I'm very mechanically inclined and have basic knowledge of chevrolet engine mainly parts swaping I'm still unfamiliar with the engine lingo as far as being able to know what engine is and ls or lt what's vortec and what year of this and that etc... However I just bought my dad 96 c1500 4.3 v6 truck and would like to do a bit of work on it as at the moment you have to drive like a Sunday grandma in it as it doesn't exactly get up and go and it could be a lot of reasons why on that truck. So I'm curious I want to put a cam in it but I don't want a big lift in it at all just something to bump up my go a little and also run roller lifters and rockers new headers engine harness and ecm I can replace parts no problem but its a matter of making sure I get the right parts such as the proper cam and lifters. I'm also planing to buy a crate transmission as the one in it has been rebuilt more times then I can even remember and figured rebuilding it again probably wont do much good for how torn up it must be inside. Any ways I could every much so use some good input from someone more chevrolet inclinde then me

 

From what it sounds like to me, you wouldn't be happy with an upgrade to the 4.3. You need to put in a big V8 with a matching transmission.