motor:
350 4bolt
comp cam xe262h
vortec heads (not machined)
vortec performer intake manifold
headers (havent chosen yet)
rochester q-jet carb
stock stall converter

tranny/rear:
700r4 w/ b&m shift kit
3.42 posi rear

1982 sport coupe
No options except rally wheels

 

high 13's shouldn't be a problem. I have nearly the same car as you except 3.73's and I run 14flat with damaged exhaust, crappy headers and badly tuned carb. I think fairly low 13's is possible with a tuned vortec 350.

your carb is a bit smaller than mine, but it should work just fine.

 

moved to drag racing board.......

 

you need a better carb and more gearing, you should be close as is depending on the q-jet.

 

i think you can provided you get traction. I'd get a stall convertor, maybe the saturday night special from TCI and a Holley carb would help you out even more. FOr headers, Heddmen has some shorties for 100 bucks and for another 100 a custom made y-pipe. And for those vortec heads...DO NOT machine them. I read somewhere they run best and only doing machining ruins them. You may want to check up on that.

 

Working Vortechs isn't too bad man, depends on what you do. I mean, when you say "Macheining" that can mean porting, surfacing, valve job, modifying for better valvesprings, all kinds of stuff. "Gus" had to have his macheined to accept the valvesprings he needed because the cam was too much lift for the ones that came on the heads. Decking them to raise compression I don't think could hurt much either as long as its not overdone.

I'd make sure you can launch first. If you can get good traction off the line, then a 2000-2500 stall convertor will get you moving even faster. Yeah... more gear would probably help too but the 3.42 is already in there, might as well work with it. Changing rears isn't cheap but i guess neither is changing convertors

 

You don't need a new Q-Jet, when tuned properly Q-Jets are among the very best carburetors.

 

for daily driven cars i agree q-jets kickass, but not for straight line performance...

 

oh yea 13's are easily possible with that combo. one of my good freinds had the same engine combo as you and put down a 13.77@103 (uncorected) mind you this was at 3500 ft altutude at the slowest track in texas. corectedfor altitude that is like a 13.1@106 however he did have a th350 in a 4000 lb car.

 

If your saving the money to buy a new (I'm assuming) 4 bolt engine, put it off a little longer and get a pair of good aftermarket heads?

 

sorry, this post was almost pointless. I havent done much searching around for aftermarket heads. I did notice the sportsman 2's though. that is what i am DEFINETLY going with. Sorry for jerking people around. I was trying to get opinions. anyhow, you think with my mods and the sportsman 2 heads, mid 13's possible with traction?

 

Definatly, but a bigger carb and torque converter should be next on your list...