best motor for...

[sluvxe]

Would like to know which v8 will get me the best combination of power and gas mileage. Id like to put something together around 400-500 hp thats still fairly decent on gas.

 

[moparleo]

A 360 with a turbo or supercharger.

 

[sluvxe]

Wouldnt the cost of a turbo supercharger setup negate any gas savings?

 

[moparleo]

You asked the question, "best combination that will make 4-500 hp with fairly decent gas mileage", not the "cheapest way." What do think decent mileage would be ? If you keep your foot out of it it will naturally get better mileage than if you floor it all the time., Is most of your driving going to be on the street or hi-way. What do you want to do with all that horse power anyway. As you must know it is torque not horsepower that moves you down the road.

 

[sluvxe]

well, i drive 12-16 hours a day everyday, but last car i had was a 3000gt @ 360hp and weighs similar to challenger. Didnt seem all that fast to me due to the car being heavy. Figured i could do with a few extra horses, But turbo/supercharger kits are like 5k or more alot of the time+ having to do alot more to a motor. Really not sure what kinda gas mileage i can expect on v8 small block/big block. In my mind id only want better gas mileage to save a few bucks, but really if im having to dump in an extra 5k+ its not really worth it.

With all that being said, i can put 100k+ on a car in a year or two since i love driving. Things that factor into the equation for me in a motor choice are, reliability, Moderate amount of HP and fairly decent gas mileage. Anything i drive is gonna see alot of HWY and local driving, but im not a speed junky by any means, esp around here where the speed limit at most is 45 and usually 25 due to heavy foot traffic.

 

[moparleo]

The 3 liter Mitsbishi motor was a high performance motor. True the 3000GT or the Dodge Stealth ( same car) were heavy but they were engineered and tuned from the bottom up. There was a turbo model which really hauled. Remember that modern engines ( 1985 and newer) are fuel injected and computer controlled which is why it is easy to make power with the modern ,low cubic inch motors. We are talking about power and economy with 40 year old technology. I would consider a late model car with all the modern technology, maybe a couple of years old,( already depreciated but late model tech). Depending on what state you live in, power adders like rechiping the computer, hi-po air intake, filters, high performance exhaust etc...
The new cars are the best of both worlds, decent fuel economy and good performance. Our older Challengers and Cuda's were never meant to be your daily transportation car. More of a weekend toy.

 

[sluvxe]

Yeah, i drive a minivan on the daily. So it would be a toy. That being said i might go ahead and use what i already got lying around... and put together a 440+6 and say screw the fuel economy.

 

[moparleo]

Thats what I'm talking about !

 

[sluvxe]

Well ive got a 440 on the engine stand now, but its a cast crank, might rummage through and see if i can scrounge up an orig 6pack block. Old guy around the corner has a tractor trailer filled from front to back with 440s

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Cool !!!

 

[74 challenger]

get a old saturn 4 speed to drive to work they get 40plus in mileage,then you can go all out on the build.

 

[sluvxe]

Well i run a taxi buisness so its minivans all around. And im lucky to get 20mpg in it. Usually 15-18. But if i ever got to go really far somewhere, im not taking one of my buisness vehicles with me, would be nice to not have to fill up every 2 hours haha.

 

[DukeBoy]

Bang for the buck? BB 440.... Looking to go really fast? 440 stroker. Looking to dominate? 540 C.I. stroker With a turbo....

Cheap,Fast and reliable. Pick two...