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Streetable Zs


Guest Dylan

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Guest Dylan

I am starting out my '71 Z project and will be buying an engine fairly soon. It will be a 350 sbc with WC t-5. Can anyone else with similar setups tell me how streetable it is with your torque and HP. I want to max out performance while keeping it available to drive to work sometimes too. I was thinking about 400-425 HP with a fuel injected/aluminum head setup.

 

Thanks

 

Dylan

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Guest iskone

Ahhh man, Hate to tell ya but your gonna have to do some searching "streetable" is just way to relative a term. IMO 400hp is fine but others will tell you as little as 200-300hp 300 being the MAX in a Z.

 

Figure out what you want ans so on and so on

 

Isk

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A 400 to 425 hp 350sbc with not normally have a smooth idle. It takes a long duration cam to get that power. If the idle doesn't bother you then you will be ok.

 

I have had all kinds of cams in my 240 with a 350/T5/3.90 gear. The small cams are nice at the stop lights or sitting in traffic. But the rpms are greatly reduced which is a bummer with a big engine in a small car. By the timing the tires quit spinning it is time to shift. (bummer)

 

The cam I enjoyed the most was the compcam 292H. Rough idle but cleaned up right off idle and reved to 7K with heavy valve springs. At least a 400 hp cam.

 

A long duration cam but with wide lobe centers (114 to 116) would smooth out the idle of a big cam while maintaining high rpm potential. Would also would well with efi. Would make a very long but lower torque curve. Good for a V8 Z street/strip car. I never tried that combo because I have always ran a carb but I'm sure it will work great with efi.

 

Of course, cooling will be the biggest issue. The stock mechanical clutch fan with a custom shroud on a HP cross flow radiator will work the best. If you go electric fan, get the most cfm possible.

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Guest Dylan

Thanks for the replies..I was trying to gauge weather 400hp is more frustrating sitting in some traffic once in a while then the added benefit of the increase acceleration.

 

So far it sounds like I can handle it but please any more responses would be nice.

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