SicChild

okay, I have a pretty much stock L48 350. 3spd auto. I've been toying with the idea of saving up some cash and going with a 383, or possibly bigger dependind on what will fit and prices and stuff. I'd like something with around 350-400HP and the same for Tourque. Nothing too crazy. Along with a new engine, I'd assume I'd want to change my transmission among other things. I'm far from a car expert, so I'd just like to see what you guys would be needed to be swapped out, and any recommendations you have. As well, price estimates for this stuff with & without labour so I can get an idea what would be involved here.

Thanks,
Kevin

edit: sorry, this isn't a poll. lol.


[Modified by SicChild, 6:06 PM 7/7/2003]

battsup

I say that you check out the buy and sell, the performance parts in there can be had really cheap ie:carbs,manifolds, complete engines, trannies and pretty much everything in between. it all depends on how much you want to spend and how much work you can do yourself.

Fevre

Summit sells a Eagle brand stroker kit for under $900 that is balanced and comes with a balancer and flexplate. You would need to have your block clearenced for the stroker but I bet that would not cost that much. For about $1500 max you could have a eng with killer torque and nice hp.

Hobbes Blk '80

Yeah, sounds like a plan... it's a 79 hey?

Bring your car over to my house right now with two cases of beer and three thousand dollars and we'll put er in the twelves before midnight :smash:

SicChild

Sounds good :thumbs:

MotorHead

You could stay with the 350ci bottom end and spend some cash on a good set of heads if cash is tight, a stroker without the heads won't be near as powerful as an L48 with flat top pistons and good heads. I am taking my L48 to the chassis dyno next month and am shooting for 350 HP at the rear wheels. :D

MGSFJET

The 2 bolt 350 came out of my '76 to make room for my built from scratch 4 bolt 383... $5500 for 465 HP. The 350 is gracing my garage in all of it's fresh orange paint and chrome waiting for a new home.

barkingowl

I'm actually going through the same thing with our 74. It came with a rebuilt 350 & I've been seriously looking at a few engines from A. R. Racing in VA. They have some :cool: engines up on Ebay right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2422360370

BSeery

A good L-48 can be made into a great motor for about $1500.
Get a set of 58CC aluminum heads from GM. That will bump the compression to about 9.5:1.
A new intake, carb, cam, headers, and misc. to round it off and you have a 300HP motor easily.

Also look at http://www.strokerkits.com

SicChild

Right now my 350 has 145,000 kilometers on it (about 90,000 miles). I notice a lot of people are saying just to do work to my engine instead of buying a new one. I plan on keeping this car for quite a while and I'm wondering how long I can expect this engine to live for after doing all this work to it?

BSeery

Hmmmm -- with that many miles.... yank and replace it.

SicChild

Yeah that's what I've been thinking about doing. I'm just trying to get an idea of what all is involved.

BSeery

My ZZ4 swap project

TedH

Chevy High Performance just ran an article on 7 engine combos. The first two were 355's (.030 overbore on 350ci) that easily produced HP and Torque in the range you specified. You don't have to stroke unless you really want to push the HP/torque envelope beyond 400. The second and third engines are probably the best 'fit' for your performance goals. The limiting factor will be hood clearance; you may have to go with a drop-base air cleaner to clear use of Performer RPM intake and Holley carb combo OR you may have to use the Performer intake which may impose a ceiling.

Check the article out:
http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/71298/

dath

My two cents is to check out AR Racing. They do a lot of performance engine builds and the numbers you are talking about should be fairly reasonable. It has the advantage of saving you a lot of time and the prices are very competitive. I'm thinking of rebuilding my old 350 at my own leisure with better parts after I drop in my AR engine that should be arriving any day now.

If you seriously want to stick with the engine you've got and really want a 383, I would say that you should probably scrap the stock heads, intake, and possibly the carb, depending upon your tastes... Maybe add a set of headers and a 2 1/2" exhaust to the cost as well. Of course you'll want to consider some of these even if you go the "crate" engine route as well.

Regards
-dath

joe73vette

90,000 miles is nothing if you are rebuilding. .030 over pistions, and you might get away with just cleaning the crank, definitely .010. I agree with changing heads and intake, scoggin dickey sells a vortec kit that includes vortec heads, performer intake and all gaskets, bolts, etc. for $729 or $899 if you go higher than .460 on the lift. Add 2-3 hundred for the cam kit and incidentals, $500 to have your shortblock rebuilt and you can duplicate the GMPP 330HP/380TQ motor for about $1500. Joe

Hobbes Blk '80

Nice Swap!

I must say that your documentation definately is helping me plan mine...nice job... only 30 beer? :confused:

Ryan77

AR Racing :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: I just ordered a 525hp 383 from them for $4200 shipped to my door :cool: . On their website http://www.maxhorsepower.com they have a 350ci, 4 bolt main, 9.75:1 compression making 375hp for $1475 :eek: . They also have a 383ci making 390hp for $1975 :cheers:


[Modified by Ryan77, 9:03 PM 7/8/2003]

69stingray

Stick with your current 350, get it rebuilt. Put your money in your cylinder heads. The cylinder heads found on the ZZ4 can make 355 Hp and 400 TQ, there are Edelbrock cylinder heads and the best cylinder heads for a street 350 would be AFR 180. Get a mild cam, like Comp Cam EX262 cam. With the 262, 9.5 compression, good aluminum cyliner heads, headers, you should be over 350 Hp and over 400 TQ.

SicChild

Thanks, I'll definately look into doing that.