Advice please...

[mobius122]

Hey guys,

Here's a quick history of my car; 89gt 302 bored .030, e303 cam, gt40. I owned this car about 4 years ago and sold it. I kicked myself in the @$$ ever since, so I bought it back last summer. The car was knocking bad but I wanted MY car back, so I bought it. Anyway, I've been waiting to rebuild the motor since then, saving a little money here and there (plus I just got married so the funds are "ours" now). Well, I pulled the motor a few months ago and decided to pull the heads off last weekend. I found the problem...a wrist pin came out of number four piston and fatally scared the block, I mean real bad. About a half inch gash. So now I have a paper weight. My friend hooked me up with an 86 block, so I'm taking it to the machine shop this weekend. It's got about 100k on it but it looks solid. Going to have it checked and punched .030 just to freshen it up. My question, should I go with a 331? I only have about $1500 I can put in it. The machinist is trying to sell me on a stroker, which is cool, but I'm crunched for cash and the wife is starting to fuss. I just want something that is strong and a good weekend cruiser. I want to get it running this summer since I've only driven it once since I bought it. I am leaning towards a 306 but if its only like $200-$300 more for a 331 I'd probably do that. What do you guys think? If I stick with 306 is my e303 ok or should I go different? Oh, I'm keeping my stock heads too cause I dont have $1400 for AFR's right now. Any advice for my build would be much appreciated. I want to get this running by May so I need to get started, but I'm not sure which direction to go.


Thanks,

Mobi

 

[mustanggt5pt0]

Right now my block is in the shop getting bored .30 over too, putting Keith Black Forged Alum. pistons in it, w/ stock rods/crank. I too have the e303. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a truth that a 331 or 347 won't last too much over 70k miles? I guess you could go my route, new pistons, and obviously bearings and what not and put her back together.

 

[mobius122]

Yeah mustanggt5pt0, I've thought about that. I would like to just do the 306 but the shop basically said if I was going to all the trouble it would be stupid not to stroke it. My problem is really the funds. I'm not sure how true the 70k on the stroker is, but I have heard that they dont last as long. I'm not sure that I want to put all that power to a stock block either. The DSS bullet sounds like the way to go if youre building a stroker, but I dont have $3k. I dont know know what to do.

 

[BOWTIEKILLR]

i went through the exact same thing a few months ago debating 306, or 331 or 347 because its pretty much the same cost, but how long will it last driven ofter and hard? i didnt want to waste a perfectly good stroker kit on a stock block that will break with a power adder, so i got fed up and i threw together a stock motor just to drive. i now have a 73 351 to build up basically stock, slightly bumped compression, with world products windsor sr heads, jay allen cam, victor jr manifold and holley 750. its not costing me that much at all and it will make some awesome power. may i suggest you look for a 351 from a truck at the jy and rebuild it with maybe some inexpensive iron heads(like mine) and a nicely matched cam? all you really need is a 351 oil pan from ford racing(~$150) and a 351 lower that matches your upper, and a few minor things. there are a ton of threads on here about it and its a cheap way to make a ton of power with infinite upgradibility(sp) and is a good amount stronger than our 302 blocks. just a suggestion

 

[StangerT]

Right now my block is in the shop getting bored .30 over too, putting Keith Black Forged Alum. pistons in it, w/ stock rods/crank. I too have the e303. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a truth that a 331 or 347 won't last too much over 70k miles? I guess you could go my route, new pistons, and obviously bearings and what not and put her back together.

Hey mustanggt5pt0 are you maddox?

 

[mobius122]

thanks bowtie for the suggestions. I'll probably just punch it .030 and build it stock. Some good heads and intake will make plenty of power for what I want to do, atleast for a while anyway.