I know texas speed has ones for around 1,600. I'm on a budget and would like some oppinions on the best bang for the buck combo. Or any particular budget heads you know of will be fine too paired with a cam.
Thanks Cody

 

Your best bet on budget heads is Patriot or PRC. They are both nice budget heads that produce some good numbers. From searching, they are producing about the same gains with similar cams.

As far as cam choice, what are you looking for?

 

The cam can be fairly wild, I was thinking about texas speed 233/239 but I'm sure other people know more about this than me.

 

The TSP 233/239 cam would be a good choice. I have a 232/240 .595/.610 110 with the Patriot cnc'd 243 heads(2.02/1.57 valves) and made 432/396 with stock compression. Driveability is great and the car sounds awesome. Im installing a FAST 90/90 to hopefully get to 450/410.

Heres a clip of my car idling.
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/d...6701722887.htm

 

Thanks for the help Jeff, sounds like a setup I was considering.

 

Oh yea do you have any other mods done to your car?

 

I already have a TR 224/224 cam, and thinking about going with the Patriot Heads on top of 150 wet shot. I think I should make some good numbers.

 

Wow sounds good! and loud,what do you have for exhaust? Also Im in the same boat as Wilson.What other mods do you have to make the 432? Thats where I want to be...thanks

 

I'm on stock un touched heads, ECS's cam install, slp lt's/hi flow cats, ECS tune, 430rwhp

 

I have FLP longtubes/offroads/x-pipe and a Corsa indy catback. LS6 intake, Shaner TB, vararam, and an SLP pulley are my other mods. Im going to start on my FAST 90/90 install soon, and hopefully get to 450rwhp with that.

 

Here is my flow chart from my Patriot 243 heads that are milled to 62cc chambers.
Haven installed them yet, but I've been told these heads should put down nice numbers.
Good luck with your chioce

 

I would strongly urge you to go spend a ridiculous amount of time over at ls1tech.com, consuming everything you can on cams. I am just now coming to a conclusion as to what I want, after spending the last three months pouring over information here and at LS1tech.com. It's amazing how your tastes can change as you learn more... I'm going a whole different direction than I thought I would head two months ago. Good luck.

Oh, and nice choice in year/color/model.

 

I agree with kilrb....I spent a few months on LS1Tech learning about various cam options before picking mine (with the help of a good tuner of course). I needed to know what to tell the tuner...cause you can't just say "I want lots of hp, perfect idle, and wide torque band" because that doesn't exist. There is always a trade off. I went the "broad torque with decent idle and good hp"...torque is what makes your car fun on the street. I'm staring at my chart on the wall now..I'm at at least 350ft lbs tq from 2800rpm to 6300....gains of 30 to 80 ft lbs everywhere...before I never even hit 350 at my peak (343 was max). Car is a lot more fun now...when you punch it, it MOVES (or spins). Of course hp is up ~90hp too....but the torque is what you want for a DD.

Cam is a 228/232 with .598 lift....

 

Sending you a PM!

 

I recently did a head/cam swap and used TSP's PRC Stage 2.5 5.3L heads with Cometics .045 head gaskets. I first installed a Comp Cam 228/232 .588/.595 111+1 I also added American Racing Headers with cats, Shaner TB, LS6 ported oil pump, and a underdrive pulley. I did the work myself and Jason at TSP did the tune. The car made 432 rwhp and 400 rwtq. The cam shook the car real hard at idle and I lost a little drivability. The thing would pull like crazy though.

I got tired of putting up with the cam and installed a Comp Cam 224/228 .581/.588 114+2 I like this cam so much better. It drives 98% like stock and I can drive it around at 1200 to 1300 rpm if you need to. It still pulls real hard. I got to aggressive for me on the lobe seperation on the 1st cam and it loped real hard and you couldn't drive it at lower rpm. If I had it to do over, I would have probably gone with something in between like a 228/232 .588/.595 114+2

I spend alot of time over on LS1tech also for about 6 months reading everthing I could find about cam selection. Most of the LS1tech crowd is younger for the most part and are into most hp they can get. They are real aggressive with LSA so be careful and ask questions from people who have actually have cams in their cars.

The tried and true 224/228 .581/.588 114 is hard to beat for a daily driver.

 

Great information! I've been leaning towards something like a 226/230 112+4 or a 224/228 112+4. It's hard for me to want the 224/228 mainly because it's so common. I want something more custom made for me, but it's proven so I like that too. I've been looking for about a month now and I'm about to go crazy. I can't imagine 6 months! Especially afterwards if you didn't like it!

 

Alot of what I had read was to pick the cam that you think you want and then go one bigger. That is what I did and it turned out to not be what I was willing to put up with. I think that if I would have done the 228/232 on a 114+2, I would have been happy with it. As good as my car drives now with the 224/228 in it, I am going to leave it alone. Later this summer, I might add a 90/90 setup. That should put me close to 450 rwhp. One thing leads to another, to another, to another.....