Gotcha. I like the Quadrajet, and that’s what I’d do with the Edelbrock intake. I depend on one with my daily driver, and bear in mind it’s the vilified E4ME feedback model, but it’s let me down zero times, and the original owner had the same results. That’s almost 300K miles of trouble free service for going on 35 years with one rebuild done as preventative maintenance; even though it looked disgusting and slimy before, it still ran like a top. A Holley might survive that long, but the amount of people that come on here with Eddy carb calibration/programming, choke issues, it’s not doing this or that, my truck runs like **** with them makes me think that’s not the case for them. Some people like them, and I’m sure there are perfectly good reasons why, but I’m not one of those people. I like the high, variable CFM of the Q-Jet, the integrated fuel filter, small primaries, small fuel bowl, the steel fuel line going from pump to carb... It’s well ahead of anything Holley or Carter ever made in terms of design and quality, and the latter two have been making carbs for thirty years sans new Quadrajets in the picture, but who’s still the best? You can also rebuild/reprogram the Quadrajet for cheaper than buying a new carb.
The Vortec intake options are slimmer than regular head intakes. I see that Jegs has one for somewhat cheaper, and I don’t know what options Summit or Holley/Weiand has, but I’d keep an open mind at the benefit of saving money.
For a cam, I’d see what Comp has going on, but there are a few other good brands. I like for my HVAC, cruise, brakes, and whatever other vacuum accessories to work so I wouldn’t go crazy with it. I’m more privy to the hydraulic flat tappet options so I can’t offer you a solid recommendation. I think Gen II style small block cams are desirable, like an LT4 hot cam, and the performance oriented LT 350s were hot little motors once upon a time in the 90s. That’s probably something I’d go with if it didn’t screw up my manifold vacuum stability.
