So I need to quit buying engines and commit to a plan. I'm putting a 283 in my '35 Ford 3 window backed by a T10 4speed and a 9" with a TrueTrac. I haven't ordered gears yet but I'm thinking 4.11 or 4.56. 16x7.00 in the rear. I want the motor to look early, no 305 heads, vortecs, etc. I have the following items/parts -A mid 60's 283 with 520 heads, supposed to be .030 over with valve trouble. It's my mock up motor, have not opened it. -A '59 283, 519 block, 549 heads, staggered bolt valve covers. .040 over, might need a bore, valves sunken. It was a 185 horse motor that someone put a 4 barrel and a solid lifter cam in. -Another 519 block 283 bored to 301, pistons stuck. Who knows about bore pitting... -A 327 with 461 camel humps. .060 over and sunken .194s -A couple of 350s, not using them for this car. -A four deuce Offy with 4 Holley 94s. -Another set of 520 powerpacks on a 327 in another car that runs. They were rebuilt for unleaded in the 90's. I'd probably have to rebuild the camel humps and swap them over to get these heads for this project. The intake and the staggered bolt 'Vette valve covers look so right that they are giving me direction. Are the low compression 549 heads worth messing with? Changing to .184 intakes and using domed pistons? 58/59 heads have the unique bosses on the ends for air ride that are kinda cool plus the staggered bolt pattern for my valve covers. I don't want to pay an arm and a leg and fight 'Vette guys for the same vintage power pack heads.... Could I braze a boss on my later 520 heads for the early valve cover bolts? What kind of compression can I run on 91 octane? I want a 292 or a 301 with early heads and a solid lifter cam. Any thoughts?
Thank god, someone with a brain I'm more of a 327 guy but my second car in high school was a 57 BelAir, stock 283 out of a 64 and a T-10 with 4.11's, never did much more than headers and a 600 Holley adapted to the original 4 bbl intake, ran ok but my buddy had a "real deal" 283/270 hp, also a T-10 and 4.11's in his 210 wagon, that heavy 57 wagon would run from me and laugh. With the cosmetics you propose, that should look like it belongs in there and run too. I understand your attraction to the staggered valve covers but predict one guy out of ten would even notice if you took the easy way out and used the later 283/327 power pack heads/rocker covers with the inline bolts. Also, if your plan is to use the later in line finned Corvette rocker covers, try and find the early production version that does not have the casting part line running down through the one "O", should achieve the early look. On the other hand......about that 327.
My thoughts are what are your plans for use? Lots of highway miles or short hops around town. I build engines designed to fit how I plan to use the car.
I want a pretty car that makes noise and wears out the rear tires. I might drive it across town to work on sunny days. I’ve got the family cars for road trips.. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
DDDenny, the original plan was dual quad 327 but the 4 deuce Offy showed up and it whispered 283 in my ear. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
292 zero deck with flat tops and a 283 bore specific head gasket of the appropriate thickness (.035 MLS or SCE shim) - get the compression as high as you can, even with the inefficient chambers detonation wont be a problem with the small bore and flat tops - the small bore also means the pistons will rock less, so you can tighten up the quench - either the 520 heads cut down, or a set of 1.94 fuelies (if the exhaust valves are sunk then opening to 1.60s are fine, stay away from 2.02 intake unless doing a 301) with that tranny and those gears, i'd run a 30-30 cam the 283+.030 in my avatar ran NOS 2275 pop up TRWs and 462 fuelies with .030 cut off and a .015 steel shim gasket - 12.5:1 - with an old TRW TP-112 cam that was approx 280/450 - sounded and went like a raped ape
Are the 3755549 heads a lost cause? I’m geeking out on the 58-59 casting marks.... What kind of compression can I get away with on 91 octane? More pics: Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Build the 327 short block, and throw the Power Pack heads on it. Although I like the smaller 265/283 engines, if I had a 327 to work with also (and I do-several of them), that's what I'd use. E-Bay for parts; can't beat the prices. JMO. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Pictured is a 69 327. I freshened up a bone stock short block, just new rings and bearings. A 30-30 cam and a set of extensively reworked 57 heads. old Edelbrock C4B intake. I used those heads because they where on the very first 55 chevy I owned. And I also wanted to use the stagger bolt finned valve covers I had bought new back in the day. I also have a stock two four intake and a set of corvette valve covers I could useon it. Back in the day I ran a lot of 292's (a .060 over 283) usually with a 411 rear gear. I often used the 350 _350 Hp hydraulic cam in them. A shorter stroke engine with a 350 cam the cam has more effective duration.
CCed 60 cc on all chambers. port matched and ported. larger intake valves . three angle valve job. They came on the first 55 I ever owned. It was a 265 bored to a stock 283. Flat top pistons without any valve reliefs. Solid lifter cam. Topped by a cast iron 300 hp 327 intake and carter AFB carb. Had the larger 300 hp Ram log manifolds and 2&1/2 exhaust run thru glass packs. Tracton bars and 370 rear gears . stock three speed with floor shift. I blew a piston nothing but the bent rod and piston pin in the destroyed cyl.
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