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Carb advice

The key is to remain honest with yourself. If you are planning to build an engine that will typically operate off-idle, up to 4,500 RPM, then you have to stick to the plan. Tunnel rams, Dominator carbs, 2" primary headers are not going to work, those parts are all designed for completely different applications.

The guy that managed our engine shop was a circle track racer. He was building an entirely new combination, one that really only had one, restrictive rule. You could run what you brung, but it had to have a bone-stock, 500 CFM Holley 2 bbl. on it. Jeff didn't build a monster, with a 4 bbl. to 2 bbl. carb adapter atop all of it. He built an engine from that wee carburetor, down. If memory serves, he won all but two features that year, always had quick time, and won the track championship. We were building all kinds of stupid stuff for other guys in the same class, and there was Jeff, driving circles around all of them.

Decide what it is you want to end up with, then chart a course to get there. But you can only accomplish that by remaining honest with yourself.
 
I know what you mean about the tall engine look. I went a little cheaper route with the scoop. 350/th350, Edelbrock rpm cam, manifold, 600 cfm Edel. carb, Summit cast iron heads, 3000 stall converter and 4:11 gears. Stabbed it once from a dead stop and I won't do it again but if you jump on it from a roll it's a ton of fun. It's not a highway cruiser but it was never intended to be one. When I say I do things cheap I mean as cheap as possible. I made the scoop mount myself along with the wheelie bars from metal I pulled from the scrap bin at work with blessings from my foreman. The scoop mount was free and the bars cost me about $12 for the wheels and clevises. If you're going for the race car look sometimes function has to take a back seat, then sometimes it doesn't.
 
Great looking ride Gregg! I never have figured out why I like the "tall" engines, but I do. I used to do a lot of drag racing in my late teens and early 20s, but those days are long gone. I think I am going much more for a look now-a-days than I am performance. Don't get me wrong, I still like performance a lot, I just don't find it necessary to run 11 second quarter miles anymore now that I am over the half century mark. If it looks good, runs good and sounds good...I'm good.
 

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