Excellent information and thoughts all around, guys.
@rumblefish360 , you're the best, sir. Tons of great info points there. I'm looking into those pistons...do you think the stock crank and rods are up to the job?
The engine is a relatively fresh (~15k miles) stock Magnum 300. Stock cam (195@50, .433 lift IIRC), stock 62cc heads, stock ~9:1 compression (though I haven't compression tested mine to be honest), Mopar dual plane intake, 650cfm carb, Doug's headers. 16* initial timing, ~35* all in. I have the FBO ignition box and a generic billet distributor from Jegs.... I've tried to free up some responsiveness and hp with electric fans and manual steering too. Don't get me wrong, the engine is fine. It just doesn't set my pants on fire.
Sadly, it's spinning (mildly built) slush pump auto but a manual conversion is in the works...hopefully in in time for the spring driving season. It has been a long time since I've driven a performance-oriented car with a manual gear box that can't rev into the 7k range.
I hear you...and we do not need to agree on this.
Once I got a taste for higher revving engines, I recognized that as something that I loved and wanted more and more of. Yes, there are lots of tradeoffs...efficiency, durability, low end power...none of that matters to me once the cam switches on and the motor comes alive with the revs "turned up to eleven." Ask the guys who drive first gen Z/28s and Boss 302s why they love their high winding "tiny" engines!
