Ok I have a 1968 Firebird I am tring to figure out the best way to restore the car. If I should pull the motor and go bigger and better or should I replace it back to stock condition,
It is a 1968 Firebird, 350 just a plain coupe, It needs a new roof and floor pans and a few other thing.
A Few Factors, It has the original motor, But I do not think it is the original heads. It has after market carb and intake and the trans is not the original.
I found a trans that could work for it but I dont know how important it is if it was not the original one that came with car.
Is it worth it to restore back to stock or would I be better of just doing what I wanted to with the car. I dont mind ethier way but if it will never be worth it I would rather do my own thing.
My 2 cents worth is build what you want. A plain Jane 350 Bird ain't worth a lot and it'll cost you just about as much to restore as original as it would to build what you want.
I feel it depends on what you want to do& how much you want to spend. As far as it being "worth it", do you mean financially or self-satisfaction wise? Go with what you want in your heart, because if it's a total resto your gonna need alot of it.(heart) Just my 2 cents
Well it will be a total resto its drivable now but barely, ha ha needs to last me a few more months that I will have my house with a garage.
But value wise I dont think a plain 350 will ever bring in the big bucks so I would like to do what I want to with the car. I just wanted to see if that was true.
As far as being a stock 350 motor is there much you can do with that motor being the same block is used up to the 455, Im not looking for a 700hp drag car just a nice street cruiser thats looks nice runs great. Maybe 375 400 hp I would be happy just to do a few show off burn outs here and there thats about it.
A 350 can make great streetable power, get a good set of heads, mild cam, better intake, carb, headers, ignition. It really responds to the same tricks as any other brand engine. Most people go to the 400 or 455 since it's cheap torque to change cubic inches and most 60's muscle cars are becoming cruisers only and the bad milage, rough idle are fine for that. (sorry guys but it's true, I did say most, not all)
But for a good driver a mild build on a 350 is a great choice. I ran the #17 small valve heads on a street tuned 350 for years and loved it. Pump gas, nice throttle response, decent milage. You should be able to get 320-350 hp from it easy. Talk to Edlebrock for a Cam/intake/carb package for it. Add Headers and an aftermarket ignition and you should be there.
A bigger engine is not always better, unless that's what you want.
Wanting a Custom fit in an off the rack world.
I don't have time for a job, I just need the money.
Well the motor already has a performer intake I got a brand new 600 Edelbrock carb setting at home. has a 750 on it now and runs like crap I cant get it to run right at all. has the HEI distributor on it as well. It was supposed to be rubuilt with a mild cam not sure about the heads on it and has a posi rear with like 2. something highway gears, has headers on it.
not sure why it bogs so bad all the time. i have tried a few carbs and cant get it right. Its got a HEI distrib on it but maybe it is the wrong one for a chevy or something don't they rotate the other direction.
The 750 is to big for it, especially with those gears. The 600 should work much better. The 750 isn't a spread bore is it? The 2. something is also a dog of a street gear. Need to match the whole package. Depending on the cam, you've got a 3. something engine. I assume it's an Automatic? A higher stall converter might also be in order.
Check out the distributor for sure. If it's a factory type HEI it might need a good going through. Something minor to check is the cap and rotor, a cracked cap is hard to spot but causes a host of other problems.
Wanting a Custom fit in an off the rack world.
I don't have time for a job, I just need the money.
Yes it is an auto no the carb on it is also an Edelbrock 1407 I went with the smaller 600 with electric choke. I want to swap the rear end with a 2nd gen z 28 posi rear, I was reading a few threads about the HEI I might just buy a new one and start from that.
If You intend to keep it , enjoy it ,build it the way you want it...!
If its a "for sale" car...keep it original....do as little to the original stuff as possible.... but if it was me....I`d put a bigger engine in it OR build up the 350 with cam ,heads etc...just enjoy it...these cars are not for "retirement funds" even if a few become that...they are for enjoyment...
