1972 C10 performance Upgrades?

[dpetteng]

I have just purchased a restored 1972 C10 with a 350 CI. It is restored in a very standard way and I wondered what easy performance upgrades I could make?

I have read a lot of the first ting that comes out is headers? Agree?

What else?

I am from the aircooled Porsche/vw world so sorry for the dumb qustions.

Dave

[Stocker]

Welcome to the boards and congrats on your new truck! Only dumb questions are the ones that don't get asked...

IMHO, headers will help only if you have a performance-modified engine that needs help breathing better. Ramshorns have excellent flow capacity and are a great choice for anything stock or near-stock.

If your truck has factory A/C, it came with a clutch fan (for engine cooling). If not, and if it has a rigid fixed-blade fan (or worse, an aftermarket flex fan), consider changing to a clutch fan. That will provide improved cooling, quieter operation, and free up a bit of horsepower.

If by chance it has a 2-bbl carb, swap that for a 4-bbl for a noticeable HP gain.

A bit more effort & money, but figure out what the gear ratio is in the differential. Depending on how it will be driven (and what you expect from it), changing the gears can make it feel more responsive.

[dpetteng]

Great thanks. I have aircon so guessing I have the clutch fan. Can you suggest a good 4 barrel carb upgrade?

[Stocker]

Mine has a factory Rochester Quadrajet and I've been happy with it. Other carbs will work.... give this thread some time, others should chime in with suggestions.

[picklito]

I'm a big fan of the quadrajet carb, but you're dealing with a 45 year old carb that needs to be rebuilt and calibrated by someone who "really" knows their stuff. I've run many and they are great when they're right (what isn't?). This time I threw a brand new Demon spread bore carb on mine and it's by far the best running out-of-the-box carb I've ever had. Worth looking into if you swap to a 4-barrel. And I'd keep the ram's horn manifolds as above, and just get a good dual exhaust. I'd also recurve the distributor advance and make sure you have a tire height and gear ratio that match what you want the truck to do for you.

For handling, you can lower it just a little and run front and rear sway bars. That will make a huge improvement in feel even if you're not into slammed trucks (I like to look at them but don't want to have one!). Quicker ratio steering boxes are available, too. If you decide to go ahead and get it to handle a little better with these mods, read around for the caster mod and do that, too. That one costs you some front end time but not much money. Definitely do it if you end up rebuilding the front end.

[steelhorse]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is converting your points style distributor to an electronic one. Aftermarket or HEI, A hotter spark can make a big difference.

[michael bustamante]

definatly switch to hei.

[Stocker]

^^ I considered posting that but wasn't thinking of it as a power-increasing performance mod. Often helps with starting though.... to me, the biggest advantage with HEI is not needing to mess with points anymore. Good mod though, I never regretted doing it.

[Thorkle Rod]

Consider doing a compression check. It will possibly give you an indicator of the engine condition and possible internal parts such as Flat top pistons or dished. I have three small blocks, and the 3 engines, range in compression from 135 in all cylinders average, to 165 and 195. Pull a valve cover off and find the casting number of the heads, with this number you can find out which kind of heads you have low compression or high compression etc. from this data you can ask the question again.

Which intake and what carb do you have now, along with what transmission you have, and what your goal is for performance. The choices and set ups are endless. It all depends on what you are willing to do and your pocket book is willing to give.

[Stocker]

I keep thinking this so I might as well post it....

"Speed is money, how fast do you want to go?"

[geezer#99]

And I keep thinking this...
Patience, Grasshopper!!
Drive it and get to know it until spring and then consider some mods. The cooler months aren't the best time to try to sort out some new toys on your truck!!

[mike16]

front and rear anti sway bars from 73 and later trucks

[67 chevelle]

Originally Posted by mike16

front and rear anti sway bars from 73 and later trucks

Agree front and rear sway bars make these trucks handle alot better , especially if they dont have any to begin with , my 67 c10 came with no swaybars front or rear , the first vehicle Ive ever owned that did not have a front swaybar , it was an experience

[Mike C]

Some good advice above. Suspension is where I would start. Getting the truck down a little (or a lot!) sway bars, good shocks, wheels and tires will do more to more it fun to drive than more power. My 307 powered truck speaks to this.

Exhaust. If the truck sounds good it also adds to the fun to drive experience. Headers may be worth a little power, but just a little on a stock motor. For a driver I would look at getting some reproduction 2 1/2" outlet Corvette manifolds and some Walker Turbo mufflers (ie DynoMax) for great sound that's still mellow without drone. Should equal or better headers on a mostly stock motor. And none of the pervassive leaks that seem to follow a set of headers around.

HEI. This is actually the first mod I did on my truck and you certainly could move this to the top. If you shop you can get a complete drop in HEI for less than $75. The old adage that 90% of carburetor problems are ignition still rings true so making sure the ignition is squared away allows you to focus on other things. For plug wires look into a spiral wrapped core and I suggest wires pre-terminated for a '75 Corvette to keep them off the valve covers just like the OEM '72 wires.

Quadrajets work great and Summit has a house brand for about $300. I would do a Q-jet because it allows you to buy reproduction steel fuel lines eliminating the rubber that can fail. The Edelbrock Performer is still a good choice for an intake, but the house brands from Jegs or Summit are worth a look as well.

[mike16]

are the edlebrock Quadrajets rebuilt carbs or out right new carbs?