Peace_nz

Have recently bought my pride and joy - rust free HZ sedan, all be it running a hot 202. Then Ive picked up my mates VH commy for its stock 308, and am after some advice on where to go from here. Want to do it right first time, and then sit back and enjoy the ride. Am not after a strip car, just a faster then average Kingy. I have decided to go for the stroked 308 rather then a chev to try and keep it more origional.

My questions in regards to stroker kits, are there certain brands that should be favoured over others? Have seen some good deals on Eagle kits - whats their quality like? Also, what other things do I need to consider when upgrading to the 355? Am just after engine advice at this stage, will move onto the gearbox and diff a little later. Cheers!

CNCDAVO

I went with the COME kit.
Do a search, there is lots of info on 355 kits here.

HZ 355 rebuld

TK383

Some kind of budget would be good - you could spend up to $40k on a 355, or as little as $7k - which end of the spectum are you at?

pro74

Very good point TK.

The old saying "how fast do you want to spend".

I know its a lot harder to fork out all the cash at once, but if you buy a fresh proven combo with quality parts in the engine quite often works out well for the buyer.

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Peace_nz

Thanks for that TK - all up I want to spend somewhere around 7k to 10k. Any more then that and I would start looking at brand new crate engines. When it comes to quality parts, should I stay away from any particular brands, or favour a particular make for good quality AND value for money? I'm not after the fastest or hottest muscle car in town, just a nice, sturdy, rumbling 355 under the hood. Marty.

Jimma

Don't buy those Eagle bits. Don't buy any RPM bits or anything from SSS/atracing.

Everyone likes = Harrop cranks/COME cranks/Crankshaft Rebuilders cranks. Pick one of them that fits into the budget.

Go for Chev rod journal and use Chev rods, 4340 Scat H-Beams are really good value.

Pistons = SRP are good value for forgies, and KB are cheaper although I don't know if they're as good.

TK383

For a good, cheapish stroker kit I've been using the pro-stroke kits with scat crank, scat rods & ACL race pistons, they come complete with rings, bearings, balancer, flexplate & are balanced ready to go - saves a lot of stuffing around, a few more $$ up front but worth it for the hassle saved & expense down the track.
For the block a set of ARP main studs & line hone, torque plate bore & hone & zero deck on the block is all that is needed for a basic 355.
Heads are where it gets tricky - porting the commo heads is not worth it, in fact porting any of the early heads can get expensive fast if you want decent power.
Best bet is a set of reco VN heads with a basic pocket port - done right they'll flow around 500hp on stock valves & will be capable of making good grunt on a basic engine.
Budget probably rules out mech cam & roller rockers - so you'll be stuck with a hyd cam & stock rockers, at least for now, at a later date you can upgrade.
Can't reccomend a cam until we know a little more abut the driveline - need to know diff ratio, wheel size, auto or manual, if auto - what converter stall speed, is it gonna be a daily or a weekender etc etc.

TK383

PS - it'd be worth having a chat with me or Allports on here about building you an engine - if you don't know much about that sort of work it's easy to screw up & end up spending more doing it yourself than you would taking it to a pro.

Peace_nz

The come kits are advertised for $1995, how much more is it for the pro-stroke kit. This is only a weekender, however as my dad may also drive it from time to time, would like to build it as a daily driver if possible.

When it comes to pistons, can you please tell me what the bonus is of upgrading to the ACL race pistons? Are they lighter or stronger or what?

May seem like stupid questions, but as my profile says, im still a newbie My plan is to purchase all the parts privately, and then pay a pro to do the work. Have the facilities to do the job myself (old mans a mechanic) but think due to the money im playing with, and not wanting to stuff it up, im better off paying for the professional approach.

Have no idea what gearbox I should match it with. Car was a column change but the butchers who owned it previously have put the 202 in it and chopped a hole in the floor for a Celica box. I like the idea of going back to a column, however would prefer the auto for ease of drive. Have been told manuals are trouble when it comes to an 8, but so long as I can keep the benchy in it i dont mind either way.

Again when it comes to the diff I havent really got that far yet. 9" seems the go but again, am open to all suggestions. What I want to end up with is a solid, reliable driver. Not into doing skids in it, or launching it down the strip (or away from the lights for that matter) as fast as possible, so all advice is extremely valuable to me. Cheers!

greenhj

a none too subtle plug mate, shouldve include a link but lol.

pro74

LOL, yeah good one greeny.

Im having too much fun cruisin it at the moment.

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Tweety Racing