383 stroker or 350/350 ????

So OK,
I'm looking for an engine for my daily driver Malibu wagon. goodwench(I know), has a 383 stroker with about 425ft. lbs of torque, runs on regular gas (87 octane)and puts out about 325hp, and is a 9:1 motor.
There is a 350/350 (LT1) that has more ponies but not quite so much torque. It is a 10:1 motor (runs on 92 octane), and needs a 750cfm carb.
The car will weigh in excess of 4100lbs. when finished out.
It will have a th350 and will have a GV unit when I'm done (about a year). I'm thinking a 3.40-3.73 rear gear, and 245or255/15's on the back.
The money is about the same, but my experience with LT1s (30 yrs. ago)says they're a handful on the street and by the time you put all the a/c, ps, th350 they can be very touchy.
I just want a reliable daily with a 'little grunt'
(not the, Show us your butt thingy- butt it will then!!!) !!!
Any direction??? Am I thinking wrong??? No, I don't want a BBC !!!
Thanks,
Bruce

 

You will not like that steep of a rear gear with a TH350. I had a '80 Firebird with 3:73 posi, 275/60's on the back, a TH350 with shift kit and a 355. I was turning a screaming 3200 RPMs at 70 mph. To run that low of a rear gear, you NEED to have a OD tranny for highway driving. Boy what fun it was to get up to speed though.

I would go for the 383 out of those 2 motors, who wants to pay for gas as it is and 92 is just obsurdly priced out here, $2.99 a gallon right now. Summit has a GM Goodwrench $1600 260/300 350 motor in their linup that would do more then just haul the groceries in that lil scooter. Its a 8.5:1 compression 87 octane motor even. If it had 1986+ heads on it, I would be getting it for my Roadie to build up.

 

Hey Blackfoot...

I'm with you on the gears but the GV unit is an overdrive @ about 45 mph it will kick in @ about .78 of the gear, which should take it down to about 2240rpms.
I'm fighting that now in my sons H/O, 55mph and it's screaming!!! Especially on 14"ers!!! Whoa doggie...and bring back that gas!!!
The sweet thing would be the gear splits, when you want to use them,
1st- high would be right between 1 & 2nd. (a drop of about 600 rpm's)
2nd- high would be right between 2 & 3rd (another 600 drop)
and 3 high would be overdrive at .78% (I just checked) of the rear)
3.40=a 2.652 gear, and a 3.73= A 2.90 gear.
With the 383's torque curve...almost flat at about 425 ft. lbs. It would be a stump puller...and then some!!!
Thanks,
Bruce
Ps. Blackfoot,can I just call you...B'foot? or what???
Mr. sounds soo FORMAL :=)
Later...

 

373 gear sucks with th350. about 40 mph ull be around 2500 rpm. its deff not good for a daily driver. id go with a 350/350 combo u can add a cam intake hedders an whatnot and be just fine but 383 will run hotter then a stock bore sbc naturaly. trust me u dont wnna drive a 383 daily lol

 

OK Phantom..Talk to me...

I did the LT1 thing @ 11:1 and a 30/30 cam, solid lifter with roller rockers, with a 4 speed and 3.23 gears it could be a handfull. Overheating in traffic with fuelie heads, overheating with 2.02 heads.. Heck overheating just for the heck of it, but when it was running 3000, it WAS cooling, and sweet!!!
I have not heard anything bad about the 383 YET, execpt for the 450hp ones. About some constant hot problems, I thought the 325hp. wouldn't be an issue, and I won't be turning but up to 5 grand. It comes with iron heads... Not much diff. from the 302 as I see it (they ran a little warm at around 6 grand).
You don't have to slam it just tell it like it is !!! That's why I'm asking...I don't want to be out $6k and be unhappy. I'd rather go with a BBC first..just don't like feeding all those ponies, for the same work!!!
I'll be waiting..
Bruce

 

Why not use the 2004R instead of the TH350. It's pretty much a drop in replacement and has OD to boot.

 

200r ???

I'm looking to add a console and a Hurst dual gate shifter. From my understanding, the OD requires some other type and electronics. I'm hoping to do away with that stuff. I also don't know that the 200R would handle that kind of torque(it may but I'm just not that familiar with it).
I know my TH350 will handle quite a bit and they are easy to rebuild and can be done on the cheep if needed. Besides I have a spare here. As I said before, the car will trim out around 4200lbs., with me and fuel.

