Advice to bump my stock 78 Camaro 350 from its 185 HP to 275-300 HP

I recently bought a 78 Z28, had one when I was younger and always wanted another. Anyway, what can I do without a complete rebuild or engine swap to bump this engine up another 100HP. I am going to put on headers.

I am looking for advice on a CAM that isnt over the top but will help.

How about a new intake manifold with the existing Qudarjet?

Do I need new heads or can I get the original worked to improve performance from them?

The cars runs good right now but we all know they were dogs in their orginal configuration.   Thanks in advance for your advice.  

IMO, it's better to buy new aftermarket heads than to spend a bunch of money reworking factory heads.  

imo,  I would go with a package kit where it comes with everything like the edelbrock performer kit. not hard to install blockcan stay in car and you get heads manifold cam all made to work together for the hp gain you want.  

irishmanspride:
imo,  I would go with a package kit where it comes with everything like the edelbrock performer kit. not hard to install blockcan stay in car and you get heads manifold cam all made to work together for the hp gain you want.

This is good advice and it should get you the 100hp you are looking for and maybe a little more.
The stock heads were pretty much junk from those years. Why throw money into junk, invest in that kit and you will be much happier with the results.  
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+1

The Edelbrock Performer package will deliver what you're after.

Whatever cam you do buy, make sure to get the manufacturers suggest matching valve springs.  

oof, Dave treed me...hard to respond and watch baseball  

+1 on heads. Pay attention to timing and ignition upgrades too. smog timing sucks  

Induction is the only way to get some Horse Power.
  Edelbrock makes some top end kits that work really nice. If you do increase the HP don't choke it off by by stock exhaust.
  Use a 15/8 street header 21/4 dual exhaust. Then finish it all off with a 3:70 to 3:90 rear gear ratio depending on your tire size.

Bob  

68scott385:
oof, Dave treed me...hard to respond and watch baseball


I agreed with you and caught you sleeping.
I used to do pretty good on the pro tree with my tranny brake cars and rarely got beat on the .400 Pro tree.
I was totally inconsistent on the granny, blink blink blink, bracket tree.  
[[SUPPORT AMERICAN CARS, STOMP A RICE CAR TODAY.]]

I have a 1979 Z28 and a 1981 Z28. The power difference in just 2 years is staggering. I believe 79 they had 220HP and 1981 which was when GM went to a fully electronic distributor was down to 180HP?
My first, 79, and 81 were stolen. But both were replaced later on. The second 1979, Z28 was what we called back in the day a factory freak.(Meaning just that a Freak).
  I purchased it from a woman from California. Her husband was relocated to NJ where we lived. She worked for the Chevy Buick Olds dealer. I had my company car service. I took it for a ride, and it was different. I told her I'd be back with the money ASAP. Long story short this 79 was fast, for a 79 smog engine. I asked her if anythng had been done to the engine in CA. She told me NO! She was the original owner. That 79 Z28 had 25,000 in 1981.
  I was going to do some head work on it so I pulled the engine to reseal the rear main. Everything was going along until I pulled the oil pan. Pink Rods, forged crank, and  pistons, and a cam number I could never find. The head was a 75cc P/N3973487 were of the 70's. . The intake was a stock Z28 for that year P/N 340261 Z28. I had run across this in other engines. I had a GURU friend that he and I thought he knew everything. But the bottom line General Motors is not going to stop the production line because they ran out of pistons or cranks or engine assemblies. My GURU bud and I came to the concensis that it was a an LT1 engine that was to go as a stock item. But who knows how many there where like that. When you tried to decode an engine 30+ years ago it was nearly impossible. But anyone thats been around a special order engine from GM would expect to have a complete turnkey engine.