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Crippled 1967 Camaro RS

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  darom 
#1 ·
Greetings,

I got this car 3 years ago. Finally being done with exterior and interior restoration, the drivetrain needs to be worked on.

Looking for some advice from you, guys.

I was replacing my PG tranny with a rebuilt TH350 when I noticed my 'no brand' headers all got rusted. Besides, they completely block access to the spark plug holes. Any suggestions on a good set of headers which will comfortably fit in the Camaro engine bay? The rest of the Midas exhaust is all rusted too. The previous owner did not even bother attaching the exhaust pipes to hooks (rubber ring-donuts), so the whole assembly (dual) was happily hanging off the headers.

Then I wanted to see what gear ratio the car has. It is a 8.2 inch 10-bolt. When I rotated tires with a buddy of mine and counted how many times yokes did - it was 1.5:1 non-posi! What the hell? How can this happen? In 1967 original Camaro at least had 3.x:1. Did we mess up the ratio test?

And as an icing on the cake I ran the engine block numbers to find out I have a 200hp 1973 350 engine (V1029CKD). What a disappointment. I have a 600cfm Edelbrock carb with Edel. RPM manifold.

So it looks like this car is all patched up with different parts. And it is dog slow.

I guess after the tranny swap (I still need to get a TH350 torque converter 1900-2100), I will replace the gears (3.55:1).

What would you do if you were in my place? Do the torque converter and gear ratio sound ok to you? I have a $1.5-2k budget to blow. I'd like to own a fast street car with occasional drag strip trips. Any ideas about the exhaust setup?

Sorry for the long post, it is a question of life and a car being called 'muscle' one :) I just want to make a good purchasing decision.

Thanks!
Denis
 
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#2 ·
I have always heard good things about the Hooker headers. Get them ceramic coated if it's worth the cash to you. Get some Hooker Aero Chamber mufflers.

1.5:1? That's gotta be wrong. Look at the I.D. tag on the rear-end. 3.55:1 would be nice.

I would go with a 2,400 stall speed.
 
#3 ·

1.5:1? That's gotta be wrong. Look at the I.D. tag on the rear-end. 3.55:1 would be nice.

I would go with a 2,400 stall speed.
Thanks for your input! I checked the rear-end ID and the only numbers I could find where printed on the front side of the cover (GM 54, 8894859NF). I did some searching and it looks like these are just generic manufacturer's numbers (they don't ID the ratio).

Do Hooker headers easy to work with (spark plug access)?
 
#5 ·
in the rear.....you have 308s if i t turned 1.5 times...

if your looking to go fast go at least 373,,,,411 if you dont mind cruzin the highway slow....also it depends on the tire size you want to run.

as for headers...tou can get a cheapy pair fro about 100$$$ use good gaskets and itl work...

if you have the xtra cash get hooker 1 3/4 headers...dont waste your money on hookers 1 5/8 headers...

as for plugs if you want headers you got to put up with hard to get to plugs...and burnt wires here and there ....when i was running 1 7/8 headers on my 69 maro the plugs were damn near impossable to get to...

mufflers.......aerochambers:smash: :smash: caca....

go with a flow and 2 1/2 exaust...

buy a little better now...it might not work the best for what else your running but you wont have to buy it again to upgrade it:mwink:
 
#6 ·
WICKEDFAB said:
if you have the xtra cash get hooker 1 3/4 headers...dont waste your money on hookers 1 5/8 headers...
Thanks for your post, Wicked. I tried finding a set of Hooker headers with 1 3/4 size. The problem is that all of them show the code 'A/C - n'. I installed a Vintage Air a/c system with the compressor on the passenger size. Would this create a clearance problem for 1 3/4's? They probably mean 'A/C' factory installed with the heater/ac condensor box in the engine bay. Right?

3.08 vs 3.55 rear end - would this be a noticeable difference?
 
#7 ·
3.08 vs 3.55 rear end - would this be a noticeable difference? [/B][/QUOTE]

Yes, acceleration will improve slightly and will increase RPM at highway speeds considerably:

With 25" tall tires and 3.08 gear 75mph will be 3105 RPM
With 25" tall tires and 3.55 gear 75mph will be 3578 RPM

With 27.5" tall tires and 3.08 gear 75mph will be 2822 RPM
With 27.5" tall tires and 3.55 gear 75mph will be 3253 RPM

If it's a cruiser go for the taller rubber and the 3.08's nice all around combo and you won't beat your A/C compressor to death either.

Click here to figure out your own tire and gear combos:http://www.drivetraindirect.com/html2/calculator2.html

Click here for tire sizes and diameters [url]http://www.bridgestonetire.com/dpp/[/URL]
Get into the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 or Dayton Daytona Radial SR by clicking on brand selection they have allot of sizes to look at.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the links, Goldduster! I might just leave my rear-end alone or do it later.

Similar question - headers size 1 3/4 vs. 1 5/8: any improvement in the performance? Would the engine 'breathe' easier? Or too much of a good thing can actually hinder it?

Wicked brought up a good point about upgradebility of the components (get quality parts once for life) when I am ready to replace the engine with a 383.

Is the noise of the installed only headers (no mufflers) of a V8 pretty tolerable for the neighrbors? It is a 2 mile trip to a muffler shop from my house. I dealt with rotary engines before, and boy, they screamed without exhaust :)
 
#9 ·
Stick with the smaller headers, 1-3/4 might slow you down even on a mild 383, the larger tube headers can be a real chore to install and to live with when it comes time for spark plug changes.

Even a low-compression 350 with open headers will be pretty loud. You can get away with it once if you are driving straight to the muffler shop just do it during "awake" hours so you don't piss anybody off including the local constables.
 
#10 ·
Goldduster360 said:
Stick with the smaller headers, 1-3/4 might slow you down even on a mild 383
Cool, thanks! I talked to 2 tech reps at Jegs and Summit and asked which headers they would recommend. They both suggested to go with the Hooker Super Comp 1 3/4 setup for my '67. Since 1 3/4 and 1 5/8 Super Comp headers are the same price, it is just a matter of what power band I want to see from the engine: either low end torque (street application) or high end (racing). 1 5/8 fits best the low end. And you are right - the bigger headers' installation/spark plug access might be an issue as well.

Thanks people for helping me out!
 
#11 ·
these are just my opinions so........

as for gears its not worth the $$$ to cahnge from the 308s to 355

for streetable and you want to go fast 308s would flat out suck unless your going for top speed...................355s would be better but still if your doing 1/4 mile, still poop....373 would be optimum... 411 would be the best for going fast like i said before if you can stand the higher rpms...

as far as header issues...i think they are talking about the factory ac stuff protruding out of the firewall

spark plugs......you are always going to be able to change them no matter what you run...it might take you a few extra minutes to do so tho.....

now for header dia....i am giving you my opinion after running
1 5/8 and 1 7/8.....i would run 1 3/4 in your situation

i would take the opinions of people who have run both......im not telling you to use them but to think about where your getting the info...most people read articles etcetc and thats what they tell you bigger headers will suck ......well they dont...

they also tell you other things...that are just legends...like solid cams having to adjust them often....yeah ...only if you dont know how to tighten polylocks

and also carbs.i can go on and on...

basically talk to people who have tried what you are questioning...:thumbup:
 
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