Budget Build 5.9 for a 71 Scamp

ScampNYC said
This is great info, thanks. If I do a Eddy intake, that's a $350 price difference but still cheaper than sourcing V belt pulleys, balancer and brackets, unless by grace of god I find a used set.

And good call on the cam regrind, someone on my original thread also recommended Oregon Cams. I'll have to do a price comparison. Bullet Cams is on the East so shipping may be better. I plan on keeping track of every dollar for this build!

Seems like valve springs will be a must as well.

That was me. Bullet Cams is good also and so is Delta Cams. Any of them can do a regrind. The engine @273 posted in post 29 is mine and currently in my truck and runs awesome with that tiny 212/218 cam. Valve springs are a MUST with any camshaft, the stock springs are garbage and meant for low rpm truck stuff. That being said, if 300 hp is your goal, pressure wash that thing, slap an intake and carb on it and send it. They make that easily with the stock cam. Even with manifolds it’ll be up near that.

AJ/FormS said
If you up-cam, and you do not install headers/free-flowing exhaust, you could be leaving over 30hp on the table, and a lot of torque will be lost, thru-out the entire rpm band.
If you intend to run log manifolds, I wouldn't waste money on a cam. The factory 5.9cam is a good street cam for the lighter weight 71 Scamp.
However, my notes say that the truck 5.9s had their cam's installed severely out of time, on purpose, to limit pressure, to prevent detonation.
If it was mine, I would change that.
BTW;
IIRC,
1) the early Magnums still had provision for mechanical fuel-pumps, and
2) IIRC, Hughes still offers akit to convert them to mechanical pump, but you'll need a timing cover with the pump-mount.
3) If you ditch the serpentine system, you'll have to change waterpumps too, for two reasons;
a) the serpentine pumps run backwards, and
b) just try and make the gasket seal, lol.
There's a few threads that detail this swap.
4) from memory, the 5.9 cam is; chit I forgot, I'll be back

AJ fact check some of your stuff. Magnums never came with mechanical fuel pumps, ever. Late LAs had roller cams and came with TBI and had provisions for mechanical pumps but weren’t used. And the cam swap in a magnum makes a bunch of power even with stock manifolds. They are very under cammed from the factory. Up to 212 @ 050 they give up nothing down low and gain a bunch up top. We pulled mine down to 2500 and it was better everywhere.
@ScampNYC You either have to run the entire LA front dress or the magnum front dress. There’s no mixing and matching. If you use an LA front dress and want a mechanical pump, you need the snout extension from Hughes to bolt on a fuel pump eccentric.