Thank for the video! I had a 1984 firebird LG4 5 speed 3.23 rear from 1997 to 2003, bought car with 68k miles for $1300. It was a great budget car and was rust free. I couldn't afford a good late 80s 5.0 mustang at the time! Those were the "fast" cars! I did the same thing after 125k miles, I converted the LG4 to a HO+. I hope sharing my experiences help with your journey and best of luck. Here is what I did: The bores had no wear and I put flattops in it to bump the compression to 9.5. the replacement pistons were smaller than stock and loose so I had to send them back and go 0.020 overbore. That put me at 310 CI Light porting on original heads Went to the crane cams compucam 2030, had I think like 0.420 /0.440 lift. This was a little step above the HO, went to budget roller top rockers. An Edelbrock performer intake I had from a swap meet I got for free Essentially Edelbrock TES exhaust to a 3 inch high flow cat and Edelbrock cat back,. This was the later 350 exhaust system. I originally ran the stock exhaust and after upgrading the engine do the exhaust made a massive difference. The Edelbrock systems are no longer available. I had working AC. I did this in 2003, after the upgrades the car was a LOT faster. I used to get harassed a lot when it was stock and you know the LG4 had good torque but the more you got into it stock the car had no breath and went no faster.... After the upgrades it was fun to beat literally anything at the time that wanted to toy with me at stoplights. The car was my daily driver. I put 15k miles on it Considering your low miles and all the smoke that engine seems abused or not maintained. I sold the car a year later after a 1995 formula 6 speed car came my way.... I got $2200 for the 1984 with 140k and paid $4650 for the 1995 with 86k miles. 0-60 of 8.8 was quite good for LG4 actually....I figured stock they were 9-10 sec and that's really not awful for what they are. My car before the firebird was a 1978 mustang II with 4 cyl at 88 HP so you laugh at 150 HP but it was a fast car compared to that car! 88 HP to 150 HP is huge.
Hey thanks for sharing your story and input about what you did to yours! I'm seriously taking note as I'm still going to build this car by just doing an Ho+ like you did. And yeah 88 HP to 150 HP is a MAJOR. I'll try to post a video soon showing how the car is now.
@@idrivestuff4551 wow, my comment was over 2 years ago, yes, turn an LG4 to an HO+! , the thing today that will be tougher to source which want easy even back then is the dual snorkel air cleaner, let me know if you want any tips on at least what I did on my build
@@stephenkowalski2448 Yeah I've been really bad at keeping up with comments and posting videos. You're right about the dual snorkel, but I have a had recent luck finding one! I'll post an update video in about 2 months or so detailing what the plans are and what parts will be used. I encourage you to comment your feedback! As I'm happy to hear inputs especially from someone whos done it before.
The automatic transmission makes this even better, not gonna lie. I love these old torque converter automatics. So mechanical but so smooth at the same time. I love these cars.
Neat trans am. I remember when these trans ams with that two tone graphics package were fairly common sights on the road, now they are really rare. Get that motor fixed and you will have a nice period piece. Funny thing about driving old notorious sports cars, everybody wants to race you. You can't get groceries, you can't commute, everybody is throwing revs.
Depending on how deep you want to go, the oe carb, and ignition will support, a mild pocket porting and a cam. Overhaul the carb seal the bowl plugs and leave the O2 in a set of headers and it will wake up.
This was a good enjoyable video and a sweet old car, they are getting harder to find unmolested and in clean shape, I just put down a deposit on an 86 TA from the original owner with only 45000 miles completely stock,with the lg4 305 and the much sought after five spd, were on the same page with regards to what were doing, I already have a 74 camaro with a 454 four spd that will snap your neck if it hooks hard but wanted something to just enjoy, take on long drives ext, im just going to throw some headers on it, some head work, upgrade the cam and throw on a performer intake and 600 holly, to adjust for the lack of tourque will change the gearing to 373s, with the five spd should still be fine on the highway, there a beautiful classic now
I have 86 z28 LG4 305. I'm going to put a street 350 in and still used the feedback carb with new chip. Chevy had a kit way back in the day with ZZ6 motor, duel snorkel, new chip to work with the computer. It ran 13's and 6 seconds. 305 a great engine but you gotta change the oil.
headers and good y pipe and exhaust system is a must.to wake up the LG4. Mild cam and none computer controlled carburator and distributer is also needed.if you come a cross 5.0 HO L69 heads use them.it bump up the comp ratio. To 9.5 good luck.
