I don't care what brand name is on the valve covers . . . a paltry 445 h.p. from a SUPERCHARGED 350 is W-E-A-K!

Anyone who read the old B&M supercharger tech manual recognizes that the only reason the boost spiked to 5 lbs (up from 3.1-3.3) is because the heads and cam were restricting the flow.  How much extra would getting the CORRECT SIZE pulleys have cost?

With that kind of tepid result, I can't hardly wait for the 302 turbo to hit CC.

But now we know why Grand Poobah Rad Glad slammed us with the "no Axes" Front Man and then distracted us with a few more bimbos "On the Rack!"   He just didn't want us to notice how W-E-A-K Mr. GM's budget Vortec was.

It seamed to me to be a build just for the sake of having a blower on a budget. I suppose they can and probably will upgrade the motor in the future for a lot more power, but thats gonna blow the budget theme all to hell.

I can think of a few ways to put out those numbers on a JY shortblock for well under $4000, but none of them have the visual impact of the blower.

P.S. Who thinks this motor in the Firebird with a fresh coat of black primer would be sweat!?

i agree, i think the motor was built to show how to make decent reliable power on a short budget. Sure you could make more power for less with a complete junkyard/spare-parts motor but after its 5th trip past 6,000 you could go back and pick the parts up off the starting line. Face it, 445hp for under 4 grand that can do daily driver and strip duty for longer than you own the car you put it in is a solid build up.

P.S. the motor should do in the Disco, with good pistons and a bottle.

I cant say I see a problem with that article. Its just good plain reliable h.p. It came at a good time because I was wanting to put vortech heads and a mini blower on my future 334 to be dropped into my s-10. Just because it didnt make 500 h.p doesnt make it a bad motor, 445 h.p is enough to scoot alot of cars along. And why dog on the vortech heads? those are great heads, flow great even without a port job.

As was mentioned, a set of pistons (and maybe a crank) and you'd be able to double that boost.  At that point you'd leave 445 hp in the dust.

Ah, Jeez, what's wrong with that kind of reliable, real horsepower?  

I agree.  Reliable daily driver that runs 11s?  We should all be so lucky...

I'll take 445 hp with a broad, flat toirque curve over 525 peaky hp anyday.  

I really see nothing wrong with the article . I do not know but seems to me even though we have agreed that Smith is probably a nice guy his writing style leaves me drowsy.  It wasn't a bad article just not very attention grabbing , whereas Magnante can write about sheep mowing his lawn and it is interesting . Oh well different styles I guess.

torque!!!  

I've got to agree with you, Dr511scj.  445 doesn't seem like much (especially when you consider the utter emissions illegality of the thing) For most, it would make more sense to buy a new Mustang on credit and to score an emissions-legal supercharger for it.

Ancient non-intercooled Roots mini-blowers just don't give much bang for the buck these days.  But if CC were to score some sort of used Eaton blower at the JY/eBay and use it for a build (with a home-built intercooler  of some sort (a low-buck water-air how-to would be a nice change) and maybe an alcohol injector), I'd be entertained.  

so it wouls make sense to spend 20 g's instead of 4? where is the reasoning in that?

Dude!  If you can build a WHOLE 445 h.p., no-bottle car for $4k, then do it.  

However, for budget-minded Car Crafters who can't scrape together more than about $400-$500 a month (not to mention those who have no time or facilities for a 3 or 4 year build), it makes a lot of horsesense to finance a new Pony and then charge the emissions-legal supercharger on credit. 

Why miss another summer cruising/racing/show season dreaming about it?

Even if "ChevyCraft" Smith's underachiving blown SBC is  "th' bomb," locating decent vintage tin to throw it at isn't all that simple. Finding a bank to fund the project is even harder.  And by the time you patch it enough to make it look presentable next to a new bought-on-credit 'Stang, you'll likely have more than $20K in it (especially if you fairly value your own time in the cccounting).

I won't even mention the 5-10 m.p.g. advantage the new Mustang would have over the blown-and-carbureted Jeff Smith Dream Machine . . . .

I love vintage muscle, but facts are facts.  Payment-book and charge card Car Crafting is better and quicker for most than sitting around dreaming about that "ultimate" '60s-'70s machine . . . or s-l-o-w-l-y trying to resurrect some old tin-worm colony on a $400 a month budget.

well, if you do a little research, for the basic v-8 mustang, your montly payments would be about 430 dollars on 60 month payment plan, even more if you lease it, still more than what your 400 dollar a month allowance would allow. so why not take the time and build why you can.

Misses the point. 

Most are still better off in all respects by starting with a newer hi-po Mustang ('05 or '06 3V or a '03 or '04 SVT Cobra), financing it,  and buying a scienced-out aftermarket power-adder package than they would be trying to rehab some ancient RWD Chevy for the 445-h.p. Smith-charger SBC.  Even purchasing a five-year-old LSx Camaro probably makes a micron more sense than than finding a home for Smith's "Homer Simpson" Vortec! Doh!

No doubt there are some who can go faster on junk parts for $5,000 or less. But it's undoubtedly easier, quicker and less hassle to start with a solid 3V or supercharged Cobra when building a daily-driven street-strip machine.  There's nothing like calling into your boss to explain how your unfinished JY heap pooped out on the way to work (hopefully your boss isn't caught in the ensuing traffic tie-up).  Building the 'Stang instead could mean saving your job!

"Detroit vs. homebuilt" is a debate that's raged ever since the first Olds 88 or Hudson Hornet waxed an old-school flathead.  The success story of the supercar '60s was that hundreds of thousands more people could buy muscle than could properly build it up from scratch. 

Nothing has changed.