327 to 360 conversion.

More research is required, but with a 2" journal rod and an overbore you could get to 375 inches or so, get the piston weight down to about 500 grams with a custom, a 1.84" or 1.94" intake valve and the port could be right for the inches, put a torker on it and spin it to 6500 or 7000 rpm. It'd make a real 500 hp, and that would make people sit up and take notice of the Rambler!

Ken_Parkman wrote: Just a point of interest I've had the 327 heads on the flowbech, and actually the intake flow is quite good, and the design is quite good. The cross sectional area is decent and will support all you would ever want out of the 327, or more. The port is actually up off the deck a bit, better here than the 290-401 engines. Of course it's not a modern race design, but the basic port is really quite decent. In my opinion the chamber is not so hot, but the real problem is the exhaust port. It's terrible! Tiny and twisted and the center ports are combined. I have a set on the go to see what we can do; this is a little more serious effort. Working on old stuff is really cool and rewarding, much more fun than "cookbook" stuff. I do think the head will really support decent power. Again, not like a modern race head, but it will get the job done. Just need 3 or 4 more guys and we could do a custom connecting rod to make a reasonable cost stroker, I figure about 375 inches would work nice.

I'd be interested in seeing what the bottom line would be on the 375 cu.in. engine would do.
Is it going to outrun the heads ability to dump thru those exhaust ports? Headers? My plan is long and I hope to start in it by fall, haha. I have enough spare parts to easily build an engine while using my stock 37K mile Jeep Vigilante.

I hate the idea of the Torker, simply because I have THREE 327 4bbl intakes

I wonder if the air gap would be a better choice now because they are better on the street and the bottom of the air gap would be easier to separate from the manifold? And they look cool.

The 327 responds to cams about the same as a 360 would -- or any other V-8, really. I'd start with calling a cam company, ask about regrinding, then when they ask what you want ask for recommendations. They will ask what kind of performance you want and go from there. You can also research cams for a 360 and use the specs for one that sounds like what you want. 

For a street engine I'd forget big hp numbers -- they don't matter, just bragging rights. A 350 hp engine setup right can outperform a 500 hp engine on the street OR strip if the 500 hp car is setup to run well on the street. It's the entire package, not just the engine. Big hp numbers are developed at high rpm. Unless you're drag racing a lot concentrate on making power in the 2000-4000 rpm range. That will be a good street engine AND perform well on track outings. It would be a bit mild for all out drag racing, but it's hard to make a good street/strip car. There are those who drive 500 hp engines on the street that do well on the track and THEY SAY well on the street, but lopey cammed cars are a bit finicky on the street, and deliver poor gas mileage and low speed performance in general. Yes, they CAN be street driven, but with a lot more driver input than most are comfortable with. Some like it like that...

My recommendation for a good street performance grind? Isky 256 Supercam. 0.450" lift, 256 degrees advertised duration (202 @ 0.050"). The lobe center is 112 degrees, but you're going to be limited to the original lobe center, or very close. Rpm range is 1500-4800, perfect for a good street performance engine. A bit hotter is their 262 Supercam -- 0.465" lift, 262 adv. duration, 108 lobe center, 2000-5500 rpm.  I prefer something that starts making power before 2000 rpm, as that's a good cruising speed, especially if using an OD trans. 2000 rpm in OD at 70 mph is a good economical speed. Without OD you want to run in the 2300-2500 range at 70 or so, 55-60 around 1600-1800 rpm. With a cam that produces good power around 1800 you can run a couple hundred under and still get good gas mileage and not have much lag in acceleration or hill pulling.