Suggestions for my senior project

I'm at Purdue University, and for my senior design project, I want to do something related to my hot rodding hobby.  I have a 283 Chevy that'll be part of the project.

We'll probably be asking around town to see if someone has a barn car they'd like to donate (tax deductible) or grab a non-mainstream car off of eBay.

I'm really interested in what you guys think should go into the project.  When I start getting into the design and manufacture of the parts, I'll probably get a little out of touch with my hot rodding side.  Here are some of the things I've got cooking so far:

a) No tool oil change: Toss a bucket under the front of the car, pull a lever to drain the oil, change the relocated filters.  Shut the lever and replace the goods, then drive.

b) 7,500+ RPM on hydraulic lifters.  Beehive springs, aluminum lifters, and a second damper (dampener) made specifically for the camshaft should make this possible.  The 195cc AFR heads and dry sump oil system should help out, too.

c) Sleeper engine bay: A big orange engine with black anodized A/N fittings and black hose should give the engine bay a nice restoration look.  I think we can work an early air cleaner box into the picture as well.  We'll have to do dyno testing to see if cast iron manifolds kill off too much horsepower.

d) Tool-free radiator removal/installation.

e) Tool-free exhaust piping.

f) Tool-free battery (already available at AutoZone, but it goes with the theme).

Constructive criticism, destructive criticism, general bitching are all totally welcome.  You'd be surprised at what can be accomplished when you can make the parts from scratch.  

I wonder how the 283 will sound at those rpm's, I bet intense    

I think what ever vehicle you decide to go with should have the look to go with the sound (of course donated cars are still welcome   ).  I have odd tastes, but I think it would be cool to hear one of those late seventies Stingray bodied Corvettes sound like that (not to mention they usually aren't that much).  Try for a manual trans and >4.10 rear end.  Probably try and lighten the car (any car for that matter) as much as possible because with a cam in that rpm range low end torque is probably going to suffer significantly.  The 283 would drop right into a vette, but D & E would become more challenging.  

There are kits for the old Datsun Z's too for SBC that car would fit the sound too  

I guess what I am getting at is with those rpm levels it just screams for something sporty     Good luck, let us know what kind of vehicle you find for it.  
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The Silver Buick- '77 Skylark coupe w/ a Fuel Injected Buick 455&TKO-600, '72 Centurion Conv't - 455w/TH400, '67 T-bird 4Dr (suicide) w/428&C6. Needing to replace a '69 Firebird 400.

http://www.bangshift.com/forum/index.php?topic=6189.0

I know here at mizzou, they will only support a Capstone design project up to $500 unless a company is supporting the project...then its their bill.  So first question is first, what is your financial limit.  I wanted to do an automotive project...but got stuck doing a cartridge loader for used rifle shells...BORING (but also really easy).

I like the first idea...that would be really really useful.  And that is one thing that can be easily modified for multiple applications.

Good luck  
68 Olds Cutlass ~ 350 Rocket
85 Delta 88 ~ 425 Rocket
02 Silverado 4X4 ~ 5.3L

I've yet to have an extraordinarily bad/awesome weight-engine combo, so it's good to hear advice on gear ratios and weight combos.  I've always wondered about getting high-spinning engines to make fat cars move.  It seems like there has to be some gear combination that'll do it.

The engine's block is made for a second-gen Corvette.  It's a dealer block so it has no numbers.  Cost me $50 and it barely had ring ridge.  I love 283's.

After the project, I want to drop the engine in a C2 Corvette with a D&D 6-speed viper transmission.  Schwing.  

We get somewhere from 500-1000 depending on size of the team and the significance of the project.

If we can't get a donated car, we'll just dump the money into engine upgrades.  

a) cool idea, practical applications
b) why.  If the rest of the engine is sized and built to make power at 7500+, you should be running a solid flat or mech. roller.  Nobody cares that you could buzz a hydro to 7500 and I doubt you could make a hydro that would be practical at that RPM level.  Otherwise, a great exercise in stressing parts.
c) OK
d) Practical application, maybe OEM application interest if the costs can be held in line
e) Maybe - not sure why.  If you get it sealed up, it'll be "tool free" until it gets some miles and a lot of crud in it, then I'll bet you're after it with a big pipe wrench.  
1967 Falcon 4 door - 351C
1970 Mustang coupe - 351C
http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod
Owner built, owner abused.

If you have the 283 and want those revs, my suggestion would be to bore the block out to four inches and build up a 302 with a 4.56 or 4.88 gear out back.  One of the other guys might be able to give you a better idea on what your stall speed should be but my limited knowledge would say something in the 2800-3200 rpm range.  But like I said, I am not the best source in that category.

As for as the stock manifolds, the guys running in the F.A.S.T. racing series are doing incredible things with creative porting and CNC work.  Also, I read somewhere about a company that takes aftermarket heads and and makes them look like factory offerings using some fancy schmancy (hell ya that's a technical term) process, maybe they could do the same with other parts.  Not knowing how much your actual budget is I am kind of stabbing in the dark here.  

b) Some OEM's like to see hydraulic cams hit higher RPM's because they're easier to install and don't require near maintenance.  Think 8000 RPM redlines without monthly tuning.  Is that what you mean?

e) The bottom of the radiator will slide in a  slot and the top will be latched in.  Think tool-less computers.  

Probably going to toss it with a manual transmission out of personal preference.

It's bored 0.060 over.

I love the F.A.S.T. guys but I don't know how to extrude cast iron manifolds.  I have a CNC mill, though.  We can conceivably cut the manifolds apart, CNC the guts using computational flow dynamics, and re-weld them together.  But if they're only killing 20-30 HP, the cool factor of a sleeper engine is worth the sacrifice.  

Oh.  Sorry.

The exhaust piping will be tool free in the sense that flanges will be sealed with lever-bolts instead of nuts and bolts.  I'm thinking of designing medium-stress low-torque-precision bolts that you lift a lever to tighten up, exactly the way they work on those tool-free battery terminals.  

>e) The bottom of the radiator will slide in >a  slot and the top will be latched in.  >Think tool-less computers.  
I made all the race cars here do nearly that already.  Two bolts, release the hoses and pull an electrical plug, they're out.  
1967 Falcon 4 door - 351C
1970 Mustang coupe - 351C
http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod
Owner built, owner abused.

By fabrication?  Are there parts for sale to do it?

I want to avoid bolts.  Ideally I want to get a vehicle where you can pull the engine with minimal tool usage by virtue of latch/lever-bolts, quick disconnect hoses, and simple bulkhead electric plugs.

I feel challenged as a US hot rodder to beat the Volkswagen beetle's "80% of the maintenance with two wrenches" record.  

With respect to the car, unless we can find a suitable barn car (somewhat likely in Indiana), I think we're going to have to settle for something rusted out.

With that in mind, I think we're going to build the ultimate beater.  Gut the interior, sandblast the critical spots, spray the interior with zinc and coat the floorboards with truck bed liner, bolt in some racing seats and a roll cage.  

I heard you could rebuild the engine and replace just about everything on a Ford Model A with a Cresent Wrench and a Flat Head Screw Driver (which to my understanding came with the car from the factory)  

But that is just rumored.  
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The Silver Buick- '77 Skylark coupe w/ a Fuel Injected Buick 455&TKO-600, '72 Centurion Conv't - 455w/TH400, '67 T-bird 4Dr (suicide) w/428&C6. Needing to replace a '69 Firebird 400.

http://www.bangshift.com/forum/index.php?topic=6189.0

Model A's are gorgeous.  It's weird to ride in one, because the gages aren't lit.  Driving at night must have been more of an afterthought.