vcordaro

So it begins.. I recently purchased a 1988 IROC Z to rebuild with my 17 year old son. I had one a long time ago and wanted to learn about and rebuild the car from my youth. So anyway a friend of mine was selling his 305 TPI 88 Iroc and I picked it up at a great price. My son has his learners permit and has been driving it around alot. I don’t think he realized how much he would enjoy driving it. Well now it is on to the rebuild phase. I am a software engineer and know absolutly nothing about cars. I have been researching, watching videos (Motor Trend has a great 305 rebuild vide) and just gathering information. So here I am. I have some general questions that will help me decide which route to go.

1. I plan to keep the 305 and try to get about 350 hp out of it. I just want the car to be a decent beach cruiser. Any reason this is not doable?

2. As for rebuilding the engine. Can I rebuild the top end of the engine and rebuild the bottom end at a later time? Or should I just plan to do it all at once? I ask because I know the car has a manifold and valve cover leak. So I have been thinking about picking ups the vortech heads and a new intake manifold. The motor has about 150,000 miles on it and actually was well maintained. Can I drop that kit on the engine as it stands or is that going to cause the bottom end to **** all over itself. Or do I just replace the gaskets, button her back up and then when I have enough money pull the entire motor for a rebuild. Any idea how much a bottom end rebuild on a 305 would run?

3. I am assuming I cannot just ramp up the motor to 300-350hp without doing something to the trans. What would happen if you did just run the original trans? Would it just eventually give away or is it drastically unsafe to do so. My son is mainly going to be driving this. I figure I have someone rebuild mine to support the new numbers.

4. Rear end - I have not even gotten this far. I know I would probably like 3.73 and posi .

5. Suspension - all around needs to be redone.


—The car was just inspected by a local shop and this is what they gave me:
Intake Gasket Leak
Valve Cover Gaskets leaking
Oil Pressure Switch Wet. ( I am not sure what his means, isn’t the oil switch under the car and it has been raining massively the past few days)
Both Lower Ball Jts
Play in front wheel bearings
Rear wheel cylinders leaking
Brake shoes wet (again raining, should the brake shoes never be wet?)
Spark plugs fouling out
Running rich
Fuel filter looks old


So this is what brought about the top end rebuild question. I figure I will do the gaskets, fuel filter & spark plugs together soon. Just not
sure if a top end rebuild is worth it or if I should just do the gaskets.

Thanks for reading and thanks for any advice you might have...

Vince

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

Your best option time-wise, cost-wise and performance wise is going to be a GM L31 crate engine. It's the Vortec 350 that is rated at 255 horsepower with the supplied camshaft. You can swap the cam but the supplied cam is already perfect for TPI. You can spend a little more and get their zz4 and that's rated at 355 horsepower.
Rebuilding an engine for a naturally aspirated goal of under 300 hp for a SBC is a waste of money for what you're getting. The machine shop bill (assuming everything is machined) is usually around $1000 and then new pistons, gaskets, bearings, etc will easily run $500. And if you are wanting to make 300+ hp you will need vortec or other aftermarket heads costing you at least another $500. The L31 also carries a warranty.
If you are a software engineer I would think you would have far more fun doing an engine swap and then spending your time (and knowledge?) tuning this new engine. Look into the EBL that one of the members (Rbob) sells. It's very popular and it nearly a plug and play for tuning these engines. It would still be a project car but with a GM engine swap it would be a much more friendly project car.