I just test drove my car where I did the following. Mounted Edelbrock RPM heads slightly polished with 1.6 roller rocket, Compcam 276hr-12, HSR with KN 5050 filter, Hooker 2055 headers with 3 "y-pipe and 3" magna flow catalyst and a new chip . Unfortunately no catback yet because it was not avalible at the store. After a little adjusting ignition to 6-8 degrees and the fuel pressure to around 45 psi so is good and clean without a doubt when you stepped on it, but I have some questions for you.
The car is perfect for idling, a little restless so to speak, around 700 rpm but sometimes want to die when I put in Drive and not with on the gas pedal. Is this due to the cam or is it anything I can do to get it better?
I think that it is about 400 fwhp but when you stepped on (I have not drove much at all) but it does not feel so much worse than before all things came into place. . Thought it would spin the wheels on 1,2,3 gear :-) What did you think about the performance when you changed heads, cam, etc?
The car is quite difficult to drive when it is at idle and slightly above, is it because I have the original converter?

 

I can tell you you won't regret getting a looser converter, unless you go way too loose. I'd go 2400 stall with your combo. a 3000 might suit you, or it might be way too much. Depends on what you like. Once you do the converter, try a bit more timing. It might like more than 8 degrees initial, but those heads should do best with 34-36 degrees total. The converter will help with tip-in.

 

Well your combo seems to be a bit in the 2000-6000 or 2500- 6500 range. Generally speaking running this kinda range will kill low end torque in exchange for high end hp. Just pick up a summit catalog and look at the dyno results for their engin kits. I looked over trick flows kits once and saw the 2.5k-6.5k engin combo produced about 100 foot pounds of torque at 2.5k RPMs less than the kit that ran from idle - 5.5k. This difference is then amplified by the transmission and rear axle gearing. Say your first gear is 2.7 to 1 with a 3.73 rear thats a difference of 1007 foot pounds of torque at the wheels! Now you may have some tuning issues that are not making this any better so ide have the chip programmed for your new combo that might help a bit. Also these kinda parts again usually call for a higher than stock stall, a steep rear end, and atleast 9.5 -1 compression. This is because of the low low end torque and the compression thats killed off as result of useing a big cam. Needless to say none of this sits well for big burn outs. Not to say that thats the problem but how does it feel in the top end?

 

aside from tuning you need a looser converter.

 

Get a 3000 stall lock up style converter. Recurve the distributor to allow 22-24deg base timing at idle and 34-36deg at full advance.

That requires shortening the mechanical advance curve stop limit to 10-12deg.
Stock is 20-22deg.

The motor will idle and respond to the throttle much better once you recurve the distributor to allow increased idle spark advance and get the correct torque converter stall.

www.converter.com
www.converter.cc

 

Ummm, I think he has a TPI set-up.

 

Doesn't hsr stand for Holley stealth ram? that def. ain't tpi

 

From a changing the spark curve standpoint it might as well be.