I have an 83 T/A with a carbed 305, and I am looking at swapping it to a TPI setup. I had heard that the TPI manifolds were not compatible with older 305's like mine, is this true?

 

Thats incorrect. There are three styles of OEM TPI's. There is also the aftermarket to consider. Edelbrock makes a baseplate for the GEN I Small Block Chevy PN3861. Here is a good article on choosing the correct TPI unit.http://www.classictrucksweb.com/tech/0402cl_tpi/

Here are a couple of good sites on TPI swapping:

http://www.chevythunder.com/

http://sethirdgen.org/tpi1.htm

You may want to invest in a good book like:
Chevy TPI Fuel Injection Swapper's Guide, by John Baechtel

Also you might want to look around in the top 4 or 5 stickies for the TPI forum and do a search. Alot of the questions that come up about swapping have been answered. If you have a questions don't hesitate in asking. As we use to say in the Corps, "The only dumb question is the one not that not asked."

Good Luck
Bill