What do you think the most HP someone should have for a street drive?

[Fat0eknee]

Originally Posted by Unit 5302

Fat0eknee, the bone stock 03 Cobra's were making nearly 400hp. With only the slightest of mods, they were making 425-450. Stock LS1 F bodies were making nearly 350hp. The problem is not with the horsepower, but the vehicle in its entirety. I disagree strongly with a 375hp car being difficult to deal with. That has to do with the tires, brakes, body rigidity, and suspension system. A properly setup car will behave night and day different than a 400hp otherwise stock Fox body.

but how many cobras do you see on the road on a daily basis? cmon ..really - sure we'll squeeze another 40 ponies out of it with a lightning pulley but be reasonable thats not going to be his only competition

[Unit 5302]

Sorry, I missed the carb comment. The carbed 450hp setup is a bad idea for a daily driver. Real bad. Carbed engines generally rev better and make more horsepower than their fuel injected bretheren when setup properly, but they sacrifice low end torque, fuel economy, and drivability.

He'll have to go with a 351 stroker (377ish) if he wants to make 450-500hp with a N/A carbed setup that's streetable, and it'll have to be a moderately aggressive setup at that.

Fat0eknee I don't disagree that 400hp is unusual or more than you're going to be able to fully utilize on the street, just at the concept of the 400hp car being difficult to keep control of. The DOHC Cobra's, when supercharged, can make 450hp without much else done to them, and they maintain drivability, too. That being said, I do agree with you if he plans on going N/A and carbed. I had a Honda CR500 2-stroke dirt bike a year or so ago. Tons of power, but the powerband came in so quick it was difficult to keep under control. Same case with a 450hp N/A small block. Expensive as wack, too.

[Rev]

But he said he wanted an old school,carbureted, naturally aspirated 302, 500 HP daily driver fox body. It's possible, but it's going to cost a ton of $$$. Driveability on a daily basis is going to be a problem. You're probably talking about a car that won't idle under 1200 rpm, gets 6-8 mpg and overheats in a traffic jams.

Rev

[RiCeFrYeR]

Man i have been looking at some cars and i just dont know. I am not all that concerened about stopping i will be upgrading my brakes to brembro or somthing in that area of interst. So my stopping wont be to bad. The main reason i want to go with N/A is to avoid all kinds of wireing harneses. If i could get away with a trotle body i would do that. The idleing on the street i dont think will bother me i like it for the most part. But i dont like to hear the word over heat and lots of money in the same sentance. What if i put a eletric water pump with an oversized radiator?

[Unit 5302]

Originally Posted by RiCeFrYeR

Man i have been looking at some cars and i just dont know. I am not all that concerened about stopping i will be upgrading my brakes to brembro or somthing in that area of interst. So my stopping wont be to bad. The main reason i want to go with N/A is to avoid all kinds of wireing harneses. If i could get away with a trotle body i would do that. The idleing on the street i dont think will bother me i like it for the most part. But i dont like to hear the word over heat and lots of money in the same sentance. What if i put a eletric water pump with an oversized radiator?

First off, lets not confuse N/A with carbeurated. N/A is naturally aspirated, which is the case in the stock 5.0HO with EFI. It just means you're not using an external device to compress or deliver more air/oxygen to the intake tract of the engine. Superchargers and turbochargers compress air and nitrous oxide delivers more oxygen for a more powerful burn.

The wiring harness itself is small potatoes IMHO. It's almost entirely composed of quick disconnects and can be moved out of the way easily.

I stand by forced induction being the easiest, least expensive and most streetable way of getting the horsepower you want. Carbs and forced induction rarely go together, though it's certainly possible.

[Stangette]

R - you'll have to go with Unit5302 on the 400+ horses deal, - the whole syatem has to go in line with each other ie. brakes, suspension, frame strengthning and tires - when the system is built as a "together setup" - there should be no problem - need ZR cross tread type high performance tires, stabilizer systems, panhards, good springs and struts, and probably 13" to 14" two channel, 3 piston brakes ventilated.....like the ones coming out on the new Shalby500GT - actually, the new Shalby500GT is a good example of a performance design for 400+ hp.....i would have to do more study before i would jump into any design for that kind of performance - because making the right choices should make your ride streetable and a performer at the same time - hope this helps

[andy669]

500 RWHP from a N/A 306 is doable, but isnt going to be streetable. But, that depends on your version of streetable. My 306 that made 420RWHP with a limited selection of parts wasnt very streetable.

500 'streetable' RWHP from a 306 is easy, and can be done for around $17,000 including upgrading the drivetrain as well. A stock block will work just fine if the engine is tuned right. Saying that 500 RWHP is the limit for a stock block, perpetuates a myth that as soon as you see 500, the block is going to split. Thats not true at all. A stock block can take much more than that for extended periods of time, but you want to make sure the tune is right. Start detonating a few cylinders and you will have problems in a hurry.

Heres how I see it:

$4000 for a decent shortblock with stock cam
$1500 TFS TW heads, pushrods, rockers, and upgraded springs
$1500 TFS Street Heat intake, 80mm TB, Mass Air Meter, Power
Pipe
$800 Aluminum Flywheel and good clutch
$1000 AFM PMS
$500 72lb injectors
$2500 Vortech V2 SQ 6.87 lower and 3.33 upper
$1500 Tremec TKO
$250 FMS Aluminum driveshaft
$1000 Decent axles, Gears, Detroit Locker
$1500 Sumped tank, braided line, Eliminator pump, fittings, filter
$1000 1 3/4 shorties, 3" h-pipe, 3" catback

This combo will make around 490 with 93 octane and 20 degrees of timing. Put 100 octane and 25 degrees and if its put together right it will make 550.

Andy

[RAGE_5.0]

A friend of mine is in the middle of building a carbed 347 with afr 205's, and a solid roller as a daily driver. The best part is that its going to be a blow thru turbo setup that should make some big power. I have no doubt that it will be completely streetable and put down 600+ rwhp the way he will drive it to work and back everyday.

[FireFinder20]

Well, as long as they have 400+ 4 door sedans and 300 V6 imports rolling around, I'd say 500 is a nice round figure to roll with on the street IMHO...I would go with forced induction, though, only because it makes it more livable...

just my .02

[Rev]

In the earlier posts, he did specify carbureted and naturally aspirated. I'm not sure if that's been changed during the thread. I'm also thinking with 450-500 hp, he will need a stud girdle on the bottom and valve train girdles up top. also h-beam after market rods, forged crank, forged pistons just mention a few of the more obvious mods.

Rev