Chevy 305 a viable performance platform?

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srry

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Now, I know what everyone says - 305's are simply not worth it to try and make fast. You'll just be polishing a turd. The same amount of money put into a 350 would yield more HP. On and on. However, I am coming up rather shorthanded in my search for a cheap running 350 engine here in my enclave of Southern California, while 305's seem to be astoundingly prolific and very inexpensive. Given my unfortunate circumstance, I have two options - either wait it out till a nice deal comes along on a 350, or get a 305 on the cheap right now and try to hop it up with a plethora of bargain basement performance parts like intake, exhaust, carburetor, maybe either a new camshaft or heads if I have the money for it.

My real question here is, could I achieve roughly 300 horsepower out of a low mileage 305 with just a few minor and inexpensive upgrades? Because it'd certainly make my life a hell of a lot easier.
 
Yeah, you could probably achieve 300hp out of a 305 with the right combination of parts. Despite contrary belief, the 305 actually isn't a bad engine for modest performance applications. In the late 80s, 305 H.O.'s were powering the popular Monte Carlo SS's and could propel Z/28 Camaro's to nearly 140mph along with providing 14 sec quarter miles times.

I'd actually look into a Weiand 144 supercharger kit. They sell brand new kits for $1300 on Ebay, and the 305's factory low compression makes them ideal for forced induction applications.
 
Hey bro im the owner of 11 Z28 Camaros and 2 Super Sport Camaros ranging from 1967-2002 i alos have a 88' Base V6 Camaro as well as a 86'Z28 305ci and i mean bro if you have atleast 5k to spend theres a place online i forgot but if you its a GM/CHEVY site that rebuilds,sells engines ect and if you buy a 350ci from them you can give them your engine and from when i checked the total for the engine with the trade of the engine i was gonna trade them which was the (173ci V6) from my 88' Camaro it brought the price to about $2400.00 with the trade of my 173ci otherwise the price for the remanufactured 350ci would have been like $4500.00 actually even less anyways heres the link http://remanufactured.com/Chevrolet_Smallblock_V8_Engines.htm also bro try a scrap yard you can find some really nice big blocks overthere that may just need a rebuild or just minor fixes anyways good luck
 
Yeah, you could probably achieve 300hp out of a 305 with the right combination of parts. Despite contrary belief, the 305 actually isn't a bad engine for modest performance applications. In the late 80s, 305 H.O.'s were powering the popular Monte Carlo SS's and could propel Z/28 Camaro's to nearly 140mph along with providing 14 sec quarter miles times.

I'd actually look into a Weiand 144 supercharger kit. They sell brand new kits for $1300 on Ebay, and the 305's factory low compression makes them ideal for forced induction applications.
 
Hey bro im the owner of 11 Z28 Camaros and 2 Super Sport Camaros ranging from 1967-2002 i alos have a 88' Base V6 Camaro as well as a 86'Z28 305ci and i mean bro if you have atleast 5k to spend theres a place online i forgot but if you its a GM/CHEVY site that rebuilds,sells engines ect and if you buy a 350ci from them you can give them your engine and from when i checked the total for the engine with the trade of the engine i was gonna trade them which was the (173ci V6) from my 88' Camaro it brought the price to about $2400.00 with the trade of my 173ci otherwise the price for the remanufactured 350ci would have been like $4500.00 actually even less anyways heres the link http://remanufactured.com/Chevrolet_Smallblock_V8_Engines.htm also bro try a scrap yard you can find some really nice big blocks overthere that may just need a rebuild or just minor fixes anyways good luck
 
The 305 engine is the same block as the 350. The only deference is the size of the pistons. You can put 350 parts into the 305 block. but not the pistons. 350 heads will bolt on the block and so will the intake and large headers. A good rodchester carb will get the power out that your looking for and extend mileage as well. Go with a high voltage firing system for the plugs and bang you now have a 305 engine with the power of a 454 stock engine, about 358 hp.

You can have the cylinders bored out 30 over and change the pistons to the larger size , do not just put over sized rings on them (they will break under pressure), replace the pistons when you bore it out.You can do any thing to the 305 that you can do to the 350. just remember then pistons are smaller and that's the deference in them.

I have 43 years experience in auto repair and its mostly been on Chevy stuff.
The only small block that was different was the 302 chevy engine and the short block 400's.
 
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