383 = no love

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318willrun

318willrun

Utube channel 318willrun
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I see it, hear it quite often. Why? Because a 440 is simply a better choice from the factory, or in mild hop-up street builds. My brother had a 440 GTX that was mildly built, and it would break the M-50's loose at 50 mph. But............
Does this mean the 383's should be thrown to the dogs?
I will post true numbers, run by me at the drag strip. I was impressed considering all....
I had a 1968 Plymouth Fury III C-body. 4 door. It was a low mileage car, 100% stock. That means no headers, factory cast intake, air cleaner, everything. I found the build sheet under the back seat and it came with the police package (commando, dual exhaust, dual mirrors, disc brakes), but wasn't a police car. I weighed it. Ran it. Here are the numbers:
Weight - 4160 lbs (no driver, no spare, no jack, 1/4 tank of gas) on a digital scale.
Gears - 3.23 open
Tire height - 28"
Tranny - 727 Stock/stock converter
Engine - 383 Commando
1/4 mile time - 15.17
1/4 mile speed - 90.73

Would the beloved 340 (100% stock) had run this number in this car???? To be considered is not only the obvious weight and gearing (with tire height), but don't forget the wind resistant factor.

We changed the gear to 3.55 and a Weiand Action Plus intake with a 750 Holley. That is it. The car dropped to 14.70.
 
One cool 383 vs. 340 fact;

For the 1970 Cudas, the 383 was standard while the 340 was an extra cost option.

The extra cost 340 cars outsold those with the 383 by a fairly wide margin.

(Dang, that was two facts)

In longer wheel base cars like B & C bodies, the 383 is a better choice, it just depends on the car & what you want from it.
 
383's are "taxicab" motors..don't EVER recall ever losing to one with a 340:D:D
 
318willrun said:
I see it, hear it quite often. Why? Because a 440 is simply a better choice from the factory, or in mild hop-up street builds. My brother had a 440 GTX that was mildly built, and it would break the M-50's loose at 50 mph. But............
Does this mean the 383's should be thrown to the dogs?
I will post true numbers, run by me at the drag strip. I was impressed considering all....
I had a 1968 Plymouth Fury III C-body. 4 door. It was a low mileage car, 100% stock. That means no headers, factory cast intake, air cleaner, everything. I found the build sheet under the back seat and it came with the police package (commando, dual exhaust, dual mirrors, disc brakes), but wasn't a police car. I weighed it. Ran it. Here are the numbers:
Weight - 4160 lbs (no driver, no spare, no jack, 1/4 tank of gas) on a digital scale.
Gears - 3.23 open
Tire height - 28"
Tranny - 727 Stock/stock converter
Engine - 383 Commando
1/4 mile time - 15.17
1/4 mile speed - 90.73

Would the beloved 340 (100% stock) had run this number in this car???? To be considered is not only the obvious weight and gearing (with tire height), but don't forget the wind resistant factor.

We changed the gear to 3.55 and a Weiand Action Plus intake with a 750 Holley. That is it. The car dropped to 14.70.
Click to expand...
My 383 Dart is awesome, plus that little bit of extra room compared to the 440 really helps more than you think in the engine bay...
 
stroked340 said:
383's are "taxicab" motors..don't EVER recall ever losing to one with a 340:D:D
Click to expand...
Here is a 383 in a full size '71 Dodge truck, and shift'n on the column. 11.58! Wouldn't that be about where you are? How about that, a full size 383 truck shift'n on the column gett'n the best of stroked340's Feather Lite, wind slicing Duster :D
 
318willrun said:
Here is a 383 in a full size '71 Dodge truck, and shift'n on the column. 11.58! Wouldn't that be about where you are? How about that, a full size 383 truck shift'n on the column gett'n the best of stroked340's Feather Lite, wind slicing Duster :D
Click to expand...


An exactely when did I race that truck..with MY duster??? by the way he's got 11.95 on the window that WON'T get it done lining up next to me.but will blow the doors off of ANYTHING YOU own:lol::lol:
 
1970dartcustom said:
My 383 Dart is awesome, plus that little bit of extra room compared to the 440 really helps more than you think in the engine bay...
Click to expand...

