New to the community-thankyou for anyhelp

I have been sitting on the fence trying to decide which way to go for a small block chevy buildup. There are too many options.
What is worth the buildup?

Car: 4 door 80 impala-267, 3spdauto, 2.43?
Excellant running condition & maintenance
(it will go 130mph w/ only 50+ hp!!-
 - stock cam despite any valve float)

this vehicle is really a platform to buildup a powertrain until a better car comes along (chevelle or 67-72 chevy truck)

Goal: Torque, fuel ECONOMY, ability to tow another full size car on a car trailor. -I only need sufficient horsepower to drive onto the freeway ramp and merge with traffic safely hauling the loaded trailor.

max engine life with minimum maintenance

77mph max is plenty cruising speed
perhaps 1200rpm- 4X00rpm operating band?

(I am ignorant about the Torque Converter requirements for towing)
2400 stall or lockup converter?

87 octane but what compression?
9:1 iron? 10 to 1 aluminum?
Engine cooling requirements??
-towing involved, car is 4000+lbs


If today's hypereutectic pistons are coated, is it worth paying to coat the cylinder head combustion chambers? Can I do it?

Before any towing, the motor comes first, then transmission
the axle ratio whenever i find something-probably 3.42-3.73's??? (2004r probably)

Skills: shadetree with contacts (help),  resources and most of the tools: engine stand and hoist, etc. I have alot of patience, time and a $750.0 monthly budget.

1 source: New bride works at AdvanceAuto!

I looked into retofiting a Gen 3,LM7 -
 vortec 5300 325.162 cubic inch
 Bore:96.01milimeters 3.77992 inches
 Stroke: 92 milimeters 3.62205 inches
-motor into a carburated antique?
Its a $700 dollar conversion from edlebrock

I have read a few forums debating the:
-383 versus the 350:

-I am not really faithful that a 383
stroker is all that economic either.

-350 versus the 305:   Basically:

350's are cheaper to build for the power.
A 350 can get good gas mileage if doneright

305 is 'Polishing a turd!' - my favorite!

powerhouse's $599. 334ci (3.75) stroker
-but I could not find any performance stats
Will I need aluminum heads for a 10 to 1 compression ratio with their rotating assembly?

I found 4 main articles on 305 performance
buildups, but I believe that the cams are ment for performance not towing. With this in mind I am not sure whether a 305 can pull the load safely or not.

My friend has a GM commercial cab with a big race trailor -it is powered by a 366T big block. From what I understand, the 366 is sub 4.0 inch bore and 3.75 stroke. Does that justify the 305 stroker?

I am leaning towards the 305, but am very interested in what experienced people have to say before make expensive mistakes.

I am willing to toss what I got aside, but
Here's what I have accumulated for pennies on the dollar:

an early 80's 2 piece seal 305 bare block

lg4 heads with springs

the crank and parts off of the working 267

remaining parts from a master rebuild kit ordered from Enginetech (in Texas) with:
Cam Bearings
Main Bearings
Rod Bearings
Rings
Pistons
Wrist Pins
Oil Pump
Freeze Plugs
Head Gaskets


a rebuilt set of 12558059 heads from a 5.0 305 block. These were off a marine motor and looked nearly new. They were not cracked at all. The following work has been done:
Head broken down, cleaned and glass beaded to remove carbon.
Heads Magnafluxed for cracks and none found.
3 angel valve job performed.
Surfaced with Rottler CBN cutter with 010 taken off both.
Valves check for wear and refaced.
Springs Checked for pressure.
Reassembled with factory style seals.
-these are not exactly vortec heads or swirlport either.

Used SBC solid roller 'Lifters by Crower Severe Duty Solid #66290-16' -I know, probably foolish. lifter bore is .842"
if this could work, I think picking a camshaft will be twice as hard.

KMJ 3207 generic dual plane small block Chevy intake manifold for '96-'00 Vortec style heads, idle-5500 RPM. Has 4 corner water outlet ports. Does not exhaust heat crossover or EGR provisions. -Dual carb bolt pattern for use with Quadrajet, comes with adapter plate when using square bore carbs such as Holley and BG.

