Never
360 vs 383
- Thread starter 318willrun
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33IMP
Well-Known Member
Yet 383 cars smoked 325/350/360hp chevelles regularly. We won't talk about the L78s (real big blocks, lol. 375hp rating in chevelles/camaros, same motor in a 65 vette...425hp) The 325hp 396 stock was a DOG.
MopaR&D
Nerd Member
12 pages, dang... I think this goes to show both engines are good and have potential, if one was objectively better than the other all around there wouldn't be this much arguing. Just like the Chevy vs Ford vs Dodge pickup truck guys lol.
I didn't vote because I like both and each kind of has a different purpose, especially when they were new. 383 had the benefit of being around during the muscle car years but the 360 missed out, it didn't come along in HP form until low compression was the norm. I wonder how an HP 360 would have performed with 9.5:1+ compression like the earlier 340s had?
I've only had the opportunity to build up 360s in my own cars but I did overhaul an original 10:1 383 4-bbl in a 1969 Polara 2-door. In stock-ish form the 383 makes just a tad more torque but it's higher in the revs, that Polara was fun but didn't really start to move until around 2500 RPM or so even with the stock 4-bbl (non-HP/Magnum) cam (heavy car with 2.76 gears!). Every stock 360 I've driven including Magnums make tons of torque right off idle but quickly run out of breath around 4000 RPM.
Also an aside, in the BB block testing 440Source did they found that the main webbing on the 383 was considerably weaker than a 440 and way less than a 400, for those talking about high-effort builds. If I wanted more than about 500 horses out of a low-deck BBM full build I'd start with a 400 hands-down.
I didn't vote because I like both and each kind of has a different purpose, especially when they were new. 383 had the benefit of being around during the muscle car years but the 360 missed out, it didn't come along in HP form until low compression was the norm. I wonder how an HP 360 would have performed with 9.5:1+ compression like the earlier 340s had?
I've only had the opportunity to build up 360s in my own cars but I did overhaul an original 10:1 383 4-bbl in a 1969 Polara 2-door. In stock-ish form the 383 makes just a tad more torque but it's higher in the revs, that Polara was fun but didn't really start to move until around 2500 RPM or so even with the stock 4-bbl (non-HP/Magnum) cam (heavy car with 2.76 gears!). Every stock 360 I've driven including Magnums make tons of torque right off idle but quickly run out of breath around 4000 RPM.
Also an aside, in the BB block testing 440Source did they found that the main webbing on the 383 was considerably weaker than a 440 and way less than a 400, for those talking about high-effort builds. If I wanted more than about 500 horses out of a low-deck BBM full build I'd start with a 400 hands-down.
My last big block was a 400 with the heads milled .100 and a .484 purple shaft..i loved that motor... i beat the piss out of it for years and it was always happy
Me and you both!
junkyardhero
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i knew a girl from Tijeras once. she liked to steal gold wrist watches and $10 bills out of my wallet.
Her and her cute blonde haired friend left me tied up to a motel bed outside of Wasco with a quart of gin, two 20's and a 5 and took off with my shoes and my 66 sport fury; leaving a note in lipstick on the mirror that said "it's for your own good".
i've never been to Tijeras but i can imagine that if it's half as beautifully cruel as she was everyone should visit.
And that's the whole idea... not that anyone is wrong or right. It's really what each person prefers. There are 50 reasons to choose one or the other. Personal preference is what I was really after
My 318 dart smoked 325 hp chevelles easy and 350 hp chevelles if they coudnt drive if they could it was close
350 hp chevelles trapped 98 99 mph not 92 like the toad runner they weigh more then a b body as well but still didnt make 350 hp the 375hp was a good motor solid lift cam good carb
the 325 hp was a dog motor over rated 290 hp
the 425 hp rating was a fcking joke
chevelles where wheel hop pos suck the paint off those out of the hole just like the 383 b body was laughable
Such a statement the 383 smoked chevelles
On strip mph tells you the hp the rest is driver and traction chevelles 350 hp trapped 5 to 8 mph better
Not some dildo on the street that wheel hops 2 gears
My stock 80k mile gts 340 727 3.23s raced a loud mouth with a 427 4spd chevelle sounded like a 10 second car I took his 100 bucks he wheel hopped 2 gears i beat him by 20 cars my gts ran 14.3@97 mph with 80k on it
92 mph trap speed case closed
This 360 is at 325,400 miles and still going.....
