should i keep my stock heads and have them ported or should i buy aftermarket heads. what would the difference in power be?

 

Numerous posts on this subject but to save you some time.... use the stock castings and have them ported.

 

+1.

 

stock castings unless you going after 425-450rwhp. At that point is when AFR and TFS bigger cc heads take over. So anything but very extreme apps will be fine with stock heads.

 

I'm getting Dart Pro1 180cc. They flow almost as much as LE2s and they can be ported well beyond when I decide an upgrade is necessary.

 

what are your goals and how much money are you willing to spend?

 

Those are the only aftermarket heads worth getting unless you're getting an all out race motor, IMO.

For the OP, I'd say get your heads ported unless you can get the Dart Pro's, then you can sell your stock heads and recoup some money.

 

Ported stock castings will outflow and perform stock Dart heads.

 

If you put enough money into them, of course. No one will debate that.

 

Considering the darts ,assembled will run close to$1500, porting the stock casting will cost a little less or at least as much than the Darts and they will perform better.

 

And the darts have more potential in the long run. There are plenty of ways to look at it. What it comes down to is how much you have to spend now and how much you're going to want to build up in the future.

 

I don't know if the full potential has been realized from these heads yet. AI is still messing with them and I don't know who else has been doing anything with them.

 

People keep talking "potential" of the Darts, anyone have PROOF of anything tangible or is this still all benchracing BS like most of the other "best" parts out there?

 

Check out AI's website. That's the only place I've seen documented numbers. Either LE or Bret Bauer has done work with them and I believe they passed 300cfm. There are many threads on that, so just search and stop thread hijacking.

 

I am aware of the results sofar, and they are far far less than those being had from GM castings. Meaning at least for the time being the LT1 castings are the better choice.

They never really said but I beilieve the ones worked through Bauer were NOT the 180cc casting and the results are not particularly good for the effort put into it. Would have gone faster if he had bought good LT1 heads and a ported LT1 intake.

Some people see what they want to see, others see what is in front of them, problem is the guys who see what is in front of them are the minority.

It is good that some guys want to try new things, I am not saying nobody should try the Darts I am saying you guys should stop pretending they are great till they are PROVEN to be at least very good, and that has not happened.