hey could someone out there help me i got a 1978 el camino its bone stock and im wondering what the best header muffler combo would be and also intake manifold and carb please help me

Most of the small block chevy v8 stuff is interchangeable. I don't see how you could go wrong with a set of hooker or hedman headers, flowmaster mufflers/pipes, an edlebrock intake and an appropriate sized carb depending on your app but I would imagine a 600cfm holley/edelbrock or q-jet should do the trick.

I have a set of hedman headers on mine and on the passenger side the collector is really close to the rear most lower control arm mounting point, I had to grind a little off of the bracket to make the header fit.

For exhaust I have Torqtech's true dual 3" setup with flowmaster two chamber delta flows and they are loud and resonate som'n fierce. I am going to go with different mufflers, something a little more quiet at an idle but scream at wot. I think I am going to go with some Hooker aerochambers. The flowmasters are loud all the time, you can hear me from 4 blocks away and I have set off car alarms before. I wouldn't recommend flowmaster mostly because of the interior resonance they create, but if you don't mind it and want something that will draw attention, then go for them.

As for an intake, I would suggest and edelbrock performer and either reuse the stock carb (what I did) or get the performer carb that matches the intake.

The next step would be a cam swap to really help the engine breathe, I put a performer cam in mine and it made a huge difference in mileage and how the engine ran.

All good advice, but don't forget the ignition system. At least an upgrade to the ignition module and the coil and a good set of ignition wires. A recurved distributor and an MSD, Crane etc ignition box is even better. Don't underestimate the value of a good ignition system; it can make as much difference as any of the forementioned upgrades.

hooker is a good brand to go with...i am running a pair of flowtech headers ..just want to see how long they will last..They fit perfect though. As far as intakes go you just can t go wrong with edelbrock..I would look at a demon carb or a holley as far as carbs go....I have an edelbrock but will proboably make a swap it out for one of those one of those ..Mrappi made a good point about the ignition thats something you really have to pay attention to. The guy who posted about swapping to aero chambers ..They are almost as loud as flowmasters..Just want to for warn you..If you want to quiet your system down go with a different series of flowmaster like a 50 serieis..

If its "Bone Stock" then I wouldn't bother to do a lot to it its not going to get much better its a 305. I would suggest the MSD ignition as one upgrade and with that 305 and the factory heads I wouldn't go over 550 CFM or you're waisting your money, my opinion anyway.

You can get a stroker kit for the 305's that makes them better and no longer a 305. But the heads and intake are limiting factors for that engine. The 305 can be made to produce 300 horses consistantly and that is pretty good for that engine. You'll need to do new heads, intake, carb, CAM & bore it out a bit. but still even at that point a 650 CFM Carb is probably more than enough for that.

You're right Pete--the bottom line is fooling around with the 305 and trying to make it into a performance engine is useless.

id go with an edelbrock carb. i dont like holley's they need alot of adjusting(from past expierience) and i wouldnt call 300 horses useless. i doubt that he thinks he can take this 305 to the track and win, but with a little work he can get a decent engine.

id go with an edelbrock carb. i dont like holley's they need alot of adjusting(from past expierience) and i wouldnt call 300 horses useless. i doubt that he thinks he can take this 305 to the track and win, but with a little work he can get a decent engine.

Your right it can be made to produce 300 ponies and that is not shabby at all. My point is that its not going to happen with factory parts installed and 550 or 600 CFM is plenty for a 305 even with mods. THe heads on a 305 are some of the worst among Chevrolet's line of heads. Basically you have a good hard working block. Everything else is prettty much junk if you want over 200 horses.

My opinion anyway. :D

i agree, stock it is not a performance engine but with work it can be made into a respectable motor. 300 hp is far from "useless"

Wow people sure are quick to knock that little 305 lol.... last time i checked there are a heck of alot of boys out there running these suckers...

First start with getting air in and out of your motor. I would recommend starting on your exhaust side... toss the manifold's in the trash and get you some headers... for a hot 305/mild 350 a set of 1 5/8" headers will make a big difference. Headman, Flotechs... whichever... you do not want a short tube header.... you want a mid length y-pipe to increase your torque.

Get you a good 2 1/2" exhaust installed. Some folks will tell you 2" is good. I say get the 2 1/2" cause if you decide a year from now you want a 350 or 400 you can stick with that 2 1/2" and be happy. Pick any muffler or whatever you want cause the mufflers are gonna be a matter of personal choice. Let me restate... pick any "performance" muffler yu want.

No we got air coming out the backside so let's take care of the front side. Get yourself a really nice k&n filter. get the aerolid. go as tall as your hood will support. I run a 3" tall filter on my elco.

Next stop since we got good air in and out is to get a little more fire up in there. Swap out your stock cap, rotor, wires and plugs. get yourself a good set of accel distributor parts. o'reilly caries them and so does jegs and summit. your not hot enough to really take advantage of a msd box yet so don't waste the money. get that spark flowing nice and clean. heck if you want to while you got that distrib open swap out your springs and weights for a set from a mr. gasket kit. go with the middle ones and you will see a little difference.

Now you prob just picked up a lot better sound... you got better mileage and a little power there. everything you bought can be reused on a 350 or 400.

What would I do after this? Grab yourself a good RV cam and put you some 3.42's in the back of that thing. If the motor is still tight get you a hundred shot of bug juice. Now you can go play with mustangs and older camaro's.

I like the 305. It is a great motor. I gurantee I can spend an afternoon under the hood of a 305 car and make you think it's a mild 350 car... i wish you well.... let me know if i can be of help.

Morris

We're mot knocking the 305 because we don't like it. As a basis for a high performance smallblock it is a poor choice. Chevy never built a high performance 305 (a 305HO was not a high performance engine) and this should tell you something. Primarily the problem is with the heads, because the bore is small, intake and exhaust valves are shrouded and the full potential of a performance head cannot be realized. If you have no choice a 305 can be built into a 300-350hp street performance engine. If you are starting from scratch go with a 350 because the same amount of money spent on a 350 will net you another 75-100hp. It's economics--bang for the buck.