ignorant newbie needs advice

[ozkiwi]

Just bought an 86 silverado shortbox 305/700r4/3.42 out of MD which is about to be shipped out here to Australia
It is going to be used to cart motorcycles and general round city driving with the occassional long trip.I was looking for a 350 but the condition of this truck sealed the deal and I thought how gutless can a 5 liter V8 be???

I checked on wiki and it had the LE9 making 205hp@3600 and 250ftlbs@2000
which is the same as my current drive which in American terms is a buick 3.8 v6/700r4 in a ute (car with a tray instead of a seats)making almost identical horse power and torque as the LE9.
It is 1000lbs lighter but the max torque is produced @3500rpm so all in all I figured the silverado would be ok for my use.

Then I joined up here and find wikipedia lied and the 305 is making a weedy 170 hp

I think an immediate engine transplant will be in order and am trying to decide between 2 crate 350s the 260hp or 290? .They are virtually the same price here.
My needs are low down torque for good acceleration off the lights but reasonable mpg.I tend to just plod around most of the time because Melbourne traffic is in grid lock 24/7 these days and knowone is going anywhere quick however if I put my foot down I want something to happen.

Last question which is where I am truly ignorant what does the 305/700r4/3.42 driveline mean in terms of getting the pickup moving away from a standstill in the real world.It is important here because everyone just floors it off the lights and shoots for small gaps in the the traffic.

[chevybuilder18]

welcome to the site where many american folks welcome you. beautiful truck btw. If you have limited sorces in australia, then that would make it more expensive for things right? that truck looks in such great shape. there is crate engines that do produce 290 hp, and there are GM goodwrench motors are a way to go. you dont want a custom engine, and youd like to keep it stockish.. good mpg... good throttle response. is it carberated? a good 4 barrel qaudrajet, good intake and some headers should just wake it up for your needs.

[86c20]

i have the 260hp in my c20 with the qjet and 3.42 gears city i get 14mpg and high way20-22 mpg. pulls well and gets going fine but a have the sm465 trans not a 700r4.

if some one knows the gears in the 700 that would help. i think it is step like the th400 so should be good off the line???

[chevybuilder18]

Originally Posted by 86c20

i have the 260hp in my c20 with the qjet and 3.42 gears city i get 14mpg and high way20-22 mpg. pulls well and gets going fine but a have the sm465 trans not a 700r4.

if some one knows the gears in the 700 that would help. i think it is step like the th400 so should be good off the line???

700r4 has has a kick. had one in a 3rd gen camaro, 305 roller tbi straight pipe, first gear the engine would scream and turn the 30 inch tires at a dead stop, no brakes

[chevybuilder18]

also fogot to add people dont like the 700r4 off the line because between 2nd and 1st theres a huge difference. just because 1st gear is a lil granny and 2nd is like a leap.

[ozkiwi]

Originally Posted by chevybuilder18

welcome to the site where many american folks welcome you. beautiful truck btw. If you have limited sorces in australia, then that would make it more expensive for things right? that truck looks in such great shape. there is crate engines that do produce 290 hp, and there are GM goodwrench motors are a way to go. you dont want a custom engine, and youd like to keep it stockish.. good mpg... good throttle response. is it carberated? a good 4 barrel qaudrajet, good intake and some headers should just wake it up for your needs.

Thanks for the welcome and advise.The pickup is dead stock running gear and is has a 4barrel carb.I am hoping to use the carb and inlet manifold onto the the 350 and fit some headers.I have noticed some cheap headers on ebay they look ok but I think they are chinese made?
You can get everything here in Australia but always at a premium price.Will be buying any accessories from the US.
Will have to drive it with the 305 until my other vehicle sells so at least I will feel the difference with the 350.

[chevybuilder18]

Originally Posted by ozkiwi

Thanks for the welcome and advise.The pickup is dead stock running gear and is has a 4barrel carb.I am hoping to use the carb and inlet manifold onto the the 350 and fit some headers.I have noticed some cheap headers on ebay they look ok but I think they are chinese made?
You can get everything here in Australia but always at a premium price.Will be buying any accessories from the US.
Will have to drive it with the 305 until my other vehicle sells so at least I will feel the difference with the 350.

No problem. those headers are cheap and to good to be true. there is better quality headers out there. but if you have to buy those headers to be in with the gas milage, then so be it. a set of headers here are $100. Theres also better 350 blocks out there like the roller kind, you might actually have 300 hp motor from a roller camshaft 350, conserve gas and with the rear gears as well.

