All u 80's guys that know cams????

my dad was telling me about his cam that was in his 318 when he was a kid as i remember it was hella nasty sounding as a kid with a milidon geardrive(witch i have now an cant here it,that pisses me off)he said it was a 3/4 rise race cam what dose this mean in now a days english it was a purple shaft for sure any ideas guys i need a cam an i always had a crush on the way that car sounded!
MIKE