Motor Recommendations??

[tjpresley1978]

I recently picked up a clean 72 SWB last weekend with a 305 (originally a 350 truck). The truck was his daily driver so it runs decent but has major PS, trans and oil leaks.

My plan long term is to do a full restore and drop an LS2 in some day. But for right now I'd like to keep the budget small. I plan to lower it with drop spindles in front and coils out back, black matte paint for now BUT the big thing is the motor.

I have dreamed about this day from back as a child that I would get an old truck and drop an engine in it with a HUGE cam and 3" exhaust so you could hear it coming from a mile away. It doesn't even need to be that fast...just sound like a beast and boil the tires off.

I'd like to keep the spend on the motor in the $1-2k ballpark if at all possible.

Is there a way to cam up the 305 and put a few extra goodies on it (intake, carb & headers) to make it sound like a beast. I've heard lots of bad things about trying to cam up a 305 and being a waste of money.

Would it be better to find an old 350 block, get it machined and rebuilt and install a cam and all the goodies on that?

Would it be a lot more expensive to try and make a stroker motor out of the 350 instead?

So what's the best bang for the buck to make the truck sound like a beast and boil the back tires off and is that even a possibility with there being an existing 305 in there now and a budget of $1500-2000?

[68shortwide]

I'm sure it is, just research and scour Craigslist n such for a cheap 350

[Xeen]

Unfortunately 305 heads suck and suck bad, they will never produce enough power to do anything with them.
Here are some better options.

290 HP Chevrolet performance 350 crate engine $2070 shipped.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-12499529

325 HP ATK High Performance 350 crate engine $2350 shipped.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hpe-hp291p/overview/

My personal favorite.
350 HP ATK High Performance 350 Vortec crate engine $2600 shipped.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hpe-hp32/overview/

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by tjpresley1978

I recently picked up a clean 72 SWB last weekend with a 305 (originally a 350 truck). The truck was his daily driver so it runs decent but has major PS, trans and oil leaks.

My plan long term is to do a full restore and drop an LS2 in some day. But for right now I'd like to keep the budget small. I plan to lower it with drop spindles in front and coils out back, black matte paint for now BUT the big thing is the motor.

I have dreamed about this day from back as a child that I would get an old truck and drop an engine in it with a HUGE cam and 3" exhaust so you could hear it coming from a mile away. It doesn't even need to be that fast...just sound like a beast and boil the tires off.

I'd like to keep the spend on the motor in the $1-2k ballpark if at all possible.

Is there a way to cam up the 305 and put a few extra goodies on it (intake, carb & headers) to make it sound like a beast. I've heard lots of bad things about trying to cam up a 305 and being a waste of money.

Would it be better to find an old 350 block, get it machined and rebuilt and install a cam and all the goodies on that?

Would it be a lot more expensive to try and make a stroker motor out of the 350 instead?

So what's the best bang for the buck to make the truck sound like a beast and boil the back tires off and is that even a possibility with there being an existing 305 in there now and a budget of $1500-2000?

305 heads have smaller chambers and slightly smaller intake valves because of the small bore, basically the same ports as 350 heads and the same stroke as a 350.

Put on the big exhaust, headers, intake, 4bbl carb, and put in this cam-
http://www.competitionproducts.com/E.../#.VD9kMk10wu4
This set of lifters
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-BBC-283-...c32502&vxp=mtr

It'll sound good but won't boil the tires. If you want the 305 to boil the tires you will need either a 4.11 rear end or a nitrous oxide kit for about 100-150 extra HP.

Personally, I'd just drive it until I could afford the engine I wanted. The more money you put into it now the longer it is until you can do what you want. Fix the oil leaks and save your money. Rule of thumb on fixing oil leaks: start at the top and work your way down; NEVER do the lower leaks first. Replacing the cam will likely result in fixing some of the leaks.

If you try to hot rod the 305 your gonna blow it up eventually. If you put in a crate engine, you will still have to buy the intake, headers, exhaust system, carb, etc. so you will exceed your budget. Or, if this is close to your location an example of what you can get on craigslist.

http://houston.craigslist.org/pts/4667592950.html

Yeah, a mixed message.