Love the 305 LG4 ran my ‘86 z/28 up to well over 165k miles without a rebuild, drank oil but never quit and I threw everything at that car and then some and it just kept going.
Great video, I just picked up a 85 TA from the original owner last Sunday, been sitting since 2011…. Finally got her running but she runs rough. Your video inspired me to save and restore her! Mine also has the 305, I’ll keep it till it dies then swap the engine later. These cars are pretty cool 80s time capsules.
I had an 86 Z28 with the carbed LG4. Specs show it had 165hp witch was up from early 80s 145hp. A 79 Z28 with a 350 only had 170-175hp and weighed 500 pounds heavier. I know a 350 naturally has more tourqe but not that much more than a good running 305 with decent gears. I had a 700r trans with a lower first gear than a turbo 350 trans that helped with offline acceleration. I've out-run many second gen Z28s. One bonus with the LG4, I was able to get 27 mpg on highway and my friend with his 79 Z28 350 non-overdrive was lucky to get 10-15 mpg.
I wish they would have left the functional asymmetrical hood scoop, you would have noticed the extra power. Worthless whips channel retrofitted one and was amazed at the extra power
Nice Trans Am. It doesn't look in such bad shape. I enjoyed the video. That sturdy old LG4 truly has potential. Since you want to keep it fairly stock it can easily wake up with some mild engine mods. You have already some plans for that and I think tuning the carburetor would be recommended as well. The dual snorkel is a great choice. Adding larger manifolds (or shorty headers), with larger y-pipe, a free flow catalytic converter and intermediate pipe along with a 2.5 or 3 inch muffler and tailpipes are a must. A hotter camshaft is very welcomed. If not needed get rid of the emission stuff. These are just some suggestions as there are many more possibilities for you to build the 305 the way you want. Do whatever you like. It's your car after all.
Beautiful looking car love the black and gold,and the chicken sticker on the bonnet,l had an 85 iroc people would say the Nana's Honda or Corolla would spank my Iroc! I would say true but they will never have the cool factor that these old car have!
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,this is what i did: #1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake) #2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460" #3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers #4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta #5 more timing
Mine has the 305 HO, solid engine, has been through hell and back lol. But the valve seals are bad on mine as well and the rear crank seal is leaking, I was quoted $6,600 to rebuild the tired old 305 in the car and that's provided everything is ok and nothing extra needs to be done, the engine is 37 years old at this point so I doubt I would be that lucky lol. However my local GM dealer had the SP350/357 regular price $10,500 on sale for $6,900. Keep in mind I'm Canadian so prices will seem outrageously high to people south of the border lol. But it was a no brainer, so I ordered it, and now I'll have the old 305 to sell to get some of the money back when I'm done. So in my case the brand new engine is really cheaper then getting the old engine rebuilt.
I had a 2.8 litre fuel injected v6 in my '86...it was a really great handling car and got decent gas mileage...it was a bit of a dog off the line (most v8's would leave me in the dust) but it was a fun car to drive!
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,this is what i did: #1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake) #2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460" #3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers #4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta #5 more timing
It's a classic, so it's okay if it's slow. Ignore everybody that told you to LS swap it. There's nothing wrong with. Wanting to have a classic stock old Firebird.
