[carbking]

Think outside of the box.

You can wake up the car by putting it on a diet! Not sure how much can be removed from a 'bird, but I removed a LOT of weight from a '74 GTO.

And NOT recommending this, but a set of 48 heads, long branch exhausts, an 041 cam and an 850 carburetor on a 455 HO intake REALLY wake up the engine.

I had a reason for doing the above (and more); and it is a handful around town (but oh, so much fun).

Listen to the folks telling you that big cams might not be right for you!

Jon

[sdbob]

Back 1976 I had a 1965 Lemans daily driver.326 3spd. I had a spare 068 cam I put in following HO racing's book on cam install. It was a dog. The 068 had worked in my 389 in my 55 Pontiac and 421 in my 63 GP. My 2cts.

[steve25]

May I review what’s posted back in # 21.
1) good ready to bolt on set of 48 heads, 2000 bucks.

2) RA4 cam———————————————180.00

3) lifters—————————————————-90.00

4) repro intake——————————————350.00

5) push rods————————————————60.00

6) hp exh manifolds————————————350.00

Total———————————————————3018.00

And all to have a car that drives and performs like crap and I have not even factored in the cost of gaskets or a timing chain & gears.

Such a deal!

[carbking]

Originally Posted by steve25

May I review what’s posted back in # 21.
1) good ready to bolt on set of 48 heads, 2000 bucks.

2) RA4 cam———————————————180.00

3) lifters—————————————————-90.00

4) repro intake——————————————350.00

5) push rods————————————————60.00

6) hp exh manifolds————————————350.00

Total———————————————————3018.00

And all to have a car that drives and performs like crap and I have not even factored in the cost of gaskets or a timing chain & gears.

Such a deal!

You maybe should read a little closer.

I stated I had a reason, which you probably could not understand.

Cost was not an object.

I stated the car IS A HANDFUL IN TOWN; BUT IT RUNS LIKE A SCALDED DOG, NOT LIKE CRAP.

The car is by far the quickest car I have ever owned; and that includes a 327/340 Corvette, a Dodge Hemi, several 1964 GTO's including one with trips, and 2 Shelby Mustangs.

I also stated I did not recommend this combination.

Oh, and while you are adding, throw in a set of forged rods, an aluminum flywheel, and a complete professional lower balance job.

Throwing rocks is fine, but if you don't read before you throw, they just might bounce back at you

Jon

[Stan Weiss]

Originally Posted by steve25

May I review what’s posted back in # 21.
1) good ready to bolt on set of 48 heads, 2000 bucks.

2) RA4 cam———————————————180.00

3) lifters—————————————————-90.00

4) repro intake——————————————350.00

5) push rods————————————————60.00

6) hp exh manifolds————————————350.00

Total———————————————————3018.00

And all to have a car that drives and performs like crap and I have not even factored in the cost of gaskets or a timing chain & gears.

Such a deal!

My memory is not what it once was. But didn't the Olds 350 ci W31 come with a cam with specs close to the RAIV?

Stan

[carbking]

The point to my post before steve25 stepped in was that many enthusiast's cars can gain performance by removing weight, even if the engine is left alone.

A simple change to many Pontiacs is replacing either the Honeycomb or the Rally II wheels with Snowflakes.

If one does a little thought, quite a bit of weight can be removed without reducing the structural integrity of the car.

Some of it can be done inexpensively; other reductions cost money.

Jon.

[Green Hornet]

Thanks...for everbodys input.....

Subject 74 350...is just a mule engine...to get my 73 up and running....

I think the plan is to drive it first...with the 2 bbl...and then decide if I want to go further with it....or just go directly to a bigger stove...

[indymanjoe]

up and running is alot more fun. run what ya have and go from there.

[formula kid]

OK So CID is king 350's are Sh@t. So if you want to get a 350 to run ask someone that has one. Point being I have my 1974 Formula that I ordered new, long story. The car came with WA engine with AIR pump 4spd. That carb is the 7043071 2BBL. All the emission controls have been striped from the car. The distributor has been recurved and headers are on the car. The exhaust from the headers back are the H-O CrossFire muffler system. If you don't want to change the cam get 1:65 rockers put them on the intakes only. If you want to change the cam H-O suggests is the 068 pontiac cam put 1:65 rockers on the exhaust only. Get a pre 73 intake manifold and 4 bbl carb to go with it. Last change the rear gears to 3:42 to 1 or higher.

