Which heads would have the best bang for the buck on an upgraded TPI 383 stroker? AFR, Edelbrock, Vortech, Fastburn, ......? What do you think about the Edelbrock Heads and Intake Kit for $1,844.00 which includes runners, intake base, and heads.

 

bang for the buck, nothing can touch vortec heads. the heads are $450, the Scoggen Dickey intake is $400, and slp runners are $250 or $300. So that's gonna be under $1200 for something that is gonna likely outperform the edelbrock stuff.

If you don't have a good cam, the LT4 hotcam kit is cheap, and you'd be making well over 400 horse with that combo for under $2000. But you will definitely need to bitch the stock exhaust manifolds....those are even a bottleneck on a stock 350.

 

estoy de acuerdo con el wraith.

 

Yeah the Vortecs are cheap but they require alot of work to be used for a pretty mild set-up. For instance if you go with the LT4 hot cam then already you got to buy new valve springs, scrwe-in rocker studs, and I know there is something else I am forgetting. Plus they are cast iron I remember it being brought up before and for like an extra $100 after all that work is done you could have boughten a set of trick flo's or Edelbrocks that would be aluminum and weigh less and flow a little more than the Vortecs.

 

I have to agree that the Vortecs are the best bang for the buck.... But The 23* TFS heads and other cheaper aluminum heads have other benefits over running the Vortecs, as stated above. But if you are just trying to walk around with the ability to say "I spent very little on my engine and it is respectable", the Vortecs should get you there. Be sure to match the cam to the heads closely though, as they don't handle much lift in stock trim (as stated above). I would suggest spending the very small amount more on the TFS 23* or Edelbrock heads that have a lot of the things that will allow you to run more aggresive and larger cams that will make more power than a stock Vortec-headed setup will make.

The 23* TFS heads are very close to the Edelbrocks in cost and performance from what I have seen. I would have to give the edge to the TFS heads on that one though . But either one of those sets of heads and a ported TPI setup with an Accel/Edelbrock/TPIS base, ported SLP runners, and hogged out plenum should perform very well and cost only marginally more than a Vortec setup. An even better setup would inlcude a Superram or Miniram with a nicer set of heads like AFRs (not really in the running for the best bang for the buck competition anymore, but it will blow away those 'BBFTB' setups anyways, so eh....).

All I can say is that a 383 is gonna respond well to the higher flowing and higher quality parts out there.

I will add that a friend of mine has a 383 with bone stock Vortec heads with a Performer RPM intake and a 750 DP holley and it made something like 415hp and 460 ft-lbs of torque..... Not bad for completely stock heads.

Hope that helps some....
Matt

 

Well, I gotta agree with the edelbrocks or TFS heads, you figure you get those and the cam, throw some high flow runners and it should produce better than the Vortec and you avoid having to buy the intake to fit those heads. If it wasn't for the intake needed to run vortecs, then I'd agree they are the best bang for the buck.

 

From what i have seen wating untill you can afford AFR's is the best way to go. I have seen many LTR cans in the low 12's and a few in the 11's with AFR's and good cam. I have never seen that with TFS's or Vortecs.

I am going to ditch my AL vette/ZZ4 heads for them.:lala: