Grumpy, I want to dream...

DorianL

DorianL

solid fixture here in the forum
Staff member
Hi Grumpy,

It's recommend engine combo time :D

I'm on vacation here in France but dreaming of a 383 that I'd like to make reality. And plotting on gathering the heads, cam, rockers, carb, etc to do it.

I might have a lead on a nice 1971 'vette o_O But I don't yet want to say too much about it for fear of jinxing the project :D I first need to sell off the TT and then soooo many more hurdles. :rolleyes:

I look forward to restoring the suspension, replacing the bushings, detailing... and launching threads about these.

In any case, although the 'vette looks sharp with matching numbers, I want to build a 383 on the side taking my sweet time. Also, of course, intend to keep the original power plant.

So what specific parts would you recommend to make this a mild, yet funner-than-stock, engine?

This is a manual 4-speed (perhaps one day to be 5 or 6). The rear gearing is also standard at 3.36:1

I'm looking for excellent idle and off-the-line torque. I'm not too concerned about top end. Matching stock HP is fine, no? This will be a car for all the family to enjoy. Absolutely NO beating on it. The idea is something fun to drive that has good zip to it. And bearing in mind what I used to drive. o_O

I happen to have (like most of us here :D) a good 350 4-bolt in my basement. I'm thinking an AFB carb, reasonable heads (already have headers), performer intake, cast pistons, scat cast crank... forged not necessary, is it? Small head magnetic distributor. CD box.

Summit Racing is my go to place for parts here overseas.
 
Hmmmm. How about a TBI? Do
Something different? Yes! Let's do that!!!! That'd be cool
 
There is really no point of building a Chevy V8 if your not going to beat on it.
 
Crossfire Renegade is one option.
There are huge quality control problems.
I have to work on Marc's Renegade intake today.

What Chevy built stock is 100% reliable as is.
Like my 1994 K1500 Suburban 350 TBI engine project.

Cast pistons are best for a daily driver.
Will last 300,000 - 400,000 miles with premium synthetic oils & regular oil changes.

Forged pistons last 40,000-50,000 miles typical as factory GM installed.

Cast Hyperuentic pistons gives best of both worlds.
Strength & longevity.

Forged still ultimate for Race.
 
you might want to consider as one option, for any corvette you build, is best started by swapping a stock crate engine into the current TT car, before you sell it and sticking the supercharger on that crate engine so the car still has brisk performance but your not dumping a good deal of the expensive parts when the current car sells.
and keeping the current engine from the car as a basic build start point to the corvette, as you might find that the price on the current TT when sold won,t be compensating you for the cost of its existing engine
 
That's absolutely true. But I'm afraid that as a 1973 Chevelle Malibu, that engine is what will sell it in the first place. Without it? Probably worth 2-3k?
 
Also I'm interested in building another something new... a 383 carefully built from main caps up over a year or three - purposely designed for the ride in question.

Hell, I just miss torquing together a small block and checking the timing of the cam.

I'm quite sure it'll be a Holley or Edelbrock TBI.
 
well I can certainly provide a component list that will work, but I'd like to know what budget limitations are and any other details you can provide will be helpful.
did you still have a bare 350 block , how about the trick flow heads you had originally?
 
I found out recent what a Vortech Ysi is worth today is not much used.
They were the best to be had in 2003-2004.
Turbo Charging is in & took over.

Ysi lost 2/3rds of its Value for my Bud Ed.
 
What size is the TT engine? I think Grumpy is sorta right, keep that engine and build a hot mill for TT, then sell it. Then refresh the TT mill and either inject it or carb it.
 
The TT is a 400. It has 10k on it. Nothing more.

Hmmm. I migh be able to buy back those TFS heads. The guy I sold it to I think has lost interest in building his 400 Pontiac. I think because there aren't enough races here.

I don't have any particular budget limitations; as there is no rush on this, I don't mind saving up before buying a next batch of parts. Just looking for a reasonable combination. It's to be a daily driver - not something edgy. So, presumably cast, not forged. Stamped rockers, not roller high-lift.
 
Its a bit of a dilemma.
Everything is dead right now.

Best bet is likely try & trade with Richard for his 1971 SBC White C3 Corvette.
Wheeling & Dealing is his thing, knack.
His C3 is worth more coin than the TT right now though.
 
Europe is a different market. As I say, over there it might make sense to keep the TT mill. Over here, the mill is precisely what creates its resale value. Apples and oranges, I'm afraid.

