I’m getting a 383 stroker the end of September!!! HA ha ha.

[SPANISHVETTS]

I just got off of the phone with Frankie; he has built a 383 that is destined to a life in my ´90. She is another torque monster. The HP is only 465 at the crank but it comes on at low RPMs. Redline is 6200. Torque is over 450 and almost flat from 2500 to redline. Thank god we put a Dyna 44 rear in when we went to the 3.07s otherwise I would be up for a new 3rd member as well.

If all goes well we will drop it in the last week of September, it will be ¨run-in¨, so we can haul A$$ back across Europe. There should be some fun road-kills to talk about when we get home.

Best part of it is the whole deal is costing less than 3K plus my 15000mi,330+HP 350 he built for me last year.

Do you think I should pre-warn Dunlop about the rapid tread ware of the rear tires?

BTW this officially ends my hunt for a ZR-1, I just can’t find one in Europe that I can justify buying, even a ragged-out King goes for 25K.

 

[Ken]

I just found this post. Congratulations Spanish, keep us informed of course.

 

[Hrtbeat1]

Wooo Hoooo Spanish

Are you staying injected or are you carbing out on us?

 

[Edmond]

I've always been fascinated by the 383 stroker motors. I hope to have one myself one day. Congrats and I hope you kicks some serious tail in that bad boy!

 

[69MyWay]

Excellent!

I have a 383 for my latest C4 project. I built it in 94 and had it in the same 85 vette with auto and 3.08 gears. Mine is a early 70s 350 four bolt with a 400 crank and new GM pink rods. The block was notched for clearance, and the rest just dropped into place.

It would run the 1/8 on street tires in the low 7s! However, it choked in the 1/4 because it has always had the stock L98 intake on top.

To make this run, you gotta ditch the intake and go for something that will let the cubes breath.

 

[Edmond]

To make this run, you gotta ditch the intake and go for something that will let the cubes breath.

Are going to go the Mini Ram route again Chris?

 

[69MyWay]

Are going to go the Mini Ram route again Chris?

nope..too much money for my budget.

I am doing the www.lt1intake.com conversion.

Picked up the intake last night.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

I was planning on using the TPIS large tube runners and big mouth base with a 52 mm TB that are on the current L98. The plenum has been cleaned up and every thing is ported and polished to the max. I know that there is no way the 383 can suck enough air through those long tubes to reach its potential however I love low end torque, never get to Drag, (no strips around here), and need to stay as stock looking as possible.

In Spain you can not even change the size of you tires without government permission. Any change to the drive-train is cause for a new $1800 homologation (Euro word for rip-off) I found out about this the hard way when I dropped a SBC in my TLC rock climber. :nono

69MyWay, please keep me posted on the LT-1 intake. I could probably get away with it since there are a few LT-1s around Spain. I am really interested in how much low-end torque it gives up. I have a 2200 stall converter with 3:07 rear and really do not want to change. I do a lot of high speed driving and want to keep the RPM´s below 3500 at 100MPH.

The plan is to drive to Germany the last week in September, swap engines and party with Frankie, he is a mad man, and then take a swing through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and then back to Frankie’s to check out the installation and make what ever tweaks are needed.

There is a road down the East side of Slovakia that you will not believe. It is wide, smooth, and winds through midi-size Mountains. If you do manage to get a ticket the fine is less than $10 and does not go on any record. The last time I drove it was in the ´93. It was so much fun that we did a U-turn after 2 hours and did it again.

In the valley at the bottom of the road sits the largest Slovakian Air Force base. We found the local Fighter Pilot hang out and went in for a few beers and meet the Mig 29 drivers. The Colonel, who had served most of his time under the Russian Regime and I hit it off well. I let him take the Vette for a long drive through the mountains.

He insisted that we stay the night so that we could go on Base the next morning. We got a tour of the Flight line, Airplanes, Maintenance hangers, etc., and then I did some burnouts on the runway with most of the Slovakian Air Force watching.

When I told the Colonel that lots of US Fighter jocks drive Vettes he just shook his head and said, ¨Man am I glad we never had to go up against you, you people have so much more to go home to than we do, you would out fight us even if the odds were stacked 10 to 1.¨

He and I became great friends and he introduced me to a lot of interesting people including the retired Commanding General of the Polish Air Force.

All of this because of a Corvette!!! If I had been driving the BMW 850 I would have been treated like another ¨rich-westerner¨ looking for cheap thrills.

Sorry to ramble on, just great memories and bigger plans for the future.

 

[69MyWay]

Well, we will be running almost the same drivetrain. I am sitting on 3.07 or 3.08...I can't remember...not like .01 makes a difference....and a 2500 stall converter from B&M.

If done right...the LT1 conversion could look like a factory install. I am thinking about installing the coolant bypass connetion that is found on all late to early 90 full size chevy trucks on the back of the intake for the main coolant lines...only adding two.

I will document my progress when I start, so there will be photos of what I am talking about.

