hard to find? - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

racerx520 · 02-09-2009, 07:11 PM

this summer im looking to buy a motor for my 87 t/a, it currently has a 305 tpi, but i want to put in a 350 tpi...i called blewett's scrap yard for a price and they coudnt give me one, they said that they sell the minute they get a car with a 350 tpi cuz they are in such high demand that they actually have a waiting list...anyone know about that in other areas than this area? i really want to get a new motor to do some work to it (preferably a long block)

NJSPEEDER · 02-09-2009, 07:20 PM

We have sponsors that can build a motor for you if you want something beefy or special.

If you are just looking for a long block to mess with you may also want to look into just getting a GMPP long block. For a fair low price you get an engine that is all new parts and comes with a warranty.

No need to worry about finding an actual TPI motor, at the end of the day it is just a small block. If you look specifically for a TPI motor you are just gonna end up paying extra for the RPO and nothing to do with the actual motor.

racerx520 · 02-09-2009, 07:58 PM

well i was looking to mess around with something, my father is a mechanic and i was hoping he could teach me about working on a motor...and you dont need a tpi? i thought that you needed a tpi motor for the intake manifold bolt pattern to bolt on to it? so i could pretty much either pick up a long block thats a '72 up to '08 small block and they'd all have the same bolt patterns that would match up for a tpi? kinda doesnt sound right to me...but i will look into it.

also how much would a long block run? i got one price for a long block online not too long ago and it was 200 bucks, anywhere around there or would it be like 2k? lol

NJSPEEDER · 02-09-2009, 08:05 PM

The only things that changed were blocks after 1987 having the lugs on the center ridge for the spider for the roller lifter set up. Which isn't that important since they can easily be machined in when the block is cleaned up or you can do it yourself after you get the bare block back from the machine shop with a drill and tap set and a small spacer.

As for the intake bolting up, that has to do with the intake bolt pattern on the heads. Any gen1 SBC head can bolt to any gen1 SBC block, so all you really need to do is pick heads and intake that match one another.

The only other thing that changed was the rear main seal. They went from 2 piece to 1 piece, nothing that makes a massive difference. Both of which you would change anyway if you built a motor

The top end of stock TPI stuff is the same between the 305 and 350, all GM changed was the pph of the injectors and the chip in the computer.

LTb1ow · 02-09-2009, 08:09 PM

You should get an LT1

Then you have cool stuff to learn. Reverse cooling, an opti and cam driven waterpump!

Fun!

racerx520 · 02-09-2009, 08:09 PM

ok, thanks for the info, and how much do these motors run?

Jared1970Chevelle · 02-09-2009, 08:11 PM

350 tpi vs 305 tpi... 350 has like 30 more horse....stock.... so put a good exhaust and k&n and your rite there....

you can get a 305 to go pretty good with a good head and cam combo and still keep the tpi intake....

bubba428 · 02-09-2009, 08:22 PM

I've got a buddy with a few of them laying around...make an offer

racerx520 · 02-09-2009, 09:14 PM

well it depends on how much he wants...im looking for like 300-500 to spend on a long block, i wont be able to spend money on getting one till summer if he has them then still...im working a crappy job right now with no hours, inthesummer i'll have a better job and can afford to buy a new motor.

and i have a 305 right now, im not too happy but the main reason why i want to get a 350 is cuz my motor has 160,000 miles on it and i want to get a motor, and rebuild it so it essensially would then have 0 miles on it lol

and about the lt1, yeah ive thought about it, but i dont want to bite off more than i can chew with that, i'd need a whole new computer system and wiring for the car lol, a little bit too much work for me, im 22 yrs old and this is going to be the most work ive done on the car (well, re-painting it was a bit of a challenge too lol) and i think by keeping it a tpi i'd be just keeping it simple

NJSPEEDER · 02-09-2009, 09:16 PM

I would suggest talking to some of our sponsors. Many of them keep healthy blocks around and can even get deals on machine work for members.

