j.prince428

So I need some help deciding on what set of heads and cam to buy for my 83Z 5spd. It's a weekend street car, not a daily driver. It has a reman 5.7 with about 20k on it. All the smog junk is gone and atop it sits an edelbrock performer and a brand new quadrajet which I would like to use with the new heads and cam. After doing some reading, I feel set on doing a retrofit hydraulic roller. I would reather invest now than later. I have a budget of about $2000 for this. If anyone has advice that would be great, or any proven combos they have tried in the past. Thanks in advance

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

A retrofit hydraulic roller cam will run $150 or so, but the retrofit roller lifter set up runs in the neighborhood of $300, so it does get expensive.

As for heads, spend the money now and go for it. AFR are your best bet, most expensive but generally the best head out there. Looking at $1600 for a set or so.

What's your goal for the motor? Good on ya for sticking with the Qjet!

j.prince428

I just want to go faster. I love the car but it is much slower than I would prefer. I have no idea about hp number since I have never dyno'd it but the best time I've ran is 15.1 @ 89-91 i believe. Also no lsd just an open rear in the back. This is also something on the to do list. Really I'd like to be able to touch 12s even if its 12.99999 with the lsd installed down the road. What kind of lift/duration cam should I be looking at? Exactly what type of dart heads should I be considering?

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

Since you are starting from scratch, lets go back to the basics before we go crazy with engine work.

The first thing I would do, would be to get a set of Dyno Don or Hooker 2055 headers (Dyno Don's can be made without the emissions provisions, hooker's cannot) and get a good catback. The cheapest "best" that you can get in a kit would probably be From Magnaflow. Go with a full 3" catback. This mod alone will free up 15-30hp and is something you will probably feel in the seat of your pants.

For intake, Edelbrock performer is the only intake that will "fit" under our hoods without getting cowl style hood or working some other mods. As you know the Qjet is more than enough for what you're running. MW66Nova ran a Qjet on his 406 motor for a long time.

I would suggest the AFR heads, do a search here on the boards to figure out which ones would best benefit you. They "should" be good for another 20-40hp.

A rear-end from a junk yard with a LSD rear will run around $200 or if you pull it. Just make sure you get one with the same gear ratio as your's or your speedo will be off.

This will all run you about $2000, (Heads, Exhaust, rear) and should give you a boost in HP.

Since the motor is already a 350, I'd turn from here to suspension. and get that done, Polyurethane bushings, lowering springs, new torque arm and pand hard rod, stuff like that.

j.prince428

Well, I don't have headers yet but I do have a 3" magnaflow catback that I installed a few years ago. I like where you're going with everything else but I notice you didn't say anything about a cam. Do you think its best to hold off on that for now? I feel as while I'm doing heads I might as well do the cam upgrade.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

I would hold off on doing a cam until you beef up the rest of the system. one of the biggest drawbacks of these cars as the factory exhaust manifold, tiny overall exhaust, and smallish heads.

Getting a big cam and heads now, without upgradeing the exhaust will strangle the motor, and without a decent rear, you wn't ever hook up, you'll just spin the tires, if you follow.