360-383 A-debate...max builds need not apply.

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By the way I owned/raced a lot of mopars but you can't compare a low comp. 360 to a high comp 383. You have to compare apples to apples. Like a high comp 340 to a high comp 383 or a 360 with flat tops. The biggest problem with the BB was a lot of them were .100 to .125 in the hole so they were really low compression. I used to put closed chamber heads and thin steel gaskets on them with a ssh25 cam on the automatics and a street hemi convertor. Really woke them up. Like 13.50's thru stock mufflers. Hookers of course. In reality on the street a 340 would whip a 383 every time. Apple to apple of course.

a B body aint apples to apples with an A body .
 
You guys are funny. Did you ever race a HP 360 Duster against a 68-70 383 Road Runner? No contest in real time or by theoretical numbers. If you want to Bench Race, then who cares. You can make anything up, or make either win or lose. 360's were low compression, most 383's were high compression with about 0 decks. By the time they put the HP goodies on the 360 in 1974, J heads were long gone. What torque did a Road Runner 383 put out? 425 ft.lb. and revved like a good small block? Intake flow for stock 360 heads is roughly between 190 and 200 cfm while stock intake flow for big block heads is roughly between 220 and 230. Ask IQ 52 what is the potential for 906 or 452 heads.
I will just post now. All I know is I ain't a racer just an old seat of the pants old fart that loves the rush from torque. Give me stock 69 383, 4 speed and 3:55 gears in a Roadrunner, whatever, If that ain't fun, I must be nuts! OK just don't answer the last part!
So I live in th past,when I cold find a good running stock 383 hp motor, easy and cheap or to do a full stock rebuild, easy and cheap too.
 
Didn’t the second gen barracuda come with the 383 as an option? I believe it was slower than the 340, due to the extra weight i suppose. For a stock or close to stock motor, it’s hard to believe that would be any different today.

its easy to assume all 4 barrel 383s in A and B bodies were the HP or "Road Runner" engine.
Some of these cars had the same engine you'd get in a full sized car.
My brothers '69 Charger was 4 barrel but not the HP engine.
A body 383s had very restrictive exhaust manifolds too, so comparing stock '68 Darts with '68 Bees, I'd vote for the Bee being quicker, and faster!
 
AND MAKE THEM THE SAME WEIGHT , GEARING , TIRE SIZE ,ETC.
See post #41...you can't make them the same weight. That would be moving the bar as the 383 weighs more..precisely why it sitting in an A is a handicap... and a pillar for whole reason for this thread.
 
See post #41...you can't make them the same weight. That would be moving the bar as the 383 weighs more..precisely why it sitting in an A is a handicap... and a pillar for whole reason for this thread.

I have an original 1968 383 Formula S fastback automatic. No handicap. Used it as a daily driver for years.
 
If you want Ma Mopars estimates on power. Even the 361 made more power.

Stock hp Estimates.JPG
 
69 383 4 speed Dart with 3.55s against a 74 Duster 360 4 speed with 3.55s. Duster gets its *** kicked.
 
Alright, I'll go on record saying it:
"only mopar people would think less cubes, less compression, less valve size and a weaker block is somehow superior to the alternate."

I understand the "fitment" thing, but this is turned into a 383 vs 360 thing.
 
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Alright, I'll go on record saying it:
"only mopar people would think less cubes, less compression, less valve size and a weaker block is somehow superior to the alternate."

I understand the "fitment" thing, but this is turned into a 383 vs 360 thing.

That's what it started out as.
 
Ouch. That MP estimated HP really didn't like the 273/4..200HP? And they have 230HP 318 (E44 code @ flywheel) pie tins but give it a 150HP rating SAE. And the 383 still took a back seat to the 340. Who will ever know with the SAE/Gross ratings.
 
Ouch. That MP estimated HP really didn't like the 273/4..200HP? And they have 230HP 318 (E44 code @ flywheel) pie tins but give it a 150HP rating SAE. And the 383 still took a back seat to the 340. Who will ever know with the SAE/Gross ratings.

I think those were what one would expect from a used engine, not new.
 
