68 Cuda 383 vs a 360

I've struggled with this question myself.

For some odd reason, there is soft spot in my heart for the 383 and I've always wanted a BB Duster. I was moving forward with a '73 Duster I was going to put a B motor in when my son wanted his first car back otherwise I would have had one of each to compare. Just something cool about the look of a BB in an A-Body.

At the same time, if the goal is a fun cruiser, then seems like simplicity is the better path and the 360 would win. This assumes that there are no horsepower or timeslip goals, because then it comes down to which is going to have the most potential. But if "fun" is the goal then both will deliver.

Just seems to me that if you aren't chasing ooh's and ah's when you pop the hood, the easiest path is a Magnum 5.9 with a cam. Bolt in with no aftermarket parts or fabrication, PS work, easy to source everything and makes enough HP to run 12's if you want. An LA 360 would be a close second, but only because it is more likely to be worn out while the 5.9 probably still shows crosshatching at 200K miles, I know mine does. But a low mile LA 360 would probably work great and might be easier since a Magnum compatible intake might be difficult to source, just have to find that low mileage 360 somewhere. And the LA/Magnum has the added advantage that there is still a set of headers (Doug's) that fit ok and don't cost $1000. The BB option only has TTI unless you can find a set of used Tri-Y's.

Would a 383 or similar low deck BB work the same? Probably. Just a little more work sourcing motor mounts or fabricating a K-frame and aftermarket radiator. But I would argue that unless you rebuild the 383, it is just as worn out as the LA 360, if not more. After you get it in there, certainly more stuff available for a low deck (except headers).

One thing that turned me off on the low deck was the lack of availability for an EFI intake. There is at least one for the 440, and 2 different versions for the small block, but nothing (so far) for a B motor.

No budget streetcar? Gen3 and EFI in a heartbeat.

But enough about my opinion.