My son and I recently shoehorned a 73 440 into a 73 Duster which is basically the same block as a 383, just different displacement. I could write a book on all the issues that you'll come across but a lot of my issues arrised due to Schumacher Create Industries having been about of business during our build. Someone bought Schumacher and I see now they have a lot of the parts that I had to make or retrofit from the closest matches. If I were you, I'd port the cylinder heads because you're going to have plenty of power in a 383 without spending $1000+ on heads and you're going to get crappy gas mileage regardless. Porting takes time but can save you money. Be sure to replace your torsion bars with heavier duty ones due to the extra weight of the engine and the rear end will likely need to be changed out with I believe an 8 3/4 rear axle hosing. Also, did the 383 come with a transmission because you might need a heavier duty transmission. Mine came w/ an A727 but the gears were rusted out so it had to be rebuilt. Anyway, I'm glad to chat if you want to message me to exchange phone numbers. This is a massive project for a beginner as I was but ultimately worth it since my son, now 18, has the confidence and know how to repair just about anything.
