My Camaro has a 5.0 Liter 305 V8 engine. To those who have driven or had some experience with this engine. What do you think of it.

In a personal experience, the 305 is a strong, and fast motor. What would you suggest in doing with it? as in making it stronger (with Edelbrock or Holley parts). Its probably not as fast as a 350, but I would say a definite competitor as a small block.

You think more of a 305 than I or most people do. I will say that.

If you like a 305, then you should stick with it, but if you really want some power drop that boat anchor as soon as you can and get a 350.

IMO the 305 has way too small of a bore to do anything with. It shrouds valves, larger valves can't be used cause no room for them, hurts power in the upper mid range and top end of the power band, etc.

But the same rules apply to a 305, just like any other engine..

Better exhaust, better flowing heads, better cam, better intake, etc

edelbrock performer intake, 500-600 cfm 4 bbl carb, a cam with around 210/218* @ .050" duration, 112 LSA, something like 305 H.O heads if your staying with lower priced heads, port them.

If your really getting into the engine, then flat top 4 VR pistons, moly rings, good bearings, 4.100" x .015" head gaskets, etc

Now for my opinion on it.. Don't waste your money or time. Parts are higher for a 305 than they are for a 350. The diff in price will more than pay for a core 350 engine. Do the same work to a 350, but alittle bigger cam, and your gonna make an easy 75-125 HP more with it, than you would the 305, maybe even more that those HP #'s more

Ok, you've made a point.

I'll definitley buy a 350, but I was wondering if these parts from the 305 will fit on a 350

Exhaust Manifold
Intake Manifold
pipes & hoses
exhaust pipes

I cant think of anything else to add to that list, but any further information will help. Thanks

Blue,

A 305 is fine for a daily driver, IMO. Warm it over a tad with the usual hot rod tricks and you can have a nice, smooth runnning 250 hp engine with good low end torque for the real world.

Exhaust manifolds (or headers), the exhaust system itself, and the intake all work with any "old school" small block Chevy engine (302, 305, 307, 327, 350, etc.)

Mike, have you ever driven a 305?

Not to start an argument or anything, but what does everyone have against the 305? I dont see why people are so.. oppressive towards it.. Was there anything naturally "wrong" with this motor that the rest excelled in?

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by BlueCamaro:
Mike, have you ever driven a 305?

Not to start an argument or anything, but what does everyone have against the 305? I dont see why people are so.. oppressive towards it.. Was there anything naturally "wrong" with this motor that the rest excelled in?</font>

It is an econmy engine, not a performance engine. That's what most people have against it. It can't be made to perform dollar for dollar as well as some stock 350's. I believe the saying goes "You can polish a turd all day long and at the end of the day it will still be a turd." Same thing applies here. It was never meant to be a performance engine. Even the 305 HO is still wayy under-powered compared to the same parts on a 350.

Same here, nothing generally wrong with the 305, Ive run two cars with them, and their performance is fair, and fair MPG too. But to get into the higher performance, there is no substitute for Cubes.

Steve

I've had my share of 305's, they have all ended up in the same scrap pile.

I have one currently in my '70, but I aleady have a 400 built, the 305 won't stay in there too long after the car is painted and back home.

If you want my official opinion, a 305 isn't worth the time or money you would put into it trying to make it "powerful" enough to be happy with, but that's been said before here.

Ah yes.....YOU CAN'T POLISH A TURD!!

In this case of a 305, that is so true. Save your $$$ and don't do squat to anything till you have a 350. Better yet do a 383&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;Ken

http://photos.yahoo.com/camaropigs2000
Click on "My Photos"

Yes, I have driven a 305.

Before I caught the performance bug I bought a brand new 1978 Type LT with a 305.....back in the day.

If you stick to transferable bolt on parts then you can move them over to a 4 or 4.125 inch bore block later.

It all depends what you're looking for. My 81 Z28 has a 305, 4-speed. I have 151,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. I've been quite happy with it and have no complaints. I'm also not out racing - either street or track, so to me it's not important that it doesn't have a 350 in it. It's been a fun car to drive, and I have on occasion bested someone off the line with it - just for the heck of it. Mine is still all stock, except for the headers and Flowmasters.

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A's Z
1981 Z28 - Original owner
Numbers matching 305, 4-speed, hardtop

1972 Sport Coupe
350 automatic, ceramic coated headers, dual Flowmasters, 650 Holley

well i guess i'll throw another vote for the 305 have one in my 80 RS good daily driver never let me sit, decent on gas, all mine really needs is a set of heads or new valve seals. Lets see i put an edelbrock performer carb and intake manifold on it. exhuast is still stock and a few minor things like k&n air filter need internals on the dist and set right and i still toast turboed rice burners down the 1/4

also on another note i have a 350 sittin in the garage waiting on a set of heads, and all the 305 performance parts will swap over so it is worth it.

I have a 305 in my '79 camaro, tore all the emissions stuff off and bolted on an edelbrock performer manifold and 4bbl 600cfm carb.. and fixed a gas leak. I go maybe 2-3 weeks plus on a tank of gas and still have lots of fun driving it. It's not a huge power engine but I can't afford to buy a whole new block.

As people have said, if you're set on making big power, it's best to spend money on a performance engine.. if you're satisfied with enough juice to kill a 4 door sedan then some cheap work on a 305 is plenty.

Good points on the 305.

What would be the best approach to buy a 350? Buy it from AutoZone (or another auto shop) or pick on up in a junkyard and put some money into it.

Personally.. I think I'd rather buy it from Advance or something, but I'd rather have you guys tell me, seeing as how im metaphorically braindead at choosing where to get motors and such.

The thing about those "parts store" engines is you dont know how used up the engine is when you get it. I've seen it happen before, a cheap engine rebuilt from one of those places is bored .060 or more, crank turned till the mains are pencil thin, mismatched rods, on & on. There is no more rebuild left on something like that. On the other hand, its cheap & has a warranty.

I'd go with a GM engine for just a little more scratch. Its NEW everywhere, plus you know its going to last 100K plus. The lower level crate engines are not that expensive.

Now where were all you 305 lovers back when I got into this debate a while back? http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif I've always said I'd rather have a 305 over a 350 for a daily cruiser. Better mileage, indestructable & cheap. If the car will ever come near a dragstrip, then its time for a 350.

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11.74/118mph, thats all..

290 HP - 350 4 bolt main - Cast iron heads - NEW! Only $1625.

http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/3508/products/228960/290HP-350-Long-Block-Pre-Emissions-GM-Crate-Engine.htm

It would be hard to build that 305 up to these numbers for less money unless you are using nitrous. Most of the pieces (intake/carb/dist./exh. manifolds) will swap over from your 305 but it will cost you some of that 290 HP by using the stock exh. manifold. You would probably be looking at 250-260 HP with a direct swap of the long block and reusing everything else.

I think the only thing you would need are some gaskets and a different harmonic balancer.
I'm seriously considering doing this myself in the next couple of years.

Long Blocks only require the intake manifold, exhaust manifold, carburetor and exhaust pipes, correct?

By the way, thanks Twisted_Metal for the link to the 350 crate engine.. i know im buying that one!

[This message has been edited by BlueCamaro (edited June 07, 2005).]