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Old 04-19-2012, 10:20 AM   #1
whitewaterjay
 
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What Engine to put in my 1968 Camaro

Hello Everyone,

I'm at the point where I've gotten my 1968 camaro back from paint that I've had in primer for 10 years now and I'm reassembling but I still haven't made a decision on my motor. I have a 1970 350 bored .30 sitting on the engine stand right now that I took out of it and a TH400 that I've had rebuilt with a shift kit in it.

My dilemma is whether to put the 350 back in the car that I took out which was running pretty rough but I think it may have been a timing/carb issue, or get a lower priced crate engine or insert a LS motor of some kind. I was told the compression was really high on this motor when I bought it 10 years ago so I have to run 92 with a bottle of 104+ octane booster which is costly and a pain.

Money of course is an issue, my budget is somewhere in the $2000 - $3000 range. I'm looking for a nice weekend cruiser, small car show for fun type of car, not looking to run it at the strip or take it to big car shows. I just want to enjoy it, but also know I'm driving a muscle car when I hit the gas.

Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason
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Old 04-20-2012, 05:10 AM   #2
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I'd get the crate engine, would be more practical. This would help keep you in the budget.
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Old 04-20-2012, 09:31 AM   #3
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Did you mothball the motor 10 yrs ago? Depending on where & how it was stored you may need opened up.
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Old 04-20-2012, 10:07 AM   #4
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I'd vote for a used LS1.
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Old 04-23-2012, 03:13 PM   #5
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YearOne has a 350 crate motor that I believe is either 350 or 400hp for like $2800, with a warranty. I would advise you to go that way. You mentioned that your current engine is a high compression motor. While they sound great and run like a scalded dog, a high compression small block with a large cam can be very finicky and tempermental on the street. I know from experience. I have a 512hp 383 stroker in my 69. It sounds awesome and will fry the tires all day long but the car was actually more enjoyable with the 350hp 350.
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Old 04-23-2012, 04:28 PM   #6
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I say find a 327 long block, there cheap now and perfect for that Car!
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Old 04-23-2012, 06:54 PM   #7
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I have a crate motor 350 CI with 330 hp in my 55 Chevy. I had a rebuilt engine and got tired of all the issues with it so I decided to go with the crate motor. It runs very strong and has a mild corvette cam from the factory.
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Old 04-24-2012, 11:19 AM   #8
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Ls all the way
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Old 04-24-2012, 05:36 PM   #9
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I'd throw an LQ9 in there and put some turbos on it..
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Old 04-24-2012, 09:32 PM   #10
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This was in my 69Name:  100_3593.jpg
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Old 04-25-2012, 04:25 AM   #11
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man them are some huge turbos,holy cow,love it,bet that was a screamer.
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Old 04-25-2012, 04:34 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matts Electric View Post
This was in my 69Attachment 362950
Damn that's awesome, we're is the radiator in that thing lol
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Old 04-25-2012, 06:28 AM   #13
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Old 04-25-2012, 07:31 AM   #14
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Holy crap MattsElectric that thing is crazy looking! Looks like something they'd attach to the space shuttle and send to space! Really cool.

Thanks everyone for the input, I think I'm going to try getting a mildly built 383 if I can scrape up the cash from the other parts I have leftover from my rebuild.

Jason
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