Talk 305's with me and other basic questions

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wnaplay

Banned
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Jun 4, 2009
Messages
43
Car I am working on is a 27 roadster which doesnt weigh alot. I am thinking 305 targetmaster motor since I can get a really good deal on one ($350 including a turbo 350 tranny). Will I be disappointed with the power? I am just shooting for a fun friday night cruiser. Will it looks small when on the car/ Whats the best HP rating I can expect?

Secondly, I am not all that intelligent when it comes to motors. I was originally going to go with a 327 or 350 motor however they seem to be difficult to find other than those which have sat for several years. When looking for a motor, does it matter if its come from a truck or a car? How about if its from a 4x4 or not?
 
I have always found the 305 as quite snappy with a lot of torque for it's displacement. The 350 has pretty much over shadowed it because of the 45 cu in difference. The old 'bigger is better' train of thought coming into play, and most times it is, if your looking for all out grunt and speed. 305 has been in production from 1976 to 2000, and is still being turned out as a marine engine for Mercury Marine. For a light street car like a 27 T roadster, I wouldn't hesitate to use one if the price is right. I worked at a GM dealer in 80-81 and the only problem I remember reoccuring were ruptured diaphams in the fuel pumps, changed a lot of those. But that could have been a poor production run of fuel pumps and nothing more. Sniper:)
 
I also just got a lead on a full 327 truck for around the same money. Once I figure out what tranny he has, I may be able to buy the truck and sell the additional parts for reimbursement. Should I be worried about a motor from a truck or van?
 
There were a lot of variations built in the small block line, but the differences are small and more important...bolt on. Truck/van would likely have a different cam and head (valve size, runners etc.) combo than you would find on a regular car, compared to a performance engine in a Camero for instance. This is the main reason the small block Chev was, and is, so popular. So many parts are interchangeable, the speed equipment and even chrome dress up list available is a long one. The basic engine block is the same, it's all the add on stuff that was different. As far as the engine from a truck or van not a problem, in fact, it may be desireable, truck engines had 4 bolt mains as opposed to the 2 bolt mains in most regular car applications. If the engine your looking at is sound and running, or rebuildable, it's tough to go wrong with a small block Chevy. Millions have been built and are in use, there is a reason for that. When somebody say's "Yeah, it's just another smallblock Chev." don't fret. Your most likely not going to be the guy walking home because the engine died.;)
 
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The 305 is a decent engine, especially in a light car, but the 327 is a screamer if built right. I would buy the 327 if it was me, but nothing wrong with a 305. The size of the engine is the same from the outside so a 305 will not look small.
 
I'd agree with what everybody here has said. You can't beat ANY smallblock Chevy for reliabilty and ease of parts supply. Additionally, they're pretty straightforward to work on-Even if you're "not experienced with engines" you can buy yourself a couple of good basic manuals and probably find your way through many of the routine maintenance and repairs needed on one of these, as long as you have some basic handtools and a bit of patience. Millions of 'em have run around for years and years, being looked after by guys who aren't "MECHANICS," with few problems.:)

Regards,
Shea:)
 
I had a 305 in a 27 T roadster back in 2003-04.It was plenty for me.If you stomped it your head would snap back like car was going to run out from under you.If you can get it cheap,I would use it,although 327`s etc, would have a lot more performance.
 
Curious.........What did you end up with?
I started my project with a 327 and a T-5 trans. I found the 327 on Craig's List and I tore it down before bolting it in. Man was that a good idea, it had two cracks in the block and the heads were not a matching pair. I was trying to stick to budget and didn't want to spend any $ so a buddy gave me a 305. I just had to pull it from the van it was in and man was that a pain. He said it was running and it just had trans. problems. I thought I was all set and didn't tear it down, but the motor ended up having very little or no compression on about 5 cylinders. So......the best thing to do when getting a used engine is to hear it and see it run, especially if you have to pay for it.
 
What happened?....somebody received an unfavorable reply and not like it? I just reread the question and answers, didn't see anything that should upset anyone????:confused:
 
Was he the one that had bought that really bad frame from someone and was asking the gang what was wrong...and then telling everyone they didn't know what they were talking about because it was fine after all? [S
 
Try as we may, I guess we're not a "good fit" for everone, (Hard to believe isn't it?) Well, hope he can find a compatible group, and seek out the info he's looking for. Life's to short, if your not having fun. :)
 
wnaplay said:
Car I am working on is a 27 roadster which doesnt weigh alot. I am thinking 305 targetmaster motor since I can get a really good deal on one ($350 including a turbo 350 tranny). Will I be disappointed with the power? I am just shooting for a fun friday night cruiser. Will it looks small when on the car/ Whats the best HP rating I can expect?

Secondly, I am not all that intelligent when it comes to motors. I was originally going to go with a 327 or 350 motor however they seem to be difficult to find other than those which have sat for several years. When looking for a motor, does it matter if its come from a truck or a car? How about if its from a 4x4 or not?
Click to expand...

42 is right...a 327 is a screamer! Are you trying to stay low budget? If so, the 305 and the 350 are the ways to go. Both you can pick up dirt cheap. Plus that extra 45 cubic inches....hard to beat inches!.
To answer your question, a 305 can get decent performance. If you got a light car, a 305 is a good choice. Build her up mild, match your parts....you can use stock parts and get her where she's really haulin'.
On a 305, the heads are gonna be your obstacle....your gonna have to work around what they are capable of. Put a small cam in it....get a dualplane alum. intake, a 600 holley and a set of cheap headers....and your good to go. Hell, if you could find a good 500 holley 2 bbl would be exellent for this motor. Get decent milage and performance....
Oh, and by-the-way, you can't tell any of the smallblocks apart on the outside, unless you look at the crank and bores, or got the motor P&G'ed.....:cool:
 

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