I’m race conscious—as in half, three-quarter, full and super-full race. That’s how we described the potency of a cam grind or powerplant, as in “He’s running a three-quarter race cam,” or “That’s a full-race (or house) flatty under the hood.” Then, like now, it’s all about combinations, although manufacturers like Phil Weiand didn’t sell multi-element kits—carburetors, headers, cams and so on—to interact with their finned aluminum heads and two-, three- or four-pot intake manifolds. Rodders were left up to their own devices, often ending in less-than-satisfactory results when they selected a cam, pistons, and a carb to go along with the heads and manifolds they had purchased. Today’s rodders have it easy. All they have to do is make a call, get the hot combo, and send the cash. But before you make a move, check it out, because it’s our intention to provide the why and wherefores.
