Help! 72 C3 need motor advise!

[bowmaj]

Need some advise. just purchased my first C3 and is a all matching car very worthy of taking to the next level. very well maintained car by the first owners of 20 years and 21 respectively. I want to start with motor which is a SM 350 200 HP. Need advise on what I should do to give it some more power while maintaining all correct numbers.
What kind of pistons (assuming I go .30 over)?
Valve job was last done 20K miles in 97 but need to know what should/can I do with the stock heads.
Quadra jet carb - should I rebuild? Holley?
Exhaust is currently all new stock but would like some suggestions on the mufflers to get some nice sound!
Any suggestions?
thank you; John

 

[GTR1999]

Hi John
Sounds like you have a nice car there, I too have a 72 with the 350-200, TH400 and now 336 gears.

What do you want to do with the car, drive it, race it, show it? Does the engine need to be rebuilt? There is no need to bore it 030" over if it's in spec and then it it could go 020 over if need be. I did that with my car.

The Q-jets are good carbs if they are setup correctly. I have a Holley on mine now but I ran the Q-jet for 25 years without a problem. In fact I think it ran better then the Holley.

The stock exhaust is 2" with that engine, you can step up to 2.5" with good mufflers. Once you start to get into the "race" mufflers the car will be louder but many times have a drone to them. I have run stock, side pipes, chambered, and now back to under car with Flowmasters. I like them ok, hated the side pipes and chambered, stock was ok too. All depends on what you want.

Sounds like that car was taken care of, I think I would just drive it. If you start building up an engine you will also have to start building up the rest of the drive train to hold up to it. I have build a LOT of diff's and T/A's for guys who went to 400-1000hp and push the car hard but again I would drive it some.

Good luck
Gary

 

[Bwmurph]

My suggestion: "Tag and Bag" the original motor and stuff a crate motor in it.

Bernie O.

 

[Bwmurph]

My suggestion: "Tag and Bag" the original motor and stuff a crate motor in it.

Bernie O.