new to chevys appreciate any info

[crizzut]

Im originally a ford man, but I've always been in love with the 1st gen camaros. Hopefully within the next year I'll be picking up either a 69 Z28 or SS to restore and modify. Im still relatively new to restoration but ideally I wanted to keep the stock block for whatever car I find and rebuild it from the bottom up. Everything from forged internals, to a larger oil pan, to 4v heads, bigger carb etc. Assuming this is all done right and I add some suspension mods is it likely I can make this small block a naturally aspirated 10 second car? Im spend most of my time building up my cobra so my knowledge of N/A carb cars is limited. If 10 seconds is not attainable, does anyone know of forced induction kits available for the stock size motors? I'd love to run a turbo kit, that way I wouldn't have to modify the hood. Thanks for any info and sorry for the dumb question 

[crizzut]

anyone?

[hotrod68]

Yer asking for a lot, Criz. Chuckle. If you want a stock-block car to turn 10s you'd best try and find a  427 Yenko or a ZL-1. A blower or turbos could get you there, of course, but probably not with a Z/28 and it's little 302. The best factory-backed '69 Zs barely cracked the 11s naturally aspirated on a cool day with low humidity, and Z/28s didn't have 350s until 1970. The 396 Super Stock cars only ran mid-to-low 11s in the A/stick classes. But then, with today's heads and roller cams and incredible technology I guess it's possible to get a 302 into the 10s with turbos and an intercooler, but I hope you have deep pockets. As far as factory forged internals and "4V" heads, pretty much only the 302s had them in '69. The 350 cars didn't get the really good stuff until 1970 with the LT-1, which was basically an upsized 302 with all the goodies. This is assuming you want to build a factory small-block that came with all the hi-po internals! The '69 350 cars had cast cranks, only 4-speed 4bbl cars had 4-bolt mains (nominal), and cast pistons. The '69 350 cars were NOT hi-performance cars in the league you're talking about. But if you're playing loose with the rules and just want to make a numbers-matching SS-350 car hit the 10s naturally aspirated, get out your checkbook and enjoy! My 2 cents for what it's worth.

[crizzut]

Im looking for a new project basically. Stock block with aftermarket internals and goodies. Just wondering if an engine that size could hit tens. Does anyone now of any turbo kits for these cars? I haven't had much luck finding any and Im praying that I won't have to get oen custom made.

[RAfbody]

In NHRA stock eliminator, there are first gen Z/28's running deep into the 10's.
Ben Wenzel Sr.             D/S  10.732
That was what Ben ran in qualifying at the U.S. Nationals this year in his 1967 Z/28.

[hotrod68]

TY Raf...I was talking about "in the day" so to speak, when the rules were much more rigid and technology not so advanced. The cars of today are nowhere near as primitive as in the '60s. Glad to hear a '67 Z has cracked the 10s! I wouldn't call 10:70s deep into the 10s, but I will call it damned amazing. My hat is off to Ben Wenzel Sr. You GO guy!

[RamAirDave]

This is the purist side of me speaking, but please dont boost an original Z engine.

That aside, there are quite a few turbo/sc kits for SBCs out there.

[crizzut]

how many 69 Z28s with their original engine are actually for sale??? Im pretty sure if someone had something of that value it wouldn't be sold. But I totally understand what you're saying, There's a good chance I won't be able to find an original Z28, but Im down for a clone.

[hotrod68]

I'm with Dave...original 1st-Gen Zs are getting more scarce by the day. If you want to clone a 302 Criz, you can get a small-journal 327 and drop a 283 crank in it--that's what the factory did! The difference is in the piston pin height, so you'd need 302 pistons but the 327 rods would work. Pre-'68 327s had forged cranks, too. You'd have to install a spin-on oil filter adapter because the '67-back 327s had a canister filter. It can get complicated because in '68 the crank journals got larger and the cranks became cast in the low-performance engines, and the spin-on oil filter was introduced. '69 Z 302s had it all--4-bolt mains, forged crank and pistons, better rods, a windage tray, better heads---etc. '67-'69 was a transition period  and the '69 302 was the best of them all, hence the most desirable. You could clone a '69 302 with almost any 4-bolt 350 block--302s, 327s and 350s were all 4" bore and had 5.7" rods, but you'd need a large-journal 302 crank with the 3" stroke versus the 327's 3.25" or the 350's 3.48", and that means a custom-ground crank these days. Just some food for thought.....lol  Wait until you get into the purple pushrod stuff....chuckle