[Rich Biebel]

I raced a '69 Nova In G and H in 1996-1997.....I bought it from a well known racer who sadly passed away last year. It was a 350/255 with a p/g....Nice car well built but slower than you know what.......Ran 12.0's in H/SA

It was whipped when I got it....Had a wore out Venolia shortblock...

I rebuilt the short.....TRW pistons.....nothing trick in the rings....old cam....not trick lifters.....totally stock heads....nothing trick at all....

Ran 11.80's in G/SA Index was 12.30 back then....

With some more work it could have run around 11.60's back than.....so with todays cams. lifters.....valves....heads and 3 speed transmissions......Well it could run pretty decent with a mostly home built engine.....

The later year low compression engines look better so that would be a better way to go.....and buying a competetive used engine makes a lot of sense.....

A big block combo is going to really cost you a lot of money ...

I would not run the 350/300 hp combos as they were never as competitive as the low compression engines......Not when they were new and not today 40+ years later.....

I raced a 350/295 stick car in 1970 and when the low compression engines( 350/255's) started showing up......well they were almost as fast or even faster than our car back then....