Decades might have passed, but these Chevy beauties are not a thing of the past. Both the Chevy 305 and 327, as well as their little cousin – the 283 are popular still.

With a little bit of maintenance, you can re-live the good ol’ days of classic engines. Plugging the right carburetor is especially crucial for these three models, though.

Let’s start with the most optimal carb picks for each engine type.

➥➥ Best carburetor for Chevy 305: Your two best choices here are either the classic Edelbrock 1406 600 CFM or for 305 V8, I’d recommend you a Holley Speed Demon 625 CFM.

Optimal CFM range: 550-650.

➥➥ Best carb for Chevy 327: If you want to conquer the tracks, grab a 4150 Holley Street Avenger 670 CFM. If you want a mild/cruising 327, stick to the Edelbrock 1406 Performer again.

Optimal CFM range: 600-670.

➥➥ Best carburetor for Chevy 283: 3xx series’ smaller cousin doesn’t need much CFM to ride well. For cruising, stick to Holley 4160 390 CFM. If you want to go mild with a pinch of track action, this Edelbrock 1403 500 CFM is the optimal choice.

Optimal CFM range: 390-500.

You won’t see any 700+ CFM recommendations, and I’ll tell you why in a bit.

I’ll discuss this decision, as well as other fine details regarding these engines. In other words, we have plenty to talk about!

Click on the Table of Contents and navigate to what interests you the most:

Note #1: You don’t really need more than 650 CFM on any of these Chevy engines.

For real. Sure, if you’re going the extreme racing way, you might need a 750 CFM carb. For 90%+ of the people, though, anything above 650 is overkill.

Why?

Because a stock Chevy 305 can’t even handle more than 650 CFM. The same applies for a 327, and what’s left for the smaller 283. With a larger CFM rating, not only will you be wasting gas – your engine might start choking like it’s eating dust all the time.

Note #2: You don’t need to fuss over barrel size or bore shape inconsistencies.

Your Chevy has a 2-barrel intake manifold, but you need to change it to a 4-barrel intake manifold for a new carb? You have adapters for that – I personally recommend the Mr. Gasket Carb adapter kit. It’s the community’s go-to brand for this procedure.

Having an issue with bores? It’s natural. Especially for some Chevy 305 engines, you’d have a Quadrajet stock carb which is a square bore. You can change it to a spread bore for your replacement by using this carburetor adapter plate:

This thin, but durable adapter plate made of aluminum makes sure you can use any carburetor on your intake.

With the two rather important clarifications out of the way, let’s take a deeper look at the carburetors I’ve picked for you.

Let’s start with the, arguably, most popular out of the three – the 305 model.

Generally, 305 engines fit well not only with the Holley or Edelbrock classics. You can plug Quadrajet (OEM for some) or Rochester carbs as a replacement too.

In my opinion – and the opinion of many other Chevy enthusiasts, Holley and Edelbrock have become a staple for a reason.

For Chevy 305, we’re looking at the Edelbrock 1406 on one hand, and the 625 CFM Holley Speed Demon on the other.

Here are a few quick notes on what makes each one stand out:

Beyond this difference in intended ride style, both of these carbs share a lot of manufacturing/fitment common points. Namely:

• Both come with a single-feed fuel inlet. This allows for very easy installation.
• Both are 4-barrel, electric choke carburetors.
• Both come with a square bore bolt pattern.

As I pointed out, there is a difference in how these carbs approach tuning. If you’re the set and forget type who prefers casual cruising, snag the Edelbrock.

In case you prefer fine-tuning things and are a fan of crisper, more oomph! throttle response, the Speed Demon lives up to its name.

Both carbs are optimal for your fuel economy too. Anything above 650 CFM, and you’ll be wasting gas. In case you still want a 750 CFM beast, check the Edelbrock 1411 Performer.

I’d like to reiterate that in most cases, I don’t recommend going that far though. This is a small block engine we’re talking about, not its 454 big block brother which demands bigger carbs.

So, with the Chevy 327, there might be some special stock differences between the different horsepower models. For example, the Chevy 327 350 HP series had a stock Carter AFB carb.

Edelbrock is a Carter successor, so a 1406 Edelbrock carburetor should be a direct fit.

