86 Silverado 383 build

[deluxe77]

I have been planning on building a 383 out of a 350 block that was in the bed of the 78 gmc that he passed down to me!  After getting together a parts wish list with pricing came up with a reasonable price of approximately 1800 dollars!  Figured it will be a long build but it is doable!  So I started tearing down the 350 to get ready for the machine shop and discovered a 4 bolt main that was already bored .040 over and still needed more!  I thought that was the end of it have to add more for another block!   Looking at craigslist I came across an ad for a almost complete 383 motor!  Needs a cam, litters, pushrods and intake!  Took a long lunch and came back with a new motor for $450!  Going to start tearing it down to get everything checked!  But if it is everything he says it knocked over half of the price I had figured for the build!  Will get pictures after work of the motor and everything it came with!

[deluxe77]

Well bad news!  Got the motor home and tore into it all excited and turns out the guy lied through his teeth!  Wasn't anything he said it was!  Instead of a 383 I ended up with a pieced together 327!  Tried to call the guy back and he disconnected his phone!

[topp]

Sorry to hear....

That is why CL is not the best place to chase a motor.  Unless you can rip into it and measure everything there, you never know what you're getting.

[deluxe77]

Lesson learned!  Time to step back and reorganize!  On a good note with all the spare parts I do have, I might be able to turn it into a stout little 327 and replace the 305 in my 78 gmc longbed!

[slammed79]

I've always been a 327 fan. And for 450, you prolly can't complain too much.

[beastie_3]

Should have asked for the casting number, ran it, and then drove out there to confirm the number. I would have shown back up at his house.

[deluxe77]

Yeah like I said lesson learned I know now not to be so trusting!  And I would have gone to his house if I knew where he was!

[deluxe77]

And slammed. I have always heard great things about 327's. But I am looking for a little more!  I did go talk to our guy at the machine shop and it looks like the block I got is a 68 327/350 block with the long tube where the distributor goes ( think they call it a hightower block).  It looks like it possibly will only need cleaned up and cylinders honed so for my 383 I won't have to bore it out!  We are also going to have machine work done on the main caps to turn it into a 4 bolt!

[slammed79]

Thats good! Idk if I would bother with 4bolt main conversion thought, I've had better luck with 2bolts in the past.

[deluxe77]

I've heard so many different thoughts on it!  Some say that a 4 bolt is stronger and better.  Others say a two bolt is just as good!  Guess I need to do a little more research!  But since I'm just doing it for fun and not for to make an actual drag strip vehicle you are probably right!