My car feels pretty dead off the line and after about 3K rpm starts to pull a little...but it really bores the hell outta me

I like the 305 and the fuel mileage so I'd probably stay with that and for simplicity, keep the TBI.

I was thinking:

L98 cam
L98 heads (iron)
headers
exhaust
intake
3.23 gears
(my reasoning for the heads is they are cheap and way better castings. plus have larger valves)

Think I'd need a custom prom?
What are your ideas?

 

Here's how I'd do it for budget/gas milage.

LT1 cam
LB9 heads
Dynomax headers, cat, catback
Edelbrock performer TBI intake
3.42s

The LT1 cam is a little hotter than the L98 cam and they're the same price usually. The L98 heads would have to be milled to keep compression down (64cc vs 58cc stock), but if you go with the LB9 heads you'll maintain stock compression. The Dynomax pieces arnt the best ones out there, but if you're not looking to spend money its the route to go. Really you might look at the Hooker 2055 headers, I run them and they were $350, but come with a nice 3" y-pipe as opposed to the Dynomax 2.5" pipe. And 3.23 -> 3.42 gears wont affect gas milage that much, so minus well pull a little more outa the car if you can.

 

what are the lb9 heads? i have heard of the l89 heads, but not lb9 what did they come on? thanks
Mike

 

I've never heard of the l89 heads, only LB9 and L98 on an f-body. Then there are the swirl port heads but I don't even want to go there.
The LB9 heads are from 305 TPI and the L98's are from the 350 TPI cars. Vette 350's had the aluminum versions of the L98's kind of like how the impala SS from 94-96 got an iron headed version of the camaro and vette aluminum Lt1 heads.

 

ahh i see, i meant l98 not l89 dirp! Anyway, so the lb9 is a 305 tpi head? sweet, they are only on the fbody then?

 

how much of a differance are 305 tpi heads vs 305 tbi heads?? as far a HP wise... i have a set that im considering swaping if i can't afford 305 world touqer heads.. they only had 20 k when pulled so they in excellant shape.... . im figuring there worth prob 10 hp or so.... what does everyone think?

 

The LB9 heads arnt that good of a casting, really, but they dont have the swirl port thing that the tbi heads suffer from. Id say you'd pick up 10 hp out of them though, esp if you work the exhaust side ports a little bit.

When you get the tbi heads off, pull an intake valve out and vomit when you see the short side. Its one thing to talk about how bad it is, its another to see it lol

 

Just shine a flash light down the intake port and you can see the problem. It was a joke and probably the main reason why I just GAVE my 305 away.