Thread: advice for a 305

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I'm looking for some advice with a 305 that has HEI on it. I bought my 72 Cheyanne 1/2 long box with factory air and completed the body repair (new cab corners, rockers and fenderwells/dog houses all around) and the paint/trim.

The trucks history: was taken off the road in 95 for a restore project between the guy I bought the truck and his kid. I got the truck in 2003 and have been nailing out the body work and I'm having some trouble with the engine.

I have dual exhaust witht he stock manifolds with the only change I've done is replace the rochester 4bbl with a 600cfm edelbrock.

The engine is smokeing a great deal and it backfires pretty often as if the valves did corrode and such since it was sitting for so long with out being ran.

I was evaluating my options for either yanking this 305 and getting myself a real 350 (I thought that's what the engine was when I bought it till one of my dad's buddies ran the numbers on the engine and said it was a 305).

I know the 305 and the 350 shared the same block but was wondering what the difference was, bigger cylender bore and different stroke?

What kinds of things could I do to this 305 to make it worth while, something like putting on an edelbrock performer intake manifold, getting some headers. Maybe some 350 heads or something?

Financially I almost have to go the route of yanking the heads and getting them milled/rebuilt for around 300 to start, but wondered what would happen if I stick 350 heads on it.

From what I've been reading I should get myself the edelbrock performer intake and eventually some headers and I'll get high teens low 20s for gas mileage.

Any advice is welcome! and thanks in advance.