On higher series like the 365 HP Chevy 327 ran on a stock Holley 2818. In this case, replacing it with a 670 CFM Street Avenger might be the better choice.

Here’s a quick comparison between the once-more-appearing Edelbrock 1406 and the new Holley contender:

Both are very viable choices in any Chevy 327 from the full lineup. With a properly tuned 600 CFM carb you can expect around 13-15 mpg.

Performance-wise, the Street Avenger follows my notes on the Speed Demon for Chevy 305: more tuning, better performance on the racetrack, and a little bit more complicated for carb beginners.

With 327 models, I really recommend you stick to vacuum secondaries on your carburetor. Both of these models feature them. Mechanical secondaries might be too much pain in the neck to deal with on the stock Chevy 327.

The Chevy small-block 283 engine might look ‘cute’ to some, but it still packs a punch. Adjusting to its lower horsepower, size, and manufacturing specifications, you’ll need a lower CFM carb.

I actually have three options for you here, with one of them being a bit of an overkill for the extreme racing types.

The best pick for casual cruising would be the small 390 CFM Holley 4160 model. I know Holley put a mild race stamp of approval on it, but that’s not really true. You’d be better off sticking to the streets only with this neat tiny carb.

The carb fits both V8 engines, as well as 6-cylinder setups. You have an electric choke, vacuum secondaries, and the typical Holley square bore flange.

The dichromate finish allows for durability over time. The alloy is also more ethanol-resistant than the usual AFB builds coated in aluminum, which is a good perk to have too.

For a balanced performance, including mild racing, I’d suggest the 500 CFM Edelbrock 1403 carburetor. A part of the Performer series, it’s basically the little brother of the Edelbrock 1406 which I recommended for the other two Chevy engines.

As such, it shares the same manufacturing traditions and tuning specifics.

One thing very notable about the 1403 Edelbrock is its very smooth acceleration. Definitely a must if you prefer more comfortable rides, be it on the racetrack or when cruising around.

The smoothest, most mellow way to enjoy a small-block engine – that should be the motto of the 500 CFM carb for Chevy 283. The same 1403 is a staple for small-block Ford engines, too.

Last but not least, I’ll introduce the 600 CFM Holley 0-80457S. If you’ve decided to test the limits of your small-block Chevy 283, that’s a good carb to tinker with.

Once again, I don’t really think a 283 will run optimally on 600 CFM. Maybe a modded engine with some additional extras configured, but otherwise, I don’t really recommend it.

There are some people who have done this, though, usually with the idea to go for more heated racing adventures. This is a pure strip and track performance carburetor, specializing in cold starts and even more meticulous tuning options.

One standout thing here is the looks. This specific Holley carb might just be the shiniest Chevy carb you’ll ever see:

It’s obviously on purpose. With the 0-80457S, you’ll be not only conquering tracks but also evoking the envy of your track competitors.

Let’s face it – Holley made the perfect powerful carb for small-block engines and wanted to flaunt its high-end performance with a shiny coating on top.

And you know what…it works perfectly. This is a 600 CFM gem, but once again I advise casual users to steer away from it.

Honestly, discussing any of these Chevy engines can take thousands of words and hours upon hours of talking. I’ve provided a quick list of the best carburetors for the three classics – Chevy 305, 327, and 283.

This is in no way an extensive list per se, but it is a rundown on the most optimal choice for the majority of Chevy setups.

Hopefully, it helped you out. I’m particularly shocked to see so many sites recommend superfluous CFM-rated carbs too – hopefully, I made a strong case why I think these are overkill for most drivers.

Carburetor brands are also a touchy topic for many, with consumer preferences going one way or the other.

Related to that, I’d be glad to hear you out – what brands have you run on your Chevy engine? Did you prefer a Quadratec or an Edelbrock? Or a Holley enthusiast?

Drop a comment and let me know!

Also, speaking of classics: I’ve written about another Chevy beauty, the one and only big block 454 and its spark plugs.

Some people are more fond of small block engines. In this case, you can check out my guide to 799 vs 243 heads. A lot of people have misconceptions about these LS-engine cylinders. I’ve cleared up some inaccuracies.

Equally keen on motorcycles?

I did extensive research on Harley Davidson bearing sizes. Give it a read if you are in the need of info that’ll help your vehicles perform to the maximum of their capacity.