Here is some facts to ponder. Hot rods are expensive either in real money, labor and education . The less money you put into them means the more labor you have to do. It also means the more education you need to get. Some will tell you because they spent a lot of money, you need to do the same, but in spec is in spec. So if you have a lot of money, you can use someone else's labor and education. The problem here is when you trust your hard earned money with someone who does poor work and knows less about the engine than you do. Yet they have the shingle hanging over the Shop door. Make sure who you use is a true automotive machinist. That takes research. Educate yourself. Know the engine. It's possible it does not need building at all. If it does confirm it with your inspection. I dislike waste, why replace what does not need replaced? I have seen some funny stuff come out of a machine shop, main bearings finger tight, 7 forged pistons one cast. 7 standard, 1 .030 over bore, 70s low comp head one side, 60s hi comp head the other. Seen firsthand, some "factory" crate engines that were crap out of the crate. As far as bolt it together and pray. If you do your home work, the engine was in good shape to begin with and everything checks out, you'll know it will be good. So the less you spend means the more you will have to do. Buy some books, educate yourself.
Yea, Candy Barr's a cutie, but let's get back on topic. I've sorta been in your shoes and the best advise I can give is..... wait for it.... keep your wallet on a leash and your MIND and EARS open. Scour the want ads and shop around for the shop, or individual, that will work within the price range you have. If you're a "noobie" to all this engine stuff, ask the folks on this site for advice, BEFORE you drop a dime. A lot of guys will look in a catalog and buy a bunch of crap and 2 days later, the HAMB has a thread like, "How come this THING won't work the way I want it to?" Don't be that guy. He's broke and his car STILL won't run. So, get your ducks in a row. SEARCH out the ECONOMICAL solution to getting that 283 purring like a kitten. As stated, a 283 has a lot of street cred, but you have to do it right. Now..... here's Candy's happy dance. Purrrrrrrrrring like a kitten. Did this thread get side tracked? NO WAY! But we will expect an update to see what you come up with and how things go.
That was my inclination to begin with. I have a 14yr old son that I want to include in the project. The more work I do the more confidence I gain in the engine. There are several disreputable machine shops in Chatt town. My buddy has dropped off blocks he didn't get back cuz they were switched (he marked them) or get back damaged blocks and heads (broken studs) etc. The BBB is a bad joke at best so I will be asking around. The idea is for them to touch my junk as little as possible. Thanks for your input.
You got it Tfeverfred (soons I get my medical release) and thanks for the interlewd. That is one very healthy female.
I'm still watching this thread. Another thing to consider is that 283's come up cheap or free from time to time in the buddy network or on C/L. Everybody wants a 350 I swear, so the early motors are nearly unwanted by most. If yours checks out in need of lots of work, keep an eye out for another. The one my son and I rebuilt was typical situation. Guy pulled it in favor of a 350 although it ran fine. Couldn't sell it and had to get it out of his buddy's shop, finally called me and said come and get it or it's going to scrap. Doing it that way allowed us to go through it before tearing apart my son's car. The one that was in it we refer to as Smokey Joe. It was BAAADDD, like a quart of oil every 50-60 miles and not leaking. Now that one is set aside, knowing that it runs and had decent oil pressure, b ut is surely in need of rings. Devin
After the advent of PCV systems in '63 and the use of Moly faced rings, oil control was greatly increased and cylinder wear was greatly reduced. My point is, a new rebuild will be be better and give longer service than original because of current machining practices. i.e. boring and honing with deck plates. As far as reconditioning rods go , I found buying new aftermarket pieces were a better value for not much more money.
The above is spot-on advice. I rebuilt my 283 thinking all was well and it was not. Tore the engine out of the car, got myself educated, and spent over twice what I should have. It sure works well now however.
The Jalopy Journal