What is it you like about the 200R over the TH series? You may very well know things I don't...
I am more than willing to listen !!!
Thanks for your reply !!!
Bruce

 

Probably the biggest thing I like is the OD. I do agree that it won't handle as much power as the 350 but my son teaches at a tech school here and having it "built" a bit is going to be pretty easy for me.
If you don't need the OD then the 350 will do you fine.
I'll be doing a lot of highway miles with mine.

 

How is it going to end up at 4100 lbs? Big stereo? Toolboxes?

 

How's the wagon going to gain weight???

The things are minor in themselves, but come out to about 350lbs. overall.
Soundproofing thermo-tec(with tar)100lbs., 2 layers of foil type soundproofing/insulation-and 2 gals. of glue, about 50lbs. We weighed the stuff before we installed it, but didnt include the wet glue. Springs are 10lbs heavier. Control arms (square steel) 19 lbs. over the stock nothings, shocks are +10lbs. Going to 15" and tires +35. Suspension bracing, under hood/under engine crossmember/dual exhust/another muffler/ =60lbs. Rear suspension upgrades/bigger sway bar/control arm bracing/limited slip rear(peg-leg now), gusseting and boxing=120lbs. And I don't know the weight diff. 383 will make over the 305. The aluminum (4-row)radiator is actually a little heavier than stock by 5 lbs/the cowl hood 7lbs. And finally some entertainment adding about 6-8, decent size speakers 5x5(4) and rear 6x10(2), front 5x5(2) and some type of eq. for them and a radio upgrade about 10lbs added. GearVendors unit 42lbs/center console and braces 10lb.
We did pretty much the same thing on my sons '79H/O (sans engine) and weighed it before/after, also weighed the parts as they came on and off for the diff. and we were off by 25lbs. could have been 3-4gal. of gas in diff.. The al. 14" were were 10lbs. each lighter than the SSII-15"+ the 5 full size tires.
All those turkeys add up and we are starting with a(havn't weighed yet- but we will-w/a full fuel tank, this time) 3650lb. wagon.(according to the tag people). Scales are just down the street, at a trash dump.
I know that sounds huge but the 70s styles are around 4200 w/rear seat and all those goodies, and a BBC or BBF
So BOB, just when can I send up that trans to your son???
Thanks for asking, and if you notice any flaws in reasoning..Let me know!!
Thanks,
Bruce

 

You can use a 700 R4 trans. On Spike TV the Musclecar show with Lou Santiago ( he was the first Host) he shows how to beef up a 700 R4 no computers or electronic hardware just adjust the TV cable and go.

 

Buick Grand Nationals run the 200-4R and I know a guy who was turning 9's through a stock 200-4R and yanking the front tires off the line. Both the 200-4R and the 700-R4 are damn good trannys, every bit as strong as a TH350.

 

They are good trans. The 700 R4 is the one I know that is a strong trans after 85 the 86 and up were the best. 200R4 are hp monsters when built right

 

700R4s'

I'll be looking into that, it certainly would be cheeper than what I'm thinking about. Will is shift off a 3 speed shifter, I don't really want to give up the dual gate!!! There isn't any fudgin' on it being only for 3 speeds-1, 2, 3 is it. If the OD automatically comes in in the 3rd' position...COOL...
Checkin' it out tomarrow...
Thanks Guys !!!
Bruce

 

If it were my car, I'd lose the GearVendors unit, and spend the $$ on a well built older TH700R4 (you may need to setup a throttle switch to use the converter lockup feature). You'll probably have much less invested, and will still have the overdrive you need. With the overdrive trans, you COULD go 3.73 gears..this is what the factory did with the Buick GN's ,Olds 442's and later H/O's, and Monte SS'....

If you're going with a shorter tire, DEFINETLY stick in the 3.42 range...you'll need an awful tall tire to combat the 3.73's. Go with the 383...it will produce more torque to move that wagon than a 355. A good reputable engine company would be Tri Star Engines out of Baldwin,Wi. They build a 383/425 hp with a 2 year warranty and good parts(including Dart iron heads, Comp Cams cam and valvetrain, etc) for around $2995 for a dressed long block, and $3995 with intake, carb, plugs, wires, distributor, dyno tuned and ready to drop in. We've had good luck with them every time we've used them.