[asolde]

I am here in north houston (kingwood) I have a running 350 in my 72 Blazer I am getting ready to pull out and replace it with a new crate engine. The 350 is not original to my Blazer or else I would have rebuilt it. It runs good has a little puff of smoke on start up. I decoded it to a 74-75 car engine but cant quite remember. I don't know the casting number on the block yet. I was going to take a video of it running and put it on CL for $500. If your interested let me know. Alex

[tjpresley1978]

Thanks guys - I think I'll stay away from dumping any money into the 305 other than getting the leaks fixed for the moment and search for a cheap 350.

[tjpresley1978]

Originally Posted by asolde

I am here in north houston (kingwood) I have a running 350 in my 72 Blazer I am getting ready to pull out and replace it with a new crate engine. The 350 is not original to my Blazer or else I would have rebuilt it. It runs good has a little puff of smoke on start up. I decoded it to a 74-75 car engine but cant quite remember. I don't know the casting number on the block yet. I was going to take a video of it running and put it on CL for $500. If your interested let me know. Alex

Thanks - I'm going to check on that ad posted above to see if it's still available since it already has an intake, Holley carb and cam for $600. But I will get back with you if it's been sold.

[tjpresley1978]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

305 heads have smaller chambers and slightly smaller intake valves because of the small bore, basically the same ports as 350 heads and the same stroke as a 350.

Put on the big exhaust, headers, intake, 4bbl carb, and put in this cam-
http://www.competitionproducts.com/E.../#.VD9kMk10wu4
This set of lifters
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-BBC-283-...c32502&vxp=mtr

It'll sound good but won't boil the tires. If you want the 305 to boil the tires you will need either a 4.11 rear end or a nitrous oxide kit for about 100-150 extra HP.

Personally, I'd just drive it until I could afford the engine I wanted. The more money you put into it now the longer it is until you can do what you want. Fix the oil leaks and save your money. Rule of thumb on fixing oil leaks: start at the top and work your way down; NEVER do the lower leaks first. Replacing the cam will likely result in fixing some of the leaks.

If you try to hot rod the 305 your gonna blow it up eventually. If you put in a crate engine, you will still have to buy the intake, headers, exhaust system, carb, etc. so you will exceed your budget. Or, if this is close to your location an example of what you can get on craigslist.

http://houston.craigslist.org/pts/4667592950.html

Yeah, a mixed message.

Thanks - very helpful advice for both situations. I'm going to give the guy with the ad a call - location is about 10 miles from my house so I'm going to check that out since it pretty much has everything on it already that I'm looking to do and it's a pretty good deal for $600.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

305 heads have smaller chambers and slightly smaller intake valves because of the small bore, basically the same ports as 350 heads and the same stroke as a 350.

Put on the big exhaust, headers, intake, 4bbl carb, and put in this cam-
http://www.competitionproducts.com/E.../#.VD9kMk10wu4
This set of lifters
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-BBC-283-...c32502&vxp=mtr

It'll sound good but won't boil the tires. If you want the 305 to boil the tires you will need either a 4.11 rear end or a nitrous oxide kit for about 100-150 extra HP.

Personally, I'd just drive it until I could afford the engine I wanted. The more money you put into it now the longer it is until you can do what you want. Fix the oil leaks and save your money. Rule of thumb on fixing oil leaks: start at the top and work your way down; NEVER do the lower leaks first. Replacing the cam will likely result in fixing some of the leaks.

If you try to hot rod the 305 your gonna blow it up eventually. If you put in a crate engine, you will still have to buy the intake, headers, exhaust system, carb, etc. so you will exceed your budget. Or, if this is close to your location an example of what you can get on craigslist.

http://houston.craigslist.org/pts/4667592950.html

Yeah, a mixed message.