Nice car definitely with lots of potential, just with a different exhaust system you'd probably notice a difference, you gotta get the original TA rims, those seem to be Z28 rims, great video and good luck on the modifications
I had a 305HO in my Z28. With the Cragar louvers too! I wish I still had it. But just bought an 85 TA, but with a manual. It was an LG4 car, but it has a crate 350 with headers and cam....which Ill confirm or deny once I get this car started lol. Its rough. It has T tops. Never had a car with them, and doesnt leak that much...ironically as everything else leaks lol
It's bewildering as to why anyone wouldn't want to bolt in a 350 in place of those wheezing 305 engines, which are better used as boat anchors. Yes, a 305 has some potential, but it hits a ceiling much lower than that of the 350. With all things being equal, the 350 will completely tower over the 305 in both h.p. and torque. You can spend the exact same money on a 350, i.e., the heads, cam, and intake/carb, and header/exhaust combo, and it will leave the 305 in the dust. Who wouldn't want that ? Car Craft magazine ran just such a test in one of their magazines around 20 years ago. The 305, with a heads/cam/intake/carb/exhaust upgrade combo put out a respectable 325 h.p. at the crank. A 350 with the same performance parts put out well over 400 h.p.at the crank. And, if you want the stock look, you can keep the valve covers and the air cleaner canister from the 305, and no one else will even know the difference. The 350 drops right in, and even uses the same motor mounts, as far as I know. For any old 3rd gen Camaro/Firebird, this is a no brainer. Unless your 3rd gen is a pristine example that you are saving to sell at Barrett Jackson someday, as a boost to your retirement, I'll even call it incredibly stupid not to swap that tired 305 for a 350.
I agree completely... After doing much research, I got the same conclusion as you stated above. Since money is tight in my case I have opted to just get it not burning oil and de-smog it, so cost was $0. I'll post a video on it soon. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@idrivestuff4551 Nothing wrong with a 305. Every armchair mechanic thinks the other guy can afford to just put in a 350. Just need to somehow make a dual snorkle fit my 89 Caprice with the TBI 305.
@@idrivestuff4551 I also have a square body S10 with the original 2.8 and yes I have been told by a good friend many times to put in a small block! "Are you going to help with that" is what I should start saying!
@@jimmoravec1326 no, yes with 305s 85 automatics ran high 14 second 1/4 mile times stone stock i owned 2 85 tpi cars and they flew they had 20hp less than the corvette and the camaro had 3.42s in 85 only next year gm pulled them. The car running as fast as the vette faster sometimes
@@frankartale1026 I’ve had a 85 Camaro with a 305 and a 92 25th Anniversary with a 305 and got beaten by a 86 Firebird bone stock with a 2.8 multi port V6 I also had a 305 in a pickup another gutless wonder I’m talking stock here no modifications 305s are gutless
@@jimmoravec1326 some of them are gutless. I had a stock 88 formula 5spd with 110k on it. In the late 1990s. I put a k&n air filter and brought it to the track. It ran 14.3 at 94 first pass. Alot of the throttle body injection cars were junk. Alot of carb 305s in monte ss were junk and those monte carlos had 3.73 gears and could barely break 16s in the 1/4. Trust me i had 7 3rd gen cars, and my friends had them as well. Some were quick
i did the same thing with my car its an 85 s/e just because i kinda like it more without the ground effects, but had a 5spd 2.8 and not in too bad shape, redid the whole interior and atm just need paint and some new parts here, got a motor from a 1990 iroc says 220hp performer eps intake, edelbrock 1406, headers & y pipe and a summit 8800 cam i think it was 204/214 112 degrees, mild but nice cam finishing up my ac but yeah you get people who complain you didnt put a 350 in it like it matters at all
World Products makes Torquer 305 heads. that will make it run pretty good, with a cam 110 or 108 LCA that will make it run good. Hit me up if you decide to sell it.
They are very nice driver cars no matter the trim although I can't speak for anything less then a v8, As for sound stock mufflers are very quite but that can be fixed. Torque ain't bad either if you get a 305. Nothing like todays cars but decent.
I've got an 83 5speed full umi suspension upgrades. lg4 Stock #standalone headers exhaust intake and 1.6 rollers. I wanna pro charge it just for fun. @like 8lbs. To see what such a weird combo does. 1983 firebird gtp. Yeah boy!
Interesting channel to stumble across. BITD I camethisclose to inking a deal on a 1985 305 H.O. 5 speed T/A with T-Tops. Fun car. Insanely expensive insurance for a 22 year old. Didn't buy it.