260-1024 SEALED POWER [MADE BY FELPRO] FULL GASKET SET.THIS SET FITS THE 1981-85 CHEVY 305 V8 ENGINES

that's it.
I want to use behive valve springs but am slightly confused as to what all I need.
On ebay, they have SELF ALIGNING SBC 1.6 STAINLESS ROLLER ROCKER ARMS
Super Duty Series 1.6 X 3/8 for $169 bucks

I am leaning towards either a stroker 305, an (Lt1?) 350 block and 327 crank or a

DG5183D

350ci/3.562" Stroke/6.000" Rod/2-Pc. Seal/5140  
$299.00 Each
55 LB -crankshaft for a 350+ stroker
from Powerhouse at
http://shop.enginekits.com/osb/specials.cfm

I know that was incredibly long but thanks for looking, and thanks bunch if you respond! -MT2 John M Anderson  

For towing you need torque which you know,and torque is derived from cubic inches so I would build the largest cubic inch engine I could screw together for the money I had to invest.It would not be a bad idea to look for a Vortec engine(5.7)out of a pickup,freshen it up,and bolt your intake on it with a carb and go towing.  

Whatever you do, don't invest any more time or money into a 305 engine. I know that one in 100 guys on here will call me out on this and give some tale about how they were able to achieve, at best, moderate results from a 305, after spending a lot of money and/or effort to , as you said, polish a turd. To those I say that you will always get much better results from a 350 for a fraction of the cost and time involved.
The 305's were never meant to be put under the strain of towing, or for that matter, anything more intense than getting groceries. They are low power, low output blocks designed to plod along and use somewhat less gas, they're just not good for rodding. Most of the guys that build one anyway are doing it just to try to prove the point that it can be done(again, for much more money and time).
My recommendation is a big block. Look for a 4 bolt main 454, or, like what was suggested in the previous post, pull a fairly new truck engine from the yard and freshen it up. The newer engines are going to come with better fuel economy. I would also suggest you try to find a mid nineties Chevy 2500 thats been T-boned in a wreck and see if you can't pull the whole drivetrain and adapt it to your setup. Im not intimately familiar with the particulars of your vehicle, so if somebody sees a big problem with this idea, please speak up. I know you'll have to have the driveshaft shortened and you may have to also change mounts for the engine, transmission, and/or rearend if you're using leaf springs. If it will work without too much rigmaroll, it'll give you a tough, complete drivetrain already configured to be used for towing, at a fraction of the cost. Best of luck to you.  

If I remember correctly, your '80 doesn't have the computer controlled Q-Jet, so you're good there.

Sounds like you need a good all around motor. you've got two options, either build it yourself or buy a crate engine. If you're gonna buy a crate, I'd look at the GM Performance 383 HT motor. Lots of bottom end torque and mid-range power, perfect for towing.

If you're gonna build, look at either a 350 or a 383. You want 9:1 compression so it'll run on 87-octane, a good hydraulic roller cam with a 114 lobe sep so it'll make a lot of vacuum which'll help your bottom end power and fuel efficiency, and a set of economical aluminum heads that match your cam. Why aluminum? The alloy heads are pretty cheap these days, and it'll shave some weight off your Caprice, which means less mass for the motor to move.

On the torque converter, I'd look at 2600-2800 for a stall.  

Check out my profile in Super Chevy as well as http://www.dragtimes.com/Chevrolet-Monte-Carlo-Timeslip-15176.html
I am a well known engine builder in my area. Lots of people just want V8 performance and a lot of vehicals came with a 305 and if not, they are a dime a dozen. I have put them together so that if they manage to get a 350 every part can swap over. You will get more power and torque from a 350, but they are no longer a dime a dozen. With the price to pay just to get one you could have been given a 305 and put that same money into it. What I am saying is, The money it cost to get the 350 and what little if any money you have left over gives you very little to make the 350 perform. Use the money on the 305 and Make it SCREAM! The last 305 I built got dynoed at 404HP/367FT. TQ. It is a friends who will be on dragtimes next year. He only had $1000 to use.  

305 or 350 ? Stick with your 305. You could invest in a mild cam headers and a trans kit. OR GO FOR THE GOLD AND BUY A WEIAND 142 SUPERCHARGER A BOLT ON 100 HP IN STOCK TRIM.  

