OCHOHILL

Friendly advice so take it for what it's worth:

Assumptions
It does not appear you have built an engine before. It would seem you are ready to go cash wise. I get the feeling you are in a hurry.

I would guess a 340 hp crate motor would more than meet your expectations, be affordable and relatively quick. At this point that would seem like the logical course.

However, if you wish to get your hands dirty, then by all means build your own. Keep in mind there are several hundred dollars of specialty tools that you may need to purchase. It will take longer. There is greater risk involved.

I would stop shopping for parts until you have a better grasp of engine building. A mismatched set of components will leave hp on the table, a lighter wallet and a frowny face...

or buy a crate motor.

Search function is your friend and will save you hundreds of dollars and lots of grief.

research the following
piston to valve clearance
degreeing a cam
rocker arm geometry
valve float

MustangFTW

if you want to gain a bit of power I will make a.suggestion.

remove heads, port them, port the intake, get hipo manifolds, dual exhaust, a 4 barrel carb, change gears to 3.55s and call it a day. most of this can be done quite easily with some help of this forum.

you will end up with a nice quick car for cheap, doesn't require engine removal either.

2+2GT

Now that we have a better idea of your goals, we can be more help.

OK, that and more is what you'd have experienced on that drive I mentioned. When the owner came for the car, he drove, and flogged the car even harder. You'd have loved it.

No. The C3OZ-C requires periodic adjustment, since it uses "solid" lifters. The nearly identical C9OZ-C is hydraulic. Once you get through the break-in, no maintenance is required. That car I've mentioned has that one.

a) Right. You'll get at least 75% of the upgrade for the cost of a head gasket set.
b) The heads must be removed from the engine, but the block etc. can be left in the car.
c) No. Some do, but it's not a bolt-off-bolt-on kind of thing, which sadly, most shops do. You could do it yourself, oddly enough. The fellow I mentioned who did this near here only did seven of his exhaust ports. I did one, while he watched, and he did the others to match.

Yes.

You've set the bar too low. The 68 GT350 was the lowest-performing Shelby ever made. The modifications I'm suggesting would beat the pants off a stock 68 GT350.

The best way. If you have all this stuff, one full weekend would be enough to incorporate all these changes. You'll want to have the distributor professionally recalibrated to BOSS 302 specs.

ChameleonAlley

Thank you so much everyone!! Thank you very much 2x2. I'm pretty much going to do this exactly. I'm going to start ordering parts and save money and order more parts.

I was just watching port matching videos on youtube. I think this is something I could handle doing, especially if got on here with pictures and videos to get some advice. One concern, could this be done with a hand drill? I don't have a compression machine.

MustangFTW

i did it with a normal drill, it didnt come out perfect and it was hard, i would suggest hitting up harbor freight for one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-t...aft-44141.html

kalli

yep, you can get an electric die grinder.
check a local scrapyard for an old 289 head, no matter if they're cracked or otherwise damaged or rotten. just for a bit of practise. I'm quite sure you have it very good at the 4th cylinder, but can't correct the other 3 anymore then. once you get them even (same modifications in each cylinder) you should be good to go.
Rememer to cut smaller than the gasket. you often hear about gasket matching, but if you open all the way to gasket you could leak or create a step. the article posted talks about it though :-)

ChameleonAlley

Thank you FTW and Kalli!! I will be getting a grinder and doing this as the next project. I'm sure I'll be posting soon, lol! Going to go ahead and get the intake, carb, and cam. Then port the heads. I think I'll wait a little bit and then get the hipo exhaust and do that after the top engine modifications.

Once I go through the process of porting, and then putting everything back together, is their a good method to tweaking the carb, or should I have a mechanic do this? I remember trying to do it a long time ago by ear, and I remember it being pretty hard. Guess I'm wondering once I do all the modifications and put the new intake manifold and carb on, will the car even run well enough to get to a mechanic, if needed, to be tweaked right? Would I probably have to tow it if I can't do it myself?

You all really rock. I'm super excited to do my first port job and build this thing on my own to the best of my abilities.

ChameleonAlley

Another quick question. The link you posted 2X2: http://www.mustangbarn.com/portmatching.html

The port job looks really great from the cutaway view. I can definitely tell how the airflow would be better taking out so much and rounding the flow. But, it looks like a pretty extreme internal port job. Is this how most port? This deep? Or is this just the optimal way? I think I will go to a scrap yard and do a practice round, but that extreme port job looks best but looks a little intimidating.

2+2GT

The first time I did a set of 289 heads (my 289HP) I borrowed an electric die grinder. I did the exhaust ports and exhaust manifolds in about two hours.

Bear in mind, a Dremel tool is basically a downsized electric die grinder. Even a Dremel could do the job, it would just take a lot longer.

ChameleonAlley

Thanks 2X2! My brother in law has a compression machine, so maybe I can figure something out on that deal. If not, I don't mind it taking some time on a dremmel.

I've been watching many youtube videos, and I think I can handle this.

Another uninformed question. I know I have to port the heads to match the Edelbrock intake. I shouldn't have to port the intake right? Also, I know I would have to port the hipo exhaust manifolds, but I wouldn't have to port the exhaust sections on the engine right? Or do I? If I do, is the exhaust ports part of the engine block, or do they come off? Thanks so much man!!