Cam - Idle Lope & Car Shake

mikestang63 said:

Your cam is going to depend on what heads you run, along with a dozen other variables. The reason people buy the alphabet cams is they make a good "rumble", when there are so many better choices out there. IMO when you are ready call Ed at TFI and do it right once.

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Although I'm not a big fan of the alphabet cams either, there are plenty of members how have made good power and ran great times with them. The most attractive thing about the alphabet cams are their price. And while I agree that there are better grinds available, I don't think automatically suggesting a custom grind is always the best one. There are literally dozens of off the shelf patterns that would fit most peoples needs.

The "do it right the first time" statement has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. On persons "right", may not be another's While one guy is thinking maximum performance, the other may be thinking minimal budget, or bang for the buck, or want to utilize certain parts together from the same manufacturer, etc. The suggestion to call a custom cam manufacturer for fear of "doing it wrong" sets the wrong mind set IMO. I've seen plenty of guys swap out perfectly good camshafts for custom units that have gained little or nothing in terms of performance and drivability. At least, nothing more than a lighter wallet and the ability to tell brag to people they're running a custom camshaft.

Custom camshafts are reserved for the guys running high end components, that need to meet very specific criteria. Not for your average GT40, or middle of the road set up. Personally, I'd take the money I saved buying a used alphabet cam over a custom whatever and put it towards a good dyno tune, or other supporting hardware. Most people would gain more in the line of performance and drivability going that route anyway.