VP V8 Rebuild, Any suggestions?

[VP2NV]

Gday all,

I going to have my motor rebuilt, and im looking at the acl larry perkins kit with flat top pistons to up the compresion to 9.3:1 or 9.4:1 not 100% sure top of my head anymore.

Eitherway I can get the pistons in the kit either 30 thou or 40 thou oversized? What would you recommend, I hear the 40 thou bore will give me problems related to overheating. Is this hard to do? Will going to 40 over 30 give me any more power etc?

My budget is around $3000, NOT including the purchase of the rebuild kit, I sold my car for some $ and the purchase of this kit.

The mechanic who I will be using installed a new clutch and flywheel combo for me not that long ago, and I will be using him to have all this done with him using his own guys for the machining.

Labour I have been quoted $1000, which leaves approx $2000 for any extras that could help the performance. What would you guys suggest? I was thinking a balanced crankshaft. Maybe some head work instead?

Am I dreaming here to get this done? Or does it seem realistic? What I want from the car is a strong package that will be reliable, and also quick, IDEALLY, I'd like to see mid to high 13's. Just something that will show the jap guys what aussie muscle can do! And also something that at least keep up, maybe beat a more recent V8, i.e. VT upwards SS. HSV's I know will be out of my league.

The car does need to be reliable as I have this car on finance and can't afford to be continually spending money in repairs.

Any suggestions?

 

[VP2NV]

Anyone?

 

[VTSSDUDE]

Do you know how much a perkins kit will cost I would expect that wouldn't be cheap.
A 5.7 litre SS comodore does a 1/4 in 14.8 secs so to be able to get high 13s you would have to do some major work to your engine considering a SS 5.7 litre the one I am quoting has around the 220kw mark. You would least around 250kw or more to break the high 13 mark for a 1/4. You could do it, I don't know what a perkins kit involves, but try to overbore to much, may want stage 4 cam, flat top pistons. Have the pistons balanced, conrods strenghened and balanced. Get the crankshaft balanced. Get the heads port and polished. Crack test the heads and block. This alone I think will above the $3000 mark very easily.
When you start performance working an engine the $$$ don't last very long at all.
Don't forget make sure you have full tuned extractors with straight through exhuast otherwise you are wasting your time with doing the engine up.
Hope this helps a bit.
I have too put in a post about getting help to do up a V6 engine and no has replied to it, so I thought I will try my best to help you out.
$1000 sounds like a good deal for a mechanic to do an engine up for you.

Cheers,
Jim