383 build advice

[thegurt]

I’m working on restoring my grandfather in-laws 70 roadrunner and I need some advice on what to do with the 383.
Cylinders are bored 0.030 over with a set of TRW domed aluminum pistons, stock rods and a forged crank.
292/110 flat tappet cam
Edleblock rpm intake
906 heads (which are now mouse motels)

I’m looking for recommendations for new heads, carb, and anything else I should change.

Before him passing a few months back he had talked about wanting trick flow heads and a Holley sniper but I am open to ideas.

 

[WileE]

Welcome to the site ! Perhaps a posting in the Welcome Wagon with some details on the car along with your intended purpose going forward.

 

[33 IMP]

I'd calculate the compression ratio (requires measurements) for both the 906s, and some 440 source stealth heads. TF are real nice, not necessary for a driver. I'd probably not put any money into 906s.
If it's too high for pump gas, I'd wack off the domes (assuming solid dome) and rebalance. (Don't have to remove ALL the dome).
Intake is fine, I'd add a 3310 holley. (750 vacuum secondary). 750 avs would work fine too.

 

[R413]

Always the first question:
What kind of driving are you going to do with this car?
We cannot tell you anything until you answer this.

 

[thegurt]

I definitely want the compression to come down, as it sits I was calculating 13:1, I even thought I was wrong so I had my father come down and he was getting the same number

 

[thegurt]

Always the first question:
What kind of driving are you going to do with this car?
We cannot tell you anything until you answer

I want it to be tame enough for my mother in-law to go on a Sunday stroll but still fast enough to kick *** in some stop light drags

 

[BSB67]

I definitely want the compression to come down, as it sits I was calculating 13:1, I even thought I was wrong so I had my father come down and he was getting the same number

Then you’re both doing it wrong. I assume it’s the 2293 piston

11:1 with 88cc heads, and 0.040” gasket.

 

[BSB67]

I want it to be tame enough for my mother in-law to go on a Sunday stroll but still fast enough to kick *** in some stop light drags

Those are each relative. So keep expectations realistic.

 

[496 polara]

Fuel injection is nice. Also expensive (to me).Can always be added later. Pick the aluminum heads that are in your budget and available.Have them checked by a reputable shop.
Any 750 will work.Style is up to you.
Compression adjustment however it can be attained. Camshaft sounds a little rowdy for mom in law. And I would want to know your final compression ratio,auto(stall speed) or stick,and rear gear ratio before I even started looking at camshafts.
Then you can decide if you take the flat tappet gamble or move on to a hyd roller.This also affects the spring choice on any new heads.

How long has the car been sitting? All fluids changed? Brakes and suspension good? How old are the tires?

What is your budget?

Make a big checklist and cross them off as you can.

 

[Runcharger]

I agree with 33 Imp.

 

[dvw]

The TRW pistons can usually have the domes milled off. So if th ebores and pistons are in good shape iwould do that. No sense buying fancy pistons unless you are going to stroke it. The question that has been asked. What is the intended use. What is the budget? Might be as simple as a valve job, milling the pistons, hone, rering, bearings (maybe) and a possible ballance job.
Doug

 

[33 IMP]

Do what DVW tells you to do. He is the master.
Edit: calculate the compression ratio for the 906s with around 88-90 cc's, not the 75 or so that Mopar says they are (they lied).
Clean the mouse turds out of the 906s, and get a estimate to freshen them up/valve job. I'm betting the 440 source heads will start looking pretty good. There are other inexpensive aluminum heads too, sidewinder come to mind.

 

[33 IMP]

Then you’re both doing it wrong. I assume it’s the 2293 piston

11:1 with 88cc heads, and 0.040” gasket.

.... and that's still too high for pump gas IMO, without a BIIIGGG camshaft! (Yours isnt).

 

[BSB67]

.... and that's still too high for pump gas IMO, without a BIIIGGG camshaft! (Yours isnt).

Yep. Agreed.

You can get it to 10.5 easy enough with gaskets and a little combustion chamber/block valve relief work and close the intake later. He’d need to run 92 octane probably.

But then your at the same place every 383 owner seem to get to……”well, if I’m gonna do that, I might as well………”.

I say there is a 50/50 chance we’ll be talking a stroker/400 block/TF before this post ends.

 

[thegurt]

Then you’re both doing it wrong. I assume it’s the 2293 piston

11:1 with 88cc heads, and 0.040” gasket.

I’m seeing where we went wrong, a different thread I was reading was saying the 906 heads were 72cc

 

[Runcharger]

That was my thought as well. A set of Stealths, 3310 Holley or an AVS, verify comp ratio, mill pistons if necessary or go down a totally different path and it's not going to be cheap.
If the 906's were verified fresh I would consider them, otherwise ditch them unless you can refresh them for free.

 

[thegurt]

Fuel injection is nice. Also expensive (to me).Can always be added later. Pick the aluminum heads that are in your budget and available.Have them checked by a reputable shop.
Any 750 will work.Style is up to you.
Compression adjustment however it can be attained. Camshaft sounds a little rowdy for mom in law. And I would want to know your final compression ratio,auto(stall speed) or stick,and rear gear ratio before I even started looking at camshafts.
Then you can decide if you take the flat tappet gamble or move on to a hyd roller.This also affects the spring choice on any new heads.

How long has the car been sitting? All fluids changed? Brakes and suspension good? How old are the tires?

What is your budget?

Make a big checklist and cross them off as you can.

Car sat for 17 years in a barn do to my grandfather in law traveling in and out of country for work.

Compression I would like to be 11:1 or close too it.

I do think the cam is too much for the current set up and I would like to go with hyd roller.

This car is on track to be full restoration,
Suspension is all being switch to QA1 front and rear coil overs,

Stall speed and rear gear can be changed for what I’m wanting out of the engine, which is somewhere near 500hp to the wheels.
But I don’t know what’s possible with these engines because I do not know them.

The budget is whatever it needs to be, I’m trying to stay under 100k for the entire restoration but if trying to make 500hp puts me over then it is what it is

 

[thegurt]

The TRW pistons can usually have the domes milled off. So if th ebores and pistons are in good shape iwould do that. No sense buying fancy pistons unless you are going to stroke it. The question that has been asked. What is the intended use. What is the budget? Might be as simple as a valve job, milling the pistons, hone, rering, bearings (maybe) and a possible ballance job.
Doug

33 IMP is saying your the master so i will ask you, is 500hp to the wheels possible and if so how can I do it, I don’t know anything about these 383s and I don’t know what is a realistic want.

 

[hofferwood]

Stroker Kits-store.440source.com

 

[dvw]

500 at the wheels is easy. Don't even bother with the 383 block. If you want it to look eactly like a 383 use a 400 block. If not either a 400 or 440. 4.25 stroke crank kit. Then how wild do you want it? Very streetable. Trickflow 240's and a dual plane Perormer RPM will get you there on pump gas. 10.5-1, Get a cam from Dwayne Porter. It'll make close to or above 600hp at the flywheel. Or do you want power to run 9's in the 1/4?
Doug