It's your car but I wouldn't spend a nickel on a 305. Even a mild 350 will get you at least 40 more ft. lbs. of torque and 40 more HP. Cost to build is pretty much the same. Torque is what you want for a street car. I'd even consider a 400 small block.
First things first,get rid of the crappy electronic carb and intake.I had a 85 grand prix with the same motor,did those changes and long tube headers and you would not believe the differance.I had that car running 14.4 and also changed gears to 373.The thing about the 80's cars they were light compared to the new stuff,my 85 grand prix weighed 3580 my 89 formula firebird which i still have weighs 3400 and my 93 Vette 6speed weighs 3360.
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,this is what i did: #1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake) #2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460" #3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers #4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta #5 more timing i also put a good holley double pumper ,a good air cleaner
Hey Jerry, dump the computer carb. The only improvements you can make to it, is at WOT, on the secondary side only. Drivability will benefit from an earlier carb., where you can tune the primaries too. Of course you'll need a non computer controlled dist. to take advantage of a richer running carb, and the computer won't keep kicking the timing back. You can still keep the stock appearance.
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,spins to 5500 rpm easily this is what i did: #1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake) #2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460" #3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers #4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta #5 more timing
You would get alot more out off it if you manual shifted the car and wound it to red line in-between shits. I love all TransAm I've got a 79' and I had an 88 with a crate 350HO LT1.. they turn heads no matter wich configuration you have everybody lives a Trans Am.. HAHAHA
I was thinking the same; that shift does not sound stock. In the 80s, I had an '84 LG4 T/A with a 700R4. The stock shift rate was slow, and the 305 would never make enough torque for a 1-2 shift like that. After I installed a B&M shift improver kit, it chirped every time. When I added some power bolt-ons, the 1-2 shift would even throw the rear end sideways a bit, and the 2-3 shift would chirp.
Thank for the video! I had a 1984 firebird LG4 5 speed 3.23 rear from 1997 to 2003, bought car with 68k miles for $1300. It was a great budget car and was rust free. I couldn't afford a good late 80s 5.0 mustang at the time! Those were the "fast" cars! I did the same thing after 125k miles, I converted the LG4 to a HO+. I hope sharing my experiences help with your journey and best of luck.
Here is what I did:
The bores had no wear and I put flattops in it to bump the compression to 9.5. the replacement pistons were smaller than stock and loose so I had to send them back and go 0.020 overbore. That put me at 310 CI
Light porting on original heads
Went to the crane cams compucam 2030, had I think like 0.420 /0.440 lift. This was a little step above the HO, went to budget roller top rockers.
An Edelbrock performer intake I had from a swap meet I got for free Essentially
Edelbrock TES exhaust to a 3 inch high flow cat and Edelbrock cat back,. This was the later 350 exhaust system. I originally ran the stock exhaust and after upgrading the engine do the exhaust made a massive difference. The Edelbrock systems are no longer available.
I had working AC.
I did this in 2003, after the upgrades the car was a LOT faster. I used to get harassed a lot when it was stock and you know the LG4 had good torque but the more you got into it stock the car had no breath and went no faster.... After the upgrades it was fun to beat literally anything at the time that wanted to toy with me at stoplights. The car was my daily driver. I put 15k miles on it
Considering your low miles and all the smoke that engine seems abused or not maintained.
I sold the car a year later after a 1995 formula 6 speed car came my way.... I got $2200 for the 1984 with 140k and paid $4650 for the 1995 with 86k miles.
0-60 of 8.8 was quite good for LG4 actually....I figured stock they were 9-10 sec and that's really not awful for what they are. My car before the firebird was a 1978 mustang II with 4 cyl at 88 HP so you laugh at 150 HP but it was a fast car compared to that car! 88 HP to 150 HP is huge.
Hey thanks for sharing your story and input about what you did to yours! I'm seriously taking note as I'm still going to build this car by just doing an Ho+ like you did. And yeah 88 HP to 150 HP is a MAJOR. I'll try to post a video soon showing how the car is now.
