Well I am planning a LT1 383 buildup to run with 8 psi boost. I was wondering if anyone has built a 383 recently and knows their total cost. I keep hearing good things about lingenfelter but when I went to the website I saw a number like 14,000 dollars!

I added things up on a txt doc to see what a piece-together price would be...

Bare block 200

machine work on block 500

heads complete lt1 trickflow
with titanium retainers
and locks, nice springs 1200

machine work on heads 800

stroker kit 1100

bolts and gaskets 300

computer reprogram 300

cam, lifters 400

fuel injectors 250
allready have AFPR
-----------------------------

5000 5500-6000realistic

plus supercharger:2000-3000

This is just the engine I am talking here. Not suspension mods that have to go with it etc. Just what it would take to get a nice 383 into the engine bay and have it running.

If there is a shop that builds good engines at reasonable prices then I want to know about them. If there is a cheaper way to build this same 383 then I want to know about it.


ok guys

 

I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but cheap isn't the way to go when it comes to an FI setup.

 

I totally agree, you don't wanna go cheap with a supercharger. Your assembly looks a lil on the cheap side also. I'm thinking you'll atleast need to go forged and that will run you at least 1600 for a decent set up.

 

i'm not jewing everything I am just looking for the cheapest way without being skimpy.

I did that with my other $11,000 worth of mods and if you knew all the performance parts I have for that money you would know what I mean. For what I have others might have spent $20,000.

That is the kind of thing I'm talking about.

Whats the cheapest route to go while not cutting corners. Simple.

For example when it comes down to it I need a forged crank and other tough parts for this rebuild. I'm not being "cheap" and going with a cast nodular hunk of tin. I'm tlaking cheapest without hurting anything...

 

you are forgetting a BIG part of it too... all the other stock parts that are needed. thats gonna cost you ALOT!! plus if you have an auto, you need a built tranny and a built rearend...sorry, but you have a lot more spending to do then you think

 

I AM TALKING ENGINE

I AM NOT TALKING SUSPENSION OR TRANSMITION

I am building up a T56 with duel mcleod and all the little bulletproof goodies.

I am never running slicks so I will take my chances with the 10bolt until I eat it just like my old transmission.

Stock parts? What? what stock parts?

There are also things I left out in my sig that are in my car.

I am looking for someone who knows what they are doing and has a 383 or knows of a nice shop to buy one from etc. Not advice on how to build my suspension or transmission to take power from it or about the cost of that stuff.

Although if anyone knows of a good place to buy a bulletproof t56 let me know

 

guideplates? rockers? rocker studs? water pump? opti? timing chain? timing cover? Canton oil pan? HV oil pump? TB? i could go on if you wanted?

maybe you have some of these and some of the other stuff, and if u do, then you're that much more ahead. But when building a motor, i dont know how many of you old stock parts you want to use. personally im using all NEW stock parts. so i dont know

and sorry but you FAILED to mention about your tranny, auto or m6...reason being i have a 383 shortblock at home and i have an auto..so a tranny for me is HUGE.


just trying to help, i guess that didnt work

 

thats right, I could use a 58 mm throttle body which is about $300, rockers I was going to do anyway but I guess I can add that into the cost. $200, I figured rocker studs ets into the heads price.

Believe me guys I know the small things add up. I thought I had spent about 4-6 thousand in mods and mod work on my car until I had some vandalism done to my car and after adding up all my receipts it equalled about ten thousand dollars instead.



SPEED COSTS MONEY HOW FAST DO YOU WANNA GO!!

 

What do you plan to do with the gobs of torque and hp the blown 383 may produce? If you can't get it to the ground what good is it? On the up side, with minimal traction the driveline might last a while, but your tire bill might be high.

 

Some people are like that weird... .

There's a med student that posts on our local board who bought Tony's (co-owner of LS1 tech.com) MTI built 427ci T/A. He sold the 12-bolt moser and put the 10-bolt back in. It's his money but why have a car like that and never be able to use it?

