am planning on upgrading my cylinder heads and camshaft on my 86 vette with the STOCK L98 engine(FLAT TAPPET CAMSHAFT & STOCK CAST IRON HEADS), PROCHARGER 600B no intercooler,
super ram upper intake,STOCK LOWER INTAKE,stock throttle body,larger injectors and accel ignition.

1) Port stock heads?
2) Vortec Heads with new intake?
3) alum L98 heads?
4) aftermarket heads?
5) any other suggestions?

Which camshaft? Specs?

On a budget max $2000...

 

Good bang for the buck would be vortec heads and mild cam, something around 218 deg duration on intake, 224-230 on the exhaust. Blower needs some extra duration on exhaust side.
Could do all this under 1000

 

Thanks for the reply, any other members with selections?

 

that answer always bothers me... how are you going to do that for under $1k?

a fresh set of vortecs + mods for higher lift + springs will typically use up most of that $1K (I've never seen someone actually do it for under $700-800 without either running junk that needs a rebuild and running a low lift cam), and by the time you add a cam you'll easily be in over $1000.

Then what intake do you run?

$4xx for a vortec base, then you still would have to upgrade runners, TB, do some porting..., or a FI single plane which means converting a carb intake or spending close to $4xx for a FI version, and still having to do rails, plumbing, either a 4bbl style TB and elbow or an elbow and LSx or Mustang style TB. Both options will cost you close to $1K by itself by the time your done.

Unless you have most of it lying around, run across some wicked deals on used parts or just plain don't count all of your costs I don't see how you're going to go vortec without spending around $2K, more if you use the nice stuff.

I'm not trying to be difficult, but if I could bolt on a vortec top end to my 305 ready for EFI and boost for $1K I would do it tomorrow without thinking 2x about it. If you have an answer I'd love to hear it (or if you wanted to sell me all the parts...)

 

Depends where you get your deals and the setup you are going for. I'm assuming some junk yard picks for few hundred bucks, fresh springs for a 100 and run a low lift hyd flat tappet cam for 180 bucks or so. Then a 450-500 buck intake base for TPI.

Even with stock runners the heads and base will help some. Upgrade runners when you are ready.

IF you are using hyd roller and need the heads modded for screw in studs, higher lift, etc, then yes it will add up alot more. Intake mods themselves for TPI, base to runners will run almost a grand new, used 500-700 depending.