I've looked at the threads here and can't find exactly what I'm looking for. I've got a 92RS V6 with 5 speed. My goal for this car is to have a simple fun street car. Something I can burn the tires and do a little drifting but it still be a daily driver. I want good gas mileage and complete reliability.
I'm thinking some where around 320HP to 375HP, with around 350 pounds feet of torque, backed by a T56. I know everybody will instantly say drop in an LS. I would if I could. BUT around here LS are impossible to get for anything near decent prices. And finding someone to do the computer work in this area is absolutely impossible. SO, for me it's gonna be a traditional SBC with a carb, or if I can swing the money an aftermarker TBI like I've seen from Edelbrock and others.
Either way, can a 305 even make that kind of power? I'm only concidering a 305 cause I figure a smaller engine might get better MPGs. I also don't want a lot of lope. OR should I build a 350?
Another idea was just to buy a used running 350, but some stock 350s came very weak too so I might not be any where near the performance that I want. What do you guys thing? What is the "average" power made from most of the stock 350's out there?

 

With that horsepower target, don't even consider a 305. You'd have to put a LOT more money into it to get what comes easy and cheap with a 350. And, believe it or not, mileage from a 305 making that kind of hp is going to be worse that a lower revving torquey 350.

 

i had a 350/t5 in my first 3rd gen with 350 chp ... it would spin them and slide, but it sure would not be a good drifter in stock suspension form ... they were made to not drift, but to stick, so imo, you would need to lift the rear of the car and maybe even take off the springs and replace them with something solid ... and to hold a good drift, you need to hold high rpms and that does not translate to "good gas mileage and complete reliability" ... may want to think about 2 cars to do those 2 things

 

whats with all the 305 questions lately?
if 305's were so great, and could just as easily make the same power as a 350 in a high performance application, AND get great mileage,...don't you think GM would have put them in every corvette? heck, why even bother with 350's?

for mileage concerns, i'd go the fuel injection route for sure.

 

mpgs from a carbed v8 is a lost cause no matter how you look at it. find a t5 305 tpi car, get a hot tune full exhaust and gears and be happy with the 27hwy mpg and bite the bullet on the hp rating. with crappy tires you will have no problem drifting.

 

MPGs from a carbed 350....not a lost cause. 320hp 350 here and I get 19mpg highway with my carb thank you very much! Of course, like with everything, that depends on how much my foot is in it.

 

I won't tell you to get a LSX….get a good ole reliable 350 and carb it. Done. Will you smack down 20+ MPG with a carb? Probably not. If you want that more than the other things, get a Prius….you can't have a car good at everything, you need to compromise.

Just IMO….

 

Gotta vote for a solid 350 with a carb over the 305. As for gas mileage? -I have a pretty stout little 350 being fed by a 750dp holley and it gets anywhere from 8 to 18 mpg, just depends on how you drive it. If you can cruise without kicking the 4 barrel then you do just fine...and when you want to you can roast tires through all the gears

I'm not saying that is great mileage (hence why mine is not my DD) but it is something.

 

Agreed. Probably about the same hp here now, and with 3.73 gears it has knocked down 24 mpg highway mileage on a few tankfuls.
1986 E4ME carb that's never been apart!