shhswrestler215

ok hey im new to this forum and chevys alike i had a 65 mustang wit a straight 6 dat the tranny seized up and now im looking for a more relaible car my gf bro in law has a 89 firebird withthe formula package dat im looking to buy now im not going to be able to do a swap for the 350 dat ive seen lotso people say but wat performance parts and numbers could i look form the 305 that is in it now thanks guys

19Stroked89

Welcome to FBO. Dont expect alot from the 305 in stock form they put out about 170-190 hp. How much power you gain will depend on how far you want to go. You can do basic mods like cold air intake, headers, better exhaust system and gain a few hp or you can go farther and get a bigger cam, better heads, better intake and increase power much more.

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1NCZ28

My friend did a build up on a 1988 305 camaro, he was VERY disappointed in the gains in power. He did: Cam, full exhaust, tuning and only picked up 23 rwhp. Now he has a set of heads and has not re-dynoed it, but they don't make that great of power to begin with and spending $$ on mods is worthless IMO. Just save up and get a 350 crate motor, make sure it will bolt up to the tranny and you will have a better, stronger, more modable motor in the long run.

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2001 Z/28 6speed. TSP 231/237 598/595 112 cam, PRC .660 lift valve springs, titanium retainers, TSP 7.4 hardened push rods, Lid w/ Amsoil filter, Longtube headers, TSP true duels, richmond 4.10 gears, SLP maf, LS2 timing chain and gear set, Clevite rod and main bearings, ARP rod bolts, Power bond 25% UD pulley, Custom tune by RPM performance, BMR subframes, BMR LCA's, Edelbrock TQ arm, BMR panhard bar,315/35/17 MT ET streets on black ZR1's... 395 rwhp 381 rwtq

SpecialK

With a fully decked out 305, expect about 300 to the wheels. I know a guy who rebuilt his and wanted a "performance" engine. It was fun till about 3 grand, then fell flat on it's ass.

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23:23] blkIROC355: sometimes when i pee i make that sound the light sabers make
[23:23] SpecialK LS1: lmao
[23:23] blkIROC355: and play with the stream
[23:23] SpecialK LS1: that's just wrong

LeatherMan

Yea I dumped about 3 geez into my old camaro that had a 305 and my stock lt1 spanks it

jrance4585

yeah, my cousin had a firebird with a 305 and sold it and bought a iroc 350, its worth every penny for the easy power and minimal mods.

89formula

I have an 89 formula with 305TBI. We spent the winter putting high performance heads, mild cam, edelbrock performer intake, headers, underdrive pulley setup, and 3" exhaust. I have not had it dyno tested yet, however, I drove it stock for a couple of years and it has a significant increase in power over stock. Bonus, I drove it on a 300 mile trip and got almost 25mpg.

strc09

First, welcome to FBO!

Secondly, it's your car. Do what is going to make you happy with it and I wouldn't worry about being the fastest because there is always going to be someone out there that is faster than you. If you think you've got to be able to keep up with this person and that person you'll go broke trying very quickly. For most of us with this hobby we don't necessarily make a ton of money so when it comes to being fast and being able to afford other things we generally settle for what we can do within our bounds.

Lastly, I'm going to be the odd man out and defend the 305 because personally I like the motor. I've owned them in the past and never had any problems out of it. Granted, I won't lie...they weren't originally engineered for big power, but to make decent power out of them is not impossible. Again, it is all in what you want out of it. If you're looking for a cruiser then the 305 will be a great motor. It's also a good beginner motor for those new to V8s because it's the 350s little brother. As with any engine build you're going to dump just as much money into it as you are into building any other motor. Just don't expect to be the fastest thing on the streets (see my previous comment in the last paragraph...).

Now, depending on which type of 305 you have is where you're going to run into problems. Most GenIII F-Bodies came with a throttle-body injection (TBI) 305. It's not a bad setup, but not one of the General's best and certainly not a good choise for a sports car. I'm not even entirely sure about upgrades for the TBI setups. I'm sure they're out there, but they're not as common as other EFI setups. The setup you want on a 305 is the tune-port injection (TPI) much better, but again, their are better out there and your choices of upgrades are greater. Towards the end of the 80s and up to 92 before the body switch, the TPI 305s were rated at 230ish crank horsepower give or take about 5-10 horsepower. That's not to shabby for that particular time period considering that my 1988 TPI 350 was rated at 225 crank horesepower from the factory, but made up for it with the 330ft.-lbs. of torque.

If you're able to get your hands on a 90-92 TPI Formula or Trans AM I'd get it. I'd personally go with the Formula myself because it's lighter than the Trans AM because of the lack of ground effects. With that TPI 305 and some bolt-ons, new cam, new heads, better intake/runner setup and ported, an exhaust system, and PROM reprogram you might just be suprised what you're putting to the wheels. Is it going to be enough to beat a LS1...no. Will you be able to beat a LT1...very possible depending on if it's modded and how much. The important thing is that people will be VERY suprised when they don't dust you like they expect to. Then they'll sit there and probably dog you because you only have a 305...that's called penis envy.

People can dog the 305 all they want, but it can be a performer in the right hands and with the right touch. Many people that talk smack about the 305 have not necessarily owned one and are only going off of what someone has said. Those folks that have owned one and didn't like it, wanted to go faster than the motor allowed so they were disappointed. Building a 305 is no different than building a 283 (the 305s little brother) and I've seen some 283s that are pretty wicked. I'd personally like to be able to suprise those folks that talk smack just because it's a 305. That's just me though. Also, I'm getting older and going fast...while I enjoy it and like to go fast...isn't everything to me anymore like it used to be. I'd rather have a good solid car that has the power to play and if I lose...I lose, big freakin' deal.

The GenIII cars are not known for their power from the factory and that is a turn off for many. It was a dark time for the F-Body. Those of us that are loyal to the GenIII cars grew up in the 80s and have a fondness for them because it's what we know as a F-Body. I own a GenIII 'Bird, not to be the fastest thing on the street, but because I love the lines of the car. The design has special memories for me and my childhood. So, with all of that...take away what you will from it. Selecting your F-Body is going to depend on what you're looking for. Take your time and examine all of your possibilities, pros and cons, then once you've done that...pick your ride. You don't necessarily pick the car...the car picks you.

Sicariu

I also like the 305.

As far as upgrades to the TBI setup, Holley makes a 670cfm TBI unit that I've heard is pretty good. That, combined with a single plane 4bbl carb manifold should get a good amount of fuel to the engine. If you get a car with an LO3, it came with a weaker cam than the 305 TPI, as well as restrictive heads, restrictive exhaust, restrictive intake, you get the picture. It's an engine with a lot of potential. If you like to hot rod your car, and have to get a 305, I'd go with the TBI, personally. If you're looking for an engine that can produce a bit of power without too much modification, or you're looking for good low-speed and mid-range torque right when you get the car, go with the TPI.

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1989 Firebird Formula - needs a spot in the garage.

strc09

I never thought about using a carb intake. I didn't think it would work with the TBI setup. I still think you can squeeze higher numbers from a TPI 305 than a TBI 305 though.