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So, just how gutless is a 305 SBC?

Richard150MPH

Richard150MPH

Veteran Member
I am sick of using a C30 12' flat-bed truck as my daily driver!
Ready to drive almost anything else that will fit reasonably well into a standard parking spot.
Have a line on a '78 El Camino with 305 V8 and automatic.
Had one in "Stealth SS" and 350 version a few years ago and sold it as the lack of actual style just bored me to tears.
Of course that was just before prices jumped. :censored:
Now I am looking at paying more for a car in poor condition and a 305 instead of 350.
Need it as a DD and occasional towing of the race car I am building.
My favorite track is about seven hours away and the race car will be light.
I will build a light custom trailer, so say 2500# tow load.
Workable, or a recipe for trouble?
 
I wouldn't with a 305 unless you make some changes. The El will handle it just fine but I'd step to at least a 350, and then build a beefy TH350 behind it.
 
Looking for a stop-gap until I can get something more interesting finished.
$2k for a running ugly EC is about as cheap as it gets now.
My '68 will never be able to tow, everything else I have is too small.
I may have to get the ugly then look for a deal on a 350 to swap.
 
You might be able to get away with it if you do some mods, but the biggest one I'd do is a larger exhaust so she can expel the heat.

A 305 will work a bit more, but if she can dispel the heat you're at least giving it a better chance to not leave you stranded.
 
Depends a lot on the hills between you and the track.
If flat-land like where I live, you can tow pretty well with an underpowered rig.

If you live in the Rockies, you'll be going pretty slow in 2nd gear up any grade.

Gear ratios make a huge difference too... a 305 at 3000rpm is going to pull better than a 350 at 2000rpm.
 
Is it a TBI 305? I had one in an 84 T/A and Stomped the TBI unit on the carport slab and pulled the computer out stomped it too then pulled the dist and gave that to a friend, put a brand new Eddy 650 carb, a used HEI dist already had headers and dual exhaust Then it ran good, put a better cam ( don’t remember specs) in it and ran great it also had a 5 spd trans, later put a built 355 in it but after some fairly inexpensive mods the 305 ran pretty good Edit I put a piece of black electrical tape over the “Check Engine” light 🙂
 
I had a 305 with a Q-Jet and headers in an '82 Elky with a 700R4 and 3.42 gears, it was a very respectable performer.
 
I missed this before today and wanted to say as long as you're not fighting any long hills that are near the clouds you could tow with a 305 SBC but
make sure to not use the OD gear if the trans is equipped with one. A friend of mine used to tow a 18 foot boat with a VW Fox 4 cylinder without any problems but that was nowhere near any large hilly area's and I don't think an 18 foot boat even comes close to what a Chevelle race car would weigh. So if the roads are flat I think you could easily tow that racer with a 305 ElCo but if you're in moutainous areas then it's time to get something more substancial to tow with.
 
Shovelrick said:
Is it a TBI 305? I had one in an 84 T/A and Stomped the TBI unit on the carport slab and pulled the computer out stomped it too then
Click to expand...

Richard150MPH said:
Have not bought it yet, have to sell the truck first.
Pretty sure it is a Q-Jet.
Click to expand...
There were no TBI's on G-body V8 El Camino's or V8 Monte Carlo's. So from 78 till 87/88* there were no EFI V8 Monte's or El Camino's. That doesn't mean there weren't any EFI Monte's or Camino's because there were the 4.1L V6's that were TBI equipped but there were no V8's with fuel injection in the G body lineup even though there were F-body Corvettes,Camaros and Firebird/Trans Ams with V8 EFI equipped V8's in the same years.
The Monte Carlo/El Camino 305's were some of the last 4 bbl carborated production cars that GM made.
*(some 87's were sold as 88's till assembly line production stopped)
 
71350SS+454 said:
There were no TBI's on G-body V8 El Camino's or V8 Monte Carlo's. So from 78 till 87/88* there were no EFI V8 Monte's or El Camino's. That doesn't mean there weren't any EFI Monte's or Camino's because there were the 4.1L V6's that were TBI equipped but there were no V8's with fuel injection in the G body lineup even though there were F-body Corvettes,Camaros and Firebird/Trans Ams with V8 EFI equipped V8's in the same years.
The Monte Carlo/El Camino 305's were some of the last 4 bbl carborated production cars that GM made.
*(some 87's were sold as 88's till assembly line production stopped)
Click to expand...
Mine was in an 84 Trans Am with a 5 spd (Borg Warner IIRC) best thing I did was shit canned the computer, TBI for an Eddy 650, and a used HEI
 
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