What kind of price($$$) for a 383 stroker built for a lot of boost(SC) on an LT1?

Basically taking any '93-'97 LT1 F-Body w/ high mileage and rebuilding the entire motor to a 383 designed to handle large amounts of boost from a supercharger? Factor in everything needed(including top-end) when coming to the final price of the new motor. But exclude the blower, bolt-ons, tuning, rear-end, etc(already know the price for those).

I'm looking to run an M6 into the high 10's @ close to 130 with this set-up. But I'm not the least bit knowledgeable on stroker motors(especially those built for maximum boost).

So what kind of cost am I looking at?

Thanks,

Mike

2002 M6 Z28

Quick guesstimate $6K. It can be a lot more or a lot less depending on parts used...

I would say depending on how crazy you go you can spend anywhere between 9000-12000 on a engine.

I stopped counting at 8K ;)

Marc

Ok...Good info guys. I knew it wasn't cheap. :D

Anymore opinions or experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

Right around $8 grand in motor.

Plan on spending around 10K.
These things always snowball. :D

I'm doing exactly that right now. I started out hoping for $4500 but am now at $7000. This includes Callies Dragonslyer 4340 crank,Eagle h-beam 4340 rods,JE dished pistons, 4-bolt splayed block,Melling high flow oil pump,ARP studs on the mains and ARP bolts throughout the rest.ARP Oil pump shaft,C/A Zero gap rings,C/A Bearings,Custom Blower grind Cam,Comp lifters & Pushrods & spring kit, Boring, Honing & Balancing & Square deck the block, Mag all parts,Major port job on the heads plus 2.02 intake valves & 1.60 Enconel exhaust. Plus Teflon coating combustion chambers, pistons & Valves. Thats just the major stuff

Originally posted by RCF925
I'm doing exactly that right now. I started out hoping for $4500 but am now at $7000. This includes Callies Dragonslyer 4340 crank,Eagle h-beam 4340 rods,JE dished pistons, 4-bolt splayed block,Melling high flow oil pump,ARP studs on the mains and ARP bolts throughout the rest.ARP Oil pump shaft,C/A Zero gap rings,C/A Bearings,Custom Blower grind Cam,Comp lifters & Pushrods & spring kit, Boring, Honing & Balancing & Square deck the block, Mag all parts,Major port job on the heads plus 2.02 intake valves & 1.60 Enconel exhaust. Plus Teflon coating combustion chambers, pistons & Valves. Thats just the major stuff

Interesting. But if your gonna do it, you might as well do it right, right? ;) Even if it cost a lot more than you initially hoped to spend.

Like I already said, this obviously isn't cheap. Then again, nothing really is when it comes to these 4th gen's when trying to go "fast."

I don't think any of us have built a motor for really high boost. That would be in the 20+psi category, to my way of thinking about boost. This boost level isn't too practical on a motor with 350+ci, as it would take one heck of a big blower. In turn, getting everything else to work right with the kind of hp "maximum boost" in this range would produce is going to be very, very costly. A motor with this kind of boost would likely produce in the range of 1,200+ hp. And this gets to the point where you need to start considering something other than a production small block casting as the basis for the project. But FWIW, a really max built LT1 shortblock would probably be ~$6,000. It would be hard to spend much more. Even with what passes for high boost among us mortals, you really need to consider the whole project. The shortblock is maybe 20-25% of the total cost. That said, the typical shortblock would be in the $4-6,000 range. This isn't much less than what's above, because the differences between a setup for max boost and the 14-16lbs many of us run lie elsewhere.

Most people spend another $2-3,000 on heads. You can spend more though. Figure $15,000-30,000 for the whole engine, supercharger system, drivetrain, fuel system, and engine management systems depending on what parts are chosen and how much you are going to do yourself. The higher the boost, the more each of these systems will cost.

To use the example of my car, here's roughly what it would cost without including the labor to put it all together if you started with a stock car. It's fairly high-end, but you could easily spend more. The current iteration of the car is a street/strip machine with a strip emphasis (for this year).

shortblock $5,000
heads $2,500
exhaust system $1,500
fuel system $2,000
engine management $2,000
blower $2,500
H2O injection $1,000
tranny + converter + misc $4,500
rear end + driveshaft $3,000
chassis upgrades (SFC's, torque arm, etc.) $1,000
total ~$25,000

This does not include wheels/tires, brakes, suspension, cage (and other safety items like the trans shield) or any labor/tuning costs. I have also not included the ~$2,000 I spent on a nitrous system. It's on the verge of needing a stand alone engine management system, which would add ~$3,000.

As can be seen, the shortblock is ~20% of the cost.

IMHO, the best way to conceptualize these projects is to start with a budget and intended use for the vehicle. That way, you are more likely to chose parts that will produce the desired results for the least cost.

Rich Krause

Mine was $6500 initially but I had some used heads I got for $1000. The only real exotic stuff I have are Crower lifters and billt splayed 4 bolt mains. Otherwise it's Eagle rods, SRP pistons and a Cola crank.

Like Rick said. When you starting building serious motors and blowers, the engine is just the start.