Give more detail if you would...... Someone recently posted some info on a stroked 383 block and not only did he have the pony's but had put like 15k miles on it... Is the low deck that helpful?

JW
 
I had a perfectly fine running 383 in a Roadrunner, and then swapped it to a 440 Magnum using all the same carburetion and exhaust.
There wasn't a whole ton of difference, except a bit more torque.
 
Every Chevy guy I talk to seems to think a 383 is a performance engine


I thought they were like the 318 of the big block family, designed with longevity in mind, rather then performance
 
Especially if you drop a 440 crank into it the difference becomes even less.
 
My friend had a 383 roadrunner 4 speed, we put a .528 cam -2 degrees, double valve springs w/damper, 3/8 chmo push rods, hv oil pump and with a .335 stroke he shifted that thing at 8500 and it would probably go faster.
very fun car to drive.
 
Just throw a little compression/open chamber heads at a 383 mild build and right cam, gear drive.dual quad tunnel ram + nitrous 4.10 surgrip, little stall,
and you have....... Oh, my high rev 67 Barracuda build from 25 years ago. Havnt been beat on the street by much comparable (without Nitrous)
And dont believe by 440......

Dave
 
Cam and gear is everything!

Just stayed ahead of my kid brothers 340 by tuning my 383 better and his 340 less!

That 340 was better IMO! Screamer it was, needed better fuel than the 383 though!

Combo is everything. Same gear, same car, Driver is the difference. The 383 has more torque but the 340 will wind till tomorrow!
 
stroked340 said:
383's are "taxicab" motors..don't EVER recall ever losing to one with a 340:D:D
Click to expand...

and I can't recall how many 340's my 383 has chewed up, along with 350, 383 and 396 bowties too.
383 with a ported head and the right valve trane will rev to the moon and make power beyond.
 
stroked340 said:
An exactely when did I race that truck..with MY duster??? by the way he's got 11.95 on the window that WON'T get it done lining up next to me.but will blow the doors off of ANYTHING YOU own:lol::lol:
Click to expand...

You shut up, "Mr I dont know which intermediate shaft to run so I tore up my 340".

You dont know jack. He dont know you either.
 
fishmens67 said:
and I can't recall how many 340's my 383 has chewed up, along with 350, 383 and 396 bowties too.
383 with a ported head and the right valve trane will rev to the moon and make power beyond.
Click to expand...

I had a completely stock 66 Chevelle SS 396, 325hp. On 205/75/14 white walls, it ran low 15s. It was sad but that's about all they did.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
I had a completely stock 66 Chevelle SS 396, 325hp. On 205/75/14 white walls, it ran low 15s. It was sad but that's about all they did.
Click to expand...
Yep. One of my brothers had a few 396's, not impressed at all.
 
Yall didn't see the right 396. The 375 and 425 horse versions were no play toys.
 
the 325 hp 396 were weak, the 375 horse was a different animal, but still could be handled.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yall didn't see the right 396. The 375 and 425 horse versions were no play toys.
Click to expand...
I was at a guys house that lives in a neighboring town that has a fine collection of cars. He had a Camaro that had the big horse 396. He got into the high 12's with it. He also had an original 426 Hemi '67 Plymouth. :)
 
SLOPAR72 said:
Give more detail if you would...... Someone recently posted some info on a stroked 383 block and not only did he have the pony's but had put like 15k miles on it... Is the low deck that helpful?

JW
Click to expand...
Well the lower deck helps to fit stuff between it and the hood like air cleaners etc, but the extra bit of room around the motor really helped me squeeze things in like headers, the heater box, starters and other accessories.

We had to shim the motor just to clear the OE heater box, and even use the stock-sized valve covers to gain some clearance there. The headers were touching the starter, so we had to make some changes to get about a 1/4 inch clearance on that even.

Its pretty tight fitting a big block in a Dart in general... Maybe some folks have some tricks I am unaware of, but it was a challenge even for my 383...

daisyenginebay.jpg
 
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RustyRatRod said:
You shut up, "Mr I dont know which intermediate shaft to run so I tore up my 340".

You dont know jack. He dont know you either.
Click to expand...

You'd know me if ya lined up next to me you'd be seeing nothing but the taillights of my duster all the way down the track:D:D
 
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