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Wanting to buy a cam...any suggestions?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 66nightMARE
  • Start date Start date Apr 15, 2006
6

66nightMARE

New Member
Nov 26, 2004
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Katy, Texas
Apr 15, 2006
#1
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #1
Looking to buy a cam soon. I want something that will lope good and give me the best bang for the buck. What are yalls experiances with cams? What would yall recomend?
 
5

5.0ina66

Member
Jun 6, 2003
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Ohio
Apr 15, 2006
#2
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #2
Comp 292H, I helped put one in my cousin's friend Bubba's 302. 73 2bbl Boss 302, man that thing would flat out git it when we put that cam in! Had to crank the idle up a ton too, damn holley.
 
5

5.0ina66

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Ohio
Apr 15, 2006
#3
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #3
and without any info theres no one on earth that will ever reccomend you a cam. AC PS PB? Daily driver? bracket racer? What motor? Trans? Convertor? Gears? Compression? heads? Intake? carb? headers?
 

biggyfan1

Member
Mar 10, 2006
186
1
18
High Desert CA
Apr 15, 2006
#4
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #4
call comp cams up tell them what you have, what you will do with the car, and what you expect for power. thats what i did. they do it day in day out.
 

bigcat

start with the upper hole, and if more traction is
May 1, 2005
3,015
1
79
7200 feet
Apr 15, 2006
#5
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #5
66nightMARE said:
Looking to buy a cam soon. I want something that will lope good and give me the best bang for the buck. What are yalls experiances with cams? What would yall recomend?
Click to expand...
if you have a 351C, then i have the entire setup for you....cam/lifters, springs/retainers/stud conversion kit/roller rockers...etc all new in BOX!!
 
6

66nightMARE

New Member
Nov 26, 2004
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Katy, Texas
Apr 15, 2006
#6
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #6
Sorry, I forgot to give yall more info. I was in a hurry to get out the door. Its a 289, basicly stock. C4 tranny, holley 600 carb, edelbrock performer intake. My dad drives it to work during monday thru thursday (4 miles round trip a day lol) and I drive it on the weekends just aound town and what now. I want to get some decent power out of my motor and most people I talked to recomended cam, headers, heads, gearing, etc....so I figured Id start with a cam. Do yall think starting somewhere else would be better?
 
F

fastback brian

Founding Member
Jul 15, 2002
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So Cal , I.E.
Apr 15, 2006
#7
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #7
Gears first, cam second. plan out what heads and exhaust you want and choose a cam that will work with them. You will have some performance increase with a big cam sound but till you install new heads/exhaust you wont feel the full potential.
Those comp magnum cams seem real popular for average street performance, they also give a reccomendation on rear gearing. If you go with a big cam you should also swap out the converter for one with more stall...
 
5

5.0ina66

Member
Jun 6, 2003
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Apr 15, 2006
#8
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #8
66nightMARE said:
I want to get some decent power out of my motor and most people I talked to recomended cam, headers, heads, gearing, etc....so I figured Id start with a cam. Do yall think starting somewhere else would be better?
Click to expand...

Yeah...first plan what headers, gears, heads, compression ratio, and convertor you'll use. Once you have all your parts picked out, you can pick the right cam. Since you plan on upgrading, toss the Performer and go for a PerfRPM intake.

There's a million ways to go about this and we don't have enough info to give good advice.

Only thing is, what about rebuilding the engine? I wouldn't do all this to a worn out, or old motor. If the engine needs rebuilt, rebuild the bottom end to spec with your mods in mind. That'd be the first thing to do, as it's the most expensive.
 

LMan

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Aug 10, 2002
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Apr 15, 2006
#9
  • Apr 15, 2006
  • #9
66nightMARE said:
Do yall think starting somewhere else would be better?
Click to expand...


Absolutely. Gears - exhaust - C4 upgrade first. Id recommend doing cam and heads together (either diff heads or port what you have) for best effect.

Dont forget to stiffen the suspension so you can put it to the ground.
 
5

57fairlane

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Apr 2, 2005
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Oakwood, GA
Apr 16, 2006
#10
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #10
Like everyone else . . .

You need to plan out what you want first, if you want just a cruiser, keep the Performer.

Then decide on the budget, and only from there you should buy anything.

The first things to do once you have decided that are, gears (probably nothing more than 3.55s with a c-4), exhaust and then into the motor.

As far as heads are concerned, if your planned powerband is less than 5600-5800, learn to port on your heads or get a set of D0OEs.

