ok, this has probably been asked a million times, but search is broken

what casting numbers should I look for for a 350, from best to worst, and where do the various aftermarket heads fit in the best-to-worst listing?

 

I will just touch on the relatively modern heads dating from the 80s onward.

The nicest factory castings that have a reasonable size combustion chamber and do not need milling are the 083 L98 castings. There are aluminum Corvette castings of this model, as well.

The nicest that will require a specific manifold are the Vortec castings. Thus they actually cost at least $200 extra.

The cheapest are the 305 castings, the 081, 416 and 601 castings, which can be had at the wrecker in good shape for $25 to $50.

You can port and polish both the L98 and the 305 castings to outflow the Vortecs. It will require enlarging the intake valve on the 305 castings but that is not terribly expensive. Follow the link at the end of my sig for a free how-to on the subject

 

ok......how do the L98 and 305 castings compare to the Pro Action version of the Vortechs, assuming all are ported and polished?

 

They don't even compare the Pro Vortecs are much better.

 

That sounds about how I thought. Thanks