If Brads cam is a solid lifter cam it wont be as radical as you think! Especially with the wide LSA and a 455. Id guesstimate you can get it to idle at 8-900 rpm and 10 to maybe 12" vacuum. It likely is too high a powerband for what you want to do though. A RA4 type cam wouldnt be a terrible choice with 1.5 rockers but with low compression it might be too soft at low rpm. IMO the crower 60310 solid 240/248 112 lsa would work real nice. Good idle broad powerband and done making power by 5500 and 6000 max rpm on a 455(with good rods). I would invest in a set of forged connecting rods. They are quite affordable. Even the low cost($200 ish) 5140 rods are a safer bet than using stock cast rods. The T1 is designed for good distribution with a qjet OR a holley. That said a performer will be fine for what you want to do. Turbo69bird ran a performer into the nines before he went efi and he was around 850 hp level with his 455.(studded 2 bolt with good rods stock 6h heads). Low compression with premium fuel motors like lots of initial advance. 24 ish if the starter lets you or use a start retard or use a switch to hold ignition off till you get cranking then turn ignition on. 36 degrees is too much total advance with boost. Detonation probably caused that weak block to fail. Id want ignition to retard back to around 24-27 under boost and below the 24 initial if you step up the boost. A slow 10 degree curve with stock type springs for a total of around 34 at 4000-4500 and boost retard as I mentioned. Vacuum advance can be set to add about 10-15 degrees for better mileage when cruising if you want just be sure to source vacuum from the manifold and not the part throttle port on the carb. Id try to shoot fro 8-8.5 compression with iron heads. You can mill your heads if below 8:1
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