LMAO, you can’t go wrong ether way
383 or 318
- Thread starter 300Ronin
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Naw, i just have to overthink and worry bout every little thing
I am looking for 400-450HP and dependable... a small block will be fine.. eventually 3.91's and i will have fun 
What most guys don't realize is, the 383 had 425lbs ft @3400 and a 340 had 340 lbs ft @ 3200.
If torque is what you want on the street then the answer is the 383.
I knew it always was.
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Are you sick again? lolNow some people are talking strokers the original post was 318 or 383 I'll take a 318(can't believe I'm saying this) with the bolt-on's I mentioned above on both a 318 or 383
I like different. In the Mopar world, small blocks are like LS motors. Everybody runs them. I love a small block, but that's the truth. I'd run that big block just for no other reason than to see peoples faces when you raise the hood. You should see some of these cruise in guys when I raise Vixen's hood at some of these events. Total disbelief and shock that a six could sound like this.
My vote is for the 318 with a cheap stroker kit for torque. Of course I'm biased as I have a stroker smallblock with over 500ft;lbs of torque!
stroked340
Well-Known Member
Obviously you tech teacher never had his *** handed to him by a 340 smoked many Chevy small and big blocks..
Oh my! 2brl engines don't count. lol
Doesn't sound like you ran any 351 Cleveland's or LT 1's.
351C heads make me moist..... what a world if mopar could have made those....
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
Not quite if you read what Yunick said back in the early 1980’s.
He said the Cleveland was 10 HP up on the SBC and the Chrysler was 8-10 up on the Cleveland.
There is more to making horsepower than a giant intake port. The W2 gets crapped on because it’s old and iron, but even by todays standards of low port heads the W2 kicks *** on most everything.
stroked340
Well-Known Member
2brl engines???...NO..all had 4brls all built not stock!!
i don't remember running from any small block shivies back in the day. My brother built a 400 sbc with all the fixen's for his '71 Chevelle and I still beat him with the mild 340 I had in my '74 Dart Sport. I had 3.91's and he had 4.11's.
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
Whenever my buddy Moto showed up with his '66 GT with the junk yard 340 and 727 the Camaro, Chevelle, Rustang, and Nova guys all mysteriously discovered they had something else to do 
We did add a Purple Shaft, Hookers, and a slightly used TQ from a CHP cruiser. We did eventually pull the 7 1/4 out of it which never gave him a problem behind that combo and replace it with a $35 "LOCKED" 8 3/4 with something near 4.10s in it. I think the LOCKED note in junk yard marker may have been trying to convey Sure Grip Junk yard cashier figgered it meant froze up 
"$35 get it outa here!"
We did add a Purple Shaft, Hookers, and a slightly used TQ from a CHP cruiser. We did eventually pull the 7 1/4 out of it which never gave him a problem behind that combo and replace it with a $35 "LOCKED" 8 3/4 with something near 4.10s in it. I think the LOCKED note in junk yard marker may have been trying to convey Sure Grip Junk yard cashier figgered it meant froze up "$35 get it outa here!"
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
I do love how people here that weren't there want to argue when you post about the old days. I cant afford to argue so they end up on ignore. Dumb folks who won't listen to the older guys passing on how it was. I suppose history doesn't matter they want to re state things and make bold statements like like "a 318 is just as good as a 340..." yeah ok ...its just to justify they didn't know, and dumped alot of money into a boat anchor because they listened to Uncle Tony...What most guys don't realize is, the 383 had 425lbs ft @3400 and a 340 had 340 lbs ft @ 3200.
If torque is what you want on the street then the answer is the 383.
I knew it always was.
I just think the 318 is a lot better than what most people make them out to be. Still, the truth be spoken right here and now,
“There is no replacement for displacement!”
“There is no replacement for displacement!”
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
You mean LA 318 or magnum? Id agree and if starting from scratch Id get a magnum 5.2 or 5.9 and yes in the true spirit of this thread when faced with the aforementioned choices I d pick 383. if all things were equal that would be the right choice for me . I mean I started out with a 318 in my first Mopar it isn't that I'm not familiar with them, I owned a slant in a Duster at one point also. I ended up with a 340 dart and the rest is history BUT if I had a B body or E body Id want the R or RB engine. I did help a feller install a 383 and Torqueflight in a 69 Dart once. that was a fun project. Engine plate and fenderwell headers etc.
Me? Ether 318 in a LA or a Magnum. Ether engine IMO will perform well and better than what people say. I just would not expect 340/360/400+ cubic inch performance out of it.
The 318 will punch holes through an equal size Chevy or Ford or whatever IMO. It just has to be built right for the job. Like any engine. But as said above……
Zero hate for the 318. I’ve built them before. I just didn’t have the holy high expectation and delusion that it would perform as well as a 340 built the same way.
Between the two, 318 vs 383, I already stated 383.
Any engine you build is because you want to build it. If the expense of a 340 block is to much for the budget and you stick with the 318 because your wallet is thin, besides that being OK with me, it really has to be about the person doing the engine and weather or not there wallet is really thick enough to be in this game in the first place. It doesn’t matter to me!
Still haven't figured it out. I don't need to tell people who don't know what they're talking about how to make horsepower. 340 was the factory recipe for a street car, it works for any engine.I do love how people here that weren't there want to argue when you post about the old days. I cant afford to argue so they end up on ignore. Dumb folks who won't listen to the older guys passing on how it was... I suppose history doesn't matter they want to re state things and make bold statements like like "a 318 is just as good as a 340..." yeah ok ...its just to justify they didn't know, and dumped alot of money into a boat anchor because they listened to Uncle Tony...
A statement that no one has ever argued
stroked340
Well-Known Member
In stock form the 318 is nowhere near the engine that the 340 is..and NEVER was!!!
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
and I say to you, ode to the mighty 340. lol
Funny how some people can only view if an engine can be a performance engine by if the factory made it one or not. I bet if they put all the 340 goodies on the 67 318 a year before the 68 340 came out people would view the 318 different.
I saw this thread at the beginning and thought "383 all the way. Shouldn't even be a question".
The OP stated "want performance, bolt-on not machining, gas mileage not an issue".
4 pages in, the war still rages.
The OP stated "want performance, bolt-on not machining, gas mileage not an issue".
4 pages in, the war still rages.
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I take it You are planning on using a 727 trans?
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