CLASS RACER FORUM - View Single Post

oldskool · 02-05-2020, 07:58 AM

It has been brought to my attention that it can cost from $6,000 to $11,000 to have a set of Pontiac iron SS heads done correctly, if you wanna have a set that will flow enuff to make big power.

I understand that lots of guys have plenty of retirement money to spend, or have plenty from whatever source, & spending $100,000 or more for a race car is pretty common place.

But, having always been a low budget racer(not by choice), I've always looked for ways to win, without spending max dollars.

I don't have a clue what all has to be done to iron heads, that could cost nearly $10k or more. But, it apparently involves reshaping ports for max power, and doing it in such a way as to pass tech.

Anyhow, if there is such a thing as building a lower budget SS car, that will just barely run under it's index, what is the min amount of work that would have to be done to the heads. You know, I'm from the old school, where a good 3-angle valve job & a simple gasket match, blended back into the ports was about all that was done to heads, for high performance street or bracket racing.

I was so ignorant of class racer tricks that, until I got online a few years back, I'd never even heard of acid porting Stocker heads. Heads-Up use to have a section on their website talkin about their version of this process. Haven't been able to find that section in recent years.

https://www.castheads.com/cylinder-h.../acid-porting/

https://www.manta.com/cp/mx79fbv/518...take-manifolds

I know that Heads-Up has done the heads for some 10-sec Pontiac Stockers. Several of these 10-sec Stockers run quick enuff to run under their SS index, even in Stock legal form. So, for someone wanting to build a lower budget SS car, that will just barely run under it's index, what would it cost them to have their iron Pontiac heads treated to the 10-sec Stocker head build ? Are we talkin $5k ? More ?

To get down on simpler terms that I can understand, aprox how much difference in ET would there be between some as cast iron heads with the correct valve job for racing, the acid ported(or whatever the latest Stocker head tricks are) Stocker heads, and the all out high dollar SS head build. I mean are we talkin about a half sec potential difference between each level, or a whole sec, or even more. Just need some ball park figures.

Some of you guys who have been doing this for a long time, how much have you gained, ET-wise, from the old method of building SS heads, to the way they do 'em now ? Is the new method worth a sec, 2 sec, or ? Not talkin about anything done to the shortblock, but just from the difference in head work & cam change that head work allowed.

I know this info is probably old hat stuff to lots of long time racers. But it's all very interesting to me. And, I assume there are a few younger guys here who don't know about all the changes that have come about, over the last 40 or 50 years.

02-05-2020, 07:58 AM	#3
oldskool VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: The Land of Bayous, Boudin & Crawfish Posts: 1,668 Likes: 223 Liked 747 Times in 362 Posts	Re: Best Pontiac Powered Super Stockers It has been brought to my attention that it can cost from $6,000 to $11,000 to have a set of Pontiac iron SS heads done correctly, if you wanna have a set that will flow enuff to make big power. I understand that lots of guys have plenty of retirement money to spend, or have plenty from whatever source, & spending $100,000 or more for a race car is pretty common place. But, having always been a low budget racer(not by choice), I've always looked for ways to win, without spending max dollars. I don't have a clue what all has to be done to iron heads, that could cost nearly $10k or more. But, it apparently involves reshaping ports for max power, and doing it in such a way as to pass tech. Anyhow, if there is such a thing as building a lower budget SS car, that will just barely run under it's index, what is the min amount of work that would have to be done to the heads. You know, I'm from the old school, where a good 3-angle valve job & a simple gasket match, blended back into the ports was about all that was done to heads, for high performance street or bracket racing. I was so ignorant of class racer tricks that, until I got online a few years back, I'd never even heard of acid porting Stocker heads. Heads-Up use to have a section on their website talkin about their version of this process. Haven't been able to find that section in recent years. https://www.castheads.com/cylinder-h.../acid-porting/ https://www.manta.com/cp/mx79fbv/518...take-manifolds I know that Heads-Up has done the heads for some 10-sec Pontiac Stockers. Several of these 10-sec Stockers run quick enuff to run under their SS index, even in Stock legal form. So, for someone wanting to build a lower budget SS car, that will just barely run under it's index, what would it cost them to have their iron Pontiac heads treated to the 10-sec Stocker head build ? Are we talkin $5k ? More ? To get down on simpler terms that I can understand, aprox how much difference in ET would there be between some as cast iron heads with the correct valve job for racing, the acid ported(or whatever the latest Stocker head tricks are) Stocker heads, and the all out high dollar SS head build. I mean are we talkin about a half sec potential difference between each level, or a whole sec, or even more. Just need some ball park figures. Some of you guys who have been doing this for a long time, how much have you gained, ET-wise, from the old method of building SS heads, to the way they do 'em now ? Is the new method worth a sec, 2 sec, or ? Not talkin about anything done to the shortblock, but just from the difference in head work & cam change that head work allowed. I know this info is probably old hat stuff to lots of long time racers. But it's all very interesting to me. And, I assume there are a few younger guys here who don't know about all the changes that have come about, over the last 40 or 50 years. Last edited by oldskool; 02-05-2020 at 05:58 PM.