I was just thinking I have a 350 2 bolt block with vortec heads(good for 525 lift but i can fix for more) rpm airgap intake, lunati cam.219/227. 468/489 lift. the car had about 9.5/1 compression before new heads. How much horse power differance do you think it would make if I put a stroker kit to make it 383, and a bigger cam. My motor is fine but I need more power. I was thinking of either building another 383 short block since I already have everything to work for it or buying a 454, and building a 496. I want to start finding a block and start building so I can do this on a budget and take my time. Would I be happy with a 383 or should I build a big block? I want a strong street machine that i can pull to the track. Probley 50/50 street/strip. thanks. I also have 150 shot of nos I can put on either.

I would like to see 10s, and crack a little daylight under the front tires. I know I will have to do suspension, trans, gears, etc....but I want to start with the motor, and I want something I will be happy with

I was just thinking I have a 350 2 bolt block with vortec heads(good for 525 lift but i can fix for more) rpm airgap intake, lunati cam.219/227. 468/489 lift. the car had about 9.5/1 compression before new heads. How much horse power differance do you think it would make if I put a stroker kit to make it 383, and a bigger cam. My motor is fine but I need more power. I was thinking of either building another 383 short block since I already have everything to work for it or buying a 454, and building a 496. I want to start finding a block and start building so I can do this on a budget and take my time. Would I be happy with a 383 or should I build a big block? I want a strong street machine that i can pull to the track. Probley 50/50 street/strip. thanks. I also have 150 shot of nos I can put on either.

The last Vortec 383 we had on the dyno with a good set of NONE MEXICAN castings as some good work made 448 horse and 500 ft. pounds of torque and I would not use a 2 bolt with a 3.750 arm and making that much power.

Here is a good link about that.
http://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652566

If your going to do the big block, I would put the $$$ into it. Keep the 350 in the car until you can put the big block in it. I think it would be pretty hard to run 10s with a vortec head 383, unless you hit it with a lot of juice. The $$$ you would spend on preparing a shortblock for a 150-250 shot could be spent on your 496.

thanks for the link cnc blocks. I think I would be alot happier if I just started building a bigblock. I think that is what i am going to do. I am going to start doing alot of reasearch on this bigblock thing. I have always had small blocks. I am thinking 496, but like I said I dont know much about bigblocks. Does anyone have a good link on a decent bigblock build that will dip me in the 10s. thanks for your help. I am just going to order parts as I get the extra money and store them in the bedroom till I get everything. This might take awile. lol

thanks for the link cnc blocks. I think I would be alot happier if I just started building a bigblock. I think that is what i am going to do. I am going to start doing alot of reasearch on this bigblock thing. I have always had small blocks. I am thinking 496, but like I said I dont know much about bigblocks. Does anyone have a good link on a decent bigblock build that will dip me in the 10s. thanks for your help. I am just going to order parts as I get the extra money and store them in the bedroom till I get everything. This might take awile. lol

I agree with you on the BBC, I finally got my forged long rod 383 together with my older AFR 195 heads, needless to say, I am not impressed. Knowing what my older 468 felt like, there is just no comparison. For a few dollars more I could have built a smoker, but then I probably would not have had a stock appearing Z, not to mention breakage of other parts.
Don't get me wrong, it will pull many fat girls on a bike but there is no power like bbc power in a Chevy.

I agree with you on the BBC, I finally got my forged long rod 383 together with my older AFR 195 heads, needless to say, I am not impressed. Knowing what my older 468 felt like, there is just no comparison. For a few dollars more I could have built a smoker, but then I probably would not have had a stock appearing Z, not to mention breakage of other parts.
Don't get me wrong, it will pull many fat girls on a bike but there is no power like bbc power in a Chevy.


Why did you go with the 383 instead of the 468?

Why did you go with the 383 instead of the 468?

Car came with a sbc so I just wanted to maintain the retro orginality appearance of a Z. Believe it , I struggled with the decision of dropping a stock appearing 502 or larger. I had a friend that had one of Sonny Lenoards 614 bbc. I wanted to take it an drop compression to streetable levels and recam it, but it just stuck out like a sore thumb, not to mention future parts breakage. Now that would be ultimate stocker.

AAhhh, a storker big block is my next wish, about a decade from now.

Thats what was holding me back from building a bigblock, the hassle of everything else that goes with the swap when I already have everything for a small block. But i made up my mind, I have never owned a bb, and im building one.

The last Vortec 383 we had on the dyno with a good set of NONE MEXICAN castings

What's wrong the mex castings?

What's wrong the mex castings?

Smaller intake runners then the older non Mexican heads.