074 heads - feedback please

[William]

I’d worry more about condition than anything else. I looked at several 074 heads 25 years ago for our ZL1 build and nearly all of them showed signs of modifications, damage and hard use. The roller rockers are already an indication. I’d be looking for welded up cracks and damage, check the area around the rocker studs. Sometimes they were modified for bigger valve springs; should be hardened washers under the springs. Professional porting might not be a problem; if the heads were milled I would pass. Heli-Coils are so common it is not much of an issue.

Late ’68 and January-April ’69 dates are the most desirable and hardest to locate for restoration builds. If they are ‘70’s castings they are not that hard to find and are not valuable for a 'numbers' restoration. We paid $1500 for ’74 dated heads and an intake in virtually perfect condition. Maybe a little more today.

Not much demand; racers don’t want them. There are many better aftermarket heads today so there is no reason to invest a lot in old obsolete castings.