67' 300 - 440 To Stroke or Not?

Cortez

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So i have decided not to go for anything exotic and go broke trying to put a moder motor in my old gal. Therefore I will just rebuild the engine and try to make her as reliable and bad *** as possible without breaking the bank. So is the Stroke build the way to go or is a normal .30 over rebuild sufficient, I want her to have get up and go but to be able to drive anywhere at anytime without fear.
 
Not saying you should or shouldn't,just my story.
My 69 Fury III 440 is going to a mild 505 build and is designed to go anywhere at anytime. Everything is been designed to be well within the limits of the parts installed. You can build a 440 to make the power of the stroker but it will be more stressed to do so with it's shorter stroke and displacement and higher rpm's. The 505 will have good idle [not a Cuda wannabe} and vacuum but much more torque and hp to push my 4000 lbs Fury with 3.23 rear with ease. The design is said to make 600 ft lbs torque starting at around 2800 rpms. I will be able to go to cruises and putt around no problem. Mr. Duane Porter [Porter Racing Heads}who was recommended to me by @FURYGT designed the engine after much consultation on what I realistically wanted from the car. He is a big contributor on FBBO forum and highly respected by all there. The engine will look stock and Turquoise all over . No shiny aluminum heads or intake. It will run a custom grind cam designed by Mr Porter with hydraulic rollers. My goal is build it once and enjoy till I can't drive anymore. I will say it is not a cheap project depending on how you build it. You could go flat tappet cam which could save you a bundle. Racers don't like hydraulic rollers but this engine won't see much over 5000 ever. If you don't get greedy and "leave some power on the table" as they say ,I believe you can have a very reliable stroker to drive anywhere with great increase in power that runs on pump gas. A stock 440 is reliable because much power was "Left on the table". Also in the equation it is a good idea to get a modified torque converter to get the most from the stroker engine. @MEV told me about his setup and says you would never know it wasn't stock till you nail it. So I ordered one. I have no personal proof of all this because my project is not completed yet. But I have seen guys here and elsewhere [FBBO etc} that have succeeded very well and then some greedy ones who either weren't happy with the drivability or broke something or are forever addicted to race gas. Then there are guys that want lopey idle ,no vacuum and run race gas. Fine but I think the important thing is to decide what you want from the car then what to do to get there. Most all avenues of building these old engines are beaten paths now. That's a good thing.
As the saying goes "Different Strokes for Different Folks!"
 
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Bigger cubes makes more torque lower in the power band. But I agree a decently built 440 is all u need. Kim

I agree if that is what he wants that is great. 440 stock is sweet. How you know what he wants...
 
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Bigger cubes makes more torque lower in the power band. But I agree a decently built 440 is all u need.

He has never said what he wants. That is why I posted my decision. I personally do not expect agreement ,,but to see what the OP wants,,which he has not said.
 
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Depending on the condition of your engine it can be nearly as expensive to recondition those 50 yr old parts as to buy new, more cubes, better heads. And sometimes you can get by with rings, bearings, valve seats/seals if you just want to put put around.
 
Stroke it and it is no longer the dead reliable 440 that you can take anywhere, anytime, without worries.
Baloney, i drive my 505 everywhere, drag race the hell out of it, after driving it to the track 80 miles away in 100 degree heat, never winterize it or park it indoors and it has been going strong for several years. All 440 source parts with a custom cam. This car has been in my family since new.





 
Agree with many. A stock 440 is very powerful. A stroker can be mildly built at more expense, just depends on what you want out of the car and how deep your pockets are.
 
Stroke it and it is no longer the dead reliable 440 that you can take anywhere, anytime, without worries.

I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion Stan. Surely you don't believe a 440 is less reliable than a 383 do you?

Now the rest of the build can certainly impact the ability to drive it 200,000 miles without issue but the stroke alone won't change that.

Kevin
 
So i have decided not to go for anything exotic and go broke trying to put a moder motor in my old gal. Therefore I will just rebuild the engine and try to make her as reliable and bad *** as possible without breaking the bank. So is the Stroke build the way to go or is a normal .30 over rebuild sufficient, I want her to have get up and go but to be able to drive anywhere at anytime without fear.

Remember...you asked for opinions.

What does the highlighted phrase mean to you? Are you seeking a certain performance in a 1/4 mile? Top end? 0-60?
What are you going to do with the car when done? Weekend bracket racer? Show and shines? Take the wife/kids/grandkids out for ice cream every other Saturday?

Your money and your time. If you want a stroker to say you have a stroker, you don't need our input; just go do it. But it seems like overkill if you are not going to race it.

If you truly want input, and are not really looking for a performance car, a solid built 440 with a cam tweak to help increase torque, which is probably what you really want, will likely fit the bill.

The best and cheapest way to increase seat of the pants 'get up and go', whatever that is, is to swap gears. If you have something like 2.76 or even 3.23 gears, going to 3.55, 3.7? or 3.91 will make a huge immediate and cheaper difference in how the car accelerates. Just remember to change the speedo gear if you change gears. If, after changing gears, you are now worried about gas mileage or running too high RPMs on the road, then you need to rethink what you want or get out of the hobby. Nobody does this because of gas milage.......

A fresh 440 with a good set of gears would suit most applications, increase performance and be cost effective.
 
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I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion Stan. Surely you don't believe a 440 is less reliable than a 383 do you?
I'm going to have the to hurt the feelings of the person who posed the questions in order to honestly answer your statement.
The brutal truth is, after a gazillion years talking car stuff with a bazillion people, I judge whether a person should undertake the type of task he is asking by how he asks it. I believe he reads too many Hot Rod magazines and thinks it's a necessary way to go. Plus, I'm going to guess he doesn't have the skills to do it properly himself.
 
I think any decision should partly be made on the condition of the engine. If the "goal is to have get up and go", a stroker, cam, gear change, or even a centrifugal super charger could possibly meet that goal. But if the engine needs a to be bored, new pistons, and crank turned, these (china) days it makes a lot of sense to go stroker because the cost will be about the same and you can have your way with lots of compression and quench options.
 
Well when my car is done I would like it to be like Mev's and Furygt's and a few others. Many ways he could go but we will never know till we hear from @Cortez the opening poster.
 
Here’s a thought.

If you are fairly secure in the $ dept just go ahead with a mild ~500ish 440 stroker.

You will have massive torque down low and probably have a lot of fun.

Copy a proven mild build and stay away from “trick”, max performance, low weight stuff and use a proven kit.
 
On the other hand if $, uncertainty, or fear of unknown is a huge concern go with stock. But bad outcomes can happen there too depending on builder.

There are unlimited opinions and outcomes possible.
 
From Source's web page
In EVERY kit, we include everything you need, crank, rods, pistons, pins, locks, Clevite main bearings, Clevite rod bearings, Total Seal file fit moly rings, AND precision final balanced, all for just $2299!!.

How much are you going to have in parts to revive your old stuff?
Will you need new pistons? Crank good? Do you beat on it enough to justify lightweight parts? Do you like having too much power?
Depends on your wallet and driving style.
 
Well no sign of @Cortez,,must have scared him off.\ Last seen today ,,,,
 
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