If I was going to delve into some modern updates to the 235, I think I would be tinkering with a turbo charger and efi. Yes, I think you are right, you will have to fab up an exhaust manifold set up. Just keep in mind that the connecting rods for a 235 are really only good to like 4800 rpm, maybe a speck more. The split small end and bolt arrangement is not all that strong and at near 7 inches, a pretty long rod. If you are going to do it, let me also advocate that you call smith brothers push rods in oregon. They can make you up a terrific set of chrome moly push rods, forged and polished cups, as well as forged adjusters with dimensionally matching adjuster balls, also polished, with a hex stud and 12 point adjuster lock nut that will allow the use of a more modern and convenient adjustment tool. A couple of dollars but you get what you pay for. I purchased some chrome moly push rods from another vendor a number of years ago for my 261 (just recently got around to using them), installed them and missed that they were not fully seated in the cup when I was assembling the motor, the balls were a speck larger then the cups, shattered a cup (luckily just one when I discovered the issue.) Smith Brothers figured out the problem and made me up some great parts to address the matter. Also, new cam cores are now somewhat hard to come by. Schneider cams has been the company that has done the last couple of my cams primarily because they will grind me a cam that is what I want/need as opposed to only what is available off the shelf. They are out of new cam blanks for the 235/261 so you will need an nos cam or a good used cam for regrinding. You may have better luck with them in that they will grind you a cam ground for your modern upgrades. Ross pistons will make you up some forged pistons if you need the strength of a forged unit. Just some random thoughts.
Thank you! That's some great info there! I will look into the pushrods.
I have a contact at Comp and they just ground and sent me a custom cam and I picked up a set of hyd lifters.
The cam is a bit mild cam by today's standards but should work well if and when I install a turbo down the road.
