I have a 15th anniversary Trans Am and I am wondering if I can get decent power out of this 305 H.O or if I should just ditch the 305 and get a 350 since I dont plan on selling it. What would be cheaper, getting a 350 or just fixing the 305 up? Keep in mind I will have to hire someone to do the actual swap for me if I do go with a 350. Also what are some of the best reasonably priced performance parts?

 

Get a 350 TPI motor to swap in and wrap up the 305HO and store it for originality.

I have always wanted a 15th anniversary car. Swap in an LS1/6spd...

 

I would honestly leave the 15th anniversary T/A stock, and would consider getting another 3rd generation to have some fun with.

15th anniversary T/A's are getting less common, and are becoming more rare, each and everyday....

 

Im glad I have mine thats for sure!

 

Youre 15th runs 14.7? A website I found said 15th's run 15.4. I almost cried. Is your car stock? What do you think it would run with better carb, headers and exhaust?

 

The car is all stock right now as it sits. I will probably never change the carb. But ill let you know about the headers. Tomorrow morning, I'm doing the whole exhaust. Hooker shorty headers and y-pipe, 3" cat, and an edelbrock cat-back. Keep in mind. With cars like these, the times the car runs is affected a lot by the driver. Ive gotten 14.70's out of mine, but put some clown in there that has no idea how to launch or shift....and you have yourself a 16 second car. I race mine like im trying to break it when I run it. I havent yet though. But let me know if you have any questions about the car.

 

Yes please let me know what your new times are with those upgrades. Also I notced yours is the manual, mine is the 4 speed automatic. Will that make a big difference on the times. Im hoping to keep this 305 H.O but If I cant get decent power out of it I am going to go with a 350. Basically I just want enough power to do burn outs fairly easily and smoke the occasional r1cer, If i can do that without a 350 I will do so. Also Im thinking about adding like a 50 shot of Nitrous but I am worried it might harm my engine. Anyone know how much Nitrous I can use without any real damage? Thanks alot

 

So let me get this straight...you are going to sped all this money swapping another motor in just so you can do burnouts? Im not sure I understand that. My LG4 in my old 83 would fry the tires, and it only had 3.23's with a posi. As far as the nitrous, 100 shot is safe, and dont go over 150. Just make sure your fuel system is up to par and watch the timing. Wait till I get the ZZ3 in there in a couple of weeks with a 150 shot that I have waiting for it.

 

Leave the engine stock dont mess with it. If all you want to do is leave rubber and improve the performance just install a better gear set or an entire rear end. 2.77's, 3.08's or what ever pathetic gears it came with stock suck. Gears are all you need.

 

Its not only that, I do now want to give a stock honda civic the pleasure of beating a trans am, thats just wrong. Right now The only mods are the k&n filter and a Accell HEI supercoil. As long as I got enough power to put the occasional import to shame im happy.with those mods anyone know about how much hp I have? I guessed around 220 but I could be wrong.

 

Well to give you a little example. My Bird was very bad off the line, it would downshift and go fairly well but it still was sad since I had soo much RPM lag. I changed cams while I still had the 305, went to an MTC-1 which is just a plane RV cam just a tad better then a stock cam, upgraded to a 700R4 and swaped my 2.73's out for a 3.42 set. My old 305 would demolish fairly modded Rustangs with no problem. Even if the cars I raced could beat me they wouldent even try because I had so much lower and midrange advantage over them I could put them behind me so quickly it was sad. I basicly just upgraded my setup to what you have now minus the gears and it made that much difference.

 

The only thing your gonna do is ruin that car and make the others worth more. Make your kids proud of you and either restore it to original shape or tarp it off in a barn to pay for their college. In another 20+ years it will be worth its weight in gold.

My 2 cents.

 

Actually, 84 L69 cars came with 3.42's standard with the automatic with 3.73's being optional, and for the 5-speed like mine...3.73's were standard. Any of the setups could easily bake the tires.

 

sorry ssc, hes right, all us l69 guys were blessed with gears unlike most other third gens (i have 3:73's).

Anyway unless its an investment you want to save in original condition and sell in ten years, screw that 305. Its your car and if you want to make it fast because you like speed, give it some motor, not to mention (and i should know) these almost 20 year old mills arent the freshest and most oilburn free things around.

 

I still advice against changing it much. If fix it should be able to sell for enough to pick up one of them mean looking 00 Birds with the 6 speed.

Just because what it is, it will fetch more. The smart money is to fix it enough to get double your money back, and then build or buy something nice.

I never lose money on a car, I always double it.

I got a nice story that went on for about 10 years on the blessing of buying an oil leaking $185 Pinto that got me into the 9 sec world.

Matt