I am looking to add a little muscle to my 72 Skylark convertible with air, it has 52,000 original miles. I want it to be a nice driver both highway and locally, meaning a nice sound but with some performance to it! It has a stock 350 two barrel and I have just purchased Hooker headers, an American Thunder flowmaster exhaust system. I am looking to add a performance cam and aluminum intake to it. Can anyone give me any suggestions on these items? Does any one have used parts? I am also adding a power brake booster to my four wheel drum brakes, can I use my old master cylinder and proportioning valve with the booster? Any other suggestions would be appreciated!
I believe that your choice on intake is either a stock iron manifold or the TA dual plane, which is said to have it's fair share of problems. See the thread titled "She's Alive" in the small block section.
I have a 4bbl stock intake from 71 model. boiled out, bead blasted and painted in duplicolor 1608 red. $50 plus shipping from 64834, weighs about 70#
I do not think what you want may not come from those mods. I would start with a performance air cleaner element, x pipe , dual exhaust and a distributor recurve. Some al intakes are thought to be good only for weight savings. Putting in a big cam may actually slow the car down in real world stoplight to stoplight driving. I do think going to a 4 barrel will help. Perhaps the $50 stock in take will save money for some other mods. (Then there is the cheap 455 transplant)
Save your money on the Al intake. Your first concern should be the rear axle. Your set-up should have a 2.56 rear, open. Your best bet is a 3.08 posi set-up. Next install a better ignition system, cast iron 4 bbl intake, 750 Q-jet, dual exh, headers and you will have a great running engine.
Thanks for your help guys, I will go with the cast iron manifold. What cam would you suggest, there are a few out there from T/A that I am looking at. Tim
Jim, you mentioned using an X pipe dual exhaust, I have a new H pipe setup that I was planning on using, it sounds like I should get the X pipe? What do you think?
Tim, the X pipe is supposed to be more effective than the older designed H pipes. But if $$ is an issue, and you already have the H pipe, I would suggest using it anyway instead of spending more for an X.
Thanks David, money isn't an issue I just don't want to overdo my spending on this car, where can I get an X pipe? Thanks Tim
I have a 3.08, 4 bbl set-up in my 71 GS350 conv. I installed a 215-225 cam, works great and will cruise all day at 2200-2500 and get about 20 mpg on the highway.
I have one on my 71 GS350 conv. Works nice but I think for city driving/cruising, money better spent elsewhere.
So you suggest going with a cast iron one and maybe investing in a posi unit and gears? What carb make and model would you recommend? Do you know of anyone putting an aftermarket posi unit in the stock rear end? Tim
I would use the cast iron intake. Get new 3.08 gears and a posi unit. Luckily for you, you have the corporate 8.5" rear which the center section was used from 1971-89. Lots of choices/selection. If you have some local U-wrench-it yards, you can find posi units and 3.08 gears in GM full size wagons from 1980-89. See the article on the site below for more details. For carb, use a 70-2 Qjet, which is a 750 cfm. If you can't install the posi and gears yourself, find a local axle builder to do it.
Thanks for the info, I will check some local junk yards but I doubt I will have much luck in finding a posi rear end, I think that they are all pretty well gone! Let me know if you ever come across one, or even a 12 bolt rear end. I had a 70 GS 455 back in the late 70's that I terrorized the local Chevy's, Ford's and Mopar's with! I used Kenne-Belle pistons, cam kit , headers, 456 posi, MSD ignition, Offenhauser 2x4 intake with dual Carter AFB 625. and a 4,000 stall converter, I ran 12.5's at 108mph. I think I should have ran 3.73 gears. I sold it when I got married in '86, what a shame!
Im tryin to add a little muscle to my 1974 Apollo to and i was thinking of putting a new intake and 4 barrel carb on my stock 350 2 barrel engine. Does anyone have any suggestions of what brand i should get? How big of a carb should i buy? Do any of you know where i can find what i need? Your feedback will really be helpful
Use the stock 70-2 intake with 750 Q-jet. Your limiting factor is your rear axle ratio. You should have a 2.56. I would suggest a 3.08 and a posi unit. You have a coporate center section, 8.5", 28 spline axles so you can use a posi and gears from any corporate 8.5 from 1971-89. See the article below on how to locate posi units and removal. Good Luck!. Also, you should upgrade your ignition to HEI.
I hate to disagree I put the TA aluminum intake with a Jet Performance Stage 2 quad on my 71 skylark 350, and it was a incredible night and day difference!!
