Mighty Whitey

I'd stick with a 355. there's far too many 383's in the world that put down equal to, or LESS power than many 355's.

I'd buy rods and pistons for a stock crank, spend some money on machine work, and then dump some good cash on a set of AI heads, intake and cam. and most likely have a 430rwhp 355.

RallyBoy

iTrader: (1)

you do have a point. it is a very hard decision. the only reason i am considering a 383 is the price. i feel that i can upgrade later on and have a killer bottom end.

SS MPSTR

iTrader: (1)

I agree with Mighty Whitey to a point - it depends what you want to do with the car. I like the TQ my 385 makes much sooner over my friends built 355. Make no mistake - a properly built 355 can absolutely scream, but my friend raps his out much further to make the same HP, while the TQ mine makes puts a car length on him and he never catches up.

Mighty Whitey

if your intent is to change the topend when money allows, later on down the road. then I would consider the 383 option. but if you plan on settling with the topend you have now, going 383 will not net near the gains you may expect, and you might be dissapointed.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

It really does come down to SO MANY engines are done so poorly. A well done 355 that revs to 7500 can make as much torque by 3500rpms and still climbing as a lot of strokers do at peak and are out of wind by 6800. The stroker fanatics who did it wrong will still claim a "broader powerband" as an excuse ignoring the fact a well done 355 makes just as much torque as most 383s. Now all done right a 383 will make more torque and do so sooner but so few are done well because people choose bad part/vendors and cheap out on the wrong areas.

If budget is the limit spend less on the shortblock by using a stock crank and some $300 Scat rods and put the savings into the topend. Most guys go the otherway around and try and build a big shortblock and cheap out on the topend.

You have to consider most of the truely knowlegable guys do not say much on the forums even if they read them, it is mostly the kids looking either to solve problems or looking for a pat on the back for mediocre results that make up the bulk of the posts and the only way any of that results in good information is when they find a problem and ADMIT IT and share what they learn, those are the guys that become knowledgable as they keep playing. They are a tiny minority too.

Flamingchicken94

iTrader: (3)

what parts should you put the right money in when you do a 383?

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

There you go prioritizing the displacement, you are well on your way to making the mistake I am talking about.

Engine has to be considered as a package but start by figuring out what you can afford in heads and valvetrain then figure out a shortblock to compliment it and make changes in the planning till you fit it all in your budget.

Look what guys with good heads and cam do compared to the guys with cookie cutter strokers, lots of us have left the stroker guys making excuses.

Ideally I would like a Compstar 383 with HIGHEND shop machining, if the bores are not round it will never work right or clearances wrong it wont last, look at ABA383's setup something like 13 year old Lingenfelter motor in the end that was MUCH cheaper than the Golen crap that guys have issues with before 10K miles. AI is obviously my choice in heads and money permitting I would do shaft mounts, maybe even a solid roller but I have some reliability concerns with that given the milage I drive, about 8K miles a year for the last two years that it has been in the current basic configuration.

People need to look at how stuff performs a few thousand miles old too not just the initial dyno tune results, making power is easier than making reliable power.

Something said far too infrequently is "cheapest is rarely least expensive" unfortunately that is a lesson most of us seem to need to learn the hard way, I know I did. It is learned now though.

RallyBoy

iTrader: (1)

there is a member on the site that goes by the name BlackScreaminMachine that made decent power with a 383, ported stock heads, and the hotcam kit. am i correct in saying that a 383 and a 355 both with stage one ported stock heads (ai or le) and the hotcam kit would make the same horsepower at a different rpm's?

SS MPSTR

iTrader: (1)

...but they advertise everywhere - doesn't that make them a credible builder??

projekt70chevelle

iTrader: (4)

Money spent on advertising makes someone well known.... it HARDLY makes some one credible. Credibility comes from the consumer, not the seller. Claims are one thing...results are completely different.

Although i am yet to be an AI product owner, by reading the results on their web site and seeing how highly 96capricemgr (someone who obviously has had incredible results in power and reliability from their products) speaks of them, has me on edge waiting to be able to afford my "dream setup". I mean their topend has put his +4200 pound car in to the 11's.

People tend to get pissed off about how 96capricemgr so readily announce his allegiance towards AI, but he has a great reason to (and his numbers/times show it).

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Michaal was being sarcastic. He was agreeing with my statements about how vendors buy reputations and the average person believes it.

Want another example look at Mobil 1.

SS MPSTR

iTrader: (1)

Yes I was, and yes I do.

Sorry projekt, I should have used a smiley

projekt70chevelle

iTrader: (4)

Sure thing guys....

SS MPSTR

iTrader: (1)

What is your dream set-up you referred to earlier?

Quick96ss

iTrader: (7)

I run a 383 my regrets are. I wish i would have done bigger heads, cam and a single plain.

SS MPSTR

iTrader: (1)

Really? Why? Guys are running superb times with the LT1 intake.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Because he is one of those folks that can't tell the difference between marketing and results.

I will say on a fairly wild setup a single plane would be of benifit but I think this is another one of those things where it belongs on racecars so every kid with a 12 second car thinks he needs it too. For the overwhelming majority it is just wasted money.

SS MPSTR

iTrader: (1)

Well, that's kind of what I was thinking too...isn't there a member here running some pretty potent & expensive parts from a reputed cam/head guru who trapped 126+ mph running a single plane, big cam and CNC Darts - while there is another budget 355 build somewhere running CNC 200cc heads, mild SR (as well as some expensive parts) and an LT1 intake trapping a smidge better?

Just sayin'.

OutlawZ

iTrader: (4)

Depends on what you define as "superb times"..... Mid 9's is about where you'll be with the stock intake and a WHOLE **** TON of nitrous..... Like caprice said a single plaNE is not the end all be all of performance... It belongs on a matched combo.... I have a single plane on my LT1. Made 530 RWHP NA with a 4200 stall converter, TH400, and a 9"... You can do the math but i'm losing about 24-26% thru that drivetrain.... The single plane is a NECESSITY cause my car sees 8000+ RPM. But the combo is what makes it necessary. AFR 227's, solid roller cam with over .700 lift, 12.1:1 compression.... about 20% street car and 80% track car. Enough street car to drive to car shows and scare every import within 10 miles.... Hell it scares everybody within 10 miles regardless of what they drive.....

But again it's all in the combo. if you're runnin 12's and think you need a single plane to go 11's you need to keep researching...

SS MPSTR

iTrader: (1)

I agree with you. 8 second zone is a hell of a lot different that the 11 second zone.