Check with your header manufacturer if they like straight plugs or angle plugs, that can narrow your choices

The biggest drawback to the Brodix IKs is that they only come in straight plug configs. They are a good head for the money.

Under $1000, there's patriot.
https://www.patriot-performance.com/...&cat=40&page=1

Go to the roller cam, there's no reason not to. A set of roller lifters is $120 from GM performance. The cam is no more expensive than the one your looking at.

"best heads" are the ones that match your cam, intake, and exhaust within your budget. That's when the combination comes together.

 

It's an '85, they're flat tappet... Have to do a "retro Roller" which is more expensive. A Roller will make more power... whatever you use get as much Lift as you can. Try Comp Cams, they have faster acting lobes, and generally more Lift. You could save up your money and do the Heads and Cam at the same time as your Intake; save yourself a lot of work. Don't use Straight Plug heads on a C4 and expect everyone to make Headers for it. I like AFR heads myself. Use the Search function; there are many combos and much info there.

 

Good heads for that rpm range and a 383 down the road so its wise to invest in those while you can. the compression is low for an aluminum head, but if you go 383 with flat tops, that 65cc chamber will give 11 to 1 and you dont wanna go too much higher than that so DONT mill the heads

Since your going flat tappet with pretty low lift, i aggree with jsup on this one. YOu could get away with cheaper heads that should support your goals and that cam better. However i still feel AFR's even with less than optimal lift are not a bad choice and since you plan on larger power down the road i wouldnt hestitate to get them

heres a problem tho. AFR factory springs are setup with 135lbs on the seat, designed for roller cams. Thats alittle high for a flat tappet and your gonna wear the lobes/lifters down. So when you get them , take the factory AFR shims off the head and then reinstall the springs for lower spring pressure.

I cant remember what the factory installed height was, i think it was 1.76" or close to that which i think will give more like 140lbs seat pressure. AFR had .015" and i think .030" shims on those heads. I'd have to check my build notes as i wrote down what i shimmed my springs to for my roller to get more pressure and i think i wrote down the factory AFR specs. Either way i'd advise to check out the installed height and shim to lessen the pressure on that cam.

Now that i think about it, the seat pressure may not be your only problem. Thats a double spring so the open pressure will be around 350 i think is which is also way high for a flat tappet.

AFR isnt really a good head choice out the box for flat tappets due to the springs installed but you can always go buy a set of comp 981's for less than 100 bucks and sell the AFR 8017 springs as they are GREAT springs that fit stock L98 heads and LT1 heads so anyone looking for a cam swap for their LT1/L98 those springs would be a wise choice. You'd get your money back easily.

That cam isnt bad but i think it will be done before 6000 rpm being short of your goal. you could look into one step bigger for that over 6000 rpm range but watch the overlap. Smoother idle will be with less overlap. This is why i like roller cams. you can get lift and less overlap to make a smooth car but make nasty power still. But with your lower compression at 9.7 to one or so, that bigger cam will make it abit lazy on the low end. Still enough to be fun but not as much as the smaller cam. when in doubt error on the small side.

I'd go ahead and say that cam you have in mind isnt that bad. Run 1.6 rockers tho to get the lift up to make the AFR heads happy.

Keep in mind that 383 down the road. the more parts you can have now to make it happy for the 383 later the better. If you plan to reuse that block, convert it to hyd roller cam now and be much happier later with the AFR's.

Else keep your AFR springs and swap them in later when you get a 383 block but make sure its a roller cam block and run a roller cam down the road. It will be very much worth it

 

I have to say that I feel you may be going about this with the wrong method. The first thing you need to do is sit down and figure out the budget that you are going to adhere to. Once you've done that, you need to sit down and come up with "real" expectations for the engine. I have to ask, if you have heads, a bottom end, and want to end up with a 383 (since you are buying heads for that) why not start out by putting together what you have and using it; then come up with a nice block (aftermarket if needed), forged rotating assembly, roller cam, so on and so forth (depending on what you want out of the 383 package). Nothing you will buy for the initial build is going to be a good fit, or if it is somewhat of a good fit, it won't be a good fit for the next iteration (which you don't even have defined yet) so why concentrate on it at all? Don't spend money on this build to turn around and not have want you want on for the next one (you haven't even defined what the next build would be, but you want to buy parts for it?). Just .02 from a guy that has put a few of these together over the years.