SBC Pro-Topline Iron Heads
 

Late in 2018 I had a hot-rodding buddy pass away. The back story is he had been fighting cancer on/off for a while (around 2016) when he & I started BS'ing @ our local hot-rod/cruise-in/burger joint. He had purchased a nice 427sbc for his El Camino but wasn't able to put it in because he was weak from treatments. I knew the story & about his health issue so I volunteered to be his labor so he could enjoy his remaining time. He & I shared Saturdays tinkering on his Elco & bench building.... Standard guy stuff.

As stated, his time was limited & he passed just before the end of '18. Last year, I assisted his widow with sorting the garage stuff for the insurance related pro-bate politics. She was told by him that all the parts & tools in the garage were mine for the taking if/when the time came. So I helped sort what went where & took what was not related to the Elco or other vehicles he had been wrenching on in the past. One of the items was a pair of partially assembled cast iron sbc heads. I had no idea what they were; only that they weren't stock.

I've been making a big push to consolidate & clean-up my shop early this year. These heads have been sitting on a bench for a while now so I started doing research & believe them to be Pro-Topline heads. Based on the serial numbers stamped into the ends, it appears they're:

Pro-Lightning series Cast Iron/23° heads
64cc chamber/220cc runner
'As cast' bowls/chambers/ports
Angle Plug

I plan to list them on C-list but not sure what value to put on them since they're not fully assembled or new. They were on a sbc @ some point but now only have valves & rocker studs in place but that's about it. It looks like when he felt up to some tinkering time, he was cleaning/smoothing the ports.

Any help would be appreciated.

Re: SBC Pro-Topline Iron Heads
 

I am not familiar with that brand. World Products makes iron heads, they have a website, with prices, might check there. The World Products iron heads are less expensive than their aluminum heads.

Re: SBC Pro-Topline Iron Heads
 

They're an 'off' brand apparently so the info I have seems accurate. I'm not in the market for heads.... I just got these from a deceased buddy & been trying to figure out what exactly they are so I can list them properly on my local C-list.

Thanks.

Re: SBC Pro-Topline Iron Heads
 

If they are the Pro Topline they shouldn't be hard to sell. Those were supposed to be a good head. I don't think they are being made anymore.

Re: SBC Pro-Topline Iron Heads
 

The numbers correspond to their options ID break down list & it has a 'PRO' cast into the heads under the valve cover area but I'm still not sure. They seem to be a head for a more aggressive combo vs. just a driver set-up which is all I'm doing hence putting them on C-list. I had a guy purchase some wheels & drag radials (also from the same friend that passed) & he connected me w/a guy to purchase them because he felt they were legit. We'll see...

Re: SBC Pro-Topline Iron Heads
 

My condolences on the loss of your friend.

Pro Topline were good heads back in the day, and would still be able to hold their own relatively well today. The company was based out of New Zealand.

RHS (Racing Head Service), which is part of the Competition Cams Group (aka Comp Cams) bought Pro Topline a number of years ago. Looks like they've completely dropped the cast iron heads and now only produce the aluminum ones.

I found an old website on the Way Back Machine archive with some info:

https://web.archive.org/web/20110317...htsteelsb.html

I have a catalogue with a bit more information.

As for what you could price them out today: well, the price of aluminum heads has come down so much that a pair of brand new bare aluminum heads, with about 20 years advancement in technology, go for less than $500 USD.

I think your best buyer would be either:
1. nostalgia engine guy who ran them back in the day and wants another set
2. racer that, by class rules, must run a 'stock style' iron head that doesn't have to be stock / OEM
3. performance person that prefers iron heads to aluminum

I wish you good luck with the sale! Realistically, though, I wouldn't expect to retire from the profits.

Re: SBC Pro-Topline Iron Heads
 

LoL.... "Retire from the profits".

They aren't an heirloom but I also didn't want to just list/give them away for $50 only to watch that buyer relist them for $500 because I didn't do my due diligence. Knowing a 'range' works better.

If I knew a young-gun in my area I'd just give them to him if I knew he'd use'em vs re-sell them. I don't so C-list they go.