currently i have a 84 camaro with a 305 H.O. Edelbrock performer RPM cam, edelbrock intake, Edelbrock 1407 - 750 cfm carb and hooker headers. stock 5 speed manual transmission rebuilt about 60K ago supposedly 190K total.

i bought the car with this stuff already done.


i am thinking about upgrading to a 350. i will probably stay with a carburated engine. so can i use my intak and carb on a 350. would it be a good idea.

i dont no what kind of cam my car has but would it be worth looking into using it on what ever 350 i would get or would a stock cam be better.

looking for a daily driver/get up and go

i think my transmission is not in the gratest shape. would i need to get a new one or could i rebuild the one i have.


where should i start looking. my budget is not much. and probably will not be determined until after income taxes are done. but i would like to get an idea on how much i need to save.

i may have space to build one up and my dad would probably be able to help me with it.

so what are your suggestions.

 

Your intake manifold, distributor, and carb will fit on any Gen I 350 that doesn't have Vortec heads. If the engine (heads) are '87-'95, the center two intake mount bolts on each side are at a different angle, but that isn't hard to overcome. Personally, I don't like Edelbrock carbs, especially with a T5, but if budget is a factor, it will at least run on a 350 (a 750 is actually still a little too big for a mild 350, let alone a 305).

It's generally not a good idea to change a flat tappet cam from one engine to another. They aren't that expensive, and the risk of wiping out a lobe from slight differences in lifter bore machining isn't worth it. If you end up rebuilding a 350, put a new cam and lifter set in it. If you buy a 350, it really depends upon what you get whether or not it would be a good idea to replace the cam.

T5's were never put behind 350's by the factory. There are all sorts of speculation as to why they didn't (the transmission is too weak, couldn't pass emissions requirements - personally I think it was because Camaros would be faster than Vettes of the day if the Camaro had a 350 and a T5). Putting a 350 ahead of one isn't an automatic failure, because people have put 400's in front of them, and even raced them, without failure. It's mostly about how you drive it. The "World Class" T5 is a little better unit, so if you replace the transmission, consider finding one of those. See the Transmission and Drivetrain forum for more info about that.