360 vs 383

383 or 360 ?

  • overall, 383 all things considered

    Votes: 31 58.5%

  • overall, 360 all things considered

    Votes: 22 41.5%
  • Total voters
    53
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I've had a 360 in my Duster swapped to a .030" 413 now putting a 383 in it after a lifter cup cracked and did the glitter thing. After having a big block I can't go back to a small block.
 
66fs said:
OK. On a small block 360. I am not really down on them. I built more than a few really good ones for other people, but they are not the be all, end all. If you have one, they are a good starting point. Nothing wrong with them. I personally do not like the external balance, cast crank, and the pistons way down in the hole. You can make any MOPAR small block fast, not just a 360. I always ask what someone has on hand to start with. Everything has pluses and minuses as well as intended usage. As you know, even bodies make a difference on what I would choose. I have had 2 Barracudas for 40-50 years, one an original "68" 383 727 car and the "64" 273 4 speed car. I had another friend that ran the only MOPAR on a dirt track. He ran a 318 and was the fastest car on the track. I knew enough about the car and the 318 was not that special. I grew up with high and low compression 340's. I still have them, would you swap a 71 340 for a 74 HP 360? At 19, I rebuilt the 273 in my 64 Barracuda with it's forged steel crankshaft and TRW forged pistons. It went on to be a test mule for every conceivable mod I could lay my hands on, including things people said I could not do. In the beginning that thing was fast, in the end it was really fast. And that was through early A exhaust manifolds. If I can do it with a 273, it can be done on any small block. Big blocks have so much potential they are in another league for me, it is so easy to make good power with simple mods. You can only use so much power on the street, and I'm just not that into stop light to stop light. I'm more into can you keep up and sustain it.
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I agree with the external balancing, wish they were internal balanced. As for the cast crank, no sweating that. People going 450-500 hp for years and never hurt the crank. Some have taken the cast cranks to 9's in the 1/4 without failure.
 
An old stock 360 in an a body is a great street car and a cheap easy Saturday swap. I big block swapped my last dart and while not difficult it was more expensive and more work. I would not do that much work to make a minor gain to a 383. I wonder how many of the people who answered the poll have actual experience with a either option in A body.
 
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fishmens67 said:
I can tell most of you never drove a tuned 68 4spd Roadrunner or a 383 A- body with the exhaust opened up with headers.
Such simple things as adding the 440 AVS and super tuning the 383 made a huge difference.
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You could take the whole family fishing in those big BOATS. Lol
 
318willrun said:
I agree with the external balancing, wish they were internal balanced. As for the cast crank, no sweating that. People going 450-500 hp for years and never hurt the crank. Some have taken the cast cranks to 9's in the 1/4 without failure.
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No real problem with a cast crank from Chrysler. I only have one cast crank, from a 318 magnum, all the rest are forged. It may never get used, but it might be easier just to use it with the Magnum as a throw together engine.
 
a-bodyguy said:
The 383 b body stock 4sp cars ran 15.0 low 90s 91 92 mph stock a couple 14.7s@94
imo thats slow as chit for a big block 4spd the 383 was over rated from the factory the 340 under rated
Anything can be made to go with money even 301 turbo ta dog even the 305 chevy dog
Now those stroked 383s impressive numbers
mopar should have left the over rated engines to cheby
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So you think a 383 Road Runner 4 speed with headers, slicks, milled heads, rejetted carb, and 4.56 or 4.88 gears will run 15 seconds. Sorry, I believe George. I knew him and there was no BS in him. He was 101 Airborn, he'd give you the straight scoop, just two Mopar guys talking.
 
66fs said:
No, the 383 had higher compression, 360's never had much since they came late to the game and began life, like the 318, as a low performance motor. It wasn't till they retired the 340 and gave the 360 the good stuff in 1974 that it went somewhere. Some of us noticed though, 360's used the same head castings as 340's and was a go to for good small block heads cheap.
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Not all 383's had high compression, the 383 2bbl had pretty much the same compression ratio as the 360. Agreed that the 383 had a high compression option that the 360 never did, but I would bet most 383's someone drags home to drop in their A-Body are going to be of the 2bbl persuasion.

And the 5.9 had a better ratio than the 383 2bbl, plus it is probably closer to the actual compression ratio while the 8.5-8.7 rated ratio on the 383 2bbl was probably more like 8.2:1.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
Call bullshit all you want but I can swap out an intake that fast.
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I bet it would seal real good.
It would be wise to take the extra 15 minutes or so to get it right.
You may be fast ,but you're not that fast.
 
fishmens67 said:
I bet it would seal real good.
It would be wise to take the extra 15 minutes or so to get it right.
You may be fast ,but you're not that fast.
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DionR said:
Not all 383's had high compression, the 383 2bbl had pretty much the same compression ratio as the 360. Agreed that the 383 had a high compression option that the 360 never did, but I would bet most 383's someone drags home to drop in their A-Body are going to be of the 2bbl persuasion.

And the 5.9 had a better ratio than the 383 2bbl, plus it is probably closer to the actual compression ratio while the 8.5-8.7 rated ratio on the 383 2bbl was probably more like 8.2:1.
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You always need to know what you have. It is not a good idea to rebuild an engine and not bore the block unless you measure the bores and they will clean up with minimum of material removal. It is not like you can run 10:1 compression pistons on pump gas any more. So in either case you will probably be buying pistons anyway. It really is a moot point. What do you have and what do you want it to do? Both will work, I choose a 383.
 
