[racer rick]

i have an 84 TA with a 305 .i want to build an engine that revs really fast and hard for this car.A freind just built a ford 302 that has factory iron heads an his car hit 12s inthe 1/4 his first run.i am hoping to build a n engine with factory iron heads with porting of course.would it be to my advantage to put 305 heads on a350.

[DoubleVision]

I wouldn`t go the 305 heads on a 350 route. Fast revving means the rotating assembly must be as light as possible and depending on how high you want it to rev will be expensive also. A engine don`t have to rev fast to make power, if you went with a chevy 383 it won`t rev the fastest but it`s torque makes up for that, it would blow your friends 302 away. If your stuck on a fast revver then I suggest a 327 or smaller small block, a home brew 302, etc.
Don`t waste your time on a 305. A 307 chevy can be made into a impressive runner itself, the car will have to be regeared, and if it makes any kind of power the 7.5 rear will not last long. a 350 revs fairly fast also, and it would be easy to make enough power to compete with the 302. It`s also the cheapest route of all being it`s the most popular. Not only can you go faster, cheaper with a 350 compared to the 302, you`ll also enjoy it`s 48 more cubic inches.

[runn141]

if your lucky enough to find a 400 block in good condition, destroke it to a 377 with the 350 crank.

[killerformula]

It might not be fair to compare your car to your friend's. First, an 84 TA is not that light of a car, and the rear suspension isn't great either. Right off the bat you've got a couple of disadvantages. If you're going to plan on pushing 12 seconds with a car like that you're going to want a decent hook and some gears to motivate the thing along with a posi rear. Further, 12 seconds on a factory, 23-year-old trans is probably also a shady bet. If it were my car, here's how I'd do it as I got the money, piece by piece.

Make sure you're working with an 8.5 inch rear with a 3.73 posi (or similar). You'll want trac bars and a little wider than stock tire for traction.

Replace your U-Joints with upgraded units. You don't have to spend a ton just get something a little stronger than stock.

Inspect your transmission. If you think its in good shape then put a 50 dollar shift kit in it, replace the fluid and put an adjustable vacuum modulator in it to dial it in how you like. My guess is you'll probably want a rebuild.

Build a motor using a post 1987 350 block with the one-piece rear main. I'd spring for a stroker crank with a few extra dollars. Flat tappet cam is fine, something like a XE284 comps would be fine. Toss a minimum 2500 stall behind it (3000 preferred). Heads will be your biggest expense- if you don't mind replacing gaskets a few times you can experiment with some home-ported heads, but my guess is you'll end up wanting something aftermarket. Lots of guys like the vortecs due to the price/performance benefit, but plan on a new-style intake which may upset the amount of savings you get out of the vortecs if you already have an old-style intake that you like. I'd keep compression with iron around 9.5:1 or close. Plan on running high-test.

K

[Jmark]

Originally Posted by runn141

if your lucky enough to find a 400 block in good condition, destroke it to a 377 with the 350 crank.

Why de-stroke a 400? Why not just run it and get the extra cubes. If you are going to spend the bucks on a 400 block, take advantage of it!


Mark

[killerformula]

Originally Posted by Jmark

Why de-stroke a 400? Why not just run it and get the extra cubes. If you are going to spend the bucks on a 400 block, take advantage of it!


Mark

+1, agree 100%

[runn141]

Originally Posted by Jmark

Why de-stroke a 400? Why not just run it and get the extra cubes. If you are going to spend the bucks on a 400 block, take advantage of it!


Mark

he said he wanted a fast rev engine, destroked 400 is the best.

[Jmark]

Originally Posted by runn141

he said he wanted a fast rev engine, destroked 400 is the best.

Then I guess a 265 or 283 would be in order.

[runn141]

or a chevy 302 would be good to.