[chevybuilder18]

Id also like to add that Nova and malibu headers fit on our trucks pretty easily. there also cheaper than the truck headers. 1 5/8 long tube headers for a nova or malibu chevelle ect. we have all had good luck with long tube headers, and there very much cheaper.

[chevybuilder18]

Originally Posted by 86c20

i have the 260hp in my c20 with the qjet and 3.42 gears city i get 14mpg and high way20-22 mpg. pulls well and gets going fine but a have the sm465 trans not a 700r4.

if some one knows the gears in the 700 that would help. i think it is step like the th400 so should be good off the line???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo-Hydramatic check the link i posted out, if you havent googled it already

[C-10 simplex]

i would leave it as is; The drivetrain will provide decent acceleration and will be able to haul motorcycles no problem.

[Skunksmash]

The 305 can be fixed up to be quick but its not all that great from the factory, honestly. Mine was a turd. Lots of people refer to them as "boat anchors". I'd wait till it wore out and install a 350. Or better yet, a 5.3L ls swap.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

That combo is a great balanced combo. My old setup was the le9 305 with 2:73 gears and the 700r4. A little tweaking of the timing and carb and headers with exhaust prob got it up to 240hp about.

Realize that the hp ratings then were with all accessories. So a/c smog pump powersteering and alternator and the water pump and fan. 200hp is about right on wiki
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[ozkiwi]

Ok that's interesting that that the 305 could be ok !
I am just looking at what I have now in my current ride and it's 1000lbs lighter
and it is about right for my use. if I want to scare myself I have a few motorcycles with a hp for every 2.2 pounds.
Also the torque equation come into it as the LE9 reaches peak low down compared to a V6.

Guess I just need to wait and see how it goes when it gets here truth is I just want to drive something with a bit more character than my holden.I love low end torque and a friend has a warm 454 in his c10 which is fun to drive but he spends a fortune on tires and fuel because he has no self control and it is just over kill for a plodder like me.

The chevy also gets cheap insurance and registration here because it's older than 25 years old so running costs are lower.

[motornut]

run the 305 and tweak it!
I'd replace the carb/intake when/with the block

[gchemist]

Don't worry. The 700R3 first gear with 3.42s will put you in the seat. Just manually shift it hard if you need to "race from light to light". The rear is so light, you'll smoke the tires before moving.

[1774btcrew]

Originally Posted by ozkiwi

Ok that's interesting that that the 305 could be ok !
I am just looking at what I have now in my current ride and it's 1000lbs lighter
and it is about right for my use. if I want to scare myself I have a few motorcycles with a hp for every 2.2 pounds.
Also the torque equation come into it as the LE9 reaches peak low down compared to a V6.

Guess I just need to wait and see how it goes when it gets here truth is I just want to drive something with a bit more character than my holden.I love low end torque and a friend has a warm 454 in his c10 which is fun to drive but he spends a fortune on tires and fuel because he has no self control and it is just over kill for a plodder like me.

The chevy also gets cheap insurance and registration here because it's older than 25 years old so running costs are lower.

Welcome to the site! There are a lot of squarebodies making it over there to OZ. It is funny that you would say that you want something with more character than your Holden. I know in Australia they are super common. On the other hand here in the states I have a Pontiac G8 GT and it gets a ton of attention since Pontiac closed it's doors and only made the G8 for 2 years. It is funny, I probably have as hard of time getting G8 parts here as you will finding Squarebody stuff there! Let me know when your truck gets there if I can help you out with locating any parts for you.

[ozkiwi]

Pontiac G8 GT ? had to google that to see what it is and yes they are super common here.Basically I am a motorcyclist and the Holden equivalent to your car is a big nuisance here because the accelerate really hard and I have to get on the gas hard on the bikes to get rid of them lol.A lot of these are running with 500hp plus RWHP and are seriously fast for a car.My ute pictured is most common here with a 350 LS1 manual 6 speed and the young guys just love them.
The square body C10s are pretty common here but I wanted a fully optioned silverado with no modifications in factory black and rust free (impossible to find here) and actually took 5 months to find this one in the US.

Only mod if I don't swap the motor will be to air bag the rear so I can load my bikes easy.

Thanks to everyone for advice this is a great site.

[C-10 simplex]

Don't you have to convert to right hand drive?

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Would live a right hand drive truck up here
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[ozkiwi]

No need to convert to RHD unless you want too on older vehicles over 25 years old here if on classic registration.You get used to it pretty quick if you only drive LHD which I will be.