What I HAD on my 2L was a 1800 head with bigger valves but stock cams and wheels. Clearance was at spec...17-19 thou.
Car had good performance I thought over stock but I also have 84.4 Mahle pistons I bought from IAP a few years ago and the bottom was balanced,shaved and balanced flywheel , headers ect.
Now I have a tweeked 2L head that had about 10 thou. shaved off and Marks cams(clearance at 10 thou.) and Jason's cam wheels. The head has been gasket matched,ported smoothed and intake plenum was also smoothed out as it had some rough spots from the original casting. Big valves as well. I had a friend dial it in with a degree wheel to the specs that came with the cams.
I set the timing to 10 deg and buttoned it up. The roads had dried up from the skiff of Snow we had the night before so I took it for a quick spin. Holy s..t what a gas. BIG difference from what I had before I think. Now to get it home for the winter. I found the head is alot quieter as well,perhaps with the smaller clearances I don't have the same "clatter"
If the $$$ are available , a highly recomended upgrade for sure. I still have the stock FI system as well,no plans to change that.
Thanks Mark and Jason for the after market bits that help these cars and although my local friends don't read this, I have to thank them as well.
Chris
