Quote:
Originally Posted by mgarblik
This thread is getting some attention from other Pontiac people who don't post here often or at all. Just got off the phone after a lengthy conversation with Pete Woodruff. (Of Norwalk. Ames Performance Nationals fame). Some of you may not know that he has been an NHRA Technical Inspector for many years and is an expert on Stock and Super Stock classes. He has some important insights concerning this topic. Most important is NHRA racers who wish to run Pontiac engines are in great need for iron cylinder heads. So much so that some have had to leave our Tee Pee to race other brands of cars because good, unmodified cores are simply not available, period. These racers would need an iron replacement head that could be approved by NHRA for stock and super stock racing. This head MUST have the following features. 1. stock looking appearance
2. stock valve sizes 3. stock combustion chamber shape and size 4. stock runner volumes 5. straight spark plugs 6. D port exhaust.
What would be the market/advantage for a head like this? New castings with material and wall thickness. Ready to assemble and bolt on without machining. Material available for a CNC port job without worry of breakthrough. Legal for class racing in NHRA. Bolt on performance for power adder street cars. Iron block, Iron head, 10 head bolts = great sealing. Likely somewhat lower cost? Just something else to consider.
Why not round port, Ram Air II, IV, HO or SD? Pete says racers have found these engines fit in top classes only where competition is fierce. Due to already inflated HP ratings and factoring by NHRA, D-port Pontiac engines would be much more competitive.
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Mike, you took the words right out of my mouth. While Edelbrock aluminum heads are legal in the Super Stock classes, they are.NOT legal in the Stock classes. In Stock class drag racing you MUST run the heads that were available from the factory the year your car was built, period. This is another place where an updated OE clone iron head would be beneficial.