67 300 +aluminum intake

[rtabish]

hey. is a 300 cu in V8 in a 67 special worth upgrading for performance? will an aluminum 4bbl intake off an earler 300 fit and work on this engine? what carb would work best? i assume something small. this engine currently is a stocker with 2bbl. it runs ok but with about 300k miles on her, she needs a rebuild. maybe somebody out there has a more common stock 350 they would like to trade for the 300 and the attached 2speed auto?

[Guest John Chapman]

Is it worth it? Well, it depends on how much you have to spend, I guess.

First, the aluminum 4bbl manifold was for the '64 300 with aluminum heads. It will bolt on, but there are problems with port size and internal coolant passages matching up. Before you ask, no, the 340 4bbl manifold will not fit the 300 although most other engine components are interchangeable. The 340 has a taller deck height on the block which makes for a wider space between the head ports.

For a four barrel manifold for this engine, you're pretty much limited to the factory cast iron 4bbl manifold that was a '65 year only production item. They show up from time to time on this site and eBay ( http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/showflat....true#Post138282 ). You can get a 500-600 CFM Carter/Edlebrock AFB with electric choke for about $275 new.

At 300K miles on the 300, a rebuild would be appropriate, so your question about the 350 (Buick, right...? Because if you're thinking Chivvy 350, stand by for heavy rolls, shipmate....) is timely. The 350 is a virtural bolt-in and you'll find that there is far more parts support for it, especially performance items. As long as you're at it, the GM 200R4 automatic is a great companion transmission for an upgrade.

I recommend you search the site for 300, 350 and 200R4 links. There has been a lot of discussion on these items in the past.

Cheers,

John

[rtabish]

thanks for the advice, john. on the 340 parts, i figured as much on the deck thing. as for the chevy comment, well, i don't say nasty things about you, do i? i am already into the aftermarket stuff for the buick 350, as i have a 74 century i am also trying to get stuff for. i originally bought the century for parts for the special,i like the 74 enough to want to give it a try too! in fact most of the buicks i have had in the past have been 350s, so i kinda like their potential [light weight, good torque, good tight engines].i am also aware there arn't many aftermarket parts for them like for the 400 and 455. i kinda supect there is nothing for the 300 so i am looking at a lot of old-school machining to get some power and rpm out of the old girl [$$$$$]. i just figured someone who wants to restore might find a use for the 300 and 2speed. it is in the car and can be checked out easily enough if someone wanted to make the trip to missoula montana. i dont plan on engine r&r till this spring, so there will be some time. i plan on switching to a th350 [ again, old school] mostly because i have used them for years. never tried the 200. thanks