I currently have an 88 sport coupe with the L03 305 TBI in it, as a lot of you will know this engine is a complete dog. I would like to do an engine swap to a 327-350 but im on a tight budget. If anyone knows ways of building a cheap performance small block let me know...

 

Id get a 4 bolt vortec 350 long block( cause I have one ) ...

Then put a performer manifold, rebuilt Q-jet etc ..

shouldnt cost that much.

Got my long block for 850$

Or get a used TPI 350 , or LT1 and work your way up ..

The best way is to see the engine running first, tho thats not

always the case ..


good luck

 

Spend money on exhaust first. If you don't have much money, that's where to spend it because you're going to have to spend it to get anything out of a larger engine, anyway. There are other things you can do that will cost a lot less than a different engine that may change your mind about how bad your current one is.

Do you have emissions inspection and/or testing to worry about?

 

No i dont really have to deal with the emissions bullsh*t in michigan, there are laws but there not strictly enforced...

 

In the exhaust forum, the first posts ( important/useful )
explain header sizes and all.

It will give you an idea of what to get

 

I apreciate the exhaust tips, but im more interested in building a new engine. Maybe i should requote- im not necessarily on a "tight budget" but this isnt going to be a "money is no object" project. Id like to build a respectable small block at a low cost. Any suggestion?

 

is this your first engine swap? if so, I'd like to know about what ballpark you wanna stay in. also, is this the daily driver? what kind of mechanical skills do you posess? we're all here to help, but I for one need some background info to help give you informed, useful advice. telling you to plunk in a 350 and be done with it doesn't help much,

 

Yes this is my first swap. The camaro was my first car and id like to build it to be more respectable. After getting an older 327 or 350, which i figure i can pick up cheap at a junkyard i would like to keep the expenses under $2000 if possible. I myself have the basic knowlegde down and i also have resource willing to help who has plenty of experience so i dont think that will be a problem. I just like some tips on affordable performance parts for the rebuild...

 

if you don't have a 350, I'd go find one. you should be able to get a 2 or 4 bolt main for about 100-150 bucks at a j-yard, especially if it's u-pull-it. look in trucks..... most had 4-bolt mains for sever duty applications. bonus points if it actually runs. one thing to look for: MATCHING HEADS. if you get a shortblock, no worries; ebay has heads all the time that are actually half decent in the 500-700 range. I got a set of world portsman II's for 700, and they only lack rockers. and they had 2.08/1.60 valves. or, you can always use some tried and true vortecs, or 416's or a number of other heads the guys here might think of.

let's assume the motor is fubar. you bore it, clean it, and re-plug it for a nominal $250. initial buy-in is $150. you're at $400. look at spending 300-500 for a good rebuild kit. bearings, rings, pistons, oil pump, whole nine yards. you could also go with a cast steel 383 kit for 750 or so, but that's another sidebar. i'll get there later.

call it $500 for your kit, and $400 for buy-in and machine work. you'll need another $500 for wierd stuff like gaskets that didn't come in your kit, and mounts, and a new balancer. roughl;y $1500 bucks to get you a short block. you now have $500 left in your budget for a good set of heads. put it all together, and call it $2000-2200. all you lack is headers, exhaust, and different cooling, in case yours is inaddequate. if you wanted to upgrade one of the two, i would suggest coling first, because exhaut won't destroy the motor. then headers, and full exhaust.

realistically, i agree with 5-7 kid, cuz i think you should upgrade the other stuff first, that way your motor swap ia a drop in afair. good luck, and i hope i was some help.

 

You don't necessarily have to do the exhaust before the engine, but by the time you do the engine, you should have the exhaust done.

 

agreed, but I'm suggesting do the exhaust first, and then build the engine and have ir ready to drop in. this minimizes down time. if you can do a new radiator and possibly fans before doing the motor, so much the better. makes it very quick to drop in the motor.

 

thanks for the tips, greatly appreciated atleast now i have an idea of what im looking at...

 

you can build a motor for $2000, even if you have to machine it and prep it for the new parts. it's just all about how much you wana spend. good luck.

 

would rebuilding the 305 and switching to carberated be a sensible idea?

 

sensible? yes. practical? maybe.

there's really nothing WRONG with rebuilding the stock motor. but i wouldn't. you're gonna be missing the extra 45 cubes when it comes time to hit the loud pedal. also, less money you'll have to spend, because you'll only have to rebuild 1 motor..... the 350. vs 2, counting your 305. why do it twice? is the car driveable right now? if so, i'd take my time, and build a 350, one piece at a time until you're satisfied that it's how you like it. then stuff it in the car.

 

There isn't much about rebuilding the 305 that makes sense.

Switching to carb doesn't help much either. What holds the LO3 back are exhaust, heads and cam, probably in that order. You can make the 305 respectable, but you don't need to rebuild it to do that - you need to replace the exhaust, heads and cam, and do some PROM tuning (or do the switch to carb).

Mine started out as a stock LG4, the LO3's older cousin in the dog family. It is now, at least in my mind, respectable, but that is, of course, a little open to intrepretation. I haven't rebuilt it, just built it up.

 

sensible in that you can do it, and it will work, and your can daily drive your car again.. but you could do that with a stock 350, too... and still have more grunt.

 

True, the only difference is the cost of a running shortblock.

And, you can see from the sig what I've got in the works...

 

niiiiiiiiice.

 

If you are ever going to put headers on do it while the engines out. You can find a new set for $50 at swap meets.
Headers are not fun tp put on with the endines in the car.