I agree. Just drive it like you stole it until it dies. You may be surprised. Then save your money and do what you want to do with upgrades. That way you just move forward.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by tjpresley1978

My plan long term is to do a full restore and drop an LS2 in some day. But for right now I'd like to keep the budget small. I plan to lower it with drop spindles in front and coils out back, black matte paint for now BUT the big thing is the motor.

So what's the best bang for the buck to make the truck sound like a beast and boil the back tires off and is that even a possibility with there being an existing 305 in there now and a budget of $1500-2000?

The best bang for the buck or the MOST bang for the buck?

No halfsteppin' with this!

[tjpresley1978]

Originally Posted by Fitz

The best bang for the buck or the MOST bang for the buck?

No halfsteppin' with this!

That's a bad dude!

[67 cst swb]

Instead of wasting money (my opinion) on anything, you should just put that $ towards your LS direction. That $1000 - $2000 towards getting your "dream" realized. That $ would go a long way towards; headers, motor mounts, radiator, etc... for the LS swap.

[leftybass209]

Originally Posted by 67 cst swb

Instead of wasting money (my opinion) on anything, you should just put that $ towards your LS direction. That $1000 - $2000 towards getting your "dream" realized. That $ would go a long way towards; headers, motor mounts, radiator, etc... for the LS swap.

I agree with this. Regardless of budget size the biggest waste of money is purchasing a motor, then purchasing another. Fix your leaks on the 305 and save your money to do an ls swap if that's what you want. Budgeting a vehicle is a long process that involves a lot of planning as 1 thing always affects another.

[gsxrdoug]

If you continue to look at CL you will find LSX for your budget price. The hard part is all the stuff you will need to make it work in your truck. I say hard but it is also the fun part. Haven't done it yet but I have been looking and they are out there and not bad price either. Like many others have said fix what you got on the cheap and save for the big motor, then buy stock in a major tire manufacture because you will need the extra revenue to pay for all that boiled rubber on the roads.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by tjpresley1978

I recently picked up a clean 72 SWB last weekend with a 305 (originally a 350 truck). The truck was his daily driver so it runs decent but has major PS, trans and oil leaks.

My plan long term is to do a full restore and drop an LS2 in some day. But for right now I'd like to keep the budget small. I plan to lower it with drop spindles in front and coils out back, black matte paint for now BUT the big thing is the motor.

I have dreamed about this day from back as a child that I would get an old truck and drop an engine in it with a HUGE cam and 3" exhaust so you could hear it coming from a mile away. It doesn't even need to be that fast...just sound like a beast and boil the tires off.

I'd like to keep the spend on the motor in the $1-2k ballpark if at all possible.

Is there a way to cam up the 305 and put a few extra goodies on it (intake, carb & headers) to make it sound like a beast. I've heard lots of bad things about trying to cam up a 305 and being a waste of money.

Would it be better to find an old 350 block, get it machined and rebuilt and install a cam and all the goodies on that?

Would it be a lot more expensive to try and make a stroker motor out of the 350 instead?

So what's the best bang for the buck to make the truck sound like a beast and boil the back tires off and is that even a possibility with there being an existing 305 in there now and a budget of $1500-2000?

Here's a sweet deal I just got wind of-

989.97$
http://www.competitionproducts.com/C.../#.VEAtwhaaUlA

They say "free shipping and handling", but that means they crate it up, handle it for free. There is a truck freight charge that they will tell you but this is the best deal on a stroker long block I've ever seen they do all the good expensive stuff like clearance the block, balance, hypereutectic pistons, scat crank, scat ARP capscrew rods, 4 bolt main, torque plate honed, decked...that's a lot less than it would cost to have it done and no core charge.

These heads fully assembled and ready to go give you 9.1-9.4 compression ratio depending on what head gaskets you use.

699.98$
http://www.competitionproducts.com/W.../#.VEAwyE10wu4

That's 1689.98$ plus truck freight on both of them. You will have around 450 lbs of tire frying torque and around 390HP. You might stay close to your budget if you can find a good deal on an intake, carb, headers and exhaust, that big cam/lifters, rockers, pushrods, timing chain/gears and gaskets. and have a very sell-able engine that one could hear run when it LS time comes.