I'm looking at building up either a 350 or 383 and while i'd rather have the 383 i can't go and spend all my cash on the engine, since i have to build the rest of my car as well.. the drivetrain that is gonna be behind it is a t56 and a 12bolt rear end so i'm not worried about those not holding up.

idealy i'd like to put out between 350-400hp to the wheels, but it needs to be streetable as next spring it will take over as a daily driver.

so pretty much what i need to know, is what is the average cost for a 350 to be built to those numbers, vs what a 383 will cost? the 350 i have needs to be rebuilt as it currently has a stuck piston, and it is out of a 80's truck. I also want to do this without a power adder..

i should probably add that this is going to be a carburated engine.

For a budget build I would say around 2500. I have 1500 in mine already and that is with scoring a bunch of freebies. This is on a 350 by the way.

now is that 2500 with stock heads or with new ones? if that is with new ones then i can kinda live with that..

But if that 2500 is just with stock heads then i'm gonna have to stay stock heads.

If you're going to do a complete build, go 383. More power, streetable, better torque. With most machine shops you get what you pay for. The cheap guy in town isn't going to pay attention to the small details that make a difference in power and longevity. I've got about 2000 in my 383 not including the block or machine work. I work at a machine shop so that $2000 just includes the heads (AFR's I picked up cheap), Eagle crank/rods, custom pistons, cam, timing set, balancing. Add to that the cost of hot tanking, magging the crank, bore (if needed), hone, check line bore (and if it's off add a few more $$$ to have it line bored), clearancing the block, blueprinting (which includes checing bearing clearances, deck heights, endplay, piston to valve clearance, etc..), and then final assembly. Figure on anywhere from 2500-4000 depending on what kind of parts you decide to put in it.

That is with new vortecs. The amount of machine work will make it fluctuate. That is with cast pistons too. Not my choice, but what do you want for free.

That is with me doing all the assembley work, and porting on the vortecs.

That is also assuming you already have the 350 core.

about what kinda of approximate price range will all the machine work be for the 383?

You can clearance the block yourself with a die grinder. There's no extra machining involved in building a 383 that wouldn't need to be done to a 350.

I am working on a 383 build that has cost me
$2350.00
Vortec Heads
Internal balanced assembly:
Scat 6" I beam rods w/cap screws (stroker ready)
Eagle crank single piece rear seal internally balanced
KB pistons with double molly rings 1/16"
Internally balanced assembly
Factory 383 Roller cam assembly
4 bolt single piece rear seal block
Block was Cleaned, Decked, Bored and Precision honed with plates.
Oil pump, timing chain, freeze plugs and gaskets

There are a couple hundred dollars more in tools:
Stretch gauge, Tapered piston ring compressor degree wheel -- etc

The assembly has gone together with out any clearance issues.
I only had to grind one place on the block.
Rear pan rail left side. The crank throw needed about .100 to clear

I guess that I will have about $2500.00 in the engine.

Still need a set of coated headers.

double post

where did you buy your parts at to get that low of a build? i tried pricing a 383 build at jegs, and i was like pushing 2300 bucks without heads.

that's with a carb n stuff, but i may have added stuff i don't need since i haven't built an engine before, like do i need new lifters n rockers n stuff like that?

Here is what i was looking at
Eagle 383 rotating assebling with
-18cc inverted dome pistons
5.7" rod's
Holley Classic double PUmper 700cfm Carb
Mr. Gasket Ultra Seal Overhaul Gaskets
Camshaft Installation Package
Lunati Voodoo Camshaft 256/262
Lunati Mechanical Lifters
Aluminum Roller Rockers (not sure what ratio to get yet)
EdleBrock Performer Airg Gap Intake Manifold
Hedman Hedders (the shorties that are like $135)

this all added up to like $2388

Do you know what shape the existing 350 parts are in?

well the existing 350 needs rebuilt, supposedly its not too bad and doesn't need bored out, it was in my buddies dad's truck until a piston got stuck. that's about the extent i know about it.

There's probably not a lot of point selecting parts until you know what you're working with.

I don't know how a piston could get "stuck" without damaging the cylinder so that it wouldn't need to be bored. If it doesn't need to be bored though, you may be able to hone the cylinders and reuse your pistons with new rings. Your crank might be reusable if you polish the journals, or if they're scored you might be able to have it ground. Your rods might be reusable with new bearings. In that case you could rebuild it as a 350 quite inexpensively.

On the other hand, the block could be cracked, the rods bent, pistons scuffed, and the crank gouged, and you've got a pile of trash that you can't turn into anything.

well once we tear the engine apart i guess we'll find out what is happening, if it is trashed he has like 3 other ones i can pick from.

i think even though it may push my budget i'm gonna definently go 383, cause i figure if i'm not going to be driving this thing till spring i'll have plenty of time to save up for an extra engine part if i have to... i've just been pricing out my whole car build and its getting higher than i planned.. mainly due to the 383 and the t56.. but i figure the 6 speed is the only thing that will save the gas mileage on the highway.

Do a search on EBAY for 383 stroker.
You can deal directly with most of these guys over the phone.

I purchased my rotating assembly, engine kit, heads, cam assembly and tools all via EBAy I saved hundreds doing this.

I also found the 80# injectors 454 TBI unit and an extra ECM
on Ebay as I plan on running TBI on this engine.

You could always put your money in the engine and then do the tranny swap. As in complete the motor, drive what you have for a while, then put in the t56. That will allow you to focus on the motor. This is how I'm having to do it. Other wise it would be another year (putting this at 2.5 years) until I could drive it again.

well i don't have a trans to begin with (i bought my car with no motor or trans), so if i'm going to buy a trans anyways i might as well just buy the t56.

and after looking at a few of those engines on ebay, although i wouldn't be able to build it exactly as i want i think i might end up going that route.. + they have a 5year warrently which is something mine wouldn't have at all.

has anyone bought any of the whole engines to verify they actually put out the numbers they claim?

No sense in wasting the money on one tranny then replacing it with another. I didn't realize you only had a rolling chassis.

I've heard some scary stories about ebay motors not being what they were suppose to be.

well out of all the engines this is the one i was looking at

Mmmmmmm.....hypereutectic pistons and pink rods