[HeadlessNorseman]

yeah i wouldnt go for a $4500 ls1 car either. You can find a decent shape 3rd gen for half that. As for aftermarket parts, anything for a chevy small block will work, but dont buy anything 305 specific. Headers, intakes, cams, most bolt on parts are compatible with 350s. Just dont buy any 305 heads because if you get a 350 later there are better options. 305s limit you to smaller valves. And the cylinder filling is much less efficient that way. You can easily get about 300hp out of one with a carb, but it requires 305 specific heads. Despite what a lot of people will tell you, carbs are not that bad and are quite fun. TPI intakes are tricky to install and they are still expensive. The only way your really going to get power out of a tpi is with a stealth ram. And youd better learn how to tune or locate a tuner who knows how to mess with TPI computers.