I was flipping through some Jeep books and some seemed to dog the 304 saying they had horrible power. I have a hard time seeing how a 5.0 liter V8 from anyone isn't build-able for all the torque a Jeep could need. What's realistic dyno numbers on a moderate 304? Something along the lines of a 4bl, Edelbrock dual plane, headers, elect dist, 9:1 comp and a cam around 268 adv dur. I wasn't planning on snagging a 401 because I thought it might be overkill and run too hot on the trail, but if a 304 can't put out 300+ torque, then I need to adjust my plans.
I already have the 304 in my Jeep. I like the idea of keeping it an AMC engine, even if I swap out the factory 304 for a 401. I've played with Chevy small blocks for years, I'd rather play with something different like an AMC.