Yeah, HPE built it last year for me:

383 8.5:1
Eagle 3.75" crank
Eagle 5.7 H Beam rods
Forged -31cc pistons
4 bolt splayed
ARP hardware..

LE AFR210's
224/224 cam

Gonna break it in N/A next spring/summer before I put the T88 on it.

 

You have the same goals as I did when I built mine. I've got 25,000 miles and counting and I get on it just about everyday. I basically wanted alot of low end torque and good driveability. You can do it with stock ported heads and a small cam and about 10 psi. My setup will smoke street tires all the way into 3rd gear at 50 mph so any more HP for the street is overkill. Just do a budget 355 rebuild with some dish forged pistons. Don't go too big on the cam or you will lose your driveability.

 

Just some simple stuff to point out. Stud the mains. Use a high pressure oil pump. Block the oil filter bypass. Get a bigger oil pan w/aftermarket windage tray. Clearance the bearings at 25 thousandths and use hardened bearings, like Federal Mogul. Don't use a cam with too much lift (probably no more than .550, better to go even lower if you want long life out of the valvetrain) or springs that are too heavy duty. I hate to recommend a Hot Cam, but if you intend to put a lot of miles on it and don't want to have to replace springs often, something small and low on the lift like that cam would be a good choice. The blower pushing 10 PSI can make up for not having the utmost cam IMO. I'd go with non self aligning rockers and guideplates over the S/A versions too. I'm no expert but this was the advice of an expert who helped build mine, it it's worked very well so far (except for cam, he wanted me to have the most power under the curve possible while being streetable ....I'm advising you to go more conservative on the lift and spring tension since you want to drive it a lot). Probably best to float the pins if you know someone who knows how to set it up properly. Use a steel oil pump shaft and make sure they don't overtighten it (trust me). There's something else concerning oiling but I'm forgetting ....ehhh, someone help me out here ...you should use the screw in type instead of the plug in type ....ehhh, can't remember right now. Lots of stuff to consider ....

The parts you mention are really good of couse, sounds like you should go with the O-pistons if that's an option. Of course, once you get all that together, make sure your tune is slightly rich and slightly low on timing. I would not use FMU but use 42# injectors and tune it conservatively. Good quality in tank pump is probably best, or an extra inline ..usually works fine. Good luck (with everything, not just the car)

 

That piston was going to be my choice, however at that kind of power level my engine builder suggested not using the 4032 -31cc extreme duty SRP, and going with the 2618 JE version of that piston. For only $150 more for 8 pistons it was a logical choice. I built a 383 with the 5.7" rods.

At the lower power level of 500 Hp that the original poster wants, the SRP's will be fine! Much over that and I was recommended the JE's. I ran some Speed Pro -22cc 4032 pistons to the power in my sig, but I wouldn't consider that spectacular The only thing wrong with that setup (stock crank and resized rods) was that I kept seeping coolant from the heads. I don't even want to know what kind of backpressure that Turbo Tech log header was handling with 18 psi of boost. In a blown application, it would have been fine.

Bill

 

I was looking for a set of the Ross tub-style dishes on their catalog, but I found nothing. I remember seeing these just short of a year ago; have they ceased stocking it? What I did find, however, was a small dish (in terms of volume) piston but they reduced the total compression height and sacrificed any squish area (piston is in the hole).

Does anyone stock a large (volume) tub dish, \"O-dish?\"

 

The only off-the-shelf pistons with a "O-shaped dish" (with adequate volume) I could find were Diamond.

11420 - B:4.030" CH:1.550" (3.48" stroke, 5.7" rod) V:-22cc W:539g
11423 - B:4.030" CH:1.250" (3.48" stroke, 6.0" rod) V:-22cc W:467g
11426 - B:4.030" CH:1.125" (3.75" stroke, 6.0" rod) V:-31cc W:417g
11435 - B:4.030" CH:1.062" (3.875" stroke, 6.0" rod) V:-34cc W:???g

They don't have anything off-the-shelf for a 3.75" stroke / 5.7" rod combo or a 3.875" / 5.85" rod combo.