HI,
I was really worried that it would just be a disaster to drive around town below 3000 rpm... but it is quite the dream to drive.
When I had the car on the Dyno 2 years ago, it had the 30-30 cam in it, a set of the Kustom 1 3/4 headers, a pypes exhaust system, and an 830 AED Eliminator Holley... it made 301 rwhp, which the dyno operator said would put that car at 12.8-12.9 based on his experience.
we didn't do any tuning at all, in fact I wasn't even planning to dyno the car... i know the timing wasn't optimum, nor had the valves been lashed recently... additionally, the 830 AED wasn't even close to being jetted properly for that motor..
fast forward to today,
same car, same motor, I now have the 140 cam, factory DZ holley on it, 1 5/8 Hooker Comps and a Gardner Chambered Exhaust from the headers back...
I can say with utmost certainty, that the car pulls much harder now, and I have a much more restrictive exhaust on the car now than I did when it was dynoed.
I think I read that JohnZ dynoed the same car that went from a Chambered Exhaust Car to a Transverse System and picked up 25 HP at the Rear Wheels??? If that is accurate, then I'm really leaving HP on the table with my current header/exhaust setup.
My ultimate goal is to get this car to make the most usable power with Factory Components that were available as GM parts at the time. I'm going to reinstall the Kustom 1968 Headers on the car at some point. The crossram will probably see service down the road, but after i solve the header/exhaust predicament.
The only issue then to solve would be what exhaust system to use that is both free flowing and factory appearing.
Nothing has the fit and finish of a gardner system, but there is alot out there that leaves them in the dust for performance minded people.
I'm probably going to look at Waldron Exhaust... they just reproduced the "Offroad" corvette system for the 63-67 Corvettes.
They make the resonators and transverse mufflers in both OE and 2.5 sizes that are factory appearing, but use their Impostor technology, which is a tad louder but has less baffles and should be significantly less restrictive than an OE system.
.
I just cant tolerate a "Drone" which my car doesn't do now.