I think indy should chime in on this one, or bluebeast they'er the only two who's actually built up our engines beyond just the topend

 

Junkyard or look on craigslist. I got my 360 engine complete for $400 with 100K on it off ebay.

 

I will check the local junk yards and craigs list. Is there anything I should know when looking at blocks?

 

The 360 has dished pistons. The 318 doesn't. You can see them throught the plug holes. Just so you know what you are getting.

 

Okay, thanks.

 

http://car-part.com/

that would be better than craigslist. you can search nearby salvage yards and you can really see what you are getting.

 

Hello Fellas;
I too am considering building a 360 while my 318 is still on it's last Leg. Thanks for some good information!

 

I just have to chime in here with some wisdom here. You seem decently young. If I were you, I would do this:

Go to a junkyard, find a collision dodge ram 360. You can tell if it is a good engine if you can still read the bar codes off the valve covers (that means it might have been replaced or it was not beaten to death). Take that 360 out of it (AND THE PCM and wiring harness).

Then keep that engine on a stand and build it up (no heads, but cam/intake/exhaust). That should get you about 2 good years until it destroys your tranny. Then swap the tranny.

I say this because I was once JUST LIKE YOU. Low on cash and wanted the biggest and the best. Now I have the cash, but I don't want to blow it all on something that will not pay me back (had a bad experience with a 1986 camaro I built...then broike a month after building. 8K lesson learned there)

At your age and income, I would just have the mindset of this:
I will take what I got and build it. Then I will play with it...until it breaks and fix it.

In essence you will have that same mindset with the 408, but deny the last part about breaking it. TRUST ME. when you invest that cash in something and it breaks about 4 months later. you are screwed. I owned that camaro for 4 years, and i only drove it for one year.

Start small and read this forum. Yeah it might sound kool to pop the hood and say "its a 408" but wait until you can affoard it. It is like gambling. only bet what you can affoard to lose. If you break something and the engine is DONE. Can you affoard to rebuild it (both money and time off the road).

However, if you win the lottery, go nuts and do a twin turbo 408. no one has done that here and we would love to see that

 

That's good advice CPTAFW163.
I was able to buy a long block for my boat cheaper than I could have rebuilt it myself. A stroker gives you a good chunk more torque and in a boat, that's golden. But I ended up going for the long block and now I've got pretty much a new engine as I'd replaced the alternater, starter, water pump ect over the last few years.
But...if you plan to keep the truck for 10 years or more and can afford to to keep it running in the mean time and can pick up a block on the cheap and spend a couple of nights a week tearing it down and rebuilding it, go with the stroker!
It will keep you out of the beer joints and you'll be proud of what you accomplished. And that extra torque will set you and everybody else back in the seat! Just be aware, the extra torque does come at a price. A stroker generates a lot of angular force on the rods and they can break easier than a hopped up 360.
Bottom line, if you've got the time, longevity desire, go with the stroker. If you wreck the truck in a year and need something to drive, it'll be a waste of money.

 

I think I understand what you're saying. I shouldn't spend all of my money on something that could break a few months later.