[ChuckDX77]

I just did a full DZ spec re-do on my 69. I stayed stock. You will get lot's of opinions, but I can tell what actually happened on mine, as other will also. If you are interested, in a nutshell, here's what I did. Stock dated -618 block, 4 bolt main, .060 over, I used Classic Industries hyper-eutectic pistons as they have the correct dome. Do not under-estimate this fact. #1178 crank, NEW steel rods, pressed pins,I used the original -186 heads with the correct Crane recommended springs and retainers, new stainless valves, the Crane "Blueprint" 30-30 cam, original intake and exhaust manifolds, revised advance can, Echiln #VC-1810, manifold vacuum, not ported vacuum, 72/72 jets, and it runs great, nice idle, with some lope. To address the low end issue, any changes you make away from the stock cam will move the low rpm horesepower down some. This engine runs great in stock form. You will have a devil of a time trying to improve both ends of the power spectrum at the same time. It's a trade off. On the other hand, if you want a stock look only, and want gobs of torque, a mild 383 will do wonders and no one will ever know...."yeah...it's a 302"...for my car, since it is an original Z, I could only put another 302 back in. It's your car, so only you can decide...however, if you plan on a 302 rebuild and want more power, you lose it big time on the bottom. Others may chime in and give you their experiences and now, well, you have mine. I wish you the best and hope it all turns out great...let us know!