L82 heads v aftermarket

[sd pacecar]

I have read alot of info/opinions on the various aftermarket heads available. It seems all of them out perform the stock heads. I would like to know if anyone has set up a factory head with a port/polish job, pocket porting or any other trick to improve the performance of the factory head.
The reason I ask is I would like to keep the engine original in my Pace Car. I have heard varing opinions on aftermarket intake manifolds v stock. Some say the performance gain is not very much. I would like to keep the factory intake, along with the heads. With that in mind, what kind of power gains could I expect from a totally worked set of L82 heads? And would it be posible to Extrude Hone the factory intake? It is aluminum.
I have the 700r4 and 3:55 gear.

 

[KenSny]

The stock heads are double heat riser heads (2 exhaust ports running thru) and therefore always run hot and are prone to cracking in this weak area. I would not think you would get your monies return on porting and polishing this head! Why not store the original heads/head, and upgrade to some decent power at a lot less expense? To extrude hone the intake would probably cost $300-500 for not much gain. With the L82 you already have the large valves, so you would not see a "lot" of gain by porting the heads.

I guess the key is that you want to keep everything "original". Then IMHO you pretty much have to live with what the General supplied.

 

[Tom73]

The reason I ask is I would like to keep the engine original in my Pace Car.

I am a big supporter of the idea of pulling the original engine, storeing it away for safe keeping, and droping in a crate engine. The value of old vettes is in having the original engine. If you blow it up hot roding it on the streets there goes your value. But storing it away will allow you or a future owner to reinstall the original stock engine to bump up the value of the Vette. In the meantime you can be the terror of the street with a good crate engine.

tom...