No where near the engine part of my ground up 72 CS resto, but looking ahead anyway.

With a stock 350, stock intake/exhaust manifold, etc. with ~9.5:1 compression, mild cam to match, Q-JET, and 3.42 gears... what could I potentially run in the 1/4?

My dilemma is a nice factory looking all-gold engine with a pretty gloss black air cleaner with a nice new Rocket 350 decal on it or not. Headers are a pain to install on the drivers side, at least for me. Too close to the frame, touching my brake line and having to re-route the line, etc. On top of that, I could not bolt up my A/C bracket to my Performer RPM intake b/c the bolt hole on the intake was out of spec/alignment. If these issues have improved over the years, I would consider doing so again.

Here is what I have now. It is waiting in the backyard to be pulled apart and put on the new powder coated frame.

 

Nobody hates headers more than I do. Unfortunately, IMO they are a necessary evil. You are leaving power on the table with stock manifolds.

Still, you might break into the high 13s with good tuning. IIRC, Dave H. ran 13.3s with his Ram-rod.

 

!'d guess upper 14's the way it is now.

 

Thx for the info.

The engine setup in the pic above the way it sits now... sucks. It last ran 15.62 @ 87mph. Stock pistons, stock engine (other than Headers and RPM intake in the pic) + HMV-272-2 cam, Holley 650 and 2.73 gears. It ran like total crap, with no low end at all. not enough CR, sucky gears, etc.

The 9.5:1 and 3.42 gears is what I would like to do eventually.

I am basically debating whether or not to do a purist type restore (externally on the engine at least so it looks stock)... VS... can I handle going slower when I know I could be faster... getting beat by 5.0's and such.

 

I love 350s, but in all honesty, a 455/468 might be cheaper in the long run. With a stock intake and exhaust manifolds, it should run a high 12 standing on it's head, and most non-Olds guys won't be able to tell the difference.

But, if you keep the 350, go with headers, the stock manifolds are terrible. That, 9.5 to 1 with a cam in the 214 @ .050 neighborhood, larger intake valves with a good valve job and a little bowl work, your 3.42s, a decent converter and sticky tires you ought to run mid 13s on pump gas and it will be fun and reliable on the street.

 

Along with what the cap'n said, back cut the intake valves with a 30-32 deg cut, and fill the cross over in the head with aluminum. This will require you to run an electric choke.
No big deal.
The 455 will love the 3.42 gear, the 350 might like some more.
Jim

 

Can this be done by filling the cross over in the intake with aluminum as well? What about that block filling compound used to fill the water jacket on race engines? Sorry I didn't mean to hi-jack the thread.

That is a starting point. Once you redo the engine you will surely do better.

 

Yes, but that will not separate cylinders 4-6, nor 3-5. It works but does only half the job, and has less than half the benefit. Still worth 7-10 hp.
Do not use block fill, boiler grout, jb weld, nor wd-40. None of those will stay in place very long.
Jim

 

Thanks for the info Jim. I was just curious. I didin't want to hi-jack someones thread.