The "30-30" moniker is slang for the solid-lifter cam used in some of the high-performance engines including the Corvette back in the mid-1960's. It was one of the high performance tricks Zora Arkus-Duntov had up his sleeve when he took over the design team for the small block V-8 in the early 1950's. Duntov's early performance work included designing a set of overhead-valve conversion cylinder heads for the Ford flathead V-8 engine, the famous "Ardun" heads. I don't recall the complete part number, but the last three digits of the casting number on the Covette cam was "098". The 30-30 designation came from the reccomended valve adjustment clearance, .030" on intake and exhaust. That clearance makes it noisy, and it has a very pronounced idle lope, not suitable for use with most automatic transmissions unless a high stall speed converter is installed. It's a pretty good drag race or circle track cam, but most of the aftermarket cam grinders have several stages of higher performance items for all-out race engines.
Jerry
