I would go for a new BB crate motor from GM the new 502 comes to mind if your car was once a BB. a rebuilt motor is nice but nothing like a new motor with a warrantee

tigernut

Since it's not numbers matching, I would put in a crate engine myself.

The nice thing about a crate engine is it should come with some length of a warranty.

By the time you figure in the cost of parts to rebuild, machine shop work, etc, you would be close to the cost of a crate engine anyway, unless you are planning on keeping most of the old parts (heads, pistons, etc).

Decide what you want to do with the old engine, then price it out and do the comparison.

Doug

posum2

Hi, thank you, I know thats the best idea, and I have spent considerable time looking for the original enigne in Canada where its from, but now the sb has been in for over 20 yrs and drives so nice, I'd like to stay sb and i'm planning to keep the car forever so value not a huge thing. thx

BarryK

i'd first check with a very good local engine builder and ask him what the price would be on a rebuild of the motor the way you want it. After getting that price than shop prices on the crate motors and see what best fits your budget. As mentioned, a nice advantage to a crate motor is the warranty though.
If you decide to go crate and want to stay with a sb, I like the strokers because of the extra torque you get out of them. A nice 383 stroker will give you about 425Hp and 460 ft/lbs torque which would be a nice, fun motor.

chances are if you get 20 replies in this thread you will probably get 20 different answers

AZDoug

crate engine will have a modern block, both with metallurgy,and design. The SB block casting was updated every few years, so a new block is structurally stronger than your 40 year old block.

The 350/350 or 350/327, (or similar) if still available, are nice choices with a medium hot hyd cam.

Doug

Hitch

What he said.. I personally like the original look but with as much extra hp as you can make by hiding it internally. That's just me.. Anyone can buy a crate motor and drop it in there. It all depends on what you want though. Dave..

posum2

ok thanks that was about what i'd been thinking, what beautiful cars you have. love the 61, k

StingRayls6

GMPP 383/425 SB I'd be putting one in my '65 if I didn't have the BB stuff already bought.

Grey Ghost

I had my 327/350 rebuilt about 5 years ago. All the machine work, new heads (someone messed up the valve seat before), hi-po 350 stuff, etc...was $2800.00. I went through the same questions like you..crate or rebuild ? Mine was numbers matching, so that is probably the only reason I went that route.

If I were you...I'd get a 454 or 502 and dress it up like a period 427. Paint it orange, valve covers, etc...

kellsdad

I've done it both ways with good results. Here are two things to consider. First, if you are as slow as I was, you can use up the entire warranty period on a crate engine before you fire it up. I was doing a frame-off job and installed the drive train before dropping the body. It was a year later before I fired it up. .. Second, some small block crate engines don't fit the same as original small blocks due to changes in head and waterpump design. Installing a small block with Vortec style heads can start a small avalanche of changes in brackets, exhaust manifolds, tach cable, air cleaner height, etc.

Denney

The answer really depends on what you want from the car (obviously assuming originality is not an issue), probably the best benefit of a small block is the weight savings off the front end and thus more nimble driving feel. The obvious best benefit of a bb is the great torque/hp available off the line. The best compromise (as mentioned earlier in the thread) is probably a stroked (383) small block, which will give you pretty much the best of both worlds.

Ron78Z&66Vette

I'm wondering the same thing myself. I'd be looking at either rebuilding the (non numbers matching) 327 or dropping in the GM 350/290 (close to an L79 cam, lower compression, boring heads) crate engine.

It IS pretty appealing to be able to drop a warrantied motor in and go. If the power wasn't enough (probably wouldn't be ), I could install a set of aftermarket heads with smaller combustion chambers at a later time to bump the power up.

But............there's a bit of a "cool factor" (at least to me) of being able to say it has a 327 instead of a 350. Probably get a little more of a lope with the L79 cam in a 327 compared to a 350 .........more "cool factor".

Car won't be on the road anytime soon, so I've still got some time to think about it.

Kensmith

My 2 cents, if you are just cruising around town, do a few shows here and there but don't put a lot of miles on the car I would go 502 crate or 383 stroker. If you want to drive it, get some decent gas mileage, stay with a 327. I like the stroker motors and big blocks but unless you plan on racing or doing some serious driving, how many times will you need that torque and power. Nothing wrong with the 327 with a nice sounding cam. Too many 350s out there in street rods like mine that are built up to big HP that really is only for show as we rarely make them go.

tentuna

Here's my tow cents,
First how do enjoy (drive) your Vette?
How much more will be rquired by installing a BB, radiator, water pump, manifolds, exhaust, etc?
Cost must also be looked at, rebuild less than $2,500, crate motor????
Have you looked at the possibility of trying to find a period correct BB casting and rebuilding that (big $$$$)??
Food for thought
Good luck,
charlief
66 Coupe
327/350

toddalin

My opinion...,

If you stay with a small block, unless you go the 383 or 425 hp route, I wouldn't bother with any of the other ZZ motors. Aside from any installation nightmares, from all the tests I've seen on these in the CorvetteForum, my mild 327 is still kicking out 25-75+ more hp at the wheels. If you buy a ZZ, plan on upgrades ($$$) to that too to make it competitive with a nicely built 327!

My combination:

331 CI, pump-friendly 9.5:1 CR
K&N 14"x4" air filter, Corvette drop base and lid
Holley 600 dp, choke horn milled, polished
1/2" Aluminum open spacer port matched to manifold, exterior polished
Edelbrock Performer RPM, port matched, exterior polished with all extraneous castings and lettering removed
Homemade lifter valley splash shield to keep hot oil off manifold bottom
Camel hump 1.94/1.50 heads hogged out to 2.02/1.60, pocket ported, port matched, pump-friendly hardened seats, 3-angle valve job
Comp Cams 1.52:1 roller-tip rockers
Crane Cam Vintage Muscle 327/350 hp cam, 222 degrees @ 0.05, 0.447" lift (with 1.50 rockers)
Doug Thorley headers, dechromed and ceramic-coated
2.5" mandral-bent exhaust (including tips), 2" cross-over just before rear axle
DynoMax stainless Ultra Flow mufflers
Mallory Hyfire IV CD ignition box triggered off Accel points
Mallory high voltage chrome coil
Mallory spiral-wound coil wire
Mallory solid copper plug wires, ends soldered to wires
Champion plugs
37 degrees total ignition advance
Carter high volume fuel pump
Melling high volume oil pump
Open breathers
Polished aluminum high flow water pump
Flex fan with polished aluminum spacer
Polished aluminum one-wire 100 amp alternator
Muncie M-20 CR 4-speed
Hurst shifter
3.70:1 positraction
225/60/15 Firestone Firehawk SZ50s on 7”-wide Western 30-spoke Turbine Wheels

Engine had never been professionally tuned up and did 293 ft-lb and 293 hp @ 5,500 rpm on the chassis dyno. Engine pulls to 6,200 rpm and does over 200 ft-lb from 1,900 rpm. This was prior to some clean-up work around the junction of the carburetor and base of the air cleaner that smooths the flow through this area and a LAR'S Tune-up that should be good for a few ponies. Car has run 107 mph in the high 13's (old, bad tires) at the quarter. Car is extremely streetable and could probably even run 87 octane if it had to. (I can't get the engine to ping no matter how far I advance the ignition.)

Hitch

See here's my thing anyone can put a 350 crate motor in, that's why I'm going the route I am. 327 that will make plenty of power for about the same money as a crate motor but how I want it. With that being said the 350 crate motor is great if you just want power, however as stated above the ZZ motors leave a little to be desired. The 385 Fastburn with the Hot cam is the ticket though. 430 HP 400 and some odd Torque.