Factory 383 - Is it worth keeping?

[qkcuda]

Even though you are trying to keep it stock, doesn't mean you can't make some upgrades inside the engine to make it run better. 516 and 906 heads are identical on the outside, and you can keep the 516's on the shelf.

 

[Lefty71]

Even though you are trying to keep it stock, doesn't mean you can't make some upgrades inside the engine to make it run better. 516 and 906 heads are identical on the outside, and you can keep the 516's on the shelf.

Agreed.... I swapped out my 516's and put some money into a set of 915's on my 383.... I blueprinted the valvetrain and used some new Smith Bros pushrods and Hughes rockers. That puppy runs nice now. Very stock appearing, and I don't see it as money wasted, since I could pull those heads and adapt to any B-RB engine, if I should change my mind.

 

[Runcharger]

A guy local to me tried selling a 63 S.F. 361 (Canada) 4 speed ragtop. I had a hard time resisting that car and maybe shouldn't have passed on it. I would have built it mostly stock and cruised it all over the place.

 

[Big bill]

I love my hot 383 rev’s to 6200 rpm’s very fun engine and fast.

 

[1968rt]

516 heads do NOT have freeze plugs like 906s, but I think its an acceptable substitution.

 

[TorRed]

This sounds a lot like the multiple plans I went through with my 70 383 Roadrunner, first I was going to put a stroked 440 six BBL in it with 4 speed, then a stroked Hemi with original 2 fours and Airgrabber air cleaner and 4 speed, then I realized my car had been together for 50 years with the same original 383, 727 & 8 3/4 drivetrain and decided it would be a shame to break it up now. Going the 432 stroker route with my 383, CNC'd Stealth heads, want it to look like it did when I ran it back in the 70's, hardly stock though, more of a Day 2 or 3 resto.

 

[Outsider]

An original '63 with a 4spd and 383 is really a pretty uncommon car. Way more 6 cyls and Polys and 3spds of both persuasions.

 

[Runcharger]

Yeah: Price was cheap too and the car was complete. I'm not a flipper at all but maybe I should have bought it and flipped it to someone who would have done it justice. Anyway I know if buy a 383 car it'll stay a 383 going forward. They deserve a lot of respect on their own merit.

 

[HawkRod]

I'm sure you have already done this, but just in case...
Check the date codes on the 383 block to verify that they are correct for your car. Make sure you are building the date correct block!

Assuming you have done that: I have now built two stroker engines. (1) My 340 small block stroked to 416. (2) My 400 big block stroked to 500.
Both engines have been unbelievably nice to drive on the street. Their low end torque make them so nice to accelerate on the street - no high revs needed!

My 500 stroker in my Road Runner makes 675 lb/ft of torque. I also drove it on the Power Tour and it got 16.9 MPG on the highway. It has aluminum heads that I painted to make the car look more factory (it also has other hidden mods like A/C, fuel injection, etc.). Here is a picture of the engine compartment:

So my suggestion is to stroke the original 383. Put a good roller cam and free flowing heads on it. You can still tell people it has the original engine and transmission in it, which is true! Make it look as original as possible and then drive it and enjoy it. Any unused original parts (like the original heads) can be stored pretty easily and don't take up too much room.

Of course, the only opinion that matters is yours, but I offer mine just in case you like the approach

Good luck whatever you decide!