My experience and I have "wasted" a lot of money as well.

motor $4,000
heads $2,000
Blower $4,000
FAST $2,000
Injectors $500
Torque Arm $450
Hals $700
Mcleod $750
cage $700 (chromed)
DS $300
12 bolt $2000
LS1 brakes $350

Thats SOME of the BIG expenses, noit to mention TONS of 'little' costs.

I guess I should rephrase the term "maximum" boost. What I meant was being able to run a high enough amount of supercharged boost on a 383 stroker(designed & built for it) to net me a reliable high 10 or low 11 second LT1 @ over 125mph. Closer to 130 would be nice. Obviously, I will have everything necessary to try and acheive that(tuning, fuel system, injectors, clutch, rear-end, bolt-ons, suspension, tires, cage) in addition to the blower motor itself.

So the way I understand it, I'm probably looking at spending roughly $8,000-$10,000 on the complete engine alone(not including labor). Sound correct?

I'm actually really serious about doing this. I love the LT1 F-body platform and would have no problem selling my LS1 to make this happen. And the car *HAS* to be an M6. Just personal preference(although I realize that makes it harder).

Thanks again for the great info! :)

Originally posted by aggiez28
you really dont need much to go low 11s high 10s. dont need a blown 383.
it can be done ona na stroker.


brook

I know...But I'm not interested in staying N/A. If I was, I'd just use an automatic LS1 car with a fat stall. ;) Instead, I really prefer the idea of a big supercharged/built LT1 that can reliably run high 10's with the power to consistently back it up. I'm very keen on keeping the car streetable and not a fan of weight reduction(so it will take more power than you think). Anything better would be an added bonus. But you got to keep things in perspective with what your trying to acheive for your set-up.

As everybody else has said the motor is just part of the dollars being spent. Like you 2000LS1Z28 I want a bullet proof motor that will run 10's and be a weekend driver with an occasional trip to the track. By the way I picked up my current 94 Z with an M6 a couple of months ago for $4000 after my last one was totaled. This car had 156,000 on it but I kept the motor & M6 out of my last one plus the Vortech s-trim w/ aftercooler. My insurance gave me $9500 so that help pays for most of my 383. When I'm done I'll have an extra LT1 & M6.

Originally posted by RCF925
As everybody else has said the motor is just part of the dollars being spent. Like you 2000LS1Z28 I want a bullet proof motor that will run 10's and be a weekend driver with an occasional trip to the track. By the way I picked up my current 94 Z with an M6 a couple of months ago for $4000 after my last one was totaled. This car had 156,000 on it but I kept the motor & M6 out of my last one plus the Vortech s-trim w/ aftercooler. My insurance gave me $9500 so that help pays for most of my 383. When I'm done I'll have an extra LT1 & M6.

Exactly. I'm all about driving this car as much as possible with an occasional trip to the dragstrip. I just want a clean good looking car(SS-style hood, chrome rims) that *can* run 10's in full street trim(minus the tires). Having the motor be reliable will be a big part of this. That is my goal(plain and simple).

If your goal is a 125-130mph street car, why even worry about the added expenses of a 383? A good set of pistons and a descent blower is all you need.

But then a goal of 125-130 can quickly turn into a goal of 135-140....

I understand the point of, if your going to do a rebuild you might as well get the best parts to hold up whatever you decide to throw at it. But then again, ive seen just as many 383s getting rebuilt as original buildups.

I had a 355 with vortech & 8lbs boost with a good set of pistons at 500 rwhp. When I took the motor apart I found my crankshaft was cracked and the rods and crank were twisting tearing up the bearings. My thinking is if your going to have to get a forged crank & rods why not do a 383, It's about the same cost.

"I had a 355 with vortech & 8lbs boost with a good set of pistons at 500 rwhp. When I took the motor apart I found my crankshaft was cracked and the rods and crank were twisting tearing up the bearings. My thinking is if your going to have to get a forged crank & rods why not do a 383, It's about the same cost."

Why not a 396 CI Stroker? I am just wondering why EVERYONE goes for the 383 stroker vs. the 396 ci stroker. Is there anything "dangerous" or "unstable" about the 396 ci stroker before I start doing that? Just wondering what people's input is. Thanks.

buy one over the winter when people need $ if you can. lots of people start projects then back out and just want to get some money back.

or just take your time and look through this website, ebay and local classifieds. i bought almost everything second hand or new, off someone who decided not to build a project.


i bought a new 383 with je pistons, eagle h rods,cola crank,lt1 4 bolt main with billet main caps, oil pump, canton oil pan, heavy duty timing chain. speed pro rings, etc... for $3100 put together and delivered.. off this website.

then i bought a set of afr-tpis heads for $800 and bought a ported lt1 intake for $125. the cam i bought new for 219?

i sold my old running motor in pieces.
heads 300?
short block 400?
intake 100?
injectors (ebay) $95
sold the canton oil pan 200
then misc stuff.

i got about $1200 back

so all done mine was
3100 short block, etc
800 heads
125 intake
219 cam
total is 4244
then minus 1200=
$3044 roughly


other stuff
then i bought 50lb injectors $270 used, polished valve covers $100(used). aero fuel pressure reg. $95 (used)

this motor easily handled a p600b with a 15pd pulley and i just stepped up to a D-1X. so I should see around 20pds. i hope this gives you some ideas

good luck