Price check/ideas for a cheap 350cid 375hp/400tq combo?

Tell him to sell the truck and find an older 80's model S-10. The best ones are the reg cab short bed no options models (which usually weigh 2500-2800 lbs curb weight). They can usually be found for $500-$1500. With a mild 350 pushing 300 horse, TH350 and a good 3.42-3.73 gear that should be enuff to put it in the 13-14 second range and put a smile across his face that will be hard to erase.

This is going to be long, but it does hit close to home for me...

I have a '78 chevy 1/2 ton that also has a th350/3.08 rear gear. The 1st setup I built for this thing was a .030 over 2 bolt 350. Decks was cut .008 for flatness. I reused the original '77 station wagon crank (turned 10/10...$45 at the time) and resized the stock rods (and added heavy duty pioneer rod bolts...about $100). I used a cheap (but good quality) federal mogul cast flat top rebuild kit (about $330 with pistons, cast rings, cam, lifters, timing set, gaskets, oil pump, and freeze plugs). With the slight decking, the pistons ended up .040 in the hole...bad for compression. I had the '77 station wagon 882 heads surfaced and a 3 angle valve job, and I did some light bowl work and added some cheap elgin Z-28 springs (total cost about $175). I added a crane energizer 266 cam (210@.050, .440 lift...$100 for cam and lifters), a weaind 8004 intake ($90 or so new), 600 edelbrock carb (stock truck q-jet was junk), a 14x3" summit K&N type filter, cheap 1 5/8" flowtech headers (fit great and cost about $89 at the time), and had dual 2 1/4" exhaust with flowtech terminators added. It would leave about 30' of rubber from both 235/70-15's. I later added a pair of 275/60-15's out back, and it run 16.0's @ 87-88 mph. It also got 15.5mpg on the highway at a 65mpg average speed, and I towed my 21' camper with it everywhere. Later, I added a set of vortec heads (not as cheap a swap as you might think...you need centerbolt valve covers, a vortec pattern intake, and guided rockers), an XE268 cam and kit, a performer rpm vortec intake, and a 2000 stall B&M holeshot convertor. It had just a bit of rumpity rump at idle, and ran 15.20's @ 97 mph. It was really too much cam for the 3.08's in a 4500 pound truck, but it still spanked the original setup and still got over 14mpg on the highway, and I still pulled the camper with it all the time. I started messing with jetting, timing, and advance curves trying to squeek this thing into the 14's but never did. I added a 750 edelbrock carb and it ran even harder on the top end, but lost power under about 4K rpms, and throttle response was never as sharp even with extensive tuning. Last year, I had made my mind up to swap the cam to get more 2000-4500 rpm power, but 1st I wanted to try a smaller intake and carb. I swapped on a performer (not rpm) vortec intake, and added a 650 holley spread bore q-jet replacement carb. It made a HUGE difference in throttle response. Now it will melt the rear tires at anything under 25mph, gets over 15mpg, and still pulls hard to 6K. I know everybody swears that the rpm intake is the best, but IMO, with the weight and gearing of this truck, the performer/spreadbore was definately the right move. I doubt it will run 14's on street tires because traction is non existant. This setup has 9.4-1 compression, 180psi cranking compression, terrible quench, and it uses 89 octane fuel with no problems at all (even in the summer with the 4000+ pound camper). I also swapped the terminators for hooker aerochambers...best sounding muffler out there, IMO.

For your proposed setup, I would not hesitat to use a set of hypo flat tops. Just watch your deck height as every cast replacement piston and nearly all cheap hypo flat tops end up way down in the hole. Because of the weight and gearing, I always build engines like this with a little less compression than I would use in a car engine (for safety margin). Chances are your 90's core motor has 193 head castings, which are junk. 882's aren't a great head but they are better than 193's. 193's are a swirl port head typically used in 90's TBI applications. They won't make power and are probably cracked anyway. You don't need roller rockers...stamped replacement rockers are plenty fine. If you use vortecs, you can get the neccessary stamped guided rockers from GM for around $50 new. You can also get the centerbolt valve covers, bolts, and gaskets thru gm pretty cheaply. I am using the factory style truck centerbolt vc's, and had the vc's off over a dozen times, and am still using the very same factory style rubber gaskets that have been on there since I did the swap over 5 years ago. If you get the vortecs, the higher lift version is a good choice as they also come with a decent spring. For a cam, look for something in the 214-220@.050 range on the intake duration, preferably on a 108 lsa. It will have just a bit of rump to the idle, but also pull hard down low. A 2000-2200 rpm stall convertor is perfectly streetable but definately makes a difference in the way the truck will launch. Try and get a 4-8 degree larger exhaust lobe. The comp cams 268ah-8 would be perfect IMO with about 9.0 to 9.2 compression (222/226@.050, .464/.464 lift, 108 lsa, install it on a 104 ica). This cam will give a good slightly aggressive sound, and strong performance from 2000-5000+ rpms, perfect for a sport truck that will still get used as a truck on occasion. Don't use a 750 anything carb...its way too much. A 650 spreadbore or q-jet is IMO perfect, but a 600 vac secondary holley or edelbrock is also a good street truck carb. The cheap flowtech full length headers fit great (I have them on my '78 and on my '86 3/4 ton...same part #). If you must use the stock torque convertor, something like an XE262 ground on a 108 would be about the max I would use. The 260AH-8 is what I am using in my low compression 3/4 ton truck motor, and of all the cams I have tried for these applications, it is my favorite. Very sharp throttle response, and strong power from idle to 5K, but if you want an aggressive sound this one is a little small (212/218@.050, 108 lsa).
One last thing. If you don't go with the vortecs, and instead use some regular old gm heads, you can save some $$$'s and just run a regular iron q-jet intake. They are next to impossible to beat for this application, and usually someone will give you one.
With some smart shopping, you can build a reliable, strong running 350 for your budget.

If he wants 3.08 gears I advise a 700r4, once you get the TV cable set up properly they're great, esp with a stage 2 transgo shift kit!

From a roll of anything under 30 I can slam passengers heads into the seat and start rolling the tires by giving enough throttle for a kickdown.

This is with 3.08 posi

My combo cost my us about $800

355
Hyper pistons flat top 4 valve
882 heads ported
comp 268 cam (.454/.454)
edelbrock performer intake
Holley 650 spreadbore
balanced
high volume oil pump

It's more than plenty to move the Chevelle, lots of torque from 2100 or so up...