Cammed 383 with manifolds 310/360ft-,lbs on nicks garage. I feel his dyno numbers are usually pretty unbiased. He said it was a mild purple cam with 11 inches at idle. Doesn't sound too mild to me with that vacuum level. Richard Holdener dyno guy does a 360 with a 252 RV cam. Bowl blended 340 heads and headers and gets 329/414 ft-lbs. Cheated on the heads......hard to find a stock 383 dyno graph as every one has something added to it. This 360 dyno run was nice as he took a Tradesman van 360 and found 155 hp at the wheels. Then built it up gradually with runs in between. Remember ultimate HP is not the end game here, its combo of price, HP, ET and I guess fitment wirh headers. Will pass on handling as that is unmeasurable with data.
 
Just a quick research on a car that BOTH 383 and 360 came in. 1971 Chrysler Newport 4 door.
  • 383 2bbl auto - weight 4259 - 1/4 mile time 18.1
  • 360 2bbl auto - weight 4233 - 1/4 mile time 18.4
Both times seem a little slow to me, but that is the article I found.
 
Just a quick research on a car that BOTH 383 and 360 came in. 1971 Chrysler Newport 4 door.
  • 383 2bbl auto - weight 4259 - 1/4 mile time 18.1
  • 360 2bbl auto - weight 4233 - 1/4 mile time 18.4
Both times seem a little slow to me, but that is the article I found.
The 383 torque got the barge moving. :lol:
 
Factory tuned people mover cars are not optimized for performance. Hence low ET’s & speeds.
 
69 383 4 speed Dart with 3.55s against a 74 Duster 360 4 speed with 3.55s. Duster gets its *** kicked.
Try a 383 2 barrel motor with a 4 barrel manifold and carb against the 360 and see what you get.
 
It would be the same result, why not just leave the 2 barrel on the 383. lol
 
I say a 340/360 is a better choice in an A on multiple fronts. Take an honest look at the stock numbers on a 383 and a 340 (360 with large valve heads) just to keep the max effort builds out of the debate and the cost factor of a core 360 over a 383 today and i gotta ask is the 383 worth what it gives you.
Without reading all the posts and risking duplication ;
and I speak from a streeter's perspective;
The 383 likes to rev.
That means, to make proper use of it, it's gonna want a bigger number gear, else the big power won't show up in second gear until a very high roadspeed, certainly well into speeding territory..
For instance; with a typical 3.23 geared automatic, 7000 comes at 103 mph. To be topped out in Second at 65 would require 5.13s
Whereas , for a 360, topping out at 5800=65mph in Second would require 4.30s .
Of course the 383 will drink fuel pretty bad, cruising at 65=4200@zero-slip versus the 360 at 3500 @zero-slip.

But if yur talking drag-racing, and any gear goes, I got sandwiches to make; I'm hungry.
 
there is no factory 360 in the same ballpark as the 383, 2 barrel or 4. lol
 
there is no factory 360 in the same ballpark as the 383, 2 barrel or 4. lol
I believe the 383 2bbl had 290 hp (gross) and a whopping 425 ft lbs of torque ??? I could be wrong, I'm going off of memory. And I believe right before it dropped out of production it was 275 hp.... :realcrazy: IDK, and I don't care to look it up :D
 
Without reading all the posts and risking duplication ;
and I speak from a streeter's perspective;
The 383 likes to rev.
That means, to make proper use of it, it's gonna want a bigger number gear, else the big power won't show up in second gear until a very high roadspeed, certainly well into speeding territory..
For instance; with a typical 3.23 geared automatic, 7000 comes at 103 mph. To be topped out in Second at 65 would require 5.13s
Whereas , for a 360, topping out at 5800=65mph in Second would require 4.30s .
Of course the 383 will drink fuel pretty bad, cruising at 65=4200@zero-slip versus the 360 at 3500 @zero-slip.

But if yur talking drag-racing, and any gear goes, I got sandwiches to make; I'm hungry.

...and what rear tire are we running here?
 
there is no factory 360 in the same ballpark as the 383, 2 barrel or 4. lol

The only one that wouldda had a chance was the 1971 only 360, because of its higher compression and all it ever came with was a two barrel.
 
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