@@idrivestuff4551 wow, my comment was over 2 years ago, yes, turn an LG4 to an HO+! , the thing today that will be tougher to source which want easy even back then is the dual snorkel air cleaner, let me know if you want any tips on at least what I did on my build
@@stephenkowalski2448 Yeah I've been really bad at keeping up with comments and posting videos. You're right about the dual snorkel, but I have a had recent luck finding one! I'll post an update video in about 2 months or so detailing what the plans are and what parts will be used. I encourage you to comment your feedback! As I'm happy to hear inputs especially from someone whos done it before.
The automatic transmission makes this even better, not gonna lie. I love these old torque converter automatics. So mechanical but so smooth at the same time. I love these cars.
Neat trans am. I remember when these trans ams with that two tone graphics package were fairly common sights on the road, now they are really rare.
Get that motor fixed and you will have a nice period piece.
Funny thing about driving old notorious sports cars, everybody wants to race you. You can't get groceries, you can't commute, everybody is throwing revs.
03:50 That tyre squeaking from the shifting reminded me when KITT launched in the Knight Rider series haha :D
gears, heads, cam. You'll love it
My 86 305TPI auto IROC with headers, banks 3” exhaust, no cat, 3:42 rear did 0-60 in 6.2. Stock it was a mid to upper 7 second car
That's really fast, my 355 Monte could do 5.8 or 5.9 seconds screaming. No posi. That's a very good 305. Thank you for the good article.
Interesting video, just curious, do you still have the car? After 2 years, I have one I had for over 20 years, love these cars👍
Yes! I'm going to make a video soon on it
Depending on how deep you want to go, the oe carb, and ignition will support, a mild pocket porting and a cam. Overhaul the carb seal the bowl plugs and leave the O2 in a set of headers and it will wake up.
This was a good enjoyable video and a sweet old car, they are getting harder to find unmolested and in clean shape, I just put down a deposit on an 86 TA from the original owner with only 45000 miles completely stock,with the lg4 305 and the much sought after five spd, were on the same page with regards to what were doing, I already have a 74 camaro with a 454 four spd that will snap your neck if it hooks hard but wanted something to just enjoy, take on long drives ext, im just going to throw some headers on it, some head work, upgrade the cam and throw on a performer intake and 600 holly, to adjust for the lack of tourque will change the gearing to 373s, with the five spd should still be fine on the highway, there a beautiful classic now
I have 86 z28 LG4 305. I'm going to put a street 350 in and still used the feedback carb with new chip. Chevy had a kit way back in the day with ZZ6 motor, duel snorkel, new chip to work with the computer. It ran 13's and 6 seconds. 305 a great engine but you gotta change the oil.
Had a 1987 Camaro IROC-Z with the 305 but with tuned port injection. It was pretty quick for 80's standards. It was a blast to drive.
headers and good y pipe and exhaust system is a must.to wake up the LG4. Mild cam and none computer controlled carburator and distributer is also needed.if you come a cross 5.0 HO L69 heads use them.it bump up the comp ratio. To 9.5 good luck.
Noted!
Love the 305 LG4 ran my ‘86 z/28 up to well over 165k miles without a rebuild, drank oil but never quit and I threw everything at that car and then some and it just kept going.
Great video, I just picked up a 85 TA from the original owner last Sunday, been sitting since 2011…. Finally got her running but she runs rough. Your video inspired me to save and restore her! Mine also has the 305, I’ll keep it till it dies then swap the engine later. These cars are pretty cool 80s time capsules.
Thanks for watching! Glad you were able to save it, these cars really are time capsules.
