I ran across these heads this weekend with the casting number C8VE-E. I picked them up for $20.00 complete. Are they any good to make power with? Just wondering what they were from, or any suggestions I should do to them.

Thanks ahead of time.
Josh

 

1968 429/460, small combustion chamber heads, basically same as DOVE heads will raise your compression and will givve you the HP increase related to teh raise in compression but depending on your setup could make you have to run premium gas. can they make power, sure with some porting they will work just fine, and with a max port job probably good to around 650-700hp on the proper setup. (please note that is the max porting, and about the max hp those heads will support not neccesarily what you can expect)

 

Same basic 429/460 head as the later C9VE & D0VE, except almost never drilled for Thermactor, which makes life easier when porting them. Yeah, they'll make good power if well ported. $20/pair is a very good price, assuming they are not cracked.

Like any of the std. 385 series heads, they need help in the exhaust side of things. At the least, pocket port & blend the valve bowls, smooth or remove the Thermactor bosses carefully, & put better one-piece valves in them with a accurate valve job. They can be converted to fully adjustable rockers pretty easily; you may not even need to have the stud bosses milled, just use new studs & guideplates. Certain rocker brands may require the boss be milled down .100 or so. As with anything, check your valvetrain geometry to be sure.

Much more detailed & specific porting guidelines are available at http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/, Scott Johnston's site, for a small one-time fee. He's managed to make around 700 verified hp with the early heads (& close to that with the later D3VEs.) Worth the fee IMO.

I have C8VEs & actually prefer them a little to the more talked-about D0VEs because of the Thermactor issue. Any of the 385 series heads, though, (with the exception of the one-year only D2VE pieces of crap) will work just fine for the average street 429/460 with some effort.

 

Right on Monster thanks for that. Well I am running a 460 .60 over, RV cam, Wiend Stelth with a Holley 750, Headmans not sure of the primary size, running into Purple Hornies(I just like them), and a mallory E/I. Any idea what that might be worth?