Most people discount the 350 Pontiac engine, as weak and not worth the effort or $ it takes to make it worth fooling with. But, actually, most street cars don't need 400+hp and 500ft-lbs of torque, to be spunky and fun rides. A stock 1969 350HO was rated at 325hp. The base 400 GTO engine was only rated at 350hp. So the little 350 ain't no slouch.
I had a '69 Tempest stocker with a 350HO engine. It made 434hp on the Dyno and ran 12.60's. And this was with forged TRW pistons, cast rods, and unported #48 heads. So even with the stock 3.75 stroke, the 350 has potential.
One reason they got such a bad rap is because of the pitiful performance of the low comp (7.6 ?) 350s of the mid '70's. But, when you punch 'em out .030 or .060 and bump the comp up passed 9:1, they can easily make an honest 350hp or more.
Lots of guys consider the 350 blocks junk, so they just take 'em to the scrap yard. Please don't do that! If you don't want 'em, please try to find someone who does to give 'em to.
There won't be any more made, and we will soon be running short on good 400 blocks. When that happens, the 350 blocks will make it possible for Pontiac guys to build a reasonably priced Pontiac motor.
Many of the mid-'70s 350s had either 4x, 5c, or 6x heads, which are highly sought after for larger cube builds. But these heads don't give a 350 enuff comp to make any decent power. So lots of guys harvest the heads and other usable parts and junk the block. So, if we can keep these blocks from being melted down and used in new Chevys, there will be lots of usable blocks available for 350 builds.
So, in this thread, I will attempt to cover all the possibilities of engine builds using the 350P block. I don't profess to know all there is to know about the 350P, but I'll do my best to search out all the possibilities, from stock-type street builds to 400+hp alum head strokers. I think it will be a fun undertaking.
So, you'll help us round up all the usable 350P blocks you can, and preserve 'em for future builds. And please feel free to post any good useful 350P info you can add to this thread.
But, PLEASE DO NOT MENTION HOW MUCH BETTER YOU THINK IT WOULD BE TO USE a 400 or a 455 BLOCK, INSTEAD OF A 350 !!! We all know that a larger cube block has more power potential than a 350. But this thread is to explore just what the potential of the 350 blocks is.
THANKS!
I had a '69 Tempest stocker with a 350HO engine. It made 434hp on the Dyno and ran 12.60's. And this was with forged TRW pistons, cast rods, and unported #48 heads. So even with the stock 3.75 stroke, the 350 has potential.
One reason they got such a bad rap is because of the pitiful performance of the low comp (7.6 ?) 350s of the mid '70's. But, when you punch 'em out .030 or .060 and bump the comp up passed 9:1, they can easily make an honest 350hp or more.
Lots of guys consider the 350 blocks junk, so they just take 'em to the scrap yard. Please don't do that! If you don't want 'em, please try to find someone who does to give 'em to.
There won't be any more made, and we will soon be running short on good 400 blocks. When that happens, the 350 blocks will make it possible for Pontiac guys to build a reasonably priced Pontiac motor.
Many of the mid-'70s 350s had either 4x, 5c, or 6x heads, which are highly sought after for larger cube builds. But these heads don't give a 350 enuff comp to make any decent power. So lots of guys harvest the heads and other usable parts and junk the block. So, if we can keep these blocks from being melted down and used in new Chevys, there will be lots of usable blocks available for 350 builds.
So, in this thread, I will attempt to cover all the possibilities of engine builds using the 350P block. I don't profess to know all there is to know about the 350P, but I'll do my best to search out all the possibilities, from stock-type street builds to 400+hp alum head strokers. I think it will be a fun undertaking.
So, you'll help us round up all the usable 350P blocks you can, and preserve 'em for future builds. And please feel free to post any good useful 350P info you can add to this thread.
But, PLEASE DO NOT MENTION HOW MUCH BETTER YOU THINK IT WOULD BE TO USE a 400 or a 455 BLOCK, INSTEAD OF A 350 !!! We all know that a larger cube block has more power potential than a 350. But this thread is to explore just what the potential of the 350 blocks is.
THANKS!
