There’s an old adage amongst gearheads that “there is not any substitute for displacement.” Nonetheless, within the age of Mercedes’ controversial 2.0-liter M139 hybrid cranking out 470 horsepower, that old-school maxim might not be valid. Nonetheless, the 45-cubic inch difference between Chevrolet’s venerable 350-cubic inch V8 and its smog-era cousin, the lowly 305, still stirs up a vigorous debate amongst bowtie fans.
Introduced in 1976, the smaller 305 was seen as a path to increased fuel economy while sharing a substantial amount of parts with the prevailing 350 small-block to maintain costs down. Each engines have a similar stroke of three.48 inches, however the 305 has a 3.736-inch bore versus the 350’s 4-inch bore. There is no query that, price notwithstanding, modern hot rodders will select a 350 small-block — or higher still, an LS — over the airflow-restricted 305 each day and twice on Sunday.
Still, the 305 doesn’t deserve the quantity of scorn that it receives in some circles. Apart from most Corvettes and a number of trucks, the 305 was General Motor’s eight cylinder workhorse throughout the Nineteen Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties. It powered the Monte Carlo SS, luxo-barge Cadillacs, and took countless Firebirds and Camaros into battle with archenemy 5.0-liter fox-body Mustangs.
The 305 was higher than no V8
In its finest form, the LB9 variant of the 305 — fitted with Chevy’s tuned-port fuel injection — made 230 horsepower within the 1989 Camaro IROC-Z. While not exactly epic by modern standards, that figure was very respectable for the time. And in contrast to the eventually-available 350 in late third-generation F-bodies, the 305 could still be ordered with a five-speed manual transmission.
That rare combo was adequate for lucky Camaro owners to wring out 14-second time slips within the 1/4-mile and reach a top speed approaching 150 mph. In modified form, several NHRA Stock and Super Stock drag racers running third-gen Camaros and Firebirds have made 10-second passes with the small-bore V8. The trail to higher horsepower is a simple one, too, with tremendous aftermarket support and shared architecture with other small blocks, just like the 350.
So while Chevy’s 305-cubic inch V8 undeniably made some compromises toward fuel economy within the midst of an oil crisis, it is also firmly entrenched within the return of the muscle automotive movement, together with Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 and Buick’s 3.8-liter turbocharged V6. Recall that for a brief period throughout the Malaise Era, you could not buy a Mustang with a V8 engine in any respect. For that, we must be thankful to Chevrolet for keeping performance alive in addition to it could with this unsung hero.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
