Hi!
I purchased a '74 Chevy Camper Special with a 454 (some work done to the motor, 30 over bore, rv cam and a few other things by previous owner and runs very, very smooth). I paid 2400CDN for the entire pick-up truck and will be able to sell off the rest for salvage as it is a bucket.

I have bought this with the intensions of swaping the motor into my '76 Stingray.
Now i get the feeling that I may have paid a little too much so before I get into my wallet I need your advice.

What might be considered the best option for someone looking for power but not wanting to put too big of a dent in his

1. Tune the 454.
2a. Turn the 454 motor into a stroker 496.
2b. Buy a bare 454 block and then start from scratch making it a 496 stroker.

If you chose the stroker then is it smarter for me to sell off the pickup considering the money it cost me and using that money to start off from scratch.

THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR REPLIES

 

Depending on the miles on the 454, you may wantto rebuild.
Pop a head and inspect the cyl for wear, ring ridge and such.
You may just cam it, carb it, and tune it, to get more power.

Part out he PU and use the engine you have. (IMO)

If you want a 496 stroker, then you have an engine to start with.

 

I agree with Starship, it sounds like you may have given too much for the truck if it's in very poor shape. you may not be able to sell it and break even. The 454 will be worth more to you as is, also I would keep the tranny if it's an automatic, the stock trans behind big blocks were 400TH and will be worth more seperate than selling it with the truck.

 

When figuring your costs, don't forget all of the brackets, shrouds, and sundry other things a big block transplant will require. It's not trivial and in some cases may be hard to find. Good luck.