Converter, I have and have heard only good things about Edge . . .
 

latamud

Founding Member
Oct 22, 2002
791
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19
Tampa, FL
Apr 16, 2006
#11
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #11
No no no, supercharger first. Then do the rest. Its so much more fun that way! I'm kidding, but I've done it that way before. I would start with a good suspension and brakes. If all that is good, it won't matter what you put into it, it will be safe and fun.
 
5

57fairlane

New Member
Apr 2, 2005
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Oakwood, GA
Apr 16, 2006
#12
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #12
latamud said:
No no no, supercharger first.
Click to expand...

I know you were kidding BUT . . . .

Several people on turbomustangs were running BONE STOCK roller 302s into 11.80 range with only a turbo setup.

Its like magic
 

brianj5600

Active Member
Sep 19, 2003
1,964
2
39
Middle TN
Apr 16, 2006
#13
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #13
One guy went 6.18 in the 1/8 with a stock longblock and a carb.
 
D

D.Hearne

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Sep 29, 2000
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south louisiana
Apr 16, 2006
#14
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #14
5.0ina66 said:
Comp 292H, I helped put one in my cousin's friend Bubba's 302. 73 2bbl Boss 302, man that thing would flat out git it when we put that cam in! Had to crank the idle up a ton too, damn holley.
Click to expand...
73 2bbl Boss 302 ? Ain't no such thing. The 292H is the last thing he'd want in an automatic backed 289 that's used for commutes. Yea, it'd sound wicked, but would get it's ass handed to him by the local ricer crowd.
 
D

D.Hearne

New Member
Sep 29, 2000
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0
south louisiana
Apr 16, 2006
#15
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #15
66nightMARE said:
Sorry, I forgot to give yall more info. I was in a hurry to get out the door. Its a 289, basicly stock. C4 tranny, holley 600 carb, edelbrock performer intake. My dad drives it to work during monday thru thursday (4 miles round trip a day lol) and I drive it on the weekends just aound town and what now. I want to get some decent power out of my motor and most people I talked to recomended cam, headers, heads, gearing, etc....so I figured Id start with a cam. Do yall think starting somewhere else would be better?
Click to expand...
Comp Cams 268H would fit the bill here. It'll work well with stock heads, converter, exhaust and the rest.
 
5

57fairlane

New Member
Apr 2, 2005
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Oakwood, GA
Apr 16, 2006
#16
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #16
D.Hearne said:
Comp Cams 268H would fit the bill here. It'll work well with stock heads, converter, exhaust and the rest.
Click to expand...

Good thing he doesn't have a roller motor.

He might be tempted to put that piece of junk z-cam in it!
 
D

D.Hearne

New Member
Sep 29, 2000
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#17
  • Apr 16, 2006
  • #17
57fairlane said:
Good thing he doesn't have a roller motor.

He might be tempted to put that piece of junk z-cam in it!
Click to expand...
Z-cam's a POS ? Better stay clear of the one in my 331-sixpack then One of the better cams I've tried. Idles at 600 rpm, pulls like a freight train to 6500+ with no flat spots. No, I wouldn't recommend it in his 289, but it worked stellarly in my 331.
 
F

fastback brian

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Apr 17, 2006
#18
  • Apr 17, 2006
  • #18
I personally couldnt see taking an engine apart for a big cam and not swap the heads for somthing better. A set of milled and ported 65-66 289 head would be nice with a comp270 or 280 cam. But gears and converter is what your gonna feel while cruising for action. I remember when my car had the stock trans and 2.80 gears, the car didnt really start to pull till about 25mph in first gear.
 

BIG-MAC

New Member
Jan 22, 2006
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Dallas
Apr 17, 2006
#19
  • Apr 17, 2006
  • #19
I had a Comp280 with stock gears and converter that was an absolute pig off the line...I opted to convert to a manual trans
 
5

5.0ina66

Member
Jun 6, 2003
664
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16
Ohio
Apr 17, 2006
#20
  • Apr 17, 2006
  • #20
D.Hearne said:
73 2bbl Boss 302 ? Ain't no such thing. The 292H is the last thing he'd want in an automatic backed 289 that's used for commutes. Yea, it'd sound wicked, but would get it's ass handed to him by the local ricer crowd.
Click to expand...
Kidding! (figured you were gonna see that) I'd probably go with a comp XE256h or with better heads and all, a comp xe268h.
 
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