[oasis]

I received some spirited responses with regards to the starter engine thread. Let's try this hypothetical since one point of divergence was cost.

Let's say I have $8,000 budgeted. This must be spent on a completed engine including exhaust and including labor. This assumes no do-it-yourself action on my part. (It also assumes US-dollars and the American method of using commas to separate the thousands column from the hundreds.)

This budget does not include the installation or the transmission, however. Those are separate issues that I am theoretically okay with.

My stock engine gives me max torque at low RPM's and has a nice flat torque curve throughout the powerband. I like that. I just want more power. I want a trouble-free engine with regular maintenance. I want durability.

What would you do within those parameters?