Hey guys, I feel like an a$$h0l€ just saying this, but I just recently picked up a 64 Jetstar 88 with a really healthy 330, and it runs very well. The car is really cool but it is uncomfortably stock... Has anyone thrown a real lopey cam on their 330s and does it even make sense to do on a 330?

 

My opinion is no. If your object is to drive the car for enjoyment, over-camming it will make it less drive-able. Your opening a can of worms. So basically I am saying, if it isn't broke, don't fix it and when and if it needs fixing, go with a stock grind. Jmo.

 

I put a sort of lumpy cam in my 71 Cutlass 350 with everything else stock including 2.56 gears/stock torque converter/exhaust manifolds, etc. What a mistake! It only idled bad- terrible performance. A absolute dog. I think that is what you would have if you just put a lumpy cam in your otherwise stock 330. I ended up going back to a stock cam myself. Now it idles smooth and accelerates as a stock 350 should- not a race car for sure but nice and smooth as Olds intended. Personally I really like the Jetstar 88 cuz it has the more"modern" V8 than the 394 and no slimjim. I would enjoy it as a nice cruiser....

 

Your question makes it sound like you want a rowdy cam for show without understanding the downside. First, you have a heavy car that likely has a low numerical rear axle and also has the Jetaway two speed AT with 1.76:1 first gear. That means you want torque to get the car moving. In addition to the vacuum needed for automatic trans, you also have a vacuum operated heater system and probably have vacuum power brakes. A long overlap cam is designed primarily to make high RPM horsepower, at the expense of low speed manners. It won't provide vacuum to operate your brakes, trans, or heater, and unless you install a high RPM converter (which will be difficult with your switch-pitch automatic), you're going to have much worse performance off the line.

Installing a cam like you want just to get the rowdy idle is called being a poser. Educate yourself as to what the implications are.

 

I'm sure you can find a cam that will give you a bit of a lumpy sound without sacrificing all of your driveability. Check with CutlassEFI to see what he recommends, but to take advantage of it you might need a higher stall torque converter. You could do a lot worse than adding the cam, headers, a higher stall converter, and a TH200-4r trans. That will give you a lower first gear and a higher stall to get you closer to the power band of the newly cammed engine.

Just the cam will give you all of the problems listed above, but if you make some systematic changes to take advantage of the cam, you might be able to have your cake and eat it too.

 

Describe lopey.

 

Do you know which 330 you have, is it the low compression 2bbl version with 245 HP or is it the high compression 4bbl 290 HP ?

What is your exhaust setup ? If you have the 290 HP version, dual exhaust should help.

The 2 speed is possibly the biggest hindrance to better acceleration, if that is the issue ?

 

It's a lot of work, time and money to hear a blip, blip when idling. Put a fouled spark plug on each side of the engine. If you like the sound, mission accomplished. The car will be harder to start, less gas mileage and not be much fun to drive, just as if you"over-cammed" it "but" when you get tired of the un- drivability, just put in 2 new spark plugs and "enjoy." Jmo

 

This is why I asked the OP to describe “lopey”. If he’s looking for crazy then yes you are all correct.
However you could get a bit of a lope with a smaller cam on a tight lsa. All depends on what he’s looking for.