Ok so I am considering making my firebird a weekend drag car. Which would be better a 383 or 350? I know each can be built better then the other, but in general which is better for the strip? Thanks

My car is a 87 firebird auto.

 

I see no reason why you'd build a 355 over a 383...if starting from scratch and building a solid bottom end and you dont have any class rules or cube limitations. You're giving up the torque the 383 makes. Both can make power but the 383 gives more torque for that power and will make for a faster car. Its all about average power under the curve.

Well I guess it all depends on how fast you are trying to go. 12.0 bracket car? 355 can easily do that and still have good low end to get the car moving off the line. If you are going for as fast ET as possible n/a, then go 383. So it does depend on goals and application, but I still favor 383 vs 355

 

You could build a 283 or a 305 also and go drag racing. There is no wrong answer to what to build.

Now it really depends on your goals. You can take a street engine and run 14 second 1/4 mile passes for years. Drive to the track, make some passes and drive home with little to no maintenance.

If you have a specific ET you're trying to shoot for then engine size may become a factor. It's easier to make HP with cubic inches for roughly the same price in parts to build a smaller displacement engine. A 305 could run a 10 second 1/4 mile. So could a 350, 383 or 400 but it would be cheaper and easier to do it with the bigger engine.

The trouble with drag racing is you'll always want to go faster. Leaving room for improvement makes it easier. A mild 383 now that could run as fast as a hopped up 350 can be made better to eventually out perform the 350.

HP is really determined by the cam grind and by how much air can flow through the heads. Increasing displacement can optimize parts not suited for a smaller engine. All things being equal, a larger displacement will only move the powerband lower however a larger displacement can use a better cam and heads which will make more power.