Cons of a solid roller cam:
High cost of camshaft, lifters, and springs.
Cost and labor to remove lifters to send in to be rebuilt every other season.
Cost and labor to replace springs every season, if they make it a whole season. I put 400/500 passes a year on my junk.
Where is the proof that a roller cam will make your car faster?
Two occasions I removed a comp cams custom roller cams and installed a Racer Brown STX-22, [.590" lift and 276* at .050"], one stroker sm block 408 c.i. and one stroker 400/512 big block. Both cars were faster with the solid flat tappet. One has since switched back to a roller and runs about the same as always or a tick slower. Friends cars, both members here.
I have the same Racer Brown cam in both of my track only cars and the Demon with stroker 360 has been 9.68 at 136mph with production cyl heads and weighing over 3050 lbs. The first cam did break, in front of the last lobe on the cam at 400 passes. I ordered an identical replacement and engine is now fast approaching 1700 passes on the second cam. 2100 passes total and on the 3rd set of comp cam springs, $150 a set. Just won footbrake at I-57 dragstrip two weekends ago and Super Pro at Gateway this past weekend. Have won over $50000 with that engine, $12K at wheelie contests, with a cost per pass for that engine at under $3.00 and dropping.
The Lebaron has a 512 RB with Indy SR heads and the same grind cam and lifters and has aprox. 1250 passes. Engine is on second set of Comp Cams springs, also right at $150. Car weighs 2580 lbs. and has been 5.44 at 127mph, 1/8th mile, and 8.58 at 157 mph, 1/4 mile. That engine was double the cost of the sm block in the Demon, mostly due to aftermarket block and heads, but still going strong, with a cost per pass of right at $10 at this time. I hope to go another 1000 passes with that engine, but will be looking at the bearings with engine in car later this week to make sure it still good to keep going.
If you have deep pockets and a lot of ambition, put a roller cam in your engine. If your a working man on a budget with barely enough money and time to race, put a flat tappet cam in and go play.
