1968 lemans convertible 350

[Sams68]

Hi my name is Sam and I am new to this form but I have a 68 Lemans convertible with a 350 and I want to rebuild the engine to get more power out of the 350 I've got a ideal of what I want to do but I am not sure about the camshaft I was thinking about going with the Rhoads V-Pro street lifters and a howards hydraulic flat tapper camshaft 410141-12 with high performance pistons and a port and polish head job but wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction

[Frosty]

What are your goals for the engine and the car as a whole? That should dictate what you do to the power train.

Port matching and polishing are always a good idea. I am not familiar with the camshaft you mentioned. What is it's particular specs? 

You will find high performance pistons for a Pontiac 350 might be a little pricier than a 400 or 455 simply because 350 Pontiacs are not a high demand engine these days. There is nothing wrong with it either.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Frosty

[Sams68]

I just want a weekend driver with some power at least high 3s you know and yea your right about those pistons I am planning on ordering them from Butlers... and that camshaft Advertised Duration 279/289 lift .490/.488 with a lobe separation 112 I was thinking about going with that or either have a custom one made for the build

[Frosty]

Your camshaft profile does not look out of line with many stock Pontiac profiles, so you should be okay. Your lift seems a tad high if you are using a 1.5 rocker arm.

What else are you planning on using in your build up? Are you going to stroke the motor with a different crank? ARP bolts all around I highly recommend. What are you using for an oil pump? Piston rods, intake and exhaust manifolds? Carburetor or EFI? Heads - stock or aftermarket and which ones? I would recommend stamped steel roller rocker arms for longevity.

If you are reaching out to Butler for your pistons, ask them for a complete bill of materials for your build up. They have the know how of what parts work best for your intended performance / driving goals. You are looking for a tad more than 1 hp per cubic inch based on what I've read, but you want reliable power, low end torque, daily driver type power and drivability.