I have an original L65 2 bolt main in my 72 Camaro. I have a friend who has some used but reconditioned and ported camel hump heads cast # 3927186 that he wants to sell for $500 bucks. My Engine has headers, Holley 600 CFM carb and a Holley intake with an RV style cam. If my math is right these 64cc heads will pump up the Compression ration to 10 to 1. Will I have any issues with using these in my current set up and will the 2 bolt mains be OK with this increased compression? This is a street only car that I drive less that 1K miles a year. I trust the seller, but is the $500 about right?

The old camel hump heads were modern tech back in the 60's but are way out dated by today's current crop of heads. The design of the combustion chambers are not as efficient as something like the vortec heads and you're going to have issues trying to run them with pump gas. The $500 price is a bit steep; a set of vortec's or aftermarket will be a much better bang for the buck. Just my .02

I agree with Corkye. That price is high and the heads aint all that great.. If it was 15 years ago that would be a great buy for a street car, but not today.

Vortecs will run circles around those old heads, same with just about any aftermarket head on the market nowdays.

You can go to vortecs for around $500-600 (used heads from ebay or junkyard, new intake, used valve covers, new valve springs, etc)

I can honestly see him having $500 in them if they are built right but you dont want a set of $500 camel humps, I ran mine fine at 11.57:1 on pump gas and made it in the 11's with them but they are just plain outdated. For the price your not far off something that will perform much better. Im not sure vortecs are the answer though because then you need self aligning rockers, intake and possibly mods to accomodate lift and springs which would be pushing IK 200 value when all is said and done.

Agreed 100%. A used set of vortecs may be $350, but all the rest of the crap you need (self aligning rockers, centerbolt valve covers, vortec specific intake, and not to mention the limitied lift available to the stock vortec's) make it a pretty costly swap.
Of the camelhump heads the 462 and the 186's are the better ones IMP (not withstanding the rare X heads). Worth $500,,,,,,,,,,,, I don't think so even tho he probably has that and more in refurbishing them. Parts and labor adds up pretty darn quick when your trying to bring a set of 45 year old heads up in shape. I'm getting ready to put 4 camelhump 461's (no accessory holes) on evilbay,, I'd love for them to bring $100 a head!

Thanks, Appreciate the advice. Very helpful. I understand the heads came off a SBC 406 used a few times on the strip so the port job is pretty involved and they come with HD springs and a port matched single plane Intake (which I really do not want). These are what came on the Z28s of the day and mine is a clone. I also hope the increased compression ration will wake it up a bit. The engine does not burn a bit of oil so Im trying to do with without spending alot. I really do not want to go the vortech route with this car for appearance sake. I see summit has a set of new heads like these at 67cc for $650. Am considering those too.

I'm of the opinion Vortecs are worth the swap. Just ask those of us who have actually used them how well they work. For a street car I would go back to them in a heartbeat. :cool:

I do agree if your doing a fresh build the vortecs are a deal seeing as how you need the other parts anyway, If your looking to do a clone then maybe the 186's are your heads maybe you can even get them a little cheaper? The 186's will undoubtably wake it up over most factory heads until the invention of the vortec. Good luck

Vortecs can be done cheap now.. No need for self alining rockers if you go with screw in studs and guide plates

Ebay or junkyard heads $50-250
new intake $130-170
valve springs $40
have heads drilled and tapped for screw in studs and guide plates $75-95
studs $20
guide plates $17
Used valve covers $10-15

Now just flip the retainters upside down and grind some off the bottoms of them.