my father and i are in the middle of rebuilding the 305 tpi we pulled out of my 1987 trans am, and we dont really know too much about performace rebuilds. we know what were doing, just not what were looking for. so basically im asking for some advice towards making this motor rip. im not a rich man, but im willing to spend some money. i know the basics, like performance cam shaft, and crap like that. but i would like to hear some specifics and more suggestions from some who may know.

If you're going to re-build the 305 you might want to at least consider hypereutectic slugs to replace the cast pistons, a good roller tpi cam, and a set of better heads. World makes a sb-chev S/R head for the 305 in either 76cc or 67cc, that you can purchase from Jegs or Summit Racing. You could also select a good set of aluminum heads but, they're a little more spendy.
Also, add headers and a good cat back system to complement your fresh rebuild.

Component selection for your motor / car is up to you as everyone has an opinion. The biggest question and most controversial is proper cam selection. Contact the major cam manufactures for their professional advice. They'll help you select a bump stick based on your motor build, trans, gears and intended use.

Welcome to the game.

The #1 performance improvement for our cars is exhaust - headers, high-flow 3" stuff from the "Y" on back. Don't consider anything else until this is accomplished.

The #1 performance improvement for a 305 rebuild is a "4-inch bore kit" - a.k.a. "350 shortblock". I wouldn't spend a dime rebuilding the 305 shortblock, and believe me, I'm no "305 hater". Believe it or not, your current heads are pretty decent, having the same size ports and otherwise identical to 350 heads with the exception of the size of the intake valves and volume of the chambers. The intake valves should be opened up (seats cut - a machine shop job) and 1.94" valves installed, whether they go back on a 305 or 350. Then, have the chambers CC'd so you know their exact volume, so you can select piston dish and head gaskets accordingly to get the right compression ratio.

After that, the cam is key. You'll want something compatible with your TPI, which needs to be discussed next. Talking to the main player cam manufacturers is a very good idea.

The TPI has weaknesses that need to be addressed if you want best performance. First are the long, narrow runners the factory used - seriously consider aftermarket shorter, fatter runners. Then port the plenum (that's discussed often on the TPI forum, I believe there is also a tech article on the topic linked from the TGO homepage) and base. 22# injectors and adjustable fuel pressure regulator should be considered as well.

thanks for the tips guys. im tring to find time to go out to a machine shop and ask them whats up, but between working fulltime and the dissasembly of the motor, it's hard to find time. i like the idea of the 350 shortblock, but money is the main restricter. im still down for more ideas, so keep them coming. the best part about all this is that im moving to florida in january, so the emissions restrictions arent gonna be a problem, so exaust is gonna be an easy fix. thanks again guys.

Exhaust is easy even with emissions inspection/testing with a TPI car. Bunches of emissions-legal, good-performing stuff out there of that set-up. That's what most of us who don't have TPI use as well.