Long story short, I want to rebuild my 25th, it has about 175K miles and I use it everyday as a daily driver. I will have another car while being taken apart so time is not an issue. I want to keep stock heads, after porting them and letting them breathe, I have a mild cam on it now but plan on selling it off or something. I want to buy a 383 stroker kit, build it both for power and reliability. The transmission has been rebuilt about 5K miles ago. What do you all think? I plan to spend around 2000-2500K with my Dad doing most of the work. Thanks a lot!

 

machine work on the block and heads will be between 1200-1800 maybe more i was quoted 1500 for the block and 500 to just rebuild the heads. so id say ur budgets tight if you want it forged but it can be done if its not forged

 

That's a super slim budget. I don't even think I could do it with that much and I'm really good at getting deals on stuff. My friend did get his 396 rotating assembly for $800 with new rings and bearings. You're going to spend as much as z28rob said on the machine work for the block and heads. Unless your dad runs a machine shop I'd say you need to raise your budget.

 

unless you get a deal lik i did very well build shortblock (with a bit more lifters oil system...) with almost everything forged for 1400.

 

What about rebuilding bearings and all wearing parts, high compression pistons, rods, heads and nasty cam? I was thinking like an LT4 head and hot cam, long tube headers. 2500 can't get a 383? Oh well, I'm looking for a rebuild due to wear and high miles, but want around 360-380 hp? What do you guys think?

 

I don't see 2500 being too cheap unless you're talking about a fully forged 383

I got a balanced hyperneutic/cast 383 kit from eagle for $700, getting the block hottanked, honed/bored, cam bearings, etc for around $400, figure gaskets and bolts should tally up to around $300

after that just gotta worry about small things like timing chain, oil pump, lifters, fluids, and then I'm good to go, then again you'll always spend more than you plan on because something ALWAYS happens

then again I'll be doing all the headwork and intake work myself with a friend so that helps along with assembly of the motor

 

If you do all the work yourself, you could have a forged 383 for about 3000 keeping 2 bolt mains

 

I would not build it cheap if you are trying to keep it reliable.

Honestly I think you will need to seriously increase that budget. Just porting the heads would take a big chunk of it.

 

Good heads and valvetrain will cost every bit of that budget.

 

myltwon your machine shop must have some damn good prices.

and to the OP if you save a bit more money and increase your budget to about 4k you'll be able to build a nice shortblock (forged) and then for all the parts like lifters and all you just got to look for deals

 

130 for bore and hone
60 for cam bearings installed
100 for hot tank + freeze plugs
100 to deck it

 

no line hone/bore, no balancing... your a better man than me to trust a balance job from eagle or any other comparable companies. ive seen their balances WAY WAY off... just my .02

btw, if your mains arent perfectly in line, how can you get a sucessful deck job? food for thought

 

I agree, budget too small.

And whats the point of building a 383 if you cant get the heads to support it. Your going to need something at least around a le2 range to provide enough airflow for the 33 extra cubes.

With 2500 I would try and get away with a hone and re use all the stock bottom end parts. If you cant just do a 355 with cheap hypers, stock crank and rods, arp hardware. Than put the money into the topend as thats wheres the power is made. Pick you AI/LE package and call it a day.

 

Take it down, if its clean inside, hone the block yourself with a cherryball hone(just break the glaze) put in rings, rod and main bearings and an oil pump, timing chain and put it back together with some second hand parts bought out of the classifieds.

I did this when I was younger to a 5.0 stang ran good to.

I dont wanna hear any bullshit from anyone, people do it everyday. All ya gotta watch out for is cylinder taper and make sure the crank is ok.

 

I see that it might be too much for a 383. I think I've decided on buying new bearings and all that internal garbage to give me piece of mind about the motor being reliable, but buying an LT4 conversion kit + 58mm TB, full exhaust... What kind of power do you guys think that would make? I really don't want a drag car, just a nice power/nice motor. I think it would only cost around 3,000 or so..?

 

The LT4 kit is a poor idea, mediocre power at a price that could get you real power.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...s-429rwhp.html

Would be similar cost, makes more at the wheels than the LT4 package makes at the flywheel.

 

buy any heads and cam package except the lt4. For the amount of money you would be spending you would be cutting yourself 50hp short.

Call AI/LE, they have been battling it out for who is the Best LT1 head porter.

 

just get some ported heads and a basic off the shelf cam and you'll beat LT4 kit in power and cost