help with my build please?

[77ta455]

Hi, I have a 77 trans am with a 71 455 with 98 heads and ram air 3 manifolds an edelbrock performer 750 cfm carb what i believe to be a Stock cam and edelbrock rpm intake and 29 inch tires in the rear with 3.42 gears can someone tell me if i would get a bigger upgrade from a camshaft or from #96 heads and also if anyone could give me a current hp/tq estimate and perhaps an estimate of what it would be with a crower 60243 and what it would be with the heads and perhaps with both as well?? (also quarter mile estimates never hurt either)

Thanks

[rad400]

I would find 6X4 or 6X8 heads and the Crower 60243 or 60919. Some port work to the heads 7/16th BBC screw in rocker studs. roller rockers with poly locks headers good bottom end should be around 450 hp iron intake and qjet carb from 76-79.

[72blackbird]

No.98 heads have 1.96/1.66 valves, 114cc chambers, and press-in studs- not my choice for a 400+ hp 455 build. No.96 heads are a much better choice- 2.11/1.77 valves, 96cc chambers, and screw-in studs will yield around 9-9.2:1 SCR on a 455. I've ran a Crower 60243 in a 455 with 6x-4's, stock intake and Q-jet- the combo broke into the 12's w/ a TH-400, 2500 stall, and 3.23 posi, so it's safe to say that engine was making at least 425+ hp.

The stock 225/70R15's (2nd gen T/A) are bout 27" tall- a 29" tall tire will slow your Bird down and reduce your gearing to an 3.18:1 effective ratio.

Geno