Turd is in the definition. If you've never had a fast-rate cam, you can't have a basis of comparison . Once you have had a fast-rate I cannot imagine going back. 56* is awful slow. On the upside I once heard of a slower one, right here on FABO, but I forget just how slow it was. So 56 is the second slowest I ever heard of.
And the 272,with an ICA of 62*, the Dcr works out to 6.5/123psi on an 8.0 engine, and at sealevel. 1000ft drops it to 6.3/118psi. That makes a mighty soft bottom end.
Whereas same 216 cam @050 but at say a 260* advertised, that Dcr might jump up to 6.8/130; still soft but now over 10% better.
Getting the compression up to say 9.5, would possibly jump the Dcr with the 260* cam up to 8.1/161psi. Now we're getting somewhere. That's 36% better. And if you've never driven a 360 with over 160 psi, well........ now you're in for a treat!
As a comparison, IIRC the stock cam was a 252*/112. That cam might make,in an 8.0 engine, a Dcr of 6.9/132psi. So, as you can see, the 272*@123, is already 8% softer than the stocker, which itself was pretty soft. Whereas the 9.5 engine with the fastrate 260* is 22% better than the stocker.
What about the stock cam in the 9.5 engine?heehee.Glad you asked; 8.2@164psi.
So as for me, I'd jump the compression up before I would change the cam. Waaaaaay cheaper in the end.
More bottom end "power",
Power from idle to 4000, just where you need it.
stock TC,
stock rear gears,
stock exhaust even,
you could even run the stock 2bbl,
more mpgs,
Slap the pedal and squalk the tires,
Waaaay more fun in the end.
Easy decision;
what's a set of 9.5 pistons cost,installed, to make the idle to 4000 zone almost spectacular; where the car operates something like 90/95% of the time;
VS what's it cost to band-aid that 272* with gears and a hi-stall, headers and hi-flo, plus a 4bbl kit, plus upgrades to the fuel,ignition and cooling systems;to operate in that 5000 to 6500 zone, like once in a blu-moon?
As for me, me and that cam would have a date with a bungee-cord, and I would launch her into last Wednesday, never to be seen again.