Eventually (probably not for a long time) I'd like to swap a 350/383 in place of my 305TBI. I'm looking for something with significantly more power. I want something new, something not high maintenance. One engine I came across was the ZZ383/425 (425 HP and 449 lb-ft.) PN 12498772. Besides its price, is there any disadvantage of choosing this engine over something else? Will it be a good engine to have on the street? Is there a better choice for my street driven camaro that I want to keep legal? What things do I need to look out for and keep in mind when looking for a new engine?
http://www.powerblocktv.com/crate/crate.html
http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/GMPerfor...8772&engCat=sb

 

Any of the factory crate engines are good choices for a street driven car the guess work is all worked out for you and the reliability is there the engines require some mods to put into a third gen with FI but can be done if emissions are a concern, if not the carbed crate engines are easier to work with as far as tuning is concerned and tend to be the cheeper swap parts wise..

 

what you've got to look out for is what that 425hp is going to do to the rest of your car and all the extra costs involved. fuel supply, cooling, trans, gears, susp., frame connectors, etc.

as far as the legality i think the different counties in NY have different rules, where i am,i dont have sniffer testing but the oe devices(cat and air if so equiped) have to be inplace. alot of people have a spot they can go where the inspection tech cares more about safety than looking for cats and such.

 

well, I know i would need/want to get a new transmission and torque converter...i already have spoohn SFCs, LCAs, and new positraction rear end...is there more chassis reinforcement i should get done with a big engine like a 383?...can i get away with the stock driveshaft and axel as long as i don't race the car?

 

why would you spend the bucks for a 383 and not beat on it. in order to beat on it you are going to have to beef up the rear,

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...10-bolt-2.html

you are going to have to beef up the trans, and then make your suspension transfer all the power to the ground. as far as the DS goes you'll want to decide what trans you are going to have before you invest but, the stock one is the weakest link once you beef the rear. so get ds loops.

you can do it all in steps but you are going to want to beat it. so you better have another car to drive while you are fixing broken parts.

 

well, as far as the rear end, i bought a new ring & pinion from Randy's Ring & Pinion (3.73 POSI)...i can't remeber what brand they sell...but would that be sufficient?...i paid 800 bucks for those gears...what else would i need to do to the rear end? Are there additional SFCs that should be welded onto the chassis for more reinforcement?...the car is in good shape now, it has 60K miles on it...

 

at least for the diff,



control arms and torque arms are basically more for putting the power down than reinforcement. you're LCA's and SFC's are a good start. i think the trans is really going to be your next issue.

spohn has conversion crossmembers with ta mounts, tubular ta, and loops all in one. i wish i had gone this way when i went to the th400. you are going to have to pick a trans and have it beefed, get the conversion stuff if you go with a 350 or 400, and get a big driveshaft.