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Hello everyone, I am new here.
I have a 1976 C3 Corvette and the engine is having major problems. It has already been rebuilt and I think it is time to get a new engine.
I was thinking of possibly getting a BluePrint GM 383 Stroker Engine for the corvette.
My Question is:
Would this fit in my car?
What Type of transmission do I have to get or can I keep my exisiting transmission (TH-350)?
What other upgrades will I have to do for this car to be road worthy and fun.
The outside of a 383 will be identical to your 350 so everything will bolt up.
You should research the carburetor issue though. If the 383 comes with one it won't be a Quadrajet which is probably on your current engine.
Even though your trans will bolt up, you might want to have it rebuilt & upgraded while the engine is out.
When it comes to the transmission, what upgrades should I be potentially making. I have read a lot of threads and everyone have different preferences
I couldn't list the scope of a trans rebuild and upgrade. I just remove it and reinstall it. My TH350 has been done by Sepanic Transmissions in Scranton PA. They do a great street/strip type trans for a reasonable price.
My trans has survived a lot of abuse behind my 383.
GM, in and of itself, does manufacture & market several 383 engines; made entirely of all-new USA parts and assembled entirely in USA.
GM has one of the largest world-wide footprints.
I sent the car to my mechanic who used to build these cars back in detroit. He found that two connecting rod low bearing has basically broken off and he has found a substantial amount of metal within the oil pan.
I'm in the process of building a 383 for my '69 so that I can store away the original motor, and also get more power. As stated by another member earlier on - it is physically/dimensionally the same engine. Basically, increasing stroke a bit with a 400 crank to get the extra displacement. I had my block bored to .040 over, so I'm actually closer to 385 CI. If you run a standard Edelbrock EPS intake, you shouldn't have any issues with clearance. That goes for a 350 or 383.
I've run the EPS before, but wasn't terribly impressed with it. I'm going to use an RPM Airgap on this build, which under a stock hood would cause clearance issues, so combination of BB hood and drop base air filter should bring it down to clear, but it'll be tight.
Last edited by Corvette-ZL1; Jul 20, 2022 at 06:42 PM.
200r4/700r4 are both nice 4 speed upgrades but the TH350 you have will work, but a stock th350 will be iffy with 400+HP going through it. Bowtie overdrives sells what you need for the transmission conversion. As for the engine you can probably buy a 383 rotating assembly and have it built locally, I would opt for some better heads and performance cam.
So whats wrong that you feel the car needs yet another rebuilt engine? just seems kinda nice for this to really be the case? you might be better off addressing the issues here instead of assuming they will just go away with another engine. especially if they are the more typical carburetor or tuning related issues.. EDIT see your post above... seems like an odd failure honestly.
as you guessed it take more than HP to make a car more desirable to drive than your other choices in the stable... overdrive is a huge plus, the suspension and steering on a 50+ year old platform is not going to perform like a newer vehicle without serious upgrades regardless of what you read. Remember these cars came out in 1963 and mainly just got a body change in the c3 years.. They are good for their age but need help to compete with modern alternatives. I saw an interview with a C3 racecar driver that put it well by saying they handle like a station wagon with a sheet of plywood strapped to the roof.
Last edited by augiedoggy; Jul 20, 2022 at 11:31 PM.
200r4/700r4 are both nice 4 speed upgrades but the TH350 you have will work, but a stock th350 will be iffy with 400+HP going through it. Bowtie overdrives sells what you need for the transmission conversion. As for the engine you can probably buy a 383 rotating assembly and have it built locally, I would opt for some better heads and performance cam.
a stock c3 350 or th400 will handle more power than a stoc 2004r or 700r4.. Ive just had a 2004r built for my car which has yet to be installed but theres a reason so many drag cars still use the 350/400s.. thing is fasters not always more enjoyable if the cars stressful and no fun to drive.
GM, in and of itself, does manufacture & market several 383 engines; made entirely of all-new USA parts and assembled entirely in USA.
GM has one of the largest world-wide footprints.
"assembled" in the usa of domestic and foreign parts at this point. not that it always matters.
I sent the car to my mechanic who used to build these cars back in detroit. He found that two connecting rod low bearing has basically broken off and he has found a substantial amount of metal within the oil pan.
bearings dont break off... id get a second opinion without sharing the first...
Unfortunately I did not get a photo from the mechanic, I can ask him to send me one.
My workspace is too small to work on the car, I have sent it off to the mechanic who works on old classic american cars.
That is understandable, a lot of folks here also have that problem. Yeah, get some photos of the damage and maybe we can help you decide if the mechanic is quality or not to be trusted.
Now, how easy is it to get parts there? A SBC is easy to repair, even if 2 cranks journals are shot. But if you are looking at shipping from the US then maybe a new engine is cheaper than several boxes of parts, plus the labor to install them.
Engine Replacement
