Just picked up a 74 cutlass with an 455[not original]with k heads,performaer intake ,hooker headers and a elderbrock 1406 carb[600 cfm].What would be the compression on this combo and i'm guessing that it was a 350 4 bbl car that it has a 2.73 gear.I don't know much about the engine but it had just been rebuilt and the owner died and willed it to a friend of mine who is a chevrolet guy[his lost my gain].
I'm going to be at the BOP [buick.olds,pontiac]show this weekend at the marriot in marrietta,ga looking for parts to finish up the interior.Hopefully there is olds folks here from georgia.

 

With K heads it is probably 8.5:1 cr. Edelbrock makes some respectable aftermarket stuff for Olds but the 600 cfm carb is a little small for the 455, it might be ok with the K heads since they are not flow monsters.
But what is more important, do you enjoy the car? Is if fun to step on the pedal? If so, then no need to change anything, any 455 is going to have more torque than the average engine today. Welcome to our site.

 

oldsguy thanks for the advice,The friend who i got the car from found some of the paper work for the engine that was just rebuilt.He told me the cam card said it had a melling cam 474' 498' lift and 214-224@.50 on the duration.The gear in the car is a 2.78 gear,being a pontiac guy i have a 3.23 out of a 73 GTO that should bolt right up.As far as the carb i have a 800cfm for a pontiac that should bolt right up being olds and pontiac shared the same carb design.