283 sbc in a square body?

[dmartin1]

Id love to have a cheap/free 283.
i too, think that the 283 is a great motor.
i remember as a junior in highschool my auto shop teacher did a 283 build for his 1954 chevy truck restoration.some top end goodies flat topsand a complete rebuild that little motor could put some spanking on other cars.

to me as m opinion i like the 283 as well as the 327.

[Pyrotechnic]

Originally Posted by 85Bowtie

Read what I bolded, italicized and underlined in your quote....I've yet to see any engine with 2.4 gears and a tight converter run worth a crap where a looser converter/lower gear set wouldn't help out. The point you made yourself in your own post....that after I stated 283's as...basically pigs....that a 454 has more "room for error" than a 283, which is what the OP is interested in. It also sounded like he might have been interested in mods. That's when I mentioned they probably wouldn't be worth his while...

Anyway, I'm always up for talking engines...when they are engines worth talking about. And a 283 has never violated me in any way...I could counter and ask what a 283 has ever done that's so spectacular that a 454, 427, 396, 350 etc couldn't do? Either way, just offering some advice to the OP. He doesn't have to take it. I would be interested in how he likes the mods on his 283 once he sinks a couple $100 into it.

Come on man, you sound just like a lot of Ford guys I've met that try to get under my skin. Were on the same team here!

All joking aside, were talking 73-87 trucks here. I don't think any of these trucks ever came with a 2.40...maybe a car but not a truck. Most of these trucks came with 3.08 gears as the highway friendly option. You can try to take things to extremes, but you're not really making a good point or disproving anything I've said.

Besides, a disappointing and pleasing driving experience is all in the eye of the beholder. You may not like an engine unless it's the biggest dog of the pack, and you're 100% entitled to that.

Me, I think 283 cubes at 7500 RPM pushing a 4.11 gear sounding off through some long tube headers a pair of Flowmaster 10's would be pretty damn cool. Yeah, maybe I couldn't beat every car that rolled up next to me at a stop light, but who cares? Hot rodding is about building what makes you happy, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

The OP obviously posted this because he was interested in building up a hopped up vintage 283...one that was free...not a pro stock truck. I gave my advice which I felt was positive and helpful to him, and I've defended it with what I believe is true. My work is done here, those who are reading can sort out this mess.

[68chevyfuelie]

I know we're talking '73-87 trucks...but I'm interested in this. I'm looking at doing this with my '68 GMC this summer. I plan to build up a 283 for him, I have heard so many vintage stories of how much fun a 283 is to drive, how nice they rev, all good things. I argue with friends all the time who want me to build a 350 instead.

I'm starting off with a truck that will weigh around 3500#'s, give or take. Shortbox, 2wd, standard. A '67-69 Camaro would weigh around the same, give or take. 1st Gen Camaros dominated with the 302 mills back in the day. Why? Quick revving, HIGH revving motors.

I also argue all the time with people about rearend gearing. I've heard over and over again about people going from 3.73's to 3.08s, and getting worse fuel economy. If small blocks are designed to spin, why build a vehicle to operate at 1800-2200 rpm? Let 'em spin and cruise, it won't hurt them.

I met a guy this summer who bought a 302 crank from a buddy of mine. He was stuffing it in a 265, to destroke it to be a 230 somehow. He was planning on putting it in his '78 Chev 1/2 ton, for fuel economy. I thought that was going a little far, I think he would have been better building up a 250 straight 6. But interesting theory anyway.

Like others said, it's your truck. A free 283 is a great deal. Build it, try it, have fun with it.

[VDOG]

Its a few post on 283's that seem to cause quite a stir. Like one said eariler, build what you want to make yourself happy.

My truck came with a tired 307 and I installed a slighty built 283 with an Isky Megacam 270. Well in the Chevelle with a 3spd manual trans, it ran amazing, in my truck it was ok. I had (and still do) 3:08's in the rear, I added headers, HEI, and Edelbrock carb, Weiand Intake, which woke it up. I've towed, haul and pushed with this engine and it never failed me. Off the line, had very little tork, but I also had a kickdown issue that I could never get right so some burnouts were amazing and others were not at all.

I was not going to change this engine until I finished my truck, to me engines were a dime a dozen, so that would be the last decision I was going to make until I had an exhaust leak that nobody could find, which made me swap it for a 91 305 TPI out of an IROC. Im very pleased with the 305 as it runs very well and I can go anywhere. You can install whatever you want on the 283 and use some of the same parts for your 350 later on if you choose to.

Bottom line, build what you want.