Hey everyone! Got a quick question for ya'll. For my '78 Camaro project, I plan on using a '71 -0010 270 hp 350 small block, and am having a hard time deciding on good heads. I don't plan on making this car extremely radical, just the occasional test-and-tune night, as well as just going to cruise-ins and such. I'm shooting for around 400-450 horsepower, with decent driveability. I also plan on running headers of course, as well as a pretty big cam for the aggressive idle. Could I take the stock heads and mill them a bit, get them ported and polished? I'd like to maintain somewhere around 10:1 compression. Let me know what you guys think!

 

Personally, I wouldn't use them. There are such good heads out there, ready-to-go, that I don't think it makes sense to muck with 30yr old heads. AFR, Dart, World Prod., Brodex, even Edlebrock would probably be better. More "bang for the buck" in the long run.

 

world sportsman heads (64cc) with 2.02 or bigger valves.
comp cam 280 magnum cam and .030 over bore with flat top pistons should put you right around 10:1
what heads came on the motor?

 

Stock gm vortecs. Brand new. Best bang for the buck

 

Good call!

Rich

 

Agreed. Stock vortecs with some basic upgrades will put you where you want to be the cheapest.

 

Like the above posts said, go with the Vortec head, 64cc chamber, and get a matching intake manifold. You can order it all from Scoggin Dickey, get it all in the same box, and bolt it all on in a matter of a weekend. The cost of the cylinder head will be the same or even less than the cost of reconditioning & porting your existing heads.

In terms of cam, you will hear all kinds of advice, but if you want reliable 400 - 450 HP, consider a hydraulic roller retrofit camshaft of about 230 degrees duration on a 110 lobe separation angle, with a valve lift of about .550". That out to work with the vortech heads and make the kinds of power that you are looking for.

http://sdparts.com/details/scoggin-d...ter/sd8060raag

Here's a suggestion for a kit that even includes gaskets and bolts.

 

Okay, since the last time I posted on this, the engine for the car has become a completely different animal! Now I've got a 2x4 Holley 450cfm setup on top of a Weiand tunnel ram, and I decided to use a pair of Brodix cast iron heads along with the cc280 magnum cam. I had the 2 bolt block splayed to hold up the bottom end, and was I surprised!! I ended up with 613 HP at the crank WITHOUT even touching the 200 shot of nitrous!! I've got it in the car now and I'm working out the kinks in setting up the tunnel ram and surprisingly it's fairly streetable until about 4500 rpms. I've sprayed it twice and so far, no heads through te hood! But thanks for the input guys!! Much appreciated!

 

613 HP, +200 HP shot of nitrous, tunnel ram, dual quads! It sounds like you have slipped off the slippery slope, my friend and into awesomeness and extremely radicalness! That's got to be some serious iron for the street.

 

Well we all know wat happens when one thing leads to another!! I found out the expensive way, that's for sure!