if all you want to do is drive there and run elevens, why not deal with what you have and whack some giggle gas on it?
Cheapest option by far, and you can have a sedate engine for cruising etc.
If you deadset on the big block, a mild one horse per cube 454 will do the job easily.
Transmission is easy, t400 ftw.
T700 will cost cubic dollars as will a t350 to deal with the torque from a healthy big block whilst a t400 will do it stock but built right.
Radiator, as big as youll fit, try wider and higher rather than deeper, get some proper fans and seal the nose up to the rad. support so the air has nowhere else to go.
A big block is thru the bonnet any way you care to mention unless you use a duel plane which would be most likely enough to get you an 11 but a healthy air cleaner will be required so you may not fit it in anyway.
Legality wise, I think youll struggle to legally get any more than 427 cubes in a h series unless its a ute/tonner or heavyweight statey.
Bracing/checking of the shock mount may be needed, most are cracked from years of abuse, i believe the wb had some gusset added ex factory so its not a big deal to fab up something similar.
Plenty will say you dont need it but with 500 ish lb/ft on tap, id prefer to do it anyway.
parts selection ill leave to others better informed but realistically you dont need to go so big to run 11's, its not just engine cost, but exhaust, fabrication and all the other stuff starts to add up especially if starting with not much in the way of an engine.
Personally, nitrous would be way cheaper, a set of good pistons/rods in a 308/350 and a reasonable cam and cleaned up heads will do it.
if your greedy like most of us, i guess a nice big block is a good start.
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