hey, quick question.. is it possible to make the ht 383 a street-legal, smog-passable engine in an 85 camaro? thanks a bunch!

 

It depends on your state. You should be able to pass smog but that technically doesn't make it legal. In most states it is technically illegal to swap in any motor that wasn't available in the vehicle at the time of manufacture. In Michigan there currently isn't any checks for smog or equipment so we can get away with pretty much anything. 350's weren't available in 85 camaro's so you probably wouldn't pass equipment inspection. That isn't to say that there are not ways around it. Just check your states emission laws.

 

It isn't that hard to get by with it. Check out the mag articles on this board by Steve Green called "Stroke in the Desert" or some such. That's exactly what he did.

The keys are to keep all of the externals the same as factory or use CARB-certified replacements (like headers), keep things like cam overlap reasonable, and have it in good tune when you show up at the test. It'll still look like a 305, but you don't have to tell them it isn't.