I have had plenty of stock Pontiac engines. I was never unsatisfied with the cam. It took me a long time to realize that you needed a co-ordination of cam, intake, exhaust, and rear gears to achieve a winning combination. The biggest bang for the buck is rear end gears. Even a two barrel 350 will respond to better gears out back as if it grew a couple of cylinders. I once back-fitted a two barrel intake to a four barrel 301 because the 2:41 gears made the four barrel useless. I also had a '72
Catalina with a two barrel 400. It as a huge 2GC and it was the perfect combination for that big boat. Fit the punishment to the crime. So after wasting lots of time and dollars on engine modifications I now recommend starting at the rear. Try 3:23 gears first and if the engine responds well, then consider engine changes. My age may be showing but these days I prefer a smooth running Pontiac V-8 with a quiet exhaust and a manual transmission.