It's a stock 396 350 horse out of a 69.
I'm going to switch out the intake for a factory aluminum #3885069 I've had for a few years.
What I'm wondering is what cam, heads, and pistons would be a good choice?

I would like to run aluminum heads and have as high compression as I can run safely on 93 octane.

I want the car to have a motor that could be daily driven and even used for a long range trip if I wanted to.

>> "have as high compression as I can run safely on 93 octane. "

>> "motor that could be daily driven and even used for a long range trip if I wanted to."

In the real world these two things are mutually exclusive, incompatible. You'd be better off limiting the CR so you drive it somewhere that doesn't have a nice fresh load of 93 waiting for you. That would be if you really want to drive it.

Think Butch said KB came out with some new 396/402 pistons, didn't they?

Like I said as high as I can.
I've seen alot on here about dynamic compression and how the .050 duration of cam affects the overall compression.
Most of the low compression motors I have seen in people rods just don't have a good sound to them.

If you got the money afr makes some nice oval port heads that will give very strong torque and still pull on the top end. The only pistons i've found that will fill 118cc heads, and aren't custom pistons are http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=TRW-L2242F60 They are .060 over and would bring you to a 408. They sell the heads with 114 and 118 and 121cc. The 118cc will get you to about 10:1 cr. These heads run from $2500 to $3400 a pair, but they would give you awsome power and driveability, depending on the cam. I would go with a roller to take advantage of those heads. But if you want a daily driver it might be an over kill.

Use your stock GM heads (063 closed chambers, right?). These are around 101 cc's and your
stock compression ratio is probably about 9.8 or so, not really 10:1 as the factory says. Use
new pistons with about a .182" dome, some short radius port cleanup on the intake/exhaust,
and get a good performance three-angle valve job done.

Install a Lunati VooDoo 268 hydraulic cam with proper springs and you'll be good to go with
power (390-400 HP) and reliability. Plus, you'll save some $$$$.

Sounds simple doesn't it?

Charles

Thanks guys,

I've been looking at some of the lunati voodoo cams.

Afr makes some nice products but their size listings look like they might flow too much.
I had thought about trying one of the edelbrock performer heads like their 454-O high compression head. It has a 100cc chamber or their 454-O performer rpm with a 110cc.

I have 702 heads on my 396, and had all new valves and valve job, and put a voodoo 268 cam with roller rockers, rpm intake. The cam is right in between street and race. It has a nice lopey idle, but runs about 15" vacuum, and has a lot of torque, with is what makes a street car goes fast in between stop lights

That's 2 votes for the 268, looks like the way to go.