There are NO roads around here I feel safe doing 5 over! I would love to hit it rich, travel over there with my 69, and tour the country side with you...and meet up with some of your buddies along the way.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

69, you’re a lot richer than me…I just saw on another thread that there is a little MyWay on the way.

Congratulations to you and Mrs. MyWay!!!! The Dog’s ears are going to get some serious pulling in a couple of years.

 

[Piet]

Chris... is this LT1 conversion going to work with the Crossover HEI distributor that you are planning to use? (or are you still planning too?)

 

[69MyWay]

Chris... is this LT1 conversion going to work with the Crossover HEI distributor that you are planning to use? (or are you still planning too?)

nope, the Lt1 conversion requires the use of the small bodied distributor....so, no cross fire cap!

 

[Piet]

Pitty... it was a cool look cap.... but I like the lt1 conversion better....
Ya gotta post pictures the conversion... too cool.

 

[UB2 SLOW]

Congrats Man!!! I am stilling toying with the idea of going for a 396 from Moore Perfromance. I should be leaving lovely Baghdad next month or in Oct. If I hit Rota, I will look you up!!.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Stock TPI

Frankie needed my TB, TPIS bigmouth base plate and runners to match up to the 383 so I bolted the stock setup back on and sent the TPIS to him.

My god what a difference. I got passed by a diesel powered Ford Escort!!! You do not notice going up as much as you do coming down. It feels like somebody stuck a cork up its butt. If TPIS wanted to sell lots of intakes all they would have to do is install one for a day and then take it away.

This makes me think that the only limiting factor of the L98 is Air Flow. Maybe with stock heads and cam the difference would not be as noticeable.

Oh well, everything has its price….at least I can still drive the Vette while waiting for the new engine.

 

[69MyWay]

Yep...the intake will make or break the L98. Been there, done that!

I got my 383 in the 85, less the intake as I am waiting on my welding buddy to build the fuel rails. I have been tempted to bolt down the L98 intake so I can at least start it up and see if the engine is even going to run....but, that is a lot of time and trouble assembling the L98 runners, etc.....so, I am just waiting.

I know you have a few extra hours in there after pulling and reassembling....

But...it is afterall fun!

 

[steve1ph]

specs

sounds good. if you know the spec`s of the engine will you post them. parts ect.....

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Frankie is more secretive than a Mason.

I do know that he only uses GM parts inside the block. So everything came from the GM performance catalogue. He does all of the machine work himself. (He has a complete CNC machine shop.)

Franki Splays the bolts on the main bearing caps and uses high-volume NOT high-pressure oil pumps on all of his engines. This will be my 3rd ¨Frankie engine¨ So far I have never had a problem with one. The one in the TLC Rock Climber has 30K miles now with oil and filter changes only. It is still as clean as the day we dropped it in.;worship

Due to changes in the racing season the install date has been put off a few weeks. Remember the Ketchup commercial? ANTICIPATION, its killing me.

 

[Moonunit 451]

Hey, SPANISHVETTS, just found this post. I've been spending all my time in the parts forum. I might just beat ya gettin' my 383 in, who knows. Here it is.

Man, I've had to grow up pretty damn fast in this vette world, only had my car just over a year now, and it's come to all this

Man, I know you gotta be doing tons of reading, but do you know what cam is going in your motor? From everyting I've been able to determine, that is a key factor in choosing your itake, so it would seem like you'd want to cam to the intake. I don't know much at all here, but this is what was suggested to me. ZZ409, or ZZX to give the low end torque you'll want to get that bad boy running hot through out the R's.

Those were suggested to me when I was still considering using the LT1 conversion or the MR. I have since decided to stay with the highly touted 219 cam and SR combo, heading for the 12 Sec. club. We'll see. Good luck to you, and send me some too. I'm do

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Hi Moon,

The cam has a profile close to the ZZ409 and is pushing the valves around via 1.5:1 true roller rockers.

I wish I could make my motor as pretty as yours but I have to keep it ¨stock¨ looking to get it past the Spanish inspection Nazis. (The 1.5:1 rollers fit under the stock valve covers and the TPIS big tubes don’t look that different unless you are looking at them side by side a stock TPI. Since there are only 5 L98´s registered in this province and there are 62 inspection stations the odds of 2 of us being at the same one at the same time is rather quantum.)

I’ll send you some of the luck the team is enjoying. They kicked butt again last weekend. To keep me from repeating myself read the results at www.racing-engineering.com . :Roll

I am throwing a Sushi party tonight to say thanks for the hard work to the kids that worked through the summer with me. If you really need a shot of luck eat some raw fish at 2300 hrs GMT and chant ¨SPEEDKARTS, SPEEDKARTS, SPEEDKARTS¨ :booty

Unless the FIA sees fit to change the racing schedule yet again I will do the engine swap the middle of October. From the other post on the subject a month delay on a 383 project could be a record low!!!!