I'm looking at what to use for a motor.I want just something that I can pass with that gets good gas mileage. By using a mild torque cam and building a motor that runs to 5000 rpm ,would I notice that much difference between a 350 and 383?I plan on a GM 350 trany with a high gear rear end. thanks

A big difference in the "grunt" factor........more torque.

The 383 will have more low end due to the increased stroke with everything else the same but will cost more in the build.

Call Nathan at http://www.dirttrackthunder.com @ (866) 624-3397 and ask him about having a 383 shortblock built. I had them build me one for $1150, and YES it makes a difference over a 350. More cubic inches = more power! Obviously, you can build a 350 to have a ton of power too, but the nice thing about a 383 is that you can go fairly low tech and still generate some descent power. Especially at low end, where you feel it! Another option is a 400 small block. If you can find one, it will generate more power than a 350 also. Plus, with 383's and 400's, you can get by with a little bigger cam and still have good low end power.
Good luck
Tom

Here are some of the detail Spec's on my 383 that was built for my 37 Ford Coupe project.

Displacement 383ci
Bore 4.030
Stroke 3.750
Rod Lenght 5.7
Compression 10.34
Ring Type Moly
Piston Type Hyper-tech-SpeedPro Flat Top Coated
Crank Type Eagle Steel
Rod Type Eagle 5.7
Heads Dart Pro1 Aluminum
Manifold Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap
Timing Chain Cloyes
Roller Rockers Crane
Cam & Lifters Lunati 534 Lift- 295 Duration
Valves 205-160
Carb QuickFuel 650 CFM Pro Vac

All this and 700R4 with 430 Rear End.

Darrell

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I'm Canadian , so everything costs more, plus I'm rural.Stuff is harder to find or just too much $$.I found a Ford 9'' RE for $800,has disc brakes, but I'm trying to budget.I found a healthy 350 that I may buy and try sticking a torque cam in it, has a high lift now.It has an after market crank(can't remember what) but price seems fairly decent.What do you think a used healthy 350 is worth? Thanks Ted (real name)

Here in the states, you can get a 350 in unknown status, a "core" for $75-$100 complete. I wouldn't probably pay more than $500 for a rebuilt one. Just my opinion.
Tom

go with a 377 chevy small block instead....i also was debating to build a 350 or 383 stroker....my machine shop guy talked me in to going with a 377 stroker...you wont be dissapointed....lots of grunt...almost as much as the 383 stroker and lots of energy left for the top end...more then a 350 or 383.....look into it....377 starts off as a 400 small block with a 350 crank...and go from there...trust me its the best of both worlds all wrapped in one.....

This has been debated. If you have a 400 block, just build a 400, why would you ever want to destroke it to a 377?! Bet my paycheck that a 400 built the same way would run circles around a 377 any day of the week.

K

I've never stuck a car engine together.Done lots of bikes.I call a same bore and stroke = square. Square engines or shorter strokes always seem to rev like crazy and have good top end.I can see a 377 topping out well. I want an engine that has bottom-mid rage power running a hi gear rear axle.
Using a cam with 218/224 D and 462/469 lift on a 350 vs a 383, 9:1 comp (reg gas here is 87) would I feel the 383 difference enough to justify the enpense or is this too mild a build?I want mileage, I can't drive far at 3 miles to a gallon. :o) Ted

You can feel the difference between a 350 and a 383.....mild or wild. I would do it, i think that cam maybe a tad small for my taste. More cubes can handle more cam.

DEFINATELY would feel the difference. I used that same cam in a boat, and it runs GREAT! Boats pull really hard through the entire RPM band, and that cam makes great low end power and maxes out at 4800RPM in my setup (would only run 4200 max with the 350). I think you could go a bit bigger cam in a car, but certainly that cam would be "safe" as far as low end power and a great idle. You can always get by with a little bigger cam with more cubes. I didn't think the expense was that much more for the 383. The extra machine work is minimal, you have to buy new pistons anyway when you bore a motor (asuming you are boring it). The only thing you need is a 383 crank, and some 5.7 rods, an externally balanced Harmonic balancer and flexplate. You could actually get all that stuff out of a 400, but assuming you have no 400 laying around, you can buy them from Scat for $500-$700. You can get by with 4130 I beam rods with the low RPM motor you are building. 6 inch rods are expensive and H beam rods are expensive but you don't need them for your motor. Scat also sells an internally balanced 383 crank, they are a little pricey, but you could use your stock balancer and flexplate.

I want MPG. How big a cam can I put in a 383? A 220/460 cam maybe all I need. I want to cruise not race(much) . Any better ideas for a hi MPG build ????:o) Ted

If you want good gas mileage you could always go with an LS-1 set up. What Kind of MPG do you really expect out of a carbed V8? In my 56 Chevy I got 15-17 MPG on an all freeway trip at about 85mph. Thats with an M21 and 3.55 rear. I've got a mild cam headers, 8:5:1 CR, Edelbrock RPM intake, and a rochester q-jet. I was amazed by this... Normally I get around 8MPG combined. If all your concerned with is MPG why consider a 383 then??

you can get decent mileage with a v8. If you've got a mild cam, some 8.5:1 compression and headers adn you're getting 8mpg, you have a problem my friend.

K