I have a very cool 1975 Barth motor home on a Chevy 1.5ton truck chassis with a 454.What newer tech can I add to this old engine for better performance and efficiency. Ignition, carb, exhaust etc.
Electronic ignition+fuel injection+cam+good dual exhaust…check out Edelbrock, for example. You could even get a new crate motor-just takes $$$$
Just google ‘motorhome power upgrades’, lots of info out there, looks like many start with headers and a good exhaust. Fairly simple, fairly cheap.
That motor was used extensively for muscle cars. Countless bolt ons should be available. Try the Hooker site, the Edelbrock site, etc. etc.
However, with a properly operating engine better performance will come with an efficiency trade off.
Pick up a Jegs catalog, flip to the BBC (Big Block Chevy) section and the world is your oyster.
You could spend a ton of money to get a very small increase in either performance or efficiency. Regardless of what you do to the engine, it still has to shove a large box through the air. You’ll never get “good” mileage, no matter what you do, and if you increase the power you will decrease the fuel mileage. That’s just the way it is.
The chevy guys always talk about their add on performance items, like edelbrock manifold, spread bore holley, headers and RV camshaft. I ask the Ford guys what they have bolted on and they always say nothing new here. After you get a new long block, you can add the other stuff. I wouldn’t try any new things on an old engine.
Probably the best thing you can do for that motor in terms of newer technology would be in replacing the heads. Newer head technology is where the performance improvements have come from in recent years.
Of course, to actually make the head improvements work you’d still need a new intake manifold and exhaust headers, new carburetor (or injecters) and on and on.