I was going to say, you want towing power AND economy? Building a 383 would certainly get you the torque you're looking for, but it's also going to need more gas.

Although I don't know about the longevity of such a combination, I would thing boosting a 327 or 350 would get you the torque you need. Maybe a cheap 5.7 from a mid- to late-90's truck and a supercharger or turbo would do you good...if you're willing to deal with the fuel injection, using a small blower or some low-boost turbo's would set you up real nice. I've got a friend who took his v8-swapped S-dime from 16mpg to 21 with the addition of some small turbo's and good ol' 3.08's.

But if boost isn't the key, we need to know what's going to be more important, towing any load or fuel economy? and what exactly IS good fuel economy for you?  

http://www.crateenginedepot.com/store/1996---2000-Chevy-GMC-12-34-Ton-Pickups-350-L31-New-Goodwrench-Engine-12530282-P73C0.aspx

This is where I would start if I were you , your manifold will work on this engine , this engine is tailor made for your requirements , is assembled , and easily upgraded , [slight head work and a cam] , its a very nice engine as is  

i agree with the reman 350 motor.
building your own motor is great, but any number of things can go wrong. from faulty machine work to  wrong parts+ combo.

if you get a gm 350 ( or equivalant from a local auto parts store) it comes with  a waranty some are 3yr unlimited milage.
the best factory one would be one piece rear main, 9.5:1 compression, and have the newer vortec style heads, with a  roller cam.
a very great performer for gas and power is only a cam swap away.

get a factory tbi unit off a chevy truck ( with proper chip ), and you have a great little sleeper.

or you can try your 305 since it's already complete pretty much. dissasemble the heads, andclean up the casting flash. do not gasket match the intake ports.
smooth out all the bumps inside the ports. leave the last 1/2 inch or so to the valve as straight as you can. just smooth out the ports. then debur all the sharp edges in the cumbustion chambers, smooth the edges out, don't leave any sharp edges. do the same to the pistons. have the block and rotating assebly balanced and blue printed. shoot for 9.5-10:1 compression. this will require a dome ( no flat tops, or dish) make sure you have a tight piston to head quench between .045-.055" this is assemled so if the gasket is .039"  it leaves .006-.01" for the piston to be below the deck. the solid roller is great. keep a short duration cam under 210@ intake at .o50 lift. lots of lift is good but make sure you have plenty of piston to valve clearance. .1" with valve fully open, and piston at tdc.
do not use a single plane intake. don't underestimate a good single 2barrel. but tbi will be better, and at 15psi fuel pressure max they don't really require too much in special fuel lines, or pump.
efi will really bump up your fuel economy.
you definatly want a good set of small long tube headers. good for gas and performance. like 1 1/2 tubing. hooker super comps are really good...
make sureyour transmission has overdrive. a loc up converter is a great choice for fuel efficiency. but you must get a good tranny cooler, the one in the radiator won't cut it. not for towing, or any around town travle. stick with a good factory rear gear ratio.
it will tow a little slow with anything taller than 3.27:1 but anything bigger gives up economy. make your choice.
make sure your tranny's up to par, i learned that lesson a few times.
get yourself a good tack. keep an eye on the revs, when you notice there higher in the same gear, at the same speed then it has been for a while, you either need to change your tranny filter+fluide, or your tranny's going out. changing the filter and fluide is cheaper. do it about every 8,000miles with a 700r4.
metric 200 uses a different screeen filter, not the heavy thick th700r4 one so maintanance should be less do to added line pressure. but keep an eye on it. if you wipe the dipstick on a piece of white paper it should look red, or pink. any brown, or a  dark spot with red or pink fluide = change time. the clutches do wear. especially if over heated. every time you shift temp goes up, if your converters not locked it's creating alot of heat.

put a small pressure guage behind the exuast manifolds in the collectors.  you should have less than 2psi back pressure at wide open throttle under load. if you have more, your exuast needs to be upgraded.

p.s. don't skimp on the breaks, you never know when you may need them.

my 2 cents hope it helps.

keep cam lift at less than .550" including multiplacation with rocker arms,anything more will compromise durability.
get a good set of polly locks for your rockers, or the ones with the jam nut.= less maintanance...