I had an 86 Z28 with the carbed LG4. Specs show it had 165hp witch was up from early 80s 145hp. A 79 Z28 with a 350 only had 170-175hp and weighed 500 pounds heavier. I know a 350 naturally has more tourqe but not that much more than a good running 305 with decent gears. I had a 700r trans with a lower first gear than a turbo 350 trans that helped with offline acceleration. I've out-run many second gen Z28s. One bonus with the LG4, I was able to get 27 mpg on highway and my friend with his 79 Z28 350 non-overdrive was lucky to get 10-15 mpg.
thanks for this video i love these cars
Had an 83 camaro with the LG4 305 what a great car it was definitely no hot rod but it ran good parts were cheap and decent on gas good video
I wish they would have left the functional asymmetrical hood scoop, you would have noticed the extra power. Worthless whips channel retrofitted one and was amazed at the extra power
Nice Trans Am. It doesn't look in such bad shape. I enjoyed the video. That sturdy old LG4 truly has potential. Since you want to keep it fairly stock it can easily wake up with some mild engine mods. You have already some plans for that and I think tuning the carburetor would be recommended as well. The dual snorkel is a great choice. Adding larger manifolds (or shorty headers), with larger y-pipe, a free flow catalytic converter and intermediate pipe along with a 2.5 or 3 inch muffler and tailpipes are a must. A hotter camshaft is very welcomed. If not needed get rid of the emission stuff. These are just some suggestions as there are many more possibilities for you to build the 305 the way you want. Do whatever you like. It's your car after all.
Thanks for the advise! I'm excited to get it breathing easier and see what sort of times it can put down.
What emmision stuff?
Watched it again! I love any LG4 TA vids.
Beautiful looking car love the black and gold,and the chicken sticker on the bonnet,l had an 85 iroc people would say the Nana's Honda or Corolla would spank my Iroc!
I would say true but they will never have the cool factor that these old car have!
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,this is what i did:
#1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake)
#2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460"
#3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers
#4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta
#5 more timing
Mine has the 305 HO, solid engine, has been through hell and back lol. But the valve seals are bad on mine as well and the rear crank seal is leaking, I was quoted $6,600 to rebuild the tired old 305 in the car and that's provided everything is ok and nothing extra needs to be done, the engine is 37 years old at this point so I doubt I would be that lucky lol. However my local GM dealer had the SP350/357 regular price $10,500 on sale for $6,900. Keep in mind I'm Canadian so prices will seem outrageously high to people south of the border lol. But it was a no brainer, so I ordered it, and now I'll have the old 305 to sell to get some of the money back when I'm done. So in my case the brand new engine is really cheaper then getting the old engine rebuilt.
The 1980's good times
I had a 2.8 litre fuel injected v6 in my '86...it was a really great handling car and got decent gas mileage...it was a bit of a dog off the line (most v8's would leave me in the dust) but it was a fun car to drive!
Cool vid man. I'm in the same boat, 86 TA LG4 5-speed. Just had the factory Q-Jet rebuilt. Subscribed and looking forward to your other vids
Hey Thanks for watching! at least you have a manual. wish I could say the same.
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,this is what i did:
#1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake)
#2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460"
#3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers
#4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta
#5 more timing
It's a classic, so it's okay if it's slow. Ignore everybody that told you to LS swap it. There's nothing wrong with. Wanting to have a classic stock old Firebird.
Nice car definitely with lots of potential, just with a different exhaust system you'd probably notice a difference, you gotta get the original TA rims, those seem to be Z28 rims, great video and good luck on the modifications
Nope...those are T/A wheels.
Nice
it's going well, how are you doing?
I had a 305HO in my Z28. With the Cragar louvers too! I wish I still had it. But just bought an 85 TA, but with a manual. It was an LG4 car, but it has a crate 350 with headers and cam....which Ill confirm or deny once I get this car started lol. Its rough. It has T tops. Never had a car with them, and doesnt leak that much...ironically as everything else leaks lol
It's bewildering as to why anyone wouldn't want to bolt in a 350 in place of those wheezing 305 engines, which are better used as boat anchors. Yes, a 305 has some potential, but it hits a ceiling much lower than that of the 350. With all things being equal, the 350 will completely tower over the 305 in both h.p. and torque. You can spend the exact same money on a 350, i.e., the heads, cam, and intake/carb, and header/exhaust combo, and it will leave the 305 in the dust. Who wouldn't want that ? Car Craft magazine ran just such a test in one of their magazines around 20 years ago. The 305, with a heads/cam/intake/carb/exhaust upgrade combo put out a respectable 325 h.p. at the crank. A 350 with the same performance parts put out well over 400 h.p.at the crank. And, if you want the stock look, you can keep the valve covers and the air cleaner canister from the 305, and no one else will even know the difference. The 350 drops right in, and even uses the same motor mounts, as far as I know. For any old 3rd gen Camaro/Firebird, this is a no brainer. Unless your 3rd gen is a pristine example that you are saving to sell at Barrett Jackson someday, as a boost to your retirement, I'll even call it incredibly stupid not to swap that tired 305 for a 350.
