stevens03

Hi everyone,
im looking at purchasing a 383 from one of these online vendors. Its going in my 63 roadster. Does anyone have any experience on the better vendors or the ones to stay away from? There is alot of them in Arizona or Oregon. These special for a 383 for 2200.00 seems hard to beat.

Any advise on the parts that are in these engines. Seems hard to pass for a car that is a weekend driver. to get some real hp. Thoughts?

I would use my valve covers and and manifolds. I would need to make a PCV provision.

Jebbysan

I always build my own.....but if I were to purchase a dirt cheap 383....think about Blueprint Engines-a subsidary of Marshall replacement engines.....

I wouldn't not turn the key on a $2200 383.....

Expect to pay $3000 for anything worth running...


Jebby

stevens03

Is their anything particular i should stay away from? Parts wise? Will all GM heads be able to fit my valve covers ( excluding vortec)

anything else that wouldnt be comaptible with my carb, intake, exhaust manifold?

Such a thing as too much torque? and too big of a cam where it doesnt sound right?

Dennis Beck

I have this one in my '66.

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results...umber=12498772

Jebbysan

The ZZ383 is a damn good anvil of an engine.....it is built to not rev...
no need for it.....but kinda on the $$$$ side....

I like to build them with a pro block prep.....and chosen components....
Wiseco,Scat,Eagle etc....then pick an induction and cam.......

I can build them for $4500 this way.....so in reality it all boils down to the power number. $4500 will get you 450 horsepower.

Watch the advertising on engine shop sites.....
I use to help write our advertisements....and though they were somewhat misleading.....all of the info was in front of you to explain this or that....

I still build three or four engines a year....I give a price up front....a list of components....and a expected power number.

Shop wisely, shop weary.....cheaper is not better here.

Jebby

MiguelsC2

Well said!

stevens03

Are their better engine shops than others? reputations?
You see five star, phoenix engines , and pacific alot.

vetrod62

I do not know any of the shops you listed. Like Jebby, I build my own.

I do have experience with crate engines that other racers in our series have bought. Bottom line is , if you do not have any real experience or personal relationship with the builder, walk away.

Most crate engines are built from cheap, inferior Chinese parts. Dyno sheets are not necessarily from your engine. Recent examples: 383-450 HP engine. I drove the car . Lucky to have 300 HP. What a joke.

Second example: Engine sold as 434 SBC world block, solid roller, every part listed in 3 pages of the tech sheet, 620 hp dyno sheet. My little 395 Dart ran circles around it. I tore it down. It was a 434, mild hydraulic cam, 1.6 cheap PAW rockers (3 severely cracked at the roller axle) Crap rings, ATI damper over honed to the point it fell of once the crank bolt was removed. (this could be dangerous). Only 5% or the parts were actually the ones listed on the tech sheet.

The only crate engine I would buy is a Real GM crate engine with a warranty if you want only 400 or so HP.

stevens03

Thank you for your honest opinion. That is what i needed to hear.
I need to find a builder, and hopefully be able to do it for $3500.00 does that seem realistic?

i want it to look as stock as possible, most importantly using my valve covers, intake, and exhaust manifolds and carb

any advise is always appreciated.

Downdraft

I had mine built by United Racing Engines - I am very satisfied with the build and the customer service was/is excellent! However not in your price range though.

robert miller

Go with SDPC vendor in here will not go wrong here with them. I have going 2 diff motors over the years with a ton of aftermarket parts. Robert

Westlotorn

Where are you looking for a shop, I know many of the West Coast Shops and a few elsewhere. A quality shop can give you an outstanding engine. A bad shop the opposite.
I start with what type cylinder finish they offer and how well the cranks are ground and finished. A shop that does this well can build from there. If they can't do the basics I move on.

stevens03

Ideally it would be nice to have something in the LA area. Not mandatory.
I heard Steve Luvisi in Huntington Beach is good.

uxojerry

If your willing to spend a little more check out ultrastreet.net. I bought an SBC 427 and was very happy with the motor and the service.

Westlotorn

I can check with a friend that knows the S Calif machine shops well.
He can tell me who he recommends. What part of S Calif, Bakersfield to San Diego is a huge area.

stevens03

I live in the Los Angeles Area. Thanks for checking. Look forward to hearing back

Scott Marzahl

You can't go wrong with Bob Sebrings service center in Torrance for a well built engine, he has been building 383s for about 30 years.

Westlotorn

I put out 3 calls, all were messages unfortunately but I bet within a day they give me some replies.
One I did not think of was Jim Grubbs
Jim Grubbs Motorsports, 28130 Avenue Crocker Ste 331, Valencia, CA. Tel: 661-257-0101
Jim is very good, he built engines for Ford Racing for a while.
He may be expensive but he is good. I will see what else I can get.
Plus it looks like others are providing good shops.
There is nothing like word of mouth from happy customers in this business.

61iwon

I have a ZZ4 from Scoggins Dickey in texas. Just got a fuel pump from them and checked local Dealer $189.95, SDPC 89.95 on website, called them and the pump was $53.

Go figure.

ZZ4 nice because it has som torque, and iisnt finicky. 355 hp, 325? torque. Makes driving easy. Plenty of power for my '61 and then some.

Geat to deal with, had them drop ship it where my installer was no problem.

Dav

Westlotorn

Picked up two names.
Burbank Speed Shop Dave Akard

Lemita machine on Narbonne Street Bob.

Names are from a good source but I would not use them without talking to Happy customers.
A decent shop should readily supply a few recent customers to question for your comfort.
Questions I would ask:
Are you happy with the engines performance so far?
How many miles do you have on the rebuild?
Does it use any oil between oil changes? This answer should be no.
Did the shop come in on time and on budget?
If there were cost overruns are you comfortable they were legitimate and you agreed to them?
Does it sound and deliver the power you asked for?
In today world many buyers want the Car Show sound, good lumpy idle as they cruise into the car show with no care about power. Make sure your Machine Shop knows what you want.
If you have the shop build the engine consider having it Balanced and dyno'ed.
Balance because most Vette Engines spin so fast it really helps enjoy the RPM's and Dyno because for an extra $200 or so the shop is responsible to break in your camshaft and can really help you get your tune up correct before you install it.
All the risk of start up, leaks and proper cam break in etc rolls onto the shop included in your dyno charge. Plus you can arrange to watch your engine dyno. It is pretty cool to watch.
You don't have to beat the heck out of your new engine on the dyno to check max HP, you can just use it to put a load on it for Carb and Timing Tune along with Cam and Ring break in.
This is a big advantage to using a local rebuilder but take the time to shop, ask good questions from people that actually spend money at the shop your choose.