From The thread Head choices: Okay rate the heads

[FERoadster]

Hope I've got most listed  rate them as cast and maybe best to port.
Jay B delete this if you think not necessary but:  Joe Crain or a few others may have some input as to experience. Barry R?? or yourself??

Not looking to see LR-MR-HR-Tunnel port heads but those found on regular cars & trucks--- Maybe also rate some of the LR heads for me as well
Lets use a 1 to 5 rating--- 5 being the best performance for mid range torque and HP at 5000 rpm

EDC
EDC Machined chambers
C0 AE
C1AE
C2AE
C3AE
C3AE "Denver"
C4AE-C
C4AE-G
C4AE-H
C4-AE-J
C6AE small R
C6AE large R
C7AE
C8AE H
D2TE A
D2TE AA


Other stockers I've missed?

[fastback 427]

I think this is a great idea. It would be nice to have all this info in one place. Hope someone chimes in.

[mlcraven]

Not in quite the same manner (1 to 5 rating), but seem to recall Barry R's book gives an assessment of the various head choices.

[ChiefDanGeorge]

Barry calls out the C6AE as a one to have, although nothing spectacular.

[Joe-JDC]

C6AE-R, and C80E-N are probably the best as cast for all around performance, and respond to upgrades because they have the larger cc ports.  If I were porting one set for personal use, for anything besides a medium riser or high riser, it would be the CJ head (C80E-N).  Any of the heads can be made to work well on their respective cubic inch shortblocks. Joe-JDC

[My427stang]

Not all the heads are here, and data is from multiple flow benches, but you can see some trends here

http://users.erols.com/srweiss/tablehdc.htm#Ford_Big_Block

The tough part is what assumptions you'd make and what kind of valve job was done, and of course which header port location do you need. Aside from that  I personally would use the list below, assuming the chamber size is correct for the need

As cast
- Any lowriser intake port combined an early/CJ exhaust port location, of course CJs get the nod out of the box
- C6AE-R because of the better intake but be mindful, they can have a small exhaust port, lower roof, and higher floor
- Any truck/unibody head

I think other than those two major choices, and the C6AE-R in the middle two groups, the difference is really minor and mostly based on the chamber size you want. 

Seems simple, but I'd likely do the same ported too, but the C6AE-R would move up to the first group if the exhaust is opened up.  In the end, the lowriser design works well, especially with a med riser intake manifold, and the higher exhaust flows better.