66fs said:
So you think a 383 Road Runner 4 speed with headers, slicks, milled heads, rejetted carb, and 4.56 or 4.88 gears will run 15 seconds. Sorry, I believe George. I knew him and there was no BS in him. He was 101 Airborn, he'd give you the straight scoop, just two Mopar guys talking.
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You could have not possibly have got that out of what he wrote. Plainly he was speaking of factory stock from the dealership. Nowhere did he say with all that added it would go 15's. Plainly his point was a 383HP 4 speed from the factory running high 14's to low 15's was an underachievement. Hmmm.. that's some mighty twisting of words my friend. :)
 
66fs said:
You always need to know what you have. It is not a good idea to rebuild an engine and not bore the block unless you measure the bores and they will clean up with minimum of material removal. It is not like you can run 10:1 compression pistons on pump gas any more. So in either case you will probably be buying pistons anyway. It really is a moot point. What do you have and what do you want it to do? Both will work, I choose a 383.
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Sure, but now the point about one having higher compression is mute since both would get whatever compression the builder decided.
 
DionR said:
Sure, but now the point about one having higher compression is mute since both would get whatever compression the builder decided.
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The short answer is Yes. Rebuilding an engine should be a well thought out process. Most people do not know the capabilities of engines. They simply have not driven them, modded them, driven them all over the country. Either is a good engine that responds to mods. If I am building an engine for myself, and have the choice of a 360 in any form or a 383 in any form, I will always pick the 383. That is what this poll asks. You can choose for yourself. I won't browbeat you for your choice.
 
318willrun said:
You could have not possibly have got that out of what he wrote. Plainly he was speaking of factory stock from the dealership. Nowhere did he say with all that added it would go 15's. Plainly his point was a 383HP 4 speed from the factory running high 14's to low 15's was an underachievement. Hmmm.. that's some mighty twisting of words my friend. :)
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Sorry, for the misconception to both of you then. I'm not interested in old magazine times or speeds 50+ years a go on glass belted tires. A lot has changed since then. I took it as unbelief that the Road Runner ran what it did.
 
66fs said:
The short answer is Yes. Rebuilding an engine should be a well thought out process. Most people do not know the capabilities of engines. They simply have not driven them, modded them, driven them all over the country. Either is a good engine that responds to mods. If I am building an engine for myself, and have the choice of a 360 in any form or a 383 in any form, I will always pick the 383. That is what this poll asks. You can choose for yourself. I won't browbeat you for your choice.
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To be clear, I'm not trying to change your mind or anything. Just didn't want anyone thinking that all 383's had real compression. I agree, to each their own.

Myself, I've always wanted a BB Duster, just love the idea of it. I did have a Duster I was going to swap, even bought a '75 400 for the project, and then the car went away and I didn't want to do the swap on my numbers matching '74 Duster 360 4M car so the motor went away, too.
 
HankRearden said:
An old stock 360 in an a body is a great street car and a cheap easy Saturday swap. I big block swapped my last dart and while not difficult it was more expensive and more work. I would not do that much work to make a minor gain to a 383. I wonder how many of the people who answered the poll have actual experience with a either option in A body.
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Exactly: I WOULD swap in a 500+ inch big block into an A-body. (with as much aluminum and lightweight parts as possible. )
I would NOT bother swapping in a 383, when a 360 (or 390 stroked 318, or a 408) fits so much better
If I'm not getting 100 more cubes from the big block swap over a small block, it ain't happening.
 
66fs said:
So you think a 383 Road Runner 4 speed with headers, slicks, milled heads, rejetted carb, and 4.56 or 4.88 gears will run 15 seconds. Sorry, I believe George. I knew him and there was no BS in him. He was 101 Airborn, he'd give you the straight scoop, just two Mopar guys talking.
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All that chit and it runs 12.9 i never said a built 383 runs 15.0 and you know it
they trapped 92 mph stock thats a joke its a med size motor in a boat
Did you miss where i said you can make anything go with mods
fcking 340s with nothing but intake and carb with 3.55s run 13.1 3.91s 4.10s in the 12s all the chit your 12.99 road runner had would be 12.0
You have never raced
Let it go
 
Back in the day..the 60s,70s,80s,90s...... Chargers with 440 auto and 3:32 gears!?s etc. I wonder just how many times I saw a 383 RR with 4 speed, 3:54 gears out run the Charger/ No track, just south Ga. blacktop/
 
Basically most performance A Bodies are gonna fall between 10-15's cars and even a /6 with a power adder can do 10's, a 318 bore should be able to get you there NA, obviously the larger bores have the advantage but aren't absolutely necessary. Is a 360 bore better than a 383's no but for the range most build it's just as capable in the same way a 318's bore is just as capable (it can be made to do it), does a 360 have many advantages other than convenience and preference not really, I can't think of one real performance advantage ? (other than weight)
 
fishmens67 said:
I bet it would seal real good.
It would be wise to take the extra 15 minutes or so to get it right.
You may be fast ,but you're not that fast.
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lol I am that fast. I might be old but I don’t dick around. Unless I’m having a bad day and then I just leave the shop for the day.
 
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