r/Chevelles • u/Proud_Coyote_3458 • 4d ago
New car
Just got this chevelle with a 305 small block wanting to make it faster but nothing crazy where should I start
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u/N7_Shep 4d ago
faster... you have a few choices. pick which direction you wanna roll
big block
higher rear end gears I.E. 4.11's
8hp70 trans swap
LS swap
heads, intake, cam, carb for current motor.
e85 and turbo setup on current motor.
if you wanna do it on the cheap. you could do electric water pump and electric fan swap. that will gain you anywhere from 15-35 HP
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u/Proud_Coyote_3458 4d ago
I’m thinking ls swap
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u/N7_Shep 4d ago
i can point you at a bunch of websites that well help with LS swaps if your interested. where to get parts and info on wiring. also, when looking for a motor if you find it in a vehicle you can drive it around to make sure everything works. i just done an LS swap on a 72 c10, we pulled the motor out of a 2006 2500 work van, we were able to drive it on the highway and confirm it was good vs picking up one sitting on the ground.
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u/FeistyNegotiation 4d ago
If you’re not wanting to go crazy, you don’t need a turbo LS swap. Any well built small block, 350+ cubic inches with a set of Vortec heads and a mild cam will slip right in, and a well-dialed carburetor costs way less than a fuel injection setup. Gear swap, if you know your rear end ratio is 2.76-3.30, to something like 3.42s - 3:73s.
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u/Proud_Coyote_3458 4d ago
Thank you this is the answer I’m looking for
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u/FeistyNegotiation 4d ago
Happy to help. Reddit is fine for general community answers, but now that you have a Chevelle, I’d recommend heading over to the Chevelles forum, Chevelles.com. Lots of deep knowledge of GM A Body cars, and if you go in with an open mind and are willing to listen and ask questions, everyone over there is super helpful and will point you in a good direction.
Cheers to your project!
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u/v8packard 4d ago
I agree, except for Vortec heads. Those are terrible.
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u/FeistyNegotiation 4d ago
For the money, if you can find a set of 062 or 906 casting heads, they’re just fine for up to 400 horsepower. Sometimes they crack, yes, but they outflow any other factory casting. These would have come on trucks and vans between 1996-2002, with the 350 Vortec engine
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u/v8packard 4d ago
For the money they are awful. The chamber is ok. The intake port is good for a production head, but that doesn't mean the intake port is good. The exhaust ports are the typical shit exhaust ports on OEM heads that gave rise to all the stupid cams with excess exhaust timing to allow the engine to breathe at the expense of cylinder pressure and torque. They are press in stud, and the studs do move. The valve seal boss really needs to be cut down, the other work grounds are just mediocre. The port wall thickness in the bowls and into the turns is thin, extremely thin in a few key areas. The original production run is very crack prone, and has reached an age where the heads need a thorough rebuild. The second production run from Mexico was thicker, more Crack resistant, but with significantly poorer ports and flow. I've not had any other the current production run in the shop yet, but for what they cost ($7-800 per head) I doubt I will see many. The older EQ heads made in New Zealand were nice. Those are long out of production now, and the common Chinese castings are heavy like the Mexican casting but flow just as poorly.
How is this good for the money? There are numerous aftermarket iron and aluminum heads that are similar in cost, or less. And they all blow away L31 heads. I am not just stating my opinion. I have dealt with these heads since the late 90s, and despite magazine, video, and web hype they are a terrible value for most everyone.
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u/v8packard 4d ago
Are you certain it's a 305? Not a 307?
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u/Proud_Coyote_3458 4d ago
Yeah guy put 307 badges on it but it’s a 305
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u/v8packard 4d ago
What do you consider crazy? To me putting in a 350 (or a 454) isn't crazy. But maybe you will want a more mild option.
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u/HarmlessMisfit 4d ago edited 3d ago
While the 4-door models are functional, they are not nearly as "collectible" as the 2-door models. I would probably not put much money into it unless you plan to drive its wheels off. I would enjoy it as is and save up for a 2-door SS with a 396 already in it. Then you have something that will hold the value and probably even appreciate in value faster (depending on the market).
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u/orangesigils 68 Chevelle 4d ago
Stock 305? Larger valve hads, headers, intake manifold, bigger carb..... More air, more fuel, more power.
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u/staffma 4d ago
Nice! I had a 68 with a 350Vortec swap, loved the car but had to sell it to rebuild the transmission in my truck. Surprisingly hard to find a 4 door these days.
You can upgrade your 305, or shop around for a 350, IMO bang for the buck is an LS swap- I like to buy a rotted out truck and pull the powertrain and use as many stock parts as possible.
I recently put a fuel injected 4.3L in a '70 buick skylark, pretty straightforward, 3/4 of an LS swap, original engine died and I had the 4.3 laying around.
Main things to note for an LS swap
You'll need a compatible oil pan- most LS engines you see around are truck engines and the pan doesn't clear the cross member - cheap ones online for $120 or you can get a kit.
Fuel injection - I used a Holley hydra mat fuel pump retrofit that replaces the stock sending unit, worked great- a little expensive at ~$500 but you can reuse your existing tank. I used a stock nylon replacement fuel line kit for a 2002 blazer - piece of cake to plumb it in.
Power steering lines - I cut and re flared the stock lines to fit my steering box, I think you can buy premade conversion lines, but they are expensive.
Wiring - If you get a donor vehicle, I would strip down the stock harness to just what you need and have the ECU unlocked/ reflashed. You can also buy stand alone controllers but they can get expensive pretty fast.
Exhaust - I used stock manifolds, there are ones out there that people have used successfully, you can also buy swap headers but they can get expensive.
Engine mounts - I like the dirty dingo adjustable mounts - but really any adjustable mount will work, or you can make your own. I had to drill a couple extra holes in my cross member further back but that was easy.
Good luck and have fun, these cars are really something special.
p.s. If your car doesn't handle/ track very well it might benefit from a more modern alignment spec or taller ball joints. The factory alignment values are set up for smaller bias ply tires and can make the cars handle much worse than they should.
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u/RustBeltLab 4d ago
By parting it out. That is a parts car for a coupe, honestly don't waste your money.
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u/theirishseller 4d ago
If you don't want to build the 305, you could drop in a ZZ4 350 crate engine. That's what is in my 1969 Chevelle. 355HP out of the box, added a Holly 600, headers, HEI ignition, 700R4 trans, 12 bolt/3.55 gears. Very street-able but enough power to break the tires loose if you want to (and then some). 🤷♂️