Ok, I searched around, thought about it all, and I am now looking for opinions.

I am on a budget. That said, I'd like to know what you guys think I should do. Right now I have a tired 305 carbbed LG4 with a tired 700R4.

Option 1: complete 305 rebuild, with a new cam, ported heads, intake manifold, headers, catback, and a new carb...

Option 2: keep the 305 but pretty much leave the bottom end alone, because it's already in pretty good shape, and just get headers, a cam, rebuilt heads, intake manifold and a carb

Option 3: get a 350 shortblock, stick rebuilt LG4 heads on it, and get a cam/headers/intake manifold/carb


For the transmission I want either a 700R4 or a th-350-c

So what do you think? I'm looking for power, low cost and reliability..

 

"Cheap. Good. Fast. Pick two." -Old hotrodding maxim.
Whichever you pick, it WONT be what you didn't pick.
stolen from spo's page.

Get it cheap and fast, it wont be good. Get it good and cheap, it wont be fast. Etc etc.


The cheapest route is the route with the least amount of labor. Labor costs are TONS more than just buying a new part if one is available most of the time. Get a hold of a cheap 350 that runs good already.... build that up. It'll be tons cheaper than building a 305 to get to the same level of performance.

The only real reason you'd stick with a 305 and build it way up past 350 performance would be to tell the victims of your car that they just got owned by a 305.

Seriously the quote at the top holds true no matter what. Figure out what order those are for you, and build the engine to match that. Just get the "I want it all" out of your head ...it can't happen. The closest you can get is fast and reliable...it'll be expensive at first, but hopefully it lasts a long time and you wont be replacing it down the road.

http://www.goingfaster.com/spo/mods.html

 

Ok thanks for the help. The only thing that worries me about getting a 350 that runs good already is that what if someone just lubed it up real good so it runs well now, but in a week it blows up?

not to mention, I dont know what to look for when buying an engine... I dont know how easy the swap will be, if it'll be as simple as remove 305, drop in 350, or what. IE: sensor fittings and the like.. But I guess I can figure it out lol.

or pay someone else to..

 

What you just said makes me think you should stick to your 305 and slowly learn the basics, unless you have a family member or friend that knows what they are doing to help you. Start with a full exhuast and work your way up from there. You defenetly dont want to pay someone to do all the work for you it will cost you double of what your already going to pay for parts. If you are still in school see if you can enroll in some type of autotech program if not just read around the boards and get a few books on building motors. Because you dont want to just dive into this stuff especially if this car is your daily driver. Good Luck.

 

Dont rebuild the 305. Waste of time and money. Get a 350, and have it rebuilt. Then there are no concerns about it blowing up in a week. You will spend the same amount on a 350 as you would the 305 (maybe a little less, depending on pistons).

 

Heh I'm already in an autotech class. My average is 100%. But I dont exactly want my car sitting in a highschool shop for a week. Cars that do thend to get keyed or worse.

I didnt think 45 cubic inches were so valuable. And to think, 3 years ago I wanted a CRX.

Well I can get myself a rebuilt 350 4 bolt for 1400 bucks from the local builder, but that's with a stock cam. ($1400 loonies, mind you) I guess what I will have to do is take it to a rebuilder and say I want that 350 shortblock, you guys can keep my 305, possibly as a core, and then rebuild my heads and put 'em on the new engine. Because I dont have a place I can do the swap myself, and I dont know anyone that does.

After all, I'm only looking for a daily driver.

 

Haven't we discussed this somewhere else?

Option 2 or 3 are the only ones to consider. Except, get the carb replacement necessity out of your head. You don't need another carb to improve your current performance. Being a Canadian car, you have the "advantage" of not having computer controls (if that was still true in the case of your '86).

Building a daily driver around a 305 shortblock is a viable approach - see sig. The 45 cubic inches isn't the only issue, the reduced bore diameter tends to constrict valve flow and reduce the effectiveness of the other go-fast things that always work on SBC's.

 

Ah. Thanks for the info. I was only thinking new carb because I think mine is getting tired anyways and I was worried it wouldnt bolt to the intake manifold. (but I guess I can get an adapter)

I guess I'll go down to the local shop and just see what a few different scenarios would cost.... and you're right about the computer control. And another advantage to where I live is that I have no cat, and I dont even care lol.

 

Pick the intake (if you really need to replace it - of course, yours is probably cast iron) so that the powerband matches the cam, and the carb mounting matches the carb. Pretty easy to do unless you're looking at regular trips beyond 6500 RPMs - not a good idea with a stock bottom end.

The typical Performer/Action +/GMPP ZZ/Dominator intakes are all good dual-plane choices for a street performance 305 build, and will mount a spreadbore carb.

 

Nice. I think I will do just that. I just had a guy tell me that if I get rebuilt heads though, I will likely blow the piston rings. So I think what I will probably do is get my intake, (mine is the sucky LG4 type, remember) and a set of headers soon, and then look into a 350 shortblock later on. Then I'll get a cam for it further down. That way I dont drop a lot of money in one place, because I cant afford to anyways.

 

Poppycock.

 

THat's kind of what I was thinking. This was a guy at a shop, wanting my money, too. He said that with 130k miles, (which he may have a point about) then as soon as I put new heads on there it will blow the rings right out and I'll use oil like crazy.

 

This is why no local mechanic will ever touch one of my cars. It is actually the reason I learned how to fix things myself. I got tired of every dumb a$$ in town telling me different BS so that they wouldnt have to do anything complicated.

 

I've seen it happen. Twice.