305 -- 135k and running strong?
 

How many of you guys are running 305's that have over 13x,xxx and are still running strong? I'm looking at an '86 IROC that has about 135k on the clock. I just wanted to get an idea of common issues you guys have run into etc.

As far as I know, seen, and heard, the 305's seem like a pretty solid engine. Though, I'd like to get some first hand experience(s)

Well maintained 305s have been known to run forever. There are a few guys I've heard breaking 200k on 305s in trucks. That would be there one redeeming quality. But race motors they are not.

haha that they are not ... I know for a fact that the dodge 317's (which I believe are their version of the chevy 305) are bullet proof and will run forever - i guess it's true for the 305's too?

my 305 has 87k hard and beaten miles on it lol

my 350 has 133k on it, just replaced head gaskets and its still goin strong

I've had a few 305-powered cars over the years, and all were good runners. One '87 SS I used as a daily driver a few years back had 122K and ran great. Another '85 SS I owned had 110K and was strong enough to still chirp 2nd gear with the stock 200-4R. My other '85 SS had 176K on it and ran great, but she was tired. When we pulled that motor to install a cammed 305 TPI, we found someone had replaced the timing chain along the way and the cam was off by 1 tooth. That explained the soggy performance!

Good that's exactly what I like to hear (except for the cam part lol) Thanks for all of your input. I'm probably going to check out the car this weekend at some point ::knock on wood::

my 85 iroc has 186k. i took it off the road, but could easliy be up and running with a tune up and rocker arm adjustment. the rust doesnt help much though, at least still looks clean from far away.

173,000 miles on my 87 L98. I just redid the valve springs, seals, intake gaskets, oil pan gaskets, and timing chain. Not that it needed all that, but i was resealing the intake and figured while i was in there.....

195k on my 305, still runs good, Its just starting to get some valve train noise and smokes a little at start up but thats it.. Pretty soon the 305 will be history to make way for the 383

I am not one to ********* when i say this- i bought a 89 camaro rs 5.0 tbi. it had 199k miles on it, ran great, i beat the living crap out of it. had it till 240k miles, (more miles on it since i was driving around for a month w/ a broken speedo cable lol) sold it to a friend and he called me a month later, telling me it still runs like a raped ape and how fun of a car it was to drive. im 99% sure it was the original engine also. i had to change the timing chain and gears in it, there was soooo much slack in it that it jumped time a lil.

my friend has a firebird w/ 230k on original motor and its a 305

I had an 86 z/28 with 160k that ran great. I blew it up bc I was 17 and got stupid with it. (5 spd car also) I believe if I wasnt an idiot, I could have gotten 200k out of it easily.

my dad had one in a truck of his a while back it was an 89. Still ran strong till the day he traded it in and never had any problems i believe it was well above the 130xxx mile mark

They can be race motors, they are 305's in early camaros in stock eliminator going 10.90's. Given they arent the stock off the shelf engine, but they can be made to perform.