My 68 convertible originally came with a 327 and a powerglide. It has monoleaf stock rear and runs really good with a 305 I picked up basically for nothing. I know I should of put a 350 in there but I bought a wrecked 87 Formula with a 65k mi 305 engine. It's has a roller cam and I added some goodies (4bbl, intake, headers, 1.5 roller rockers, dual exhaust and a new Accel HEI). I bought the Formula for $300 then sold the car for parts with the 700r4 tranny and made $200 profit. So that's why I have the engine. I had a spare 2004r from my Monte Carlo I had a while back. Together with the 305 and stock rear end I get good mileage and some low end power but you know how we are......if we can do something to make more power without opening the engine we might as well do it.

Here is my question, can I use the cam that came on the HT383 crate engine? Also it's used on the RamJet 350 crate engine. It's GMPP part # 14097395. The specs are 288/308 duration at .050, then tappet lift is 196/206 with 431/451 valve lift. Valve lash is zero/zero and lobe centerline is 109 degrees. The engine has stock heads and what I remember they are NOT the low flowing type with the swirl nor are they the high flowing type with High compression. I believe they are 64 cc with 1.84 intake and 1.50 exhaust.

The car runs really good but on idle sounds like a small school bus. I'm looking for something that makes a little more than what I have and sounds better. I know I will sacrifice mileage. I already exhausted my bank account with all what I did so the cam swap would be my final project.

Sorry for the term paper bible I wrote. I really appreciate your advice.

 

Turn up the volume on your computer, and listen to these cam idles.

This is a small block sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGx2syDo8lM

This is my car with a big block: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wsDRVY1bNI

You have a small block, if you like the sound, read the thread on the black car, he states what cam and exhaust he used!
Good Luck!

 

Your car sounds beautiful...Thats what a Camaro should sound like. You can actually count off the strokes. When I was a kid my neighbor took me for a ride in his Chevelle big block and it had that nice lopey idle. We had to yell at each other to talk. We pulled up to a group of on lookers and someone spoke up and said "Quiet everyone that car is talking dirty"!!!! WOW your car sounds sweet. I loved it. The black car does sound nice. I do not think I will ever get that far. My 68 sounds like a muffled tow truck, some people like it but I certainly don't. If you read the following in a deep tone, it's sort of like

.......Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom.

My 305 has that peanut cam in it and I have the factory type dual exhaust set up.

Thanks a for the info

Anyone know if the cam I'm looking at would make a difference???

 

The guys at Comp can get you what you need in terms of cam without sacrificing a ton a vaccum ... but if you are looking at exhaust .. I would really recomend the 2 1/2 inch Flowmaster set-up for the first generation Camaros .. the sound is awsome ... actually with a 292 H cam .. and the Flowmaster exhaust ... the sound is identical to the small block clip in the earlier post. I can tell you the 292 is not much for vaccum in the small block.

 

Awesome info, I didn't know about that cam until you told me. Well, I should of read this earlier because I just bought the HT383 cam on ebay for half of what I was gonna spend. Thats OK though. I couldn't find an LT1 cam for under $100 bucks. The ones I found are used and without the fuel pump lobe...and I needed that. The HT383 cam was at $160 plus shipping but I found it for $75 shipped. Now I understand the sound I'm looking for IS with the Flowmasters but having a convertible, my mufflers are loud enough.

Thanks again, I really do appreciate it.