Engine Building - V-8 Power Trends And Best-Selling Engine Combos

'The difference between surfing the Internet and reading Car Craft is that we have access to guys who build engines for a living. They can provide a Dumpster full of information that hasn't been filtered or altered by the Web master or a public relations firm. We believe that an hour on the phone with the man at the top is worth 1,000 guys with chunks of the puzzle, and is way easier than finding the one guy who might have firsthand knowledge on the street. And since the guy at the top usually has precious few hours in the day, his is usually willing to burn a couple on us so that we can turn around and tell three million people at the same time.

We are also firm believers in market economics that ensure the number-one-selling engine combo is usually the best one for the money, or is just really cool. Either way, it's good info to have. The impetus is on us to get that company or guy on the phone once in a while and find out about that combo for you.

To collect these 22 different engine combos, each editor took an engine family and called the highest-volume builder he could find to get the goods. We tried to include some weird engines that are super common at the junkyard, or were stock in low trim-level body styles and therefore cheap to build. We also included engines that are super new, like the LS2, so you aren't walking around clueless. Here they are in no particular order.

When talk turns to Cadillac... 

   

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When talk turns to Cadillac engines, it's a slam dunk you're talking big torque numbers. Richard Potter has competed in the Engine Masters Challenge several times and his big Cads are major players, so don't overlook these engines if you are into alternative power.

Cadillac 500 Ci
If you like to beat that different drum, then check out the Cadillac Performance Parts 500hp/600 lb-ft of torque big-block Caddy motor. Owner Richard Potter's most popular engine package is a 10.0:1 compression, 0.030-over motor with forged pistons, and Scat H-beam 6.750-inch rods with ported stock-iron heads. The heads come with stainless steel 2.19/1.840-inch valves and a mild flat-tappet hydraulic lifter Comp Cams grind with 232/236 degrees of duration at 0.050 and 0.550-inch valve lift. The Cad motors have a notoriously weak valvetrain, so Potter cans all that stock stuff and replaces it with a complete aluminum-shaft roller-rocker system pumping out a 1.72:1 ratio. For street induction, the selection is limited to Edelbrock's Performer dual-plane intake and 800-cfm carb. According to Potter, this is the big limiter for more horsepower since, as he told us, "It's all done by 5,000 rpm," but that's still worth 500 hp with the peak torque occurring at 4,000. What's cool is that this motor will also grunt out 500 lb-ft at 1,800 rpm. Try that with a small-block Chevy! These engines are completely dyno-tested and ready to go with billet pulleys and an ACCEL distributor and wires. Of course, the parts are also available individually should you want to assemble this beast yourself.