Stock? in your dreams.
A fresh super tuned 340 Dart would be lucky to turn that, and that's IF everything was right.
Ode to the mighty 340 hoping it doesn't come across an uncorked 383 GTS.
383 gts 15.0 uncorked 14.8 slower then slow 94 mph trap
The botom end on that 340 has 100k now still virgin looser motors make more power you should know that
New top end and 268 comp cam weiand stealth and tuned 650dp 3.91s
cranking comp 169 psi@102k miles
prolly run 13.7ish now@101 or 102
ran 14.3@97 40 times or more all stock
time to bow out
Shorty Thompson
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Didn't take that into consideration. Sorry. Duly noted. Thank you for pointing that out.
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Shorty Thompson
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I've had what I considered a bada$$ed 383, and I've had what I'd call a bada$$ed 360 that literally made a 454 look like an idiot. I love'm both , passionately and can not make a selection between the 2.
Not much difference from a 383. Same strong block, forged crank, decent compression. Early heads only flow about as much as a 360 small block. The recipe is the same as any motor, get the best flowing heads first, and go from there.
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.
I took it that he meant if both engines built the same for comparison.... kind of equal builds per say.
I've never had a 383 in a A-body. Maybe it's time. I do know I've owned A-bodies with 360's, and it's almost next to impossible from my experience to keep them out of 13's. Any minor upgrades and it's 12's.
- Can you believe I ran 13.9's with a 2.45 geared, stock converter, and stock exhaust manifold 360 with the dished pistons and stock smog heads????? Cam was smaller than the Little Red Express factory cam? Like I say, they are the ONLY factory small block that you almost can't keep out of the 13's in a A-body. As you just read, I tried... LOL.
I think you'd be beyond impressed with a stone stock blueprinted 383HP in an A body with headers.....IF you could ever get it to hook up.
I would like to do that set up some day....
The "only" change I would recommend would be to use Comp's version of the 383HP camshaft.....but choose one off the Oregin Cam master list. No way would I run a Comp camshaft now. Their version has a lighter LSA.
Then I threw a 200,000 mile 360 mag with a oregon regrind and a speedmaster intake in our Long Bed D150 and went 13.0's against a head wind in it's only time out to run the 1/4 mile. I think with no head wind it goes 12.9's. It does have 4.30 gears.
This in no wise means I like a 383 any less.... I love all mopar engines from the "day"... just take them in their form and what they are..
This in no wise means I like a 383 any less.... I love all mopar engines from the "day"... just take them in their form and what they are..
Michael Harrington
Well-Known Member
My train of thought is what I would be presented within say....1986-1993. I had not alot of money. I had some skill and cores were plentiful and cheap. Any 360 had pistons way down in the bore ATDC. A 383 had a piston providing ideal compression. Im talking a good sound core re using as many parts as possible. A 383 rated at 320-335 hp responded so well to let's say a Mopar 474 or 484 cam. Add in headers, a Torker intake with the factory 4bbl carb or a new carb of your choice (if the core was a 2bbl 383) and the 383 ran very hard and was ALOT of fun for not a lot of $$. Also this was the gold standard for decades. A 360 with the same mods IMO would not be as powerful. The 1.88/1.60 head is a good head but the smog era compression of the 360 hurts it and was responsible for the low perf reputation the stock 360 LA has to this day. The much better compression and better head of the 383 makes it the winner. When we're talking using ONLY the blocks, and main caps of a 360 and a 383- and substituting high dollar cranks, pistons, heads and valvetrain then it's anyone's game to in.
Catch a ride on the "way back machine" to 1988 and buy a GOOD 20 year old 68 Roadrunner, 383, 4 speed, 3:54 gears for $1000-1500 and you will know the answer.
I think it's time for you to stick a big block in an A-body. I think you won't be disappointed, in fact I know you won't.
4.10 gear with headers will be enough to bring a big smile on your face.
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