302 Z28/SBC combos

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
I too,agree with Mike.Go big,or go home!! a lot of people get caught up in the "romance"of a 302,never lived with one.Deep gears,high rpm mandentory..
 

SSpev

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
I thought about building a 302 for a 72. Everyone seems to want big. Can't a 302 run well with out rpm? maybe its about the HP?
The reason I ask is people seem to think a 283 (same stroke) is GREAT. I wouldn't have one unless it was just to cruise with. 302 should be better.
Then again I don't want a 307 but like 305s. :doh:crazy
 

models916

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
283 with the small heads, carb, intake and the proper cam will produce good street maners. Correct 302 is over cammed, over valved and over ported. Without the big gear and a stick, it's a pain to drive.
 

SSpev

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
A buddy is building a 69 Z28 and wants to keep it a 302. Steel crank decent rods, camel hump heads, factory intake.Probaby get some headers.Any body have cam suggestions other than factory they have used? Wants to sound like factory solid but pull to 7000. Small street solid roller would even be OK.
Sorry, I didn't think this was to be "correct".
186 heads with 1.94 1.5 valves. 650 carb. cam in the 224@.050 range with .500 lift. 10:1 CR

If they want a 302 - do it. I got a lot of grief over a 409. maybe I should do a 454?:poke

Just say'en:cheers
 

Skip FIx

Well Known Member
He just wants this one to be a 302, his other 69 Z has a 350 in it.

The way I read the pricing it was $1695 for heads and machining, still a little pricey. They do wild work on cast iron intakes for stock apppearing-cut them open -port then weld back together.

He's still looking for a 348 short block to use some 348 heads and tripower I'll give him to put in a early 60's truck he has with a 350 SBC and a Muncie.
 

david montanbeau

Well Known Member
Back in 74, I bought a 67 Corvette coupe from Tracy Corvette in the Detroit area. It was a basket case with the chassis already done with a 3.76 posi. It was a 427 glide car. I bought a totaled out 67 Z28 with the engine being blown. It spit a rod. Pulled the engine and rebuilt it. Pink rods with full floaters, steel crank, 2.02 heads opened all the way. Push rod guides with screw in studs. I hate solid cams, so I went with a 327.350 hyd cam and set them at 0 lash. Turbo 400 with a L88 conv and a shift kit. Torquer2 intake with a 650 single feed holly. 62 Vett 327-340 duel point dist. Had the Hooker chrome side pipes for the exhaust. Mikes motor in Livonia MI. had a machine shop in his garage. He did the blueprint, balance and machine work. after about a week of street racing to get it dialed in, 2 Vetts were getting ready to get it on on Telegraph Rd in Redford Township. One was a 68 L88 car and the other was a 65 fuel car. we hit it at a 20 row and I pulled about 5 car lengths on both cars and I said holly s---! We pulled into the Burger king and they said man that runs good for a 427. I had the 427 hood on with the numbers. They didn't like it when I said its a small block. Pop the hood and they would see the finned valve covers. That 302 ran 12.20s and got 20+ to the gallon. This was my every day car for work and traveling around the country. That engine kicked butt back for that time. Had about a thousand runs on the motor, never had a heating problem, no fuel problem and never broke any parts except for the driver side motor mount. My biggest problem that it would eat up spark plugs about every 1000 miles. What killed the motor was a oil drive rod that snaped when a was racing and the rpm was upstairs and took out #7. Rebuilt it but it was never the same. 2 cars beat me on the street, 1 was a Camaro running a 454 tunnel ram and get this, a 23 t with a 289 Hypo with tri power and a 4 speed hydramatic with the widest slicks that you could buy back then. He would get me out of the hole by 1 car length. He couldn't pull any more and I couldn't catch him. He only weight out at 1400 lbs and the car turned 11.80s. He held the Record time in the hot rod class at the Detroit Dragway. Here is a picture of my 67 in 76 in a all white car wedding.485909_586739038019257_717280892_n (2).jpg
 
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david montanbeau

Well Known Member
That car was 1800.00 in 74 with the chassis being completely done. all new parts. The 67 Z28 Camaro was 500.00. I had more in the engine that both cars put together.
 

Fathead Racing

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
For a short period in 68 I ran a .030 over 283 with a 30/30 Duntov cam, Jahns pistons and headers in a 57 Chevy two door post car. The engine I thought at the time ran like crap, what did I know! Was a real pain to drive on the street as it was my daily driver. Remember when bigger was better? The good news is, come Saturday night out on old rt. 84 I had them all talking. I took on all comers. Was putting 383 belvedere's on the trailer. Kept breaking engine mounts and blew a few clutches but won a lot of races. I remember one race in particular, the 383 Plymouth Belvedere, I must have had a broken engine mount. Distributor hit the firewall and broke the rotor, I won the race but the guy in the Plymouth demanded a rematch, says he didn't get out of the hole good, yeah right. I went to the local hang out, the Big K truck stop and melted a plastic spoon over the broken rotor. Ran him again and beat him by two car lengths.
 

david montanbeau

Well Known Member
Back in the 60s, we ran the same combo with the punched 283. We used a racer brown cam in a 59 Chev 4 dr. 3 speed hand shaker and a 456 rear. Had a lot of fun toying with the big boys. Never had it on the strip. We would beat Hemi's-big block chevs etc. Biggest problem with the car was temp.
 

Fathead Racing

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
The 30/30 Duntov is 254 @ .050 with a .485" lift I think. I didn't know any of that stuff in 68. I bought a 55 Chevy with that engine in it from, get this, the brother of the guy in the Belvedere I beat that night and he built that engine. I got the whole job lot for $125.00 dollars. The 55 was a rust bucket even back then but boy, that engine would break parts. No tach, no gauges just flying by the seat of my pants.
 
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