[Billy Nees]

It's time for me to talk about the engine. It's a 301 2V factored to 155 hp. The car has to weight 3270 for U/SA and it's auto only.
When I first started playing with 301s I found an 80 GP 4V 310 to take to the track and abuse and learn from. When my buddies found out that I was playing with them they started looking for parts for me. One of the parts that turned up was a "Jasper rebuilt" shortblock that was bought for a job by a N.J. shop and the job never got done. It sat under a bench for years open and basically being a garbage can. A buddie saw it sitting there and asked about it, heard the story and asked if it could be bought. $200 later, it was mine. It had to be completely disassembled (which should be done with any engine, IMHO), cleaned out and checked out. It is .030 over, has NHRA approved pistons in it(Silvolite), .010/.010 crank and good old cast iron rebuilders rings in it. I didn't deck the block or turn around pistons or anything like that, I just wanted a good sealing, sound shortblock to learn the combo. It has fit the bill very well.
For this project, it got "cleaned out" one more time, reassembled with the original parts and made ready to go again.
I selected a cam that is rather different from my 4V 301s in that it is smaller @ .050 to try and build more cylinder pressure and try and make more torque at a lower rpm. One of my "failure" cams was sent out to be reground and that bill came to $80. I've already talked about the heads so with some help from an eagle eyed friend, some dirty work, a reground, preowned cam and a $45 gasket set (dime rocket tip!!! don't buy gaskets seperately, buy an engine set!), I've got a shortblock.
There are lighty used and unused shortblocks out there! They just need to be found. Just looking on e-bay in doing some research, I was able to find 302 Fords and V6 Buicks for under $500. The thing that you will want to check is just what piston is in them. Is it NHRA approved? If not, how much can you buy a cast, legal piston for? And if you do buy, always disassemble and inspect!
OBTW, one more "Dime Rocket" tip, I don't know how long this is good but "NAPA $19.99 synthetic oil change AND filter". 5 qts. of NAPA synthetic oil(Valvoline) and NAPA Silver filter(Wix). You can't beat that for under $20! Just don't forget the zinc additive.