[Will]

I can understand being on a budget and not wanting to rebuild a solid bottom end if you don't have to. However, you need to consider your overall goals for this car and engine. Are you going to be happy getting a nice power bump from your mods and don't plan to do anything beyond that or will you eventually build a bigger engine that might need different heads?

Limiting myself to just the question you asked, I would strongly warn you not to extend the operating RPM range of a stock shortblock unless you like picking internal engine parts up off the street. The stock connecting rod bolts are weak and *will fail* if you start revving that thing beyond 5500 RPM on a consistent basis. A rev limiter of some sort is a smart investment.

If I was you, I'd give the good folks at KRE a call. I think a set of their D-port aluminum heads would be just the ticket. Much better port and chamber design for a street car than the E-heads. The only problem might be getting a combustion chamber size that will work for you but I'm hearing rumblings that they're offering a little larger chamber now.

A cam with duration in the mid 220 @ .050" range would work great. If you go with the KRE heads, it would also be a good idea to run a high ratio rocker arm to speed up valve motion and increase lift for the same duration. What is it that roller cams do as compared to flat tappet cams again? Oh yeah, they speed up valve motion and increase lift for the same duration...

With a stock bottom end and a rev limit of 5500 RPM or so it will be very possible to put your car into the mid 12s with the gears you have, good heads, the right cam, intake, carb and torque converter.

The RPM intake would be my first choice, followed by a Torker II or the new Tomahawk topped off with an 800 Q-jet built by someone like Cliff or a Holley 750 mechanical secondaries.

Don't overlook the torque converter. Critical to good performance. The better quality (more $$) converters have high-sounding stall speeds that you need for best performance (about 3000 RPM would be close to ideal for the abovementioned combo) but are very well coupled below the rated stall speed for good efficiency and near-stock operation in normal driving. My 11" Coan flashed to 3300 or so behind my 428 yet the car would still creep forward at stoplights if I took my foot of the brake and accelerated easily with only moderate throttle openings. There are even better converters out there than this for our Pontiacs.