Long story short, I've not had the summer I was expecting and that has left me recently with free time to think about what kind of engine I want for my Camaro when I get around to it (I'm beginning to feel like this will end up like the latest installment of Duke Nukem and be forever in the planning stage). I've came down to two engine choices, with value per dollar spent being paramount. I will keep the emission's system for 50-state legality, so that means keeping TBI.

Option A:

Rebuild & do some machining on the all iron 305, work on the TBI & ECM, clean up the heads with some porting & new Manley valves, a relatively "hot" (by 305 standards) XR264 cam from COMP, and Hooker Super Comp Shorty Headers & Cat back with a Magnaflow cat. Keeps me emissions legal and generates, according to Desktop Dyno (not scientific, but good for getting an idea), 291 FWHP & 335 FWTQ. Cost: $6200 once you figure in machine shop time and some other items.

Option B:

Drop in a GMPP Fast Burn 385 (GM Performance 12496769 - GM Performance ZZ4 350 C.I.D. 385 HP Engine Assemblies - Overview - SummitRacing.com) and transplant the rest from the 305 build list. DD reports 340 FWHP & 378 FWTQ. Cost: $8700

The 385 gets me a 350 platform which is far more versatile than the 305, and its all aluminum top side seriously cuts down on weight (which for me & AX/RR is great). The drawback is that I could build the 305 to the same levels for more headache & almost the same money and yet be stuck with a setup that wouldn't be worth putting on a 350.

Any emissions legal, weight saving engine suggestions would be welcome. $8k is the limit (with good exceptions allowed but not more than $1k over 8) I'm placing on an SBC and $7k (same overrun as the SBC) on an LSx and that includes everything from the radiator to the exhaust tips. If I could find L98 heads from an 87-91 Corvette, that'd be great for the 305 but those don't pop up but once in a great while. I'm not as up on LSx swaps, but a stock LS1/LS6 would be perfect if it could be installed and be emissions legal.

 

Noone ever puts $6200 into a 305. If you can't rebuild it to 300 crank HP for half that cost, something is badly wrong.
With your budget, there's no excuse for not doing a used LS1 from a totalled '01-'02 F-car.

 

The only money I'm really looking at spending on 305 specific power adders is in the cam, valves, and upgrading the TBI system ($2400 all told). Most of the rest is in the Hooker Headers & Exhaust, ARP bolts, and bearings. Theres maybe $700 budgeted for a new balancer, radiator, distributor & wires, and pistons. All added up its just at $5500 (everything from the radiator to exhaust tips). Figure $700 more for crank lightening & balancing, machining on the heads, and a few other items and its not hard to fathom $6200 on a 305.

 

is your budget taking into account upgrading stuff like the trans and the rear? These tend to be the weak links in our cars and will give out when you get up there in horsepower.

if you're looking to stay with an old school sbc motor, I would ditch the tbi for tpi (or similar) if you're looking for performance.

a lt1 setup's not a bad deal either, since they've come down a lot in price since the LSx swap has become the new standard. less modifications needed to make it fit compared to the newer motors as well

 

Headers and 3" exhaust, $1000. 081 heads, $100. Pistons, hypereutectic flat tops, delivered $100. Bore, hone, cam bearings, freeze plugs and vat the block, $500. Valve job, surface and vat heads, $300. Master overhaul kit, $300. Balancing, $200. Damper, $60. Radiator, clean and JB Weld any damage, $10. cap, rotor and wires $30. Holley 670 cfm TB with injectors, $500. Edelbrock TBI intake, $250. Cam, $250. Labor, do it yourself, $0.
That's $3600, NOT 6200. $3600 to get to 300 crank HP really sucks.
Now, looking online, I find an '01 LS1 with T56 takeout, about 90k miles, for $3200. Stock, it's over 300 HP at the rear wheels. That's about 1/3 better than your built 305. Both options should give you about 100,000 miles of street performance use.
The LS1 brings some swap costs, but that's no big deal on your budget.
Plus, the LS1 brings more potential and better MPG, with clean emissions.
And it's lighter, so that helps everything.
Want another 100 RWHP? No need for nitrous, as the usual bolt ons, plus cam, heads and a tune will do it. Then you can add nitrous, and be at 500 rwhp. The 305 won't get you there.
The FB385 is no competition for the LS1, and it costs about double to fail to do so. How can you like that?

 

The rear & trans are in there own budget areas. Both will be built to handle the LS1 regardless of engine choice (mostly because thats the kind of parts I'm looking at which also happen to be cheap). I'm building an overall car geared toward AX, so all round power is the goal and a lighter front end. The LS1 fills that bill perfectly, now just to figure out how to get it done on the budget I'm aiming for.

ronnjonn

I didn't favor the 385 over the LS1, rather I'm not as up to speed on the LS1 swap as others are. I grew tired of reading through the stickies and endless threads trying to compile all the details I needed so I knew what to look & budget for. I figured by asking I'd make some headway instead of headaches. On the 305, I was aiming for parts that I could count on for at least another 200k miles, not what would get me going the fastest for the least money. I'm a big advocate of spend the money now so you don't have to spend more later.

 

i had the 385 put in my car years ago and it does pretty well. i have the obdII tpi set up on it, and the tuning is off, but otherwise it does fine. I would look into pace performance before buying from summit though. the price of the engine has gone up a lot since i got it, but pace offers it in different levels of completion, from turn key to long block only. It gives you more options as to what things you want to come with the engine, or just the basic engine itself - wish i would have known this when i bought it would have saved me a few hundred $$ or more

 

I give Pace two thumbs up, they're a great company to deal with and I've used them throughout my LSx swap with great success