I guess high dyno #'s are cool. I could understand a 10-bolt if you road raced or autocrossed, because it doesn't put nearly as much strain on it as drag racing does.

 

As stated here before going cheap onthe shortblock for a car that plans on boost is not the way to go. Also the extra power will as said find your drivetrains weakspots very quickly , (just ask me about stock trannies behind 383s)

Anyway that being said I think you can be thrifty and still build a good bottom end, but the machining is where it will all come together.

I would shop and scrounge the markets for the best price on the stuff you want. Pistons are plenty just get what you need at the best price. Scat makes some very nice and affordable forged H beam rods (If I remember right they are like 319$ a set from northern).
The crank I think will depend on your power level, if you plan on putting enough power to the grond to stop the rotation of the earth , then you need not only a strong crank, but a well machined one.

I think you could spend a good 4 grand on the shortblock and be happy.

A couple of things to consider that could save you money as well. Clearance the block yourself for the stroke. Assemble the parts yourself (if youve done em several times before).
Get yourself a digital scales and a rod balancer and balance (get them all as close to the weight of the lightest one as you can) the pistons and rods yourself before you have the machineshop put the pistons on the rods and balance the crank.

Of course the machineshop will check your balance work when they balance the crank, but the less they have to do , the less you have to pay.

Now you have to spend your monry on the heads and valvetrain...

 

If you want cheap, why build a 383? A 355 would be cheaper to build and still make plenty of power. I started on my 383 thinking "Oh, it'll only cost X amount of dollars." Now it's more like 2X. If you're hellbent on having 383 cubes, then whatever, but if you're wanting to go el cheapo on this, 355 would make a LOT more sense.

As for parts...the little **** always adds up. I wouldn't waste your money on a 58mm throttle body if you're wanting to cut corners on this motor.

Don't forget about the fuel system either. I know you included injectors and AFPR, yadda yadda yadda, but running a stock pump w/ any kind of forced induction is nuts. Figure on at least a 255lph to start with.

 

thanks guys thats the kind of thing I wanted to hear. that is a good idea for the 383 but I dont see how one could be had for under $4000...

the 355 would be a good idea because it is possible that i could put more money into a insanely strong 355 and give it an assload of boost and tuning.


What doy ou guys think?

For someone looking to make a sick amount of power and not spend a sick amount of money but still spend a pretty penny...

would a 355 blown to the max be awesome? Would it make a substantial amout of HP less?

how much HP do you think a streetable 355 could put down?

ok guys I gotta run

 

I am in the middle of building my 383 right now and if you decide to go that route I wouldnt buy the kit I would piece one together yourself. It actually is quite a bit cheaperif your a good shopper. My rotating assemble consists of an eagle steel crank (rated to 500 hp), eagle 6" 5140 bushed I beams, keith Black pistons and moly rings and it was about $750. Most kits that have simular parts are around $1200-1500. I could have bought a forged crank and H-beams before I got to twelve hundred bucks and I have never seen a fully forged kit w/ H-beams for $1100-1200 bucks. I felt though with the 390-420 rwhp I plan on producing the parts I bought will work just fine. One note on kits that come pre-balanced they recommend having them re-balanced so dont waste your money if that is your deciding factor on going with a kit. Besides the eagle stuff comes in matched sets of +/- 2 grams so it costs less when you get it balanced anyways. Also if you buuild one I would go with 6" rods not only does it build more torque but it also puts less stress on your engine especially at high rpm's. If you decide to go the way I did give SECO performance a call at 1-800-633-3864. From them you can get the crank and rods like I did for $430 shipped. What they call there brand is actually eagle and those rods I got for $189 and they are the same one that are $319 in summit. Also I have seen keith Blacks last a whole season at 650 hp with a 200 shot for n2o so they will handle your motor just fine. When its all said and done my motor and trans is going to cost me right around $4000 (though I am getting a hell of a deal on the trans because I know the owner of the shop).

 

A place that is VERY fair on engine buildups is http://www.nu-tekmotorsports.com

They sell many "kits" for the LT1.