Ive bitten my tongue long enough

Willys,
I think you are on the right track to start with the intermediate pipe.

The stock upper and Tmoss lower are not restricting you. GT40 intakes are cool for sure, but, I wouldn't be looking for any giant performance increase from the swap.

Don't concern yourself about the gearing, the 4.10's are perfect for a stocker looking for ET. You want to be a few hundred rpm past your shift point going thru the traps... keeping in mind that your shift point will be a few hundred rpm beyond your hp peak.

The Hoosier(daddy's) could eat 1mph out of the car. If the nittos were hooking they may well be the way to go, if not, that 1mph will be more than made up for on the line with a tire that hooks.

I see you're running in New Jersey.
Weather can have a huge effect on vehicle performance.
Hot and humid really isn't anything you can judge by. Next time out, find a brack racer to and inquire what the density altitude is.
Running on the north east coast, you can have mine shaft conditions one weekend, and have 3000'd/a in the following. You could easily be looking at in excess of 5/10ths just in weather.

Given the amount of stock 5.0's dyno'n in the 230hp region, and the number of stock 5.0's with cobra intakes dyno'n in the 240hp region, anyone that does not believe a "prep'd stock" combo cannot dyno in the 260hp region is uneducated on the subject. Cripe there have been several powerhead'd (prep'd E7te's) cars dyno in the 290hp region with shelf cams... yes, n/a.

My advice, install your intermediate pipe, enjoy your car, and next time at the track be sure and get d/a info. in order to accuratly judge the combo... and... enjoy your car :).
 
Didn't really read all the post, but IMO, even if you have other parts on the car that are restrictive, the heads should have given you some kind of gain, I would get to the dyno to see, (just like if you put an aftermarket intake on stock heads that are restrictive, also, may not read very high on the dyno due to your auto and stall). I think you should have gained something.
 
I would definatly ditch the cats and go with an noncat midpipe. F'k the sissy shorties, get some longtubes, they are beyond proven to make more HP and especailly more midrange torque. I think your induction system is fine. I don't know what to tell you about the cam, people are making nice numbers with the stock cam. My car went 8.4 at 85mph in the 1/8th (equates to real high 12's low 13's in the 1/4 at about 104-106mph) with a 1.8 60ft on 17" nitto's, 3.73 gear, stock worn out shortblock (50% leakdown) Thumper heads w/spring upgrade, Edelbrock intake, 70TB, 76MAF, 1 5/8ths LT's, B cam, some weight and accesory deduction but not enough to break out of the 3000-3100lbs catagory, drag suspension.
 
You need to pick up a cheap mac offroad h pipe and verify the a/f. Shoot for around 13.0:1 on a chassis dyno. That combo should do 250ish no problem but I don't know about through an aod. Regardless, the track is what matters anyway. Could also be something fudged with the install too. Im thinking tuning and exhaust for now. The 4.10's are perfect.

My buddy did 245rwhp with stock heads/cam/tb, cobra manifold, full exhaust (shortys) c&l mass air and 1.7 rockers. Through a tremec.
 
I made 249.9 RWHP with stock heads, stock HEADERS, stock rockers, stock injectors, stock cam. Just a Performer intake and 65 mm t/b, pro-m 80 mm (thats on Billy's car now), VRS O/R x-pipe.

But my car was a stick and yours will not dyno as high with the automatic.

Best ET was 13.5 @ 105.20 mph. with a 2.21 60 ft. at a race weight of 3200 lbs.

You'll figure it out Billy. Don't worry. :nice:

Make sure you maxamize your combo. I had a 3" crank pulley with short belt and electric fan wich free'd up a few HP as well. I also made sure the T/B lined up perfectly with the intake opening by porting the intake a little to remove a lip. I also made sure the intake lined up with the heads perfectly as well. Any little thing you can think of will help. All the little things add up.
 
anyone mention fuel pressure yet? did you re-adjust your rockers after the "break-in" period? check all your spark plug connections?

it could just be something really silly...maybe a vac. line fell off or broke during the install that he didn't tell you about?

i'd go back over it with a fine tooth comb before jumping to any conclusions