I know the title is repetitive, but I'm now looking for a bit more input than the v6->v8 sticky gives.
I will soon be getting a computer controlled, carbed 305 with all accessories, radiator, computer, wiring, and matching transmission. Basically all the moving bits of the donor car will be transplanted to my car. I want to know what else I would need besides a new fuel system and exhaust, and if this swap with everything I have will be a 'simple' switch like I'm thinking it is.

 

Front springs

If i were doing the same thing, ditch the computer controlled carb and make it a traditional carb, in the end it will be a lot easier

The CC carb had a block mounted fuel pump, but in 87 it actually used two pumps (one in the tank)

I would suggest keeping your tank mounted pump, but add a FPR to regulate the pressure down to where it need to be

 

i did this exact swap back in 2012, except i ditched all the elctronic crap and just ran an old school quadrajet and HEI..

ditch the in tank pump and just run the stock block mounted one... not only do you save yourself from the cost of buying and installing a regulator, but you also get rid of one more potential failure point in the process..

you don't need to swap springs- the front of my car only dropped about 1/2" when going from the 2.8 to the 305, and it handled pretty decently.

the hardest part of the whole swap was bolting the motor mounts to the frame..

 

And I contend that a "traditional" carb, in the beginning, middle, and end, is a lot harder.

 

What exactly is the difference between traditional and computer controlled carbs, and why would one be more or less difficult to handle than the other?

 

Take a look at Kurt and Derek's sticky, they have a lot of discussion over the two. The traditional carb is easy to setup and run on the car. Eliminating the ECU and the wiring leaves the rest of the car pretty much dead. No gauges, ect. The CC Carb is essentially the same mechanically as a traditional carb, but is managed by the ecu. There is no easy way to go in either direction, you will put time and effort into each. My opinion, 6 one way and half a dozen the other.

 

The computer controlled carb adjust the fuel/air mixture for the primaries based on preset calibration when in open loop, and exhaust O2 levels when in closed-loop (the secondaries are still open-loop mechanical).

The "traditional" carb adjusts fuel/air mixture mechanically. It is only "correct" under the conditions under which it was originally set, if ever - mostly it will be a compromise in order to run the best under the broadest range of conditions.