I agree completely... After doing much research, I got the same conclusion as you stated above. Since money is tight in my case I have opted to just get it not burning oil and de-smog it, so cost was $0. I'll post a video on it soon. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@idrivestuff4551 Nothing wrong with a 305. Every armchair mechanic thinks the other guy can afford to just put in a 350. Just need to somehow make a dual snorkle fit my 89 Caprice with the TBI 305.
@@factstrumpfeelings4551 Right I don't have a money tree to do whatever I want. best of luck with your dual snorkel!
@@idrivestuff4551 I also have a square body S10 with the original 2.8 and yes I have been told by a good friend many times to put in a small block! "Are you going to help with that" is what I should start saying!
@@factstrumpfeelings4551 Hahahah yes it should be!
Some of these cars were fast
Yeah but not with 305s they were weak other than that they were dependable
@@jimmoravec1326 no, yes with 305s 85 automatics ran high 14 second 1/4 mile times stone stock i owned 2 85 tpi cars and they flew they had 20hp less than the corvette and the camaro had 3.42s in 85 only next year gm pulled them. The car running as fast as the vette faster sometimes
@@frankartale1026
I’ve had a 85 Camaro with a 305 and a 92 25th Anniversary with a 305 and got beaten by a 86 Firebird bone stock with a 2.8 multi port V6
I also had a 305 in a pickup another gutless wonder
I’m talking stock here no modifications 305s are gutless
@@jimmoravec1326 some of them are gutless. I had a stock 88 formula 5spd with 110k on it. In the late 1990s. I put a k&n air filter and brought it to the track. It ran 14.3 at 94 first pass. Alot of the throttle body injection cars were junk. Alot of carb 305s in monte ss were junk and those monte carlos had 3.73 gears and could barely break 16s in the 1/4. Trust me i had 7 3rd gen cars, and my friends had them as well. Some were quick
@@jimmoravec1326 and u dont wanna hear me say this. Some of the 82-84 were fast as well.
How do you remove the smog?
are the intake manifold end seals blown?
👍👍👍
i did the same thing with my car its an 85 s/e just because i kinda like it more without the ground effects, but had a 5spd 2.8 and not in too bad shape, redid the whole interior and atm just need paint and some new parts here, got a motor from a 1990 iroc says 220hp performer eps intake, edelbrock 1406, headers & y pipe and a summit 8800 cam i think it was 204/214 112 degrees, mild but nice cam finishing up my ac but yeah you get people who complain you didnt put a 350 in it like it matters at all
Still have it? What happened after?
1984 pontiac firebird comentários 85
Sigh even though they were dogs I loved my 1985 4 Barrel carburetor T/A I'd turn the air cleaner lid upsidedown to get more air to the carb 😂
World Products makes Torquer 305 heads. that will make it run pretty good, with a cam 110 or 108 LCA that will make it run good. Hit me up if you decide to sell it.
Sweet car!
All in all are these f body 305s even in non trans am firebirds. Any good ? Far as nice sound and torque. Stock ??
They are very nice driver cars no matter the trim although I can't speak for anything less then a v8, As for sound stock mufflers are very quite but that can be fixed. Torque ain't bad either if you get a 305. Nothing like todays cars but decent.
I've got an 83 5speed full umi suspension upgrades.
lg4 Stock #standalone headers exhaust intake and 1.6 rollers.
I wanna pro charge it just for fun. @like 8lbs.
To see what such a weird combo does.
1983 firebird gtp.
