I drive a 305 1985 Pontiac Trans Am, and the potential racer drives a 305 1989 Pontiac Formula. I have 119500 miles, TPI, and a recent tune up, but mostly stock. The formula has almost 200000 miles, TPI, and is stock. Both are automatics. Who would win?

 

Whichever is in the best condition, but probably too close to call. It'll come down to driver if both are in tune.

Chris

 

Theres a small problem though. He does have a 305 in it, on his hood it says 5.0 TPI, but his friends say its a 4bbl. I havent got to look at it yet. Otherwise its a stock 305. He has all his trim in it.

I have taken out the ac, backseats, sparetire, and am running without a muffler for the time being.

 

Do you have any ideas on each cars weight? T-tops or hard tops?
What kind of gearing does each car have?

 

My car has t tops, and has the aboce items taken out. about 150 lbs or so.

the other car is a hard top, with full street trim from the factory.

I have no clue as to what gearing either has, but they both have the stock gears.

 

where you planning on from a roll or line?

 

Line.

 

Of course you realize, there's only one true way to find out, right?

 

85 was the year with the fastest of the 305's.

220hp compared to the 190 of 86+.

85 will win, but not by much.

 

thats 215hp, and it dint have that as much torque. Its all gunna come down to driver. and 87Formula's right... theres only one way... TAKE IT TO THE STREETS/TRACK!

 

I say 85. Much better cam. Less mileage, recent tune-up. 89 a4 has peanut cam any way you look at it, 200k miles. But race and find out anyway.

 

Well the tech specs say for 85 Trans Am with a LB9 and a 700R4 that you've got 215 hp and 275 foot lbs. of torque.

The Specs for a 89 Trans Am say that it has 195 hp and 295 foot lbs of torque.

You have a much better gear advantage with your 85 you've got 3.23 gears and he has 2.73. In 89 you had to specify G92 to get the better cam, which you have that gives you 215 hp. See but what you overpower him with in hp he makes up exactly in torque.

 

WOW!!!!

This is almost identical to my friend jeff1367's car and mine!! He has a 85 TA t tops 305 tpi, mine is a 89 Camaro 305 tpi hardtop, both auto. He has 3.23 gears and I have 2.73 and he blew his engine at like 90,xxx miles and rebuilt it with a little better cam, after market heads, has dual cats, and free mods. His car has a little over 100,000 miles on it. Mine is bone stock with some free mods and has 150,000 miles and just the other day we were driving home and both hit it frim the line and it was dead even till the road curved. But we are racing officaly this week so I will fill you all in on the details after we race.

 

the 85 will rev a klittle faster but the 89 will pull harder...its all on the driver...but me bein a bigger fan of torque ill go for the 89

nah dude the SD 305's were the quickest

 

When you think about how the 305 was the only stick the fbods had to beat the mustangs with in the early years, well, I think it did well for what it was.

When I see that the stock '90-91 Mustang GT's make stock around 220hp and 290 torque, doesnt seem like it would be easy to build a 305 with better numbers. Again, ford is really impressive when you think about it.

 

the 91 lb9 mk6 was rated at 230 horse@4,400 and 300ft pounds@3,200


but i still think the 89 will win

 

89's didn't come with 4bbls. Maybe it's TBI and an LO3, in that case you'll win.

 

I've had 85, 86, and 87 305 TPI cars, all A4s, (85 and 86 both had 3.23s) and the peanut cammed cars do not hold a candle to the 85. I would give it the win by a good 2-3 car lengths assuming it's running right etc. The lower end torque is mostly wasted on the 89, both have enough torque down low and it will run out of the breath way earlier than the 85 thanks to the worthless peanut cam.

Then once you do the standard bolt ons the 85 will gain more as well, thanks to not being choked above all by the cam...

 

The race should go down next weekend.