Let me explain:
1) de-cam. I have a 633 lift and 242/252 duration cam on a big, big block. It's cool for showing off and racing. Not so cool for cruising, which is where 99% of my driving is. If it was a track car, it would be just perfect.
2) carb. I have the "matching" drag race carb, so again cruising has not been easy. But great for drag racing
3) when I am on the highway, if I cruise with traffic, it's turning 3000 + rpm and it has enough torque to pull a house at 1500, so why turn some many rpms? around town, I don't need to go into 5th, so why not cut back the revs in 5th. The first 4 gears are just fine.
All of this is my opinion; others may want different things from their car. I don't think any of the above is a matter of better or worse, just a matter of how the car will be used. So since the guy was asking what we would do differently, this is what I would do, he can take what I said and my reasons and decide he wants a drag race motor and is willing to live with the down side and that's fine. I plan to live with it, I just want tit cruise better and maybe a street carb will get me there. At shows, I am always asked the tech details and it is cool to say 683 HP!
So yeah, these changes are not cool sounding. Who knows, if this carb would get destroyed and I were to replace it, I may just build it's replica, no pun intended . . .
Just because it's so cool…..