I
haven't checked the Environmental Protection Agency's
list of endangered species recently, but I'm willing to
bet that the small-block V8 is on the list. While the
small-block is still the engine of choice in oval track
racing and several NHRA sportsman eliminators - notably
Stock, Super Stock, Competition, and Pro Stock Truck -
the big-block V8 has simply taken over the heads-up
eliminators and fast brackets.
There is a
reason why the Rat motor reigns as the king of the
quarter-mile: the big-block Chevy is durable,
heavy-duty, and the best bargain in motor racing.
That's a total
reversal since the days when Buddy Morrison, Lee
Shepherd, and I were winning races with small-block
Chevys we'd built with junkyard blocks and $25 reground
crankshafts. Back then, big-blocks cost big bucks.
Today, however, it's virtually impossible to find a
usable 400ci small-block in a salvage yard, and a CNC-machined
Bow Tie small-block will set you back $2900. Do the
math: You can buy a brand-new Gen VI big-block, an
aftermarket forged steel crank, steel H-beam rods, and a
set of custom pistons for about the same price - and
you'll end up with a motor with significantly
higher |
performance
potential.
Big
engines make sense for weekend warriors - the bigger,
the better. An engine's lifespan is directly related to
the number of cycles it turns. If you have a large
displacement, relatively low-revving engine, it will
turn many fewer cycles in a season than a high-revving,
small-displacement motor. This means the big engine's
rods will be stretched and its valve springs compressed
fewer times. Its roller lifters will make fewer
revolutions, and every moving part will be subjected to
less stress, wear, and tear.
If
you want to race as cheaply as possible and still have a
reasonably fast car, my advice is to build or buy a
low-rpm, big-inch motor.
You should
also have a firm idea of how much horsepower you need to
run the number in your particular eliminator. For
example, if you need 800 horsepower to make the cut for
the Quick 32 at your local track, that's readily
attainable with one of our relatively inexpensive Super
502 engine combinations. If a customer wants a
1200-horsepower engine, I can do that pretty reasonably
as well if we make it big - say 588 or 600 cubic inches
- and put a nice set of 14-degree Dart Big Chief heads
on it. But if
|
