Engine swap?
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,330
Likes: 1
From: Kerrville Texas
How does the car run? What are you going to do with the car daily driver occasional cruiser? If you have lots of bucks and nothing better to do with them I also will give my vote for new motor.
If what you got does the job and your happy spend a few bucks dressing up.
Kona
If what you got does the job and your happy spend a few bucks dressing up.
Kona
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,167
Likes: 2
From: Ft.Worth Texas
I really like the 383 with 200r4 trans. The torque curve is almost straight, ie plenty at any rpm. I only drive the car for fun and love crusing 70 at 2100rpm in od. Punch it and do 100 in just seconds. I just can't say enough about these strokers. The old 350 only had 50k miles but this motor really makes me smile 
big there is sooo much diference.
big there is sooo much diference.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
its all about $$$ figure out what you want to spend and go for it......$3K and you can build that engine you have to be a barn stormer or you can buy a crate motor for that...good luck...there are almow too many options....you need to come up with some boundaries to this proposition
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Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
if you have something like a l48, swap the engine;
i have a 73, original l48 car, now a zz4 fastburn car.
i would buy a zz4 base engine and add the hot cam and heads; much cheaper than buying the zz4 fastburn engine.
i have a 73, original l48 car, now a zz4 fastburn car.
i would buy a zz4 base engine and add the hot cam and heads; much cheaper than buying the zz4 fastburn engine.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Im not looking for big hp right now, only about 250-300. and I would like to spend as little as possible. OH YA and i want it to look nice 
.
so would I rebuild the one i have and put some stuff on it or just buy a 383.... also, i dont have any idea on where to start so which one would cost less to have it done? although i do have a guy down the street that knows his stuff..
.so would I rebuild the one i have and put some stuff on it or just buy a 383.... also, i dont have any idea on where to start so which one would cost less to have it done? although i do have a guy down the street that knows his stuff..
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,662
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville Tennessee
Why not buy a used 400 cube stock motor, build it and be ahead of the curve. Just a mild build would get you the horses you want with a very reliable almost stock engine. If you really want to get crazy, stroke the 400 and really get some bang for your buck! Just a thought.
Bernie
Bernie
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,720
Likes: 12
From: Chattanooga TN
Originally Posted by NewFoundHobby
Im not looking for big hp right now, only about 250-300. and I would like to spend as little as possible. OH YA and i want it to look nice .
so would I rebuild the one i have and put some stuff on it or just buy a 383.... also, i dont have any idea on where to start so which one would cost less to have it done? although i do have a guy down the street that knows his stuff..
.so would I rebuild the one i have and put some stuff on it or just buy a 383.... also, i dont have any idea on where to start so which one would cost less to have it done? although i do have a guy down the street that knows his stuff..
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
From: Springhill Kansas
Originally Posted by BerniesVette
Why not buy a used 400 cube stock motor, build it and be ahead of the curve. Just a mild build would get you the horses you want with a very reliable almost stock engine. If you really want to get crazy, stroke the 400 and really get some bang for your buck! Just a thought.
Bernie
Bernie
Should be able to do it for under 4k from what the research tells me. jmo 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 2
From: Dayton Oh
Before I pulled & stored my numbers matching L82 on my 79 and replaced it with a custom 355, I did a complete tuneup (timing, wires, plugs, distributor cap, etc), rebuilt the carb and replaced the EGR valve and vacuum triggers (not the correct name but they are those devices controlling vacuum based on engine temp and screw into the intake manifold). Just these few simple things made a tremendous performance improvement.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by marshrat99
Before I pulled & stored my numbers matching L82 on my 79 and replaced it with a custom 355, I did a complete tuneup (timing, wires, plugs, distributor cap, etc), rebuilt the carb and replaced the EGR valve and vacuum triggers (not the correct name but they are those devices controlling vacuum based on engine temp and screw into the intake manifold). Just these few simple things made a tremendous performance improvement.
ok, and how much did it cost to do all that?
oh ya, and i think that I have a l48 in mine, not sure though. Im sorta new at all this
Last edited by NewFoundHobby; Jan 22, 2006 at 09:42 PM.