Yeah boy!
I did a headers factory 1 tip gm muffler on my n it's cirps 1 n 2 n it's fast enough to beat a 96 5spd gt mustang n a 2012 hemi rt ram
Interesting channel to stumble across. BITD I camethisclose to inking a deal on a 1985 305 H.O. 5 speed T/A with T-Tops. Fun car. Insanely expensive insurance for a 22 year old. Didn't buy it.
Stupid insurance, hopefully you got another chance to get one!
I have an '85, with just under 11,000 mi on it.
Get rid if the lg 4 .It s never going to move. Nice ls2 or ls3 would be nice
Drop in a LS3 crate engine !
It's your car but I wouldn't spend a nickel on a 305. Even a mild 350 will get you at least 40 more ft. lbs. of torque and 40 more HP. Cost to build is pretty much the same. Torque is what you want for a street car. I'd even consider a 400 small block.
Yeah Agreed haha I'll be posting an update video of this car soon.
stem seals
You will not get no power from a 305
You can, but it’s not cost effective.
Those never had posi. They did have a limited slip differential.
It's the same thing...
First things first,get rid of the crappy electronic carb and intake.I had a 85 grand prix with the same motor,did those changes and long tube headers and you would not believe the differance.I had that car running 14.4 and also changed gears to 373.The thing about the 80's cars they were light compared to the new stuff,my 85 grand prix weighed 3580 my 89 formula firebird which i still have weighs 3400 and my 93 Vette 6speed weighs 3360.
There’s nothing wrong with the factory carb. I’ve gone high 12s with a factory E4ME on top of a ZZ4. It’s called tuning.
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,this is what i did:
#1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake)
#2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460"
#3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers
#4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta
#5 more timing
i also put a good holley double pumper ,a good air cleaner
@@Joesmusclecargarage I agree, the factory carb gives good mileage and tuning and at WOT gives full blast of CFM. It was the transitional efi of carbs
Hey Jerry, dump the computer carb. The only improvements you can make to it, is at WOT, on the secondary side only. Drivability will benefit from an earlier carb., where you can tune the primaries too. Of course you'll need a non computer controlled dist. to take advantage of a richer running carb, and the computer won't keep kicking the timing back. You can still keep the stock appearance.
@@Joesmusclecargarage nope. electric qjet is garbaaaage.
Sounds like you need new tires
If only that 305 made more power above 3k rpm..
It's depressing above 3k
ive got one in my 1986 trans am(with a t5).......but its VASTLY improved,spins to 5500 rpm easily this is what i did:
#1 L31 vortec heads #1 shave them 0.04" ,use LS6 springs and 350 head gaskets(you will need a vortec specific intake)
#2 L-82 or comparable camshaft ,keep the lift conservative like under 0.460"
#3 free flowing exhaust front to back including headers
#4 A considerably better rear gear than 2.73's,im using 3.27s and a 9 bolt from a gta
#5 more timing
Great 1985 Trans Am! Check out my 1985 Blackbird on my channel!
You would get alot more out off it if you manual shifted the car and wound it to red line in-between shits. I love all TransAm I've got a 79' and I had an 88 with a crate 350HO LT1.. they turn heads no matter wich configuration you have everybody lives a Trans Am.. HAHAHA
I got the older one between 1983 and 1984 :) LG4, but not that powerfull
Awesome 1985 Blackbird! Check out my 1985 Blackbird on my channel!
working ac’s overated, I just take of the t-tops and drive soaked in rain water
Rebuild stock motor and put a turbo on it. 10 psi would be enough
that 700R4 must have a shift kit in it to chirp like that,i have an L98 Formula 700R4 shifts great but not like that.
I was thinking the same; that shift does not sound stock. In the 80s, I had an '84 LG4 T/A with a 700R4. The stock shift rate was slow, and the 305 would never make enough torque for a 1-2 shift like that. After I installed a B&M shift improver kit, it chirped every time. When I added some power bolt-ons, the 1-2 shift would even throw the rear end sideways a bit, and the 2-3 shift would chirp.
Hey, do you have a contact email?