Hi, Guest
I spent 5Gs on my RangerBeast, getting it roadworthy, doing all the repairs and getting it to a proper safety (albeit with an emissions "classic" bypass for straightpipes :ph34r: ). I then spent another 1000 when I blew the first motor to buy another 302 and have it dropped in. When THAT motor started giving me grief, I parked it and eventually just sold it to be rid of it.
They're all moneypits in the end. The trick is to spot it.
Don't rebuild it to stock at this point, rebuild it to be where YOU want it to be. You can do hi-comp pistons, custom/wicked cams, intake and carb... whatever you want. A full, street-prepped transmission rebuild is also a smart idea at this point if you're redoing it. Same goes for a new limited-slip rear if you're going silly.
Do it all right now, because 6 months down the road you'll want to enter a show or something and you'll be like, "uh, it's all stock man".
If it was me, which you're not :lol: (good thing, eh?)... I'd be giving that block the business. New high-flow heads (or PnP), cams, intake manifold, headers, lifters, etc. The works. You've got an opportunity for one hell of a truck from what you've said. Make it happen. :)
350s are nice because they have enough capacity to be "bigger power motors" while still remaining smooth. You'll be able to get 400BHP out of it and still not have a stupid-choppy idle or an undriveable bottom end. 305s are just sling-shot candidates (load 'er up and let fly!) and anything bigger becomes an obsession that quickly turns "unstreetable".
They're all moneypits in the end. The trick is to spot it.
Don't rebuild it to stock at this point, rebuild it to be where YOU want it to be. You can do hi-comp pistons, custom/wicked cams, intake and carb... whatever you want. A full, street-prepped transmission rebuild is also a smart idea at this point if you're redoing it. Same goes for a new limited-slip rear if you're going silly.
Do it all right now, because 6 months down the road you'll want to enter a show or something and you'll be like, "uh, it's all stock man".
If it was me, which you're not :lol: (good thing, eh?)... I'd be giving that block the business. New high-flow heads (or PnP), cams, intake manifold, headers, lifters, etc. The works. You've got an opportunity for one hell of a truck from what you've said. Make it happen. :)
350s are nice because they have enough capacity to be "bigger power motors" while still remaining smooth. You'll be able to get 400BHP out of it and still not have a stupid-choppy idle or an undriveable bottom end. 305s are just sling-shot candidates (load 'er up and let fly!) and anything bigger becomes an obsession that quickly turns "unstreetable".
Daily driver 1: 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport "S"
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.