The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Original 283 or 350 swap?

Hello, first post to this forum, but have been following the threads for awhile. I'm in process of restoring my 66 c10 custom cab. This was my first vehicle as a highschooler, fixed it up with my father and grandfather. I'm doing my best to keep it original including repairing the dash and doors that I stupidly cut for a CD player and speakers when I was a kid and taking the interior back to fawn.

It is now time think engines, and I'm really torn on having the original 283 rebuilt or swapping with a 350. I understand the performance, parts and cost benefits of a 350, but am hesitant to swap after so much effort to keep it original.

Any advice or thoughts from the experts in this forum for a confused guy?

Absolutely keep the 283. A great engine. Plenty of parts and power. Especially if it's a "numbers matching" engine. Meaning that it's either THE original or the serial/casting numbers are 1966. If you decide to go 350, the 283 is valuable to the right person. So don't junk it. A 350 will not give enough more power to make it worth ruining an otherwise stock truck. If you were going BBC with all kinds of mods to the truck, then bye bye 283. Also a 350 after 1972 will be a much lower horse power due to Gov't required smog control legislation and could be a real gas hog. In the end it's your call, you sound like you already know the story.

File this under it's all good.

What's your plan for the truck? If it's not destined to pull/haul heavy loads on long hauls with the air conditioning running stick with the 283. But if your looking for more power the 350 will certainly fit the bill on a budget. No substitute for cubic inches.

And if the 283 is numbers matching keep it like Bartamos suggested. Even if you just keep it in the corner of the garage.

Hope that helps..

Appreciate the comments. It will just be a cruiser, no ac, no super long trips, so without a substantial benefit to swap to a 350, it may make more sense to rebuild my 283. Is there a resource out there to verify the casting numbers?

You need casting numbers on back of block, top side. AND serial number on machined stick-out pad, front, pass side at head/block join.
http://www.nastyz28.com/sbchevy/sblock.php or google mortec. Head cast numbers are under the valve covers.
The blurb on that site says matching means matches that vehicle. You can't "actually" be sure it was built with that exact motor, but you can see if engine components were built/cast in the same time frame as the truck. That's numbers matching. Another point they make, which I agree with, is numbers matching on a 66 pick up is only mildly important as compared to a super valuable muscle car, etc. But I would keep the 283. If it's numbers matching, all the better feeling. Post your numbers if you want help. Make sure you really check out a builder until you get a good feeling from him. It ain't cheap. You may find that the block or heads are beyond repair, in which case you will have to find "numbers matching" parts or just build with what you can find. So be advised that the goal for 100% numbers match could get scuttled. Put an aluminum modern intake on it, a four barrel and dual exhaust. Up's the performance greatly at small cost. Leave inside of motor stock. Do not run the new engine until you are sure gas tank and all lines are clean clean clean. This is all my opinion, not meant to be the absolute only way to do it.

Edelbrock makes an aluminum intake with the front oil fill tube so you can keep your 'Chevrolet' script valve covers. You could also find (lots of them out there for cheap) 4 barrel intake from a 327 with the fill tube. It's not hard to find one in either square or spread bore and will help keep a stock look. If you're rebuilding anyway an RV cam isn't a bad thing either.

3875954 is the intake casting # for a fill tube Quadrajet intake. They can be had for less than $100 easily and if I'm not mistaken used on '66 327's.

Thanks guys, for your advice.

Not even a close choice. The 350's are a dime a dozen, the 283's are becoming a rare breed. Rebuild the the 283..........

I vote for the 350. You can buy a brand new engine cheaper then rebuilding the 283. You can dress it up to look almost like the 283. The increase in driveability will be great.

A turn key 350 at Summit is $5070.00 shipped. If you don't want to participate in the rebuild and you don't care about nostalgia then maybe a crate engine with warranty is easy and safe. There are lower priced, less complete engines $1500 and up. Lot of risk in rebuilding, even a trusted guy someone tells you about can screw it up and then you have to take it back out and fight for him to fix. Summit or other GM crate supplier, no problem 99% of the time. So check your goals and your wallet and how much you can do yourself. You are not confused, this is a hard decision to make in your case. You can do a lot of the work, but having the original block tested and assembled by a pro and have the original heads tested and assembled by a pro would be a way to go also.

I've got a used 350 in my 64, runs great-I bought a running wrecked truck for $400. They wreck one every day.