After sitting for so long, I've finally come across some extra money to spend on my iroc. Im not sure if i should rebuild or swap for a used 350. I bought my car about 4 years back and it never ran the way it should, i was never satisfied with the performance- I know for a fact that engine was never properly maintained. I have about $1,000-$1,500 to spend , any suggestions would help out alot. Thanks.

 

for that amount, you could easily get your hands on a good running L98 to swap in. In fact, you can get a high milage L98 for a couple hundred bucks and have a basic rebuild done on it since you already have the TPI setup, tranny and everything else to go with it.

 

A lot of the parts stores around my house sell rebuilt long blocks for $1200 plus tax. They are a 350 small block and are advertised to have 260 hp. Were you to buy one of those engines and add a nice cam too it, you could reach 300 hp.

 

I agree with the others, you can easily obtain a 350 long block or complete motor for your intended budget. That along with a mild cam and some bolt-ons and you will have a nice street performer.

 

Kind of on the same subject of the 305 or 350, I dont want an engine swap so what can i do with the 305

 

I believe it was GM High Performance that had an article in their last issue on building a 375hp 305 motor on a budget. It's pretty interesting, I'm looking for a 305 project myself just because of that article!

 

Plenty of things you can do. Some of it will depend on what kind of 305 you have.

 

what do you mean by type of 305

 

there are different engine codes
Im not real familiar with 305s, but could u stroke/bore one to a 327 or so?

 

As a prior 305 owner, I would invest in the 350...

 

save your time and money pick up a 5.7 from a tpi car or you can get a 5.7 L31 truck engine 96-99 more power right off the bat!
the intake will run you a few bux but $ for $ the best hp/tq combo

 

anything worthwhile that you would do to the 305 would require you pulling the engine for at least a basic rebuilt, especially since you know that it wasn't taken care of. A 327 is a destroked 350, i'm not sure what the largest you can bore a 305 out to is but a 308 is .030 over iirc.

look around and find a decent motor that has a suitable intake, or something that you will be able to afford an aftermarket one. go for the 350, putting money into the 305 is just wasting time unless you have a specific goal in mind for it..... like those GMHTP buildups, I think Chevy High Performance has done a couple of them, tpi and carb

 

get an old 302 6 cylinder, do 3 - 2bbl carbs, and decent head work and be better than 90% of the v8s that are street driven

 

my buddy at work has a 1980 cutlass and he was going to drop a 350 in it that my boss has for sale, but my boss took a look at his 305 and decided it was a good shape and told him to save some cash and rebuild/stroke it to a 355. something i agree with.

if you dont want to do the same, i know my boss is selling his 350 with a 350 turbo trans for like $700. it was pulled from a chevy truck and ran fine before being pulled, but it will need a rebuild including new gaskets cause it has some serious oil seepage.

 

go 350, the 305 is crap, yes people have made lots of power and gone pretty fast with them, though the same parts (and cost) in a 350 will net more power, it just has more potential. You can take a 305 all the way up to 340 cubes if desired. But i would strongly recommend the 350 instead. For 1500 you're not going to get much more than a stock/stock rebuilt 350, so if i were you, just save you're money and build a motor on the side.