462's

[Bucketman]

I agree with Dave about the aluminum heads. It just depends on your goals and what the iron heads actually need. Still the rockers and girdles are well worth the price if you can use them and their condition. The studs and push rod guide plates are likely stock. Those old iron heads will produce plenty of power for a street thumper as long as you keep the compression to a reasonable ratio +-9.5:1 or less on pump gas, depending on cam and timing control. I personally like using period correct components on stuff from a nostalgic perspective, Old school. I wouldn't put a ton into them though.

What heads would you recommend? A thousand dollars a pair is the top of my spending limit. sbc 350, with 600cfm Holley, will match cam to heads.

 

[Screaming Metal]

This ought to motovate you into getting a few ponies outta the 350.....
http://www.hioutput.com/tech/400hp/400hp.html

 

[Screaming Metal]

What heads would you recommend? A thousand dollars a pair is the top of my spending limit. sbc 350, with 600cfm Holley, will match cam to heads.

RHS has them, less than $500....

 

[baddawgcustoms]

Definitely have better heads available now days than the fuelie heads and for less money than bringing old heads back to life. My reasons for wanting these are purely sentimental and nastalgic. Same with the old cam choice. My father owned a machine shop Almost 40 years, which I grew up in and rebuilt these old heads when I had to stand on wood coca cola crates to reach the work bench. Being about the only machine shop around we built many of them and built a lot of 327s with solid cams and these heads for our dirt track cars. So I'm sacrificing a little performance for old memories sake.

 

[Bucketman]

RHS has them, less than $500....

That is cheap! Sounds like the ultimate set up for a street machine.
Was thinking of going with the bigger valves and a 64cc combustion chamber. Would like to keep compression below 9.5:1 for our quality of gas. Do they have other heads with different combinations?

 

[fletcherson]

RHS has them, less than $500....

That is a good deal...I spent more on a used set of Twisted Flow heads...They were in the box and like new, but still used.

 

[Mike]

Did they ever get all the problems with the Twisted Flow heads worked out? Wow, the Gen I heads used to be notorious for knocking out guides. The spring pockets were not cut perpendicular to the guides, and in spite of what they tried to tell everyone, that head required a special intake rocker. We were replacing guides in heads that didn't even have 200 miles on them, if you can imagine.

 

[fletcherson]

Did they ever get all the problems with the Twisted Flow heads worked out? Wow, the Gen I heads used to be notorious for knocking out guides. The spring pockets were not cut perpendicular to the guides, and in spite of what they tried to tell everyone, that head required a special intake rocker. We were replacing guides in heads that didn't even have 200 miles on them, if you can imagine.

I bought them for a project and ended up selling it so the heads are still in the box on a shelf. They were sort of an impulse buy and are in new condition, but I did read that they required special rockers as well. There is a guy at a well known machine shop (Performance Research) that I trust and would consult prior to running them because I too have heard less than favorable things about them since purchasing them. I paid 6 bills for them and at the time they were 1400 as built at the local speed shops so I jumped on them. They are the center bolt design, so I hope they have their issues worked out.

 

[roadmonster]

I got 462s already built up from a good shop for $400. No acc. holes to ruin the look. You might fill them with solder for a stock look. I used Felpro multi-layer steel thick gaskets to keep the CR to about 9.6. With a mild cam and just over 300 hp, they are quite strong and will spin 275/60s effortlessly and chirp 2nd gear.