Ok, first things first here. What makes a car streetable or not depends on the lift and duration.
You can have a solid lift cam with .480 lift, and 210 duration at .050. It would be a very mild street cam, and I highly doubt you would break anything.
Where solids get their reputation of race only, is because most racers run crazy lift and duration figures, and most of these guys spin these engines 7-8 grand. Hydraulics don't perform at these RPM's, so solid cams are almost exclusive to the race track.
However, Ford saw fit to put a solid cam in the hi-po 289, and the boss 351C. You can't put a non-reliable camshaft in a factory vehicle!
I am living proof that solid cams can live very happily in a street engine. I have had a 302, with a 280 Ad. duration, .525 lift, a 351C, with a 305 ad. duration, and .610 lift, and finally a 393 stroker Windsor with a solid roller checking in at
[email protected] duration, and .585 lift.
Never broke a spring, bent a pushrod, and I only adjusted the valves when I felt like messing with tuning. I ran two of those engines very hard, (the 393 is still on the stand awaiting drop in).
You won't break stuff unless you have improper parts mixed and matched up. Now if you run crazy duration and lift, of course things can fail, but MOST street engine builders don't go that nuts.
Hydraulics are great for the street, you never have to mess with em, and they are quiet.
I just like the fact that I can dial down the power a tad by adjusting lash, or tighten it up a bit and increase power. Plus if I am going to spin an engine above 5000, why not get all the horsepower you can?
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