[steve25]

Carbking you yourself stated that the combination you posted about you did not recommend for the street for the OP, so my question is then why the hell did you even post it, so don’t get ticked off at me for questioning your motivation for doing such because in my opinion what you posted up belongs in the race section since it’s as you say ,it’s a hand full.

[Green Hornet]

Originally Posted by indymanjoe

up and running is alot more fun. run what ya have and go from there.

Absolutely......

Opening the can....to let the worms out...is fast and free.....Getting them back in the can....is NOT.....

[72LuxuryLeMansLa.]

Originally Posted by Green Hornet

Absolutely......

Opening the can....to let the worms out...is fast and free.....Getting them back in the can....is NOT.....

I have a Summit 2800 flat tappet that Jim Hand told me was perfect for a low compression stock 350. You can have it for the cost of UPS..... Message me.

[tom s]

I ran a 2801 in a 350 30 over in a 63 tempest wagon with a stock 63 rope shaft 2 speed auto and it drove great on the street.Tom

[Green Hornet]

Originally Posted by 72LuxuryLeMansLa.

I have a Summit 2800 flat tappet that Jim Hand told me was perfect for a low compression stock 350. You can have it for the cost of UPS..... Message me.

PM'ed...

[Sirrotica]

It's a good thing this isn't a chevy forum, all the comments talking about underperforming 350s they'd have to close the forum down.

I've never understood why the doubting that a Pontiac 350 is only good for a boat anchor. The engine has no idea of what design it is and 350 inches of displacement is still 350 inches of displacement. There are plenty of other brands that have engines displacing right around the same displacement that run plenty well.

Many years ago we would put a set of 400 high compression heads on a 350 and stick an 068 cam in it when we ran out of larger displacement engines.

In 1969 I owned a 67 326 HO firebird with a 4 speed and tri power off of a 66 GTO that surprised more than a few larger displacement street cars. On a Clayton chassis dyno it made 215 RWHP. That was with a bone stock exhaust system too.

I've used a good many of the under sized Pontiac V8s with good results, street cars, race cars, 4X4 Jeeps too. At one time I was involved with a 73 Lemans dirt car that would run right with all the SBC cars. As with any Pontiac, it takes more time and money to make them run as good as the competition.

I also had a customer that owned a 73 Esprit that we put an 068 cam and headers, with 3.55 gears and a T350 with a shift kit. Stock cylinder heads with low compression that ran very well on the street. That was back in the mid 70s when there wasn't a myriad of camshaft choices available for Pontiacs, like there are now. For a mild street car, the 068 was the go to camshaft.

With a split duration 211 / 225 @.050 and 116 centerline, it's hardly a "BIG" cam with poor manner, or low vacuum, even in a 350 with low compression

Thing is that, yes there are probably better grinds for a 350 with low compression, even the CC high energy single pattern series is expressly made for this type of situation, and very well could be a better choice. But I really don't think the car would run poorly with an 068 if the rest of the system was matched to the cam, gears convertor and exhaust.

[formula kid]

In 1974 I raced a few 74 400 Trans Am's with my little 350 2bbl 4 spd Formula after they lost they asked what I had in the car. When I told them it was a 350 2bbl they wanted to see, when it took off the air cleaner they almost cried. Oh by the way a Pontiac does not have a 350 engine it is a 354, i say what ever and it is fun a screw with the chevy 350 boy's back in the day.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Stan Weiss

My memory is not what it once was. But didn't the Olds 350 ci W31 come with a cam with specs close to the RAIV?

Stan

Yes you could say very close to a RAIV. It was a .474 lift intake and exhaust. 329 advertised duration intake and exhaust, and 232 @ .050. It was on a 113 LSA.

Worked really good in the W-31 350's and still popular today.

The 068 in question though doesn't even come close in comparison.

[i82much]

apples to oranges, but years ago i ran a 216@.050 crane fireball in a chevy 350 and it was plenty streetable, albeit with a wide ratio muncie and 3.90 gears. rpm intake and a 650 double pumper.

[steve25]

Ok. So if the OPs car was set up like that Chevy 350 you had And changed from 3.90s to 2.56 rear gears that would feel like a 45 % loss in low speed torque.

Not exactly something that would be fun for a pure street car would you not agree?

[Sirrotica]

One thing that isn't being considered is that the 350 Pontiac has a 3.75 stroke, so it already has a leg up due to the low speed torque. The Pontiac is .290 more stroke than a chevy to start with.

When chevy guys build a 383 they go with a 4 inch stroke with a .390 bore. The 350 is just a smaller version of the 383 being a smaller bore than stroke.