The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Old 283 or go crate for 300hp???????

I have a 51 3100 that I am trying to decide on an engine. I have an early 60's 283 that is rebuildable. Is this engine capable of anything besides a trip to the post office? I have heard that with a little love- it can come close to the mid 60's 327. I am looking for near, if not 300hp- but a daily driver also. Should I scrap the engine and get a crate- or give it a go with someones good advice and direction?????

My experience with 283s is limited, however, my uncle used to have a '57 Bel Air with a 283 and 2-speed powerglide, every time I drove it I was impressed by the power available, even in that heavy car. The PG was a bit strange though - you would rev way up, then drop way down when it shifted.

283 is a good engine but is not an inexpensive rebuild--cost can be similar to inlines. Probably why folks go to 350/350 swaps.

A 292 produces as much power, and more low end torque as the 283. But the 283 probably has more "naturally aspirated" potential.

-ftyler

For a street V8, the most you can hope for is 1.2 HP per cubic inch. That means that a 283 could make a maximum of 339 HP if you got the combination perfect.

chip

Chiphead,

So that's it. No wonder 300 HP 350s are so easy to build! And they're CHEAP too!

The 1.2 HP per CID assumes a V8 with greater than 9:1 compression and proper selection of fuel, carburation, valvetrain, heads, ign, and exhaust systems. I've got a Pontiac 400 squirreled away for a 1.2 HP per CID project. Bored .030" will give 406 CID. You do the math.
*evil laughter*

chip

Check out this '67

http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/cooley_craig_1967_01.htm

A built 283 and the owner says it runs 13.80 in the quarter. Sounds impressive to me.

No wonder I find it fun to drive my wife's 1.8L New Beetle Turbo with 150hp (the new model has 180 hp) with far better than 1.2hp per cubic inch displacement (I think). I got no problem with speed and power; in fact, I loves it.

However, I like driving a stovebolt because it is a stovebolt. Yes, I do like driving my '54 with a modestly enhanced 261 (but it still has ancestral resemblance - it's ontogeny recapitulates its phylogeny).

Nonetheless, I like reading these discussions about Frankenstein monsters.

(What do you think, will this inappropriate statement get a rise out of a few people?)

Tim

I'll find out in a few weeks how close to the 300 hp rating I came to with the 283 I warmed over a tad in this 50 Willys Jeepster I'm building for my Dad to putt around in. The 283 is bored .030 over, has a 10/10 crankshaft, true double roller timing chain, high volume oil pump, Comp Cam with 480 lift,194 Fulie heads, Polished Aluminum dual plane intake, 650 double pumper and a Recurved HEI Distributor. It sounds Sweet!!!

Joe

13.8s with a 283 pushing heavy c20 longbed 4x4..??? Very hard for me to believe, but impressive if true.

-ftyler

Well he did say it took a lot of tuning and it was on slicks to run 13.80.

He also said it wasn;t a highly streetable engine.

HOTROD Magazine had a "modern 283" recipe in the august '02 issue. They suggested vortec heads and super victor intake and also said it would be a high rpm motor(475hp @ 8000). Magazine also listed part numbers. My guess is this would cost pretty close the same as rebuild of any inline motor but would be different.

Sweet!!! I'll try to get me a copy of that issue. I'm glad to hear its not crazy.

They made those spring cars run like scalded dogs well into the 70s!