i have a 289 in my '65 right now. i want to have about 350-400hp. can i achieve this in a 289 or am i better of getting a 302? i know a 302 can be stroked to a 347 but can a 289?? and if so, will it be just as reliable as a 302?
350-400 natrually aspirated horsepower at the wheels will require a LOT of daily driver sacrifices from a 289/302. If your goal is a daily driven car you may want to look at overall torque versus peak horsepower.
As the horsepower level goes up, you quickly find the next weakest link in the drivetrain. Ask me how I know.
There's no replacement for displacement... if you want high hp but don't want to jump up to a 351-based block which would get you to your goal EASILY and RELIABLY, I'd go with a roller 302 stroked to 347 with a well matched H/C/I combo.
What do you want the car to do? Just saying "I want 350hp" is not going to help you reach any goals of performance. If you want the car to run in the 12's at the strip, then worry about that, not a vague hp number Plus, realize that most of your gains will be done with the chassis, not the motor. Trying to get it into the 12's with stock springs and 3:00 open gears won't cut it. At any rate, you can build a mild 351W that will live day in and day out, put out 350hp with no sweat and be cheaper in the long run than a 350hp, 302 based 347. But before you ever turna wrench, sit down and be honest about what you're trying to acheive with your build up.
393 stroker doesn't cost much more than a full 351 rebuild.
A cast crank can be had for 2 or 3 hundred...
Then the thing uses cheaper 302 pistons on stock 351w rods.
If you figure the cost of turning a crank and buying 351 pistons, it's darn near the same price.
Can't beat it with a stick!
Dave
I had a 289 that made about 400hp N/A. It had aluminum rods, 351w iron heads, 12.7:1 pistons, a solid roller cam, Tunnel Ram with dual 660 center squirters and got about 8 passes and return road trips out of 5 gallons of 112. It had a Jerico 4-speed, 5.67 gears and 9x30 slicks and ran low 11's in the quarter at around 118 mph and weighed 3000#.
I wouldn't necesarily call it streetable.
The main difference between a 289 and a 302 are the crank and rods (piston pin height is different as well). A stroker kit replaces the crank, rods and pistons. A 347 kit would be the same in a 289 block as it would in a 302 block.