1969 Engine Uprgrade Suggestions

**reparebrise** · 10-29-2008, 09:14 PM

go to the holley and crane cams web sites, they have good web tools to determine the good mix of parts, think of the carb as the lungs, and the cam as the brain, even though your brain sais breath, if you have cold sometimes the lungs don`t co-opperate. An engine is a system, where every part affcts the other, too much carb for the cam or too much cam for the heads will make an engine worse, not better.

**Todd@RUPES** · 10-29-2008, 10:33 PM

Okay from the top...

A three speed with overdrive is a 4 speed like a 700R-4 (TH350 with an additonal gear). GM put these in everything in the 90`s and you can pick one up for pretty cheap now. Not sure how they bolt up to the Pontiac engines but I don`t think it is too much of a problem.

As far as the motor, why not drop a 400 or 455 Poncho in it, or even bone pick a 350 Chevy from the junkyard.

If you want to stick with the 350 Poncho and just add a little power to it (it will never be fast) you can throw a set of headers on it, an intake, and buy a book on how to tune a carb. Then tune it well and you should push 240-260 net horsepower, which isn`t a ton, but will move the car out nicely.

**Todd@RUPES** · 10-29-2008, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by BigJimZ28

new heads are not in you budget

stall IMO prob about a 10" 3500

but it is really going to depend on how crazy you go with the cam, how much power the engine makes and where in the powerband it makes it`s power

the shift kit is going to depend on how hard you want it to shift

If you are sticking with stock heads (which don`t flow well on the 350 poncho`s) then you are going to want to stick with a mild camshaft (likely similar specs to stock but with a little more lift and a more aggressive ramp). In this case 3500 might be too much stall and make the car feel lazy around town. Keep the converter as tight as you can on a daily driver and focus more on tuning and throttle response.

Small cam, headers, intake, 650 carb...

**wytstang** · 10-29-2008, 10:46 PM

A set of long tube headers preferably ceramic coated headers, they last longer and run cooler. All the other mods will only add little power to the power band if the engine can not exhale. Let her breath. Whatever is left over money wise swap out the intake manifold (grab one used off ebay and clean it up) and a new 4 barrel carb. A 600 cfm will work with a very mild 350. I`m sure Year One and the like sell conversion packages that include everything you need.

Looks l

**steelpontiac** · 10-30-2008, 08:30 PM

Everyone thank you I appreciate your time. I think I have an idea of what to look further into now. If anyone has any more suggestions please throw them up for me.

**wytstang** · 10-31-2008, 11:21 AM

Swapping out the ring and pinion in the rear end gives a nice seat of the pants feel. I went from 2.73 to 3.73 and OMG did that feel awesome. Unfortunately this should be done by professionals as a press is needed to do the job. Also setting the back lash is critical. Do it wrong and you just cost yourself a nice chunk of change. Let a pro do it. I`ve done the exhaust, intake, under drive pulleys, and gears by far the gears are the best bang for the buck thus far.