65 396 clone
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 157
Likes: 5
From: paramus nj
65 396 clone
any suggestions on getting more hp for a small amount of money.
i recently purchased a very nice 65 coupe with a 66 chevelle 396/325 hp motor. it now has hooker headers and stock exhaust. i thought about square port heads and matching intake and cam, but it adds up to alot of cash and i dont think the car warrants that type of investment. any suggestions are appreciated.
i recently purchased a very nice 65 coupe with a 66 chevelle 396/325 hp motor. it now has hooker headers and stock exhaust. i thought about square port heads and matching intake and cam, but it adds up to alot of cash and i dont think the car warrants that type of investment. any suggestions are appreciated.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,194
Likes: 27
From: Monroe Twp, NJ
any suggestions on getting more hp for a small amount of money.
i recently purchased a very nice 65 coupe with a 66 chevelle 396/325 hp motor. it now has hooker headers and stock exhaust. i thought about square port heads and matching intake and cam, but it adds up to alot of cash and i dont think the car warrants that type of investment. any suggestions are appreciated.
i recently purchased a very nice 65 coupe with a 66 chevelle 396/325 hp motor. it now has hooker headers and stock exhaust. i thought about square port heads and matching intake and cam, but it adds up to alot of cash and i dont think the car warrants that type of investment. any suggestions are appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,658
Likes: 3,665
From: Central Arkansas
If you already have headers and the motor is in good condition then I would invest in a 2-1/2 in. exhaust system, better intake and carb and a little warmer camshaft. The 396/325 cam is pretty mild. I think you would find that the rectangular heads won't do you a lot of good on a 396 w/o going through the entire motor in the process.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,345
Likes: 87
From: Northern MN
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17
If you already have headers and the motor is in good condition then I would invest in a 2-1/2 in. exhaust system, better intake and carb and a little warmer camshaft. The 396/325 cam is pretty mild. I think you would find that the rectangular heads won't do you a lot of good on a 396 w/o going through the entire motor in the process.
Mild is kind for the cam in a 325. I used to own one and it had "no" rumble at all. Idled like a kitten.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,105
Likes: 96
From: Sunrise FL
You did not specify your carb and intake, but be aware of hood clearance if u change
I used the corvette central Magnaflow system w headers; any stock system will need short custom pipes fitted out from the headers, just make sure to use 2 1/2 pipes
Last edited by mikem350; Apr 17, 2011 at 11:30 AM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,099
Likes: 59
From: Grande Prairie
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2020 C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2019 C2 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
A 325hp chevelle engine will be a 2-bolt main but not a tall deck truck block. The cheapest way to add a little horsepepper might be to replace the q-jet with a new or used Holley or Edelbrock 750 with vac advance. The headers you have are already a huge improvement over the stock manifolds on those engines.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 7,831
Likes: 5
From: Austin TX
Lots of good advice here!
I wouldn't think about rectangular port heads.
They would kill a street 396.
The Magnaflows are a great idea, and if you can do a 2 1/2 mandrel bent system to them it would be great.
The big thing is the cam, as already mentioned.
It will be good for power and help avoid pinging.
I wouldn't think about rectangular port heads.
They would kill a street 396.
The Magnaflows are a great idea, and if you can do a 2 1/2 mandrel bent system to them it would be great.
The big thing is the cam, as already mentioned.
It will be good for power and help avoid pinging.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 157
Likes: 5
From: paramus nj
it seems like everyone is confirming what i had suspected! a cam and larger free flowing exhaust will probably help. thanks for the input guys.
im happy to be a part of such a helpful community here.
im happy to be a part of such a helpful community here.
