I have a 91' Camaro RS I have been building slowly. It still runs 16's on the quarter mile and is kind of embarrassing. Here is what I have and what I've modded. What are some cheap worthy improvements I could do next? A lot of people have suggested 3.73 gears.

Suspension:
KYB Performance shocks front and back
GM Performance Bushings
Eagle GT rear wheels
Firehawk front wheels

Transmission (700R4):
Performance U-Joints
B&M Shift Improver Kit Street/Strip
Polyurethane Trans Mount

Exhaust:
Flowtech Shorty Headers (2.5 in.)
Flowtech Y-Pipe (2.5 in.)
Magnaflow Cat (2.5 in.)
Flowmaster 80 Series Muffler (2.5 in.)

Engine (L03):
Edlebrock 16" Open Element Air Cleaner
K&N Air Filter
A.I.R. Tubes Removed
Charcoal Canister Removed
Autolite Spark Plugs
Carquest Premium 7mm Wires
Accel Rotor
Accel Distributor Cap
Hood Insulator removal
Hood Window Strip Removal

 

1) You'll never get anything but embarassing numbers from the 305 - it's a great little motor for reliability and function, but it has no place on the track except for bracket racing.

2) You'll never get anything from the TBI system - it's just not programmable enough for the mods needed to get the 305 to move any (what little a 305 will move)

3) You'll get nowhere with stock heads

4) ^^^ same with cam

5) ^^^ same with intake

5) Changing heads, intake and cam will put you in the place where you need serious chip tuning to even get the TBI system to run, and even then it won't run great most likely - the TBI folks that have had any luck have programmed their own chips, and through a painstaking process that takes months of datalogging and adjusting variables on the fly while driving the car.

Rear gears would be the next step for you, and will improve, but beyond that you're falling into the TBI Twilight Zone where it becomes alot of pain/money with very little return.

It's time for a 350 or better. LSx if you need to maintain emissions, or old school built 350 and carb if not.

 

yeah I know that 305 needs to go soon. Thanks for the advice.

 

I faced the same problems. My 87 Formula had the L03 305 from my 90 in it. No matter how I configured it, it was the same cost buying a 355 from blueprint engines as opposed to rebuilding the 305 with new heads, cam, intake and everything else to make it worth it. The heads and cam are the worst part about the 305.

I love my 355. I have 385hp/405tq now. So glad I didn't rebuild the useless 305 I had. Sold that sucker for 50 bucks :-)