If you are doing a from scratch build you would do just as well grabbing a good casting from a junkyard for way less than $500, most likely a good amount below $300.

sweetbmxrider · 02-09-2009, 09:19 PM

i think my dad's 96 suburban has a 5.7 in it. i could be completely wrong though. 180k on it. i'll check it out.

racerx520 · 02-09-2009, 10:07 PM

well im thinkin of a new cam anyway, so really all i need is a block and heads.. pretty much everything froma 305 can go ton a 350 from what ive heard a ready and i plan on doin that i think...most of my stuff is good still, but i also would kinda hope to get a motor that i wouldnthave to break down my current motor for lol

NJSPEEDER · 02-09-2009, 10:18 PM

If you do the related TPI upgrades to take advantage of a new cam, most of the switch over would be just wiring. Upgrading the intake, injectors, heads, TB, and put in a good cam to pull it all together will make for an engine that is both drivable and powerful.

racerx520 · 02-09-2009, 10:39 PM

thats the plan lol...but unfortunately for now, my bird is my daily driver, its my only means of transportation until i can get a real job and afford a nicer vehicle, so i may havet o find a 5.7 tpi all together and build it up lol

NJSPEEDER · 02-09-2009, 10:47 PM

Even once you have the money to do the engine, don't go rushing around to get it all done fast. Take your time, plan, and spend wisely. Don't let the initial excitement compromise the result. If you need an extra thing or two or something costs more than you expected, wait and save so you can do it right. Better to get it done a little behind schedule that to cheap out and have it fail because of a corner cut.

unstable bob gable · 02-09-2009, 10:56 PM

Talk to that hillbilly

Josh from JS Performance. Sponsor info on side----------->
He'll price you out something dayum worthwhile, and his work is second to none. Plus the nice thing about dealing with a person and not a junkyard or big place is Josh himself will answer the phone if you have a question. And just take a look at how fast his own stuff is running!

He's DA MAN in my book!!!

racerx520 · 02-09-2009, 11:02 PM

yeah, i found out why not to hurry with the exterior of the car wheni painted and preped it and stuff lol...some spots im not too much of a fanof how they came out cuz iwas in a hurry but i also didnt have the time or the ability (again, daily driver) to take off every ground effect and stuff to paint them individually so its not as great looking as it could be, but hell...it was my first paint job and i think it came out pretty good lol...ive won 3 trophies with it aleast lol (howell cruise night, ifyou got a nice looking car you get a trophy anyway lol)

but the engine, i was planning on making it a winter project anyway...do it little by little, make sure its all nice...if i can save enough money too i may just try to get a t-56 tranny too and do a manual to auto conversion lol, if and when i pull the motor it should be pretty easy to do a trans swap and i also figure that it will probably be decently easy after building a motor lol

but again, im not gonna rush with it, especially with motors, i dont want to screw up one little thing cuz these motors suck to work on, i found that out whenit took me two days to do headers lol...the smog lines were rusted onto the stock manifolds so i had to get a hacksaw blade and cut each one individually lol, the work wasnt thathard, just took while to get it done lol

NjbadSS · 02-10-2009, 12:37 AM

My first car was handed down from my father who passed away and was an 85 TA, looked just like yours. It had a 305 TPI in it and me and my brother swapped it out with a 350. I got one out of a mid 80's chevy truck actually and built it up with cam and heads.. basically a full rebuild of the engine and it was a relatively simple task. You shouldn't have a hard time at all finding a decent running 350 to do the same for your car. Check around and you can definitely find one for 300 or so if you are going to build it yourself. I'll keep an eye out for you and see what I can come across, have a lot of connections with that stuff

LTb1ow · 02-10-2009, 08:29 AM

BBC!

racerx520 · 02-10-2009, 04:45 PM

i checked out online, most of these motors run for about 1.5-2k...i am not willing to spend that much yet lol

NJSPEEDER · 02-10-2009, 05:32 PM

Unless you are building a race motor, big blocks are a financial waste of time more often than not.

racerx520 · 02-10-2009, 05:37 PM

im not planning on a big block...planning on a small block...even drag racing, small blocks are technically more efficient due to weight...but to put a big block in my bird would mean i'd have to get rid of myheaders or my fenders lol...cuz big blocks + headers + third gen f-bodies = fail lol

sweetbmxrider · 02-10-2009, 08:02 PM

wouldn't it be a t-5 swap and not a t-56?

LTb1ow · 02-10-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racerx520

im not planning on a big block...planning on a small block...even drag racing, small blocks are technically more efficient due to weight...but to put a big block in my bird would mean i'd have to get rid of myheaders or my fenders lol...cuz big blocks + headers + third gen f-bodies = fail lol

To continue off topic here, if you can fit a BBC in a 4th gen, I think it will fit in a 3rd gen.

NJSPEEDER · 02-10-2009, 09:05 PM

It's more a matter of what it does to the way the car works. 3rd gens have terrible weight distribution with a V6, putting in a big block is just a mess.