In Michigan the race season is over in October. So rebuild time. Now I have a flat tap 355 2pc rms 4bm block in great shape. there is a local speed shop that has a stroke kit for 500. I will keep my car efi and streetable. But my buddy has a tbss ls2 that had small piston slap for 1k. The 383 would get new everything so I would be starting fresh. I'm a sure I wont make much money off selling old stuff like my 113 heads. I could sell the ls2 for more alone with my 355 and do a LQ swap. The ls swap would just be long tubes cam 243 heads or l92 heads with stock ls6 or ls3 intake. 383 would have HSR or mini ram 185 cc intake runner heads, lone tube headers. Nitrous on either motor I would do single turbo but im not that good yet. Im more familiar with ls motors since they came out well before I started working on motors. 3k out of pocket 2k off freebies and trades. Which route should I go im not chasing numbers right now because a high 12 sec car is fast on the streets here

 

While I know CI for CI an LSx will make more HP than an old SBC, it takes a lot of time/money/effort to get it in our cars. I've always been of the opinion if you spent the money on the SBC what the swap crossmembers/headers/electronics/trans/etc. is going to cost, you'll end up with near the same performance and an engine that'll fall back into place. OK, you LS gurus are free to beat up the lazy old man now.

 

Classic debate^
I'm still undecided on this myself. I'm leaning towards 383 hsr afr 195 with a 3k stall.

 

Me too. You have the SBC already so go with the 383

 

How much power are you trying to make? If the ls2 is hurt at all you will need to go through it and in the end you wont have a finished swap for less than 3k done right. If you knew it was good and could get it for 1k$, i would do it but its a risk in unknown condition

A proper 383 will do anything you can ask for in a street car. Cam only ls2 with all the bolt ons will do 440-460's whp with most medium sized cams and 6 spd, maybe a little less with an auto. A 383 can get to 450 whp with right parts but a 185cc head wont do it. Think 215-227 cc size and 7k rpms like ls2 will turn with a cam. 383 at 7k will want a forged rotator which will be more than 500$, more like 1500+. Ls2 can hold on stock bottom if its in good condition, which seems to be unknown....

With nitrous then should do forged everything for the 383 and ls2 i wouldnt spin too high rpm with the hose on. Tune would need to be good to keep stock bottom happy as in any built motor but forged pistons are more tolerable to minor hiccups.
Its easy to have a mid 10 second nitrous 383. Same with a cam nitrous ls2.

Tough call. Depends what you want to make hp wise and how much driveability and work you wish to perform doin the build

 

This is a preference thing....up to you if you want to go through the whole swap...or just drop a motor in.

Itd be cheaper to just buy heads an intake and a cam...355 is all the cubes you need. ;-)

 

Its so tough I almost traded my car for a stock 99 camaro z28 auto 110 miles. I will drive the car a lot. I'm sure I can sell my drive train for 2500. That will cover the cost of headers and all the stuff to swap it. I will send the ls2 to the shop to go threw. I might get a free vortec 350 that spinned a rod. And make that my 383. A mini ram 383 was my first plan when I got the car now lsx is what's my wet dreams. The only tuner for my tpi car is mail order so I wont peak power. And I'm not feeling pcm 4 less they seem to do the most basic tunes to get the car to idle. But with lsx I have a dyno tuner at every gas station. Freeway racing is the new street seen and I don't think a 383 will like that