Building a 289 from a '66.

[MJTShowdown]

Hey guys. I have a fairly stock 289 that i'm looking to make some more power out of. It has a comp cam and 302 heads, but otherwise is stock. I also have long-tube headers with full flowmaster (40 series) exhaust.

I'm new to building motors and have never done it before. After some research, i've decided the best route is to go with a good set of heads (looks like they will yield the most power). Beyond that, i'm not too sure what direction i should be heading, so any advice is really appreciated.

Lets say i have a budget of roughly 2k to put into the motor, what heads and other things should i be looking at? Trying to make the most power on a mainly street driven car.

For the record, i'm currently searching for a good rear-end (preferably a 9-inch) with 4.11 gears and posi, so if you guys have any recommendations please feel free to share!

Thanks in advance
-Mark

 

[adkmach1]

Twisted wedge heads are good along with Afr heads. They probably run you 12 to 15 hundred for the pair. When I get ready for a rebuild job they're probably what I'll buy. Do some research on the first.

 

[EHA Racing]

Heads, cam, intake and the right carb will yield the most power on a stock bottom end however with a budget of 2K you are limited. Buying used heads can be OK if you know what you are looking for. It's not always great though as you end up investing more to fix them than what they are worth. Twisted wedge heads are my favorite for a stock engine because they are the most efficient on a small bore. A nice pair of 170cc Fast as Cast heads would be great on a stock engine. A well designed cam will almost always make more power than an off the shelf cam, especially when working with a hydraulic flat tappet.