5.2/5.9 H.P build guesstimate

HankRearden said

It is worth mentioning the 280h cam selected for the 318 build will be a dog on the bottom end if you don't follow the rest of the build and the compression up.
Years ago we used that in a 350 chebbie with stock low compression pistons and a stock converter in an 81 pontiac grand prix with 373 gears. Dead off the line. My 360 with much less cam and equally shitty compression destroyed it drag racing in route 8.
Something arrund the comp 262h probably would have been better for our application.
And the 350 has the advantage of cubes.

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At the stock compression of the engine, I’d call it OK. I’d rather see another point of compression myself. It’s not the end of the world though.

The 380/360 engine, much like what’s being built here, the key for performance is a properly stalled converter, gears & tire size that also work with the weight of the car which is really the bigger problem no one seems to see or address.

Everyone would rather, as it seems, to bludgeon the engine/cam size as a dog and even more so through members that have had or have the engine for n a heavy car with inadequate converter stall and gears often in a car that has not an ideal weight.

I agree that a smaller cam would be better for general street driving and mild performance, but I can’t make the call it will make the asking HP or performance goal he’s looking for.