454 Camshaft Choice? Decisions Decisions!

[tucsonjwt]

I had a 73 454 C20 with a bad cam - lobes wore out and crushed the pushrods, etc. So, I just had a stock cam installed. As I recall, early 454s had "soft" cams from the factory and many needed replacing. I have an 83 C20 454 (with a granny 4 spd, not a turbo 400 like the 73.)

That 73 454 with a turbo 400 was the fastest vehicle I have ever owned, including my 63 SWC corvette. So, I don't know why you would need a fancy cam, unless you plan to race that beast. My 83 would be fast but the granny keeps the acceleration down. I am not interested in speed - just reliability.
If you use your VIN to search for a stock cam from GM you may find that your stock engine had an "RV" cam, especially if you have a camper special like my 83, so that is the way I would go.

[savatreatabvr]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

I had a 73 454 C20 with a bad cam - lobes wore out and crushed the pushrods, etc. So, I just had a stock cam installed. As I recall, early 454s had "soft" cams from the factory and many needed replacing. I have an 83 C20 454 (with a granny 4 spd, not a turbo 400 like the 73.)

That 73 454 with a turbo 400 was the fastest vehicle I have ever owned, including my 63 SWC corvette. So, I don't know why you would need a fancy cam, unless you plan to race that beast. My 83 would be fast but the granny keeps the acceleration down. I am not interested in speed - just reliability.
If you use your VIN to search for a stock cam from GM you may find that your stock engine had an "RV" cam, especially if you have a camper special like my 83, so that is the way I would go.

Yeah I'm not looking for a fancy cam, I'm going with a stock one. I'm over the stop light burnout phase, a good stock well running 454 is good enough for me now!

[Jake Wade]

Here is an example of a camshaft that will work well in a stock engine and meet your goals:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hr...make/chevrolet