383 or 440?
high comp 383 vs. low compression 440
~ it's a wash ~
however, if i was going to invest time & money i'd put it into the 440. get some good kb pistons that take the compression up over 9.5:1. then it will be better than the 383 any day...
the only reason to put extra time/money into a 383 is if you have an original 383 car or need an extra 1/2 inch clearance under the hood (440 is about half an inch taller or something)