383 power upgrade help

Contact @MOPAROFFICIAL for head work or help, he's in your area.
You already have close chambered heads use them. About the only thing they need is mild port job and a bigger exhaust valve. In the picture it looks like they have the 1.5 or is it 1.60 exhaust valve but I could be wrong.

It looks like you could clean up that bore with a hone job, put a fresh set of rings and bearings in it and that short block would be good to go.
Throw in about a 480 lift purple shaft for a cam. You already have the intake. Stick a 750 or 780 Holley vacuum secondary carburetor on it. Or a 4779 holley 750 but your mileage will drop.

Stick it down in that a body with a set of b-body headers for a 383 and drive or cruise across America with it after you make sure you have a good transmission.
FYI you can use B-body headers in an A body with a 383 but you cannot use them with a 440. The reason being the 440 is an RB block which puts the heads farther out toward the fenders. Which makes the tubes hit things.
Take everything off the rocker arm shaft clean it up, and then roll it across the table top and see if it's bent.

I would not just go throwing money at parts. I would make a list of what I think I need or do need and study the list before I go buying anything.
Starting your list should be a new oil pump, a timing chain and gear set, and a gasket set.

If you spray some Degreaser or something on the top of those pistons and wipe them off you may find the part number and the oversized stamp on them. The part number may be on the bottom of the piston also.
Then we can look up the part number and tell you pretty much what compression ratio you have using those close chamber heads.
If you want to check for the top dead center measurement put the harmonic balancer bolt back in the crankshaft and take a socket and breaker bar and crank the motor over to where a Piston is at the top of the cylinder. It doesn't matter which cylinder just any cylinder.
:thumbsup: perfect advice for a 17 year old on a budget.