New here and want to redo my 87 1500.

[bucket]

I'll start off by saying BIG BLOCKS RULE!!

That's a very nice looking truck you have, especially considering where you live. Also, is that an old Omni/Horizon over next to the garage? You never see those anymore.

 

[chevysilverado1987]

I'll start off by saying BIG BLOCKS RULE!!

That's a very nice looking truck you have, especially considering where you live. Also, is that an old Omni/Horizon over next to the garage? You never see those anymore.

Yes that was my college ride! 89 Horizon. I'm 6'4" 270 lbs driving that. LOL. Sadly I t-boned a 2500 Avalanch that pulled out it front of me. Totaled the horizon and only ripped part of his plastic off.

 

[chevysilverado1987]

If I find a 454, I will have to have it cleaned and inspected. Then dump the money into making 400 HP. Or I take my 350 I have, that only has 1000 miles on it since I got it, and make 400 HP out of it. It has 300 now, but I want more. I am not an engine guru. I don't know about intake/exhaust valve specs. I guess I should figure out exactly what I have for drivetrain. Still on the fence about the 350 or 454. Maybe 383 stroker or no? Thanks again guys.

 

[bucket]

400 HP should be no problem for about any 454, even 80's smogger with peanut ports and low compression. Mild cam, headers, intake, and carb should do it I think.

 

[oneluckypops]

I'll start off by saying BIG BLOCKS RULE!!

cough cough cough cough cough cough

that truck reminds me of the 87 chevy that chevy duty had on there showroom. Ide give my left nut for that truck.

 

[GreaseDog]

how much sand and mud are we talking about? how hard do you intend to play with it? how much do you plan to operate it on public roadways, and what is your mix of city/highway?

 

[HotRodPC]

Welcome to GMSB Ryan !!! Sharp as hell truck. I see you have already met a few of the guys and gotten about 20 differant opinions. Don't be afraid of elecrical problems on Fuel Injection, even if it s TBI. No sense in beating a dead horse now that is done and you're looking to go a different way, but most wheelers are wanting to go to injection to get away from carb and fuel starvation in the float bowl on steep inclines or side angles. You want to go BBC? I'd look for a Vortec 454 set up. I'm actually not a big fan of BBC either, but I do like Vortec BBC better than Vortec SBC for the simple fact the BBC is a fuel rail system, and SBC is a freakin spider assembply. You can get updated injectors for a BBC, but the spider you're stuck with what you got unless you convert to a marine system. for performance modding on SBC Vortec. That's about the only drawback though. But yeah, consider a Vortec BBC, with a few mods, I think you can get to 400 easy with an assload of torque.

Th350 will easily handle 400hp, but not likley the torque of a BB. I'd go Th400 or Vortec 454 and 4L80-E would be the real hot ticket if the budget permits.

 

[HotRodPC]

400 HP should be no problem for about any 454, even 80's smogger with peanut ports and low compression. Mild cam, headers, intake, and carb should do it I think.

Barely but it can be done. Here is an article to read and get 401hp and 508ft lbs out of a Peanut Port 454. http://www.superchevy.com/technical...lete_chevy_big_block_build_testing/index.html

 

[chevysilverado1987]

how much sand and mud are we talking about? how hard do you intend to play with it? how much do you plan to operate it on public roadways, and what is your mix of city/highway?

Weekends at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. Only live 1 hr from there. Mud maybe a couple times a year. On road every now and then to work or somewhere.

 

[chevysilverado1987]

Welcome to GMSB Ryan !!! Sharp as hell truck. I see you have already met a few of the guys and gotten about 20 differant opinions. Don't be afraid of elecrical problems on Fuel Injection, even if it s TBI. No sense in beating a dead horse now that is done and you're looking to go a different way, but most wheelers are wanting to go to injection to get away from carb and fuel starvation in the float bowl on steep inclines or side angles. You want to go BBC? I'd look for a Vortec 454 set up. I'm actually not a big fan of BBC either, but I do like Vortec BBC better than Vortec SBC for the simple fact the BBC is a fuel rail system, and SBC is a freakin spider assembply. You can get updated injectors for a BBC, but the spider you're stuck with what you got unless you convert to a marine system. for performance modding on SBC Vortec. That's about the only drawback though. But yeah, consider a Vortec BBC, with a few mods, I think you can get to 400 easy with an assload of torque.

Th350 will easily handle 400hp, but not likley the torque of a BB. I'd go Th400 or Vortec 454 and 4L80-E would be the real hot ticket if the budget permits.

You can't run a carb on Vortecs right? What year older 454 is good? 396? SBC 400? 383 Stroker?

 

[crazy4offroad]

Aftermarket manufacturers have made intakes that will adapt Vortec engines to carbs.

 

[HotRodPC]

You can't run a carb on Vortecs right? What year older 454 is good? 396? SBC 400? 383 Stroker?

As C4 said, yes you can put a carb on a Vortec motor and make it non computer with an aftermarket Edelbrock intake. But, by going carb, you lose hp and still have the carb restriction on angles. Still not a bad choice though if you find a Vortec 454 and carb it. The later generation Big Blocks are better built as far as tolerances are concerned, and the heads too of course.

 

[bucket]

You don't need a special intake for a vortec 454, that was only the small blocks.

 

[HotRodPC]

You don't need a special intake for a vortec 454, that was only the small blocks.

True !!! I shoulda specified that.

 

[dhamp]

My 2 cents are that truck is too doggone pretty to be in sand & mud, so leave it be! LOL