Still... Whatever you can recommend as parts for a nice 383 build is welcome!
 
Bone stock Complete Small block Chevy Generation 1 engines in excellent usable condition are real hard to find present.I had to search for 3 months to find a suitable core to build for my Suburban in my price range at the time.
 
DorianL said:
Europe is a different market. As I say, over there it might make sense to keep the TT mill. Over here, the mill is precisely what creates its resale value. Apples and oranges, I'm afraid.

Still... Whatever you can recommend as parts for a nice 383 build is welcome!
Click to expand...
Grumpy has like 5,000 pages dedicated to building 383 SBC engines.
 
Another option is to find a 100% ready to drop in SBC 350- 355 into the TT.
RICHARD AGAIN.
HE HAS A 1980'S TUNED PORT CAMARO Z28 ENGINE COMPLETE WITH 65 MILES ON IT.
WAS TRYING TO SELL IT TO ME ON MY SUBURBAN PROJECT.
 
I don't have another engine, SBC to sell here.
Except in my own 1987 Corvette.
Together & running excellent.
I have toyed with the idea of selling the engine & complete TPI wiring harness & ECM.
I dont have another engine ready to replace it yet.
 
I would not pay over about $600 to get the used trick flow heads back, simply because you might pay a bit more but there are currently better heads available and obviously new heads will not have much wear issues.
for what your trying to build you don,t necessarily need a forged crank, (its still nice durability insurance) you may consider a SCAT rotating assembly with a CAST STEEL crank.
http://www.scatcrankshafts.com/rotating-assembies/chevy-rotating-assemblies/
you will most likely want something in the 9.5:1 compression range with 7/16" ARP rod bolts and 5.7" or 6" rods, and personally Id get the forged pistons and if possible internal balance options to firt the two piece rear seal block, AFTER having the block inspected for bore wall thickness and cracks ETC.
your current 3.36:1 rear gear ratio is a P.I.T.A. compared to slightly better a 3.54:1-or 3.73:1 ratio but certainly useable if you get a 200r4, with a 2800 rpm stall converter,as it has O>D. top gearing , a cam like this is as wild as I would suggest
http://www.crower.com/catalogsearch/result/?form_key=78iysuhfoLby82Bd&q=00468
I'm assuming your goal is a smooth driving performance car engine that gets reasonable mileage and still works for brisk high way performance, too many guys assume that a performance street cars engine will be just a slightly de-tuned race engine and in truth a really successful build will be designed much more toward long term durability and perhaps 450 plus hp rather than maximum potential power.
(no it won,t keep up with the current TT engine but it will be much more driver friendly for the wife)
I would certainly select heads that flowed in the 250 cfm at .500 lift and be using a hydraulic roller cam and roller rockers.
http://www.airflowresearch.com/180cc-sbc-street-cylinder-head/
http://www.jegs.com/i/Doug's+Header...208653497831&gclid=CP6tj5Hdt84CFQkfhgodkWwCzA

long tube headers and if it was my corvette the hooker or Dougs side exhaust in stainless
(a C3 corvette, without side exhaust is a bit like a pretty girl with out see through black lace lingerie,
blacklacert.jpg

All the important parts are there, but its just not looking quite the way , it could ,that makes most males crazy with lust to grab and play with it)
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/picking-a-cam-for-street-strip-496-bbc.13384/
macchine-depoca-chevrolet-corvette-stingray.jpg

blacksidepi.jpg

yes the wife MAY burn her stockings on the side pipes if she's not careful, so adding the chrome perforated safety shield to the side pipes makes sense if the wife drives the corvette, guys generally were cotton/ denim jeans because touching hot side pipes with most synthetics results in fabric damage , cotton and denim are basically immune to brief contact, obviously avoiding contact by learning to step into and out of the corvette avoids that issue but for some reason my wife seemed to forget occasionally and I ALWAYS heard about it in EVERY LAST DETAIL when she did on my 1968 BBC corvette!
(no I did not have the perforated stainless shields installed)

read related threads
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/spiral-mufflers-anyone.10365/#post-42725

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/c3-side-pipe-exhausts.793/#post-1150

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ders-that-work-with-sidepipes.2350/#post-6204

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...lap-on-factory-headers.3155/page-2#post-66721
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks Grumpy. I thought I mentioned it... I'm going manual this time round...
 
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