Engine Bulid Recommedations

the best bang for the buck is a good set of aftermarket heads, with matching intake and cam.

I suppose it depends as always on how far you want to tear it down and how much you have in the budget for parts!

70ish 351W 4 barrel heads can be a good old school upgrade to the puny 302 heads, but they are not at the same level as aftermarket aluminum heads and of course won't give you the weight savings.

1: make sure the engine is truely in good shape before you start modifying the engine. new seals and gaskets dont an overhaul make.

2: heads are the key to power. i recommend the world products windsor jr, afr 185, or edelbrock performer rpm heads. and yes you can get the world products heads in aluminum also.

3: the cam sets the rpm range of the engine. for what you want, look for a cam that works in the 1500-5000rpm range, like the comp cams he268h. crane, crower, isky, and claysmith, as well as others have cams that work in this range. when selecting a cam, look at the rpm range first, then look at duration @ .050. that will give you an idea of where in the rpm range your power band will be, larger = higher. the last thing is valve lift. higher lift means better torque, which is what you are looking for for the street.

4: intake and carb. these should also be selected to match the rpm range of the cam you have selected. the performer rpm or weiand stealth intakes work in the rpm range in recommended for a street engine. carb selection should be kept conservative for the street, around 600cfm max. and avoid double pumper carbs for the street, you dont need them.

5: headers. you want a decent tube size, but not too large. 1 1/2" or 1 5/8" primary tubes work fine on the street, use the 1 5/8" tube if you plan on seeing some competition with this car. as far as header design, for the street i prefer the tri-y design as it makes better mid range torque, again what you are looking for. as for the rest of the exhaust system, dual 2 1/4" pipes out the back of the car, using your favorite mufflers.

This year I bought a set of Ford "twisted wedge" GT-40 Aluminum heads on ebay for $650. There are more used aluminum heads at simular prices. As my car is to be a "street" crusier & not a racer, I wont miss having the latest max HP ARP head. While still having a very decent street head.
Those ported DOOE 351 heads will probably cost as much while, not having the weight savings, and unless they are milled for a smaller combustion chamber, you loose compression too.

What's a '69 Fairmont?