Small Block & Big Block Chevy Specific - LS1, SBC, or BBC?

Witch engine is easer to get more power out of? I have a 86 Monte Carlo LS and would like to see 10-9 sec range. What setup would you run?

Whatever your budget allows. The SBC is by far the cheapest. The LSx platform is verry powerful but cost you. The BBC is the most expensive still i believe, I may be wrong but cubic inches has no limitation in the aftermarket dept. Seriously, who can fuck with 632 CI from world products? 900 hp, on 93? hell yea.

.

BBC would get you in the 9's much cheaper than the rest. If I was doing a budget 9 second car, it would be a 496".
My crew chiefs 496" with iron heads ran 8.60 @ 160.

.

One of my relatives has an altered that has a N/A 427 BBC in it. The thing has 16:1 compression and runs on C16. Iron head and Iron block. The thing runs 8.30s in the 1/4.
He is putting a 275 shot on it as we speak. 7s are right on his doorstep.

I vote for a nitrous gulping big block.
My engine of choice would be a 396 or 427 big block running a 300 shot.

a BBC is one of the best options for what your doing. I'm estimating a 496 on spray would get you right where you want to be.

My vote's for the big block. All depending on what you start with.

How much HP Are we looking at with a 496? what would it cost?

I'd do a 460 or 468, if you can find a 454 with a good steel crank in it you can just reuse it and the block. I would get an Eagle ESP rod and a SRP 2618 piston, they are made by JE but are lower priced.

If it has a good set of heads you can have them remachined and get a new valve job and some better springs, then throw a better cam and lifters in it, and most likely some better rocker arms.

Throw a nitrous plate on it and you'll have a easy combo to run the numbers you want.

How much HP Are we looking at with a 496? what would it cost?

This is a long shot but since you're in FL like me try getting in with a marine mechanic. I met a guy once that had access to all kinds of big blocks that were pulled out due to warranty issues, I'm talking about cheap fixes that would have been repaired if not for the warranty. He said sometimes the core is never requested back.
I seen the garage at his house with quite an impressive stock of big block parts. They use the 496 in marine applications a lot. Rectangular port heads too. And with heat exchangers so theres no ocean water running through the block.

the marine blocks are the best due to a higher nickel content I believe, could be wrong though.

BBC.

But, if you plan on racing for money or street racing... you wont see as many races...

if i were building a 8 sec. motor i would go with a bbc aftermarket aluminum block for weight savings, block stregnth, and the option of going a whole lot bigger in the future.

.

My 2 cents, do not buy an aluminum block. Complete waste of money. If you only want 9-10's as you said, build a 496".
Find the smallest bore stock block you can. 2-4 bolt, either will work. I would get a 2 bolt & put modern splayed caps on it.
If you want to save $, try to find a stock 4 bolt. If you do plan to go really fast in the future,
then I would get a big bore block now. Problem is, decent block is $2000+. (Big M, is bad ass) Basic alum heads,
~330-340. High compression, medium size roller to match heads, ~.800. I would use tunnel ram, but again to save $,
get a single carb. A very basic set up will be ~800-850 HP. More than enough to put most cars in the 9's.
Any ?? send a note. Good luck.

.

No question a BBC, the Monte is a perfect candidate for a BBC, plenty of room. How much motor depends on how deep into the 10's or 9's you want to go. If you don't mine using a little spray it will not be that hard or very expensive.

I had a cast iron oval port headed (049's) standard bore 454 motor with a stock LS6 forged crank, stock LS6 rods, Victor-O, 850 Barry Grant and small .690 roller that went 10.30's N/A in a 3,400 lbs car, went 5.85 in the 1/8 with a 250 shot.

Same motor, same stock crank, better rods, .030 over (461) and 310 Pro Ones out of the box, .714 roller, went 9.90's 1/4 mile N/A and 5.50's in the 1/8 with 275 shot at 3,300 lbs.

Both of these motors were build cheap, but ran very good. I built the entire first motor for less than most aluminum blocks cost.

What about the cheaper but decently strong lsx motors, TSP 408s and such, they run apporx 4k bux. would everyone still prefer a bbc over that? I have mixed opions, i think the lsx motors run awesome however there is no replacement for displacement! My buddy at work was saying the same thing i read in this thread, a budget big block can make 800hp easy.

.

Perfect point G & H. Knowledge/combination over throwing money around.
You matched what you had, built it right, and probably had a blast making pass' instead of fixing crap.
Now imagine what you would have ran with a 1/4 stroke & a nice 330-340 head.

.

BBC on spray will get you there on a budget.

i just helped a guy freshen up the old 2 bolt 350 that came outa my chevelle that ran 15 flat all we did was shaved the pistons put some sportsman II's with mild port workand a 570 lift hydrolic cam and ran 12.6 on just motor in a full weight 66 nova II then squeezed a 175 shot outa the hole and ran 10.7. And the motor handled it like a champ. Just a budget idea for ya.

Nitrous F T W!!!!!

big M block+300 shot of N2o. 9's and under all the way.

BBC+spray!!!!!!!

We have 3 big blocks here at the shop ready to be built and two of the block are brand new GM. The BBC is the way to go if you want a budget 9 second car. We have a handful of N/A big blocks that run 8.50-8.70's in heavy cars.