Thoughts on street engine.

[Bad B-rad]

For a 2nd gen Charger running 727 trans and 3.23 sure grip,what engine would you run. Goal being to be able to daily drive the car, (around town,nice country back roads, and long highway trips,you know drive like a car should)so it must be reliable(most Mopar engines are)and reasonable MPG, AND at least hold it's own if lined up at a stoplight vs  any one within reason,(not gonna be racing many Vipers or Vettes, or Hellcats, so like Camero's Mustangs, maybe other Muscle cars)
Engine options are Mild 383,(stock magnum motor,with maybe a bump up in camshaft,and 440 stealth heads,carb and headers,with duel x-pipe exhaust.
OR STOCK 6.1 HEMI, with mild cam, and same duel X-pipe exhaust. I am undecided if the 6.1 would be carb or FI.(I know what is required to put the 6.1 in an older Mopar, lets just put that all aside and just talk about the two motors in the same car with the same trans and gears). If those were your two choices what would you run and why? And on the 6.1 would you go carb or keep the FI. (I would have to get some black wrinkle valve covers, and hide the coils like the INDY engines so it kinds LOOKS old school) 
I have had 383 engines before and they run great, would the 6.1 be faster? Would it get better MPG?
I know stock, on paper the 6.1 has more HP and they are close or equal in PEAK torque numbers, but in rear world stop light drags,how would the two engines behave? 
For all the cost/trouble of slapping in a 6.1 Hemi, I would hope it would be a better engine choice, but I think the 383 may just put out more torque and therefore run a little better on the street.
That's the question I would like feedback on. What would you run given only those two options and how would they preform?
Thanks in advance for advice and opinion's.

[Mike DC]

 
You can't go wrong with a mildly hopped-up 383.  It makes a ton of usable torque for the displacement. 

[Bad B-rad]

I agree, I am a HUGE 383 fan, they are great engines, I have never owned a 6.1 Hemi, I have owned three 5.7 hemi motors, two in cars and one truck,so I am very curious to know what would be a better daily street engine with a 3 speed auto, the 383 or the 6.1?

[c00nhunterjoe]

A mild 383 will not hold its own against anything within reason today. A mild 440 has a hard time doing that anymore from a stop light given your 3.23 stipulation.
   Fuel economy? From a big block? Seriously? What are you expecting cause reality will be 10-13 mpg if you baby it. If you wanted fuel economy then you shouldnt be looking for a 2 ton car with a big block.
  A mild 383 will end up in the 350 flywheel hp and a mild 440 will be in the 400 hp range. In a w ton car, you will be eaten alive by 305 camaros and 302 mustangs. A mild 440 charger might run mid to low 13s with 3.23s in it while most fox body (87-93) mustangs are deep into the 11s with just a few bolt ons.
  If you want raw power with 3.23s and a mild mannered cam, then we are right back to where we have all told you on the last topics you poster  of a stroker motor.
  A mild 383 built to the "magnum" specs you have been describing with 3.23s will get you a mid to low 14 second charger. Period.
    A properly built, high compression 383 with aluminum heads, big cam, a loose converter and 4.56s will be in the 11s and be able to compete light to light with camaros and mustangs as stated in the origonal post but will not meet your criteria.

[Bad B-rad]

A mild 383 will not hold its own against anything within reason today. A mild 440 has a hard time doing that anymore from a stop light given your 3.23 stipulation.
    Fuel economy? From a big block? Seriously? What are you expecting cause reality will be 10-13 mpg if you baby it. If you wanted fuel economy then you shouldnt be looking for a 2 ton car with a big block.
   A mild 383 will end up in the 350 flywheel hp and a mild 440 will be in the 400 hp range. In a w ton car, you will be eaten alive by 305 camaros and 302 mustangs. A mild 440 charger might run mid to low 13s with 3.23s in it while most fox body (87-93) mustangs are deep into the 11s with just a few bolt ons.
   If you want raw power with 3.23s and a mild mannered cam, then we are right back to where we have all told you on the last topics you poster  of a stroker motor.
   A mild 383 built to the "magnum" specs you have been describing with 3.23s will get you a mid to low 14 second charger. Period.
    A properly built, high compression 383 with aluminum heads, big cam, a loose converter and 4.56s will be in the 11s and be able to compete light to light with camaros and mustangs as stated in the origonal post but will not meet your criteria.

Why is it some guy just like to argue about everthing and prove how big their cock is?
I have had many Mopar big block b-bodies and a few a bodies(small block)  and one e-body. If I only want fuel economy I will drive my 2016 Charger R/T(18-19 mpg and 370hp)
I have had monster 440's my last 66 Charger had built 440 ,

[Mike DC]

  
I call a mildly hopped-up 383 a good motor because it's fun to drive.  

I think of competing with other cars as mostly a different topic.  "Fast according to a time clock" and "fun to drive" are two different things.  Minivans and FWD sedans are getting pretty fast these days, but they aren't fun to drive.

[c00nhunterjoe]

A mild 383 will not hold its own against anything within reason today. A mild 440 has a hard time doing that anymore from a stop light given your 3.23 stipulation.
   Fuel economy? From a big block? Seriously? What are you expecting cause reality will be 10-13 mpg if you baby it. If you wanted fuel economy then you shouldnt be looking for a 2 ton car with a big block.
  A mild 383 will end up in the 350 flywheel hp and a mild 440 will be in the 400 hp range. In a w ton car, you will be eaten alive by 305 camaros and 302 mustangs. A mild 440 charger might run mid to low 13s with 3.23s in it while most fox body (87-93) mustangs are deep into the 11s with just a few bolt ons.
  If you want raw power with 3.23s and a mild mannered cam, then we are right back to where we have all told you on the last topics you poster  of a stroker motor.
  A mild 383 built to the "magnum" specs you have been describing with 3.23s will get you a mid to low 14 second charger. Period.
   A properly built, high compression 383 with aluminum heads, big cam, a loose converter and 4.56s will be in the 11s and be able to compete light to light with camaros and mustangs as stated in the origonal post but will not meet your criteria.

Why is it some guy just like to argue about everthing and prove how big their cock is?
I have had many Mopar big block b-bodies and a few a bodies(small block)  and one e-body. If I only want fuel economy I will drive my 2016 Charger R/T(18-19 mpg and 370hp)
I have had monster 440's my last 66 Charger had built 440 ,

I have nothing to prove and your comments about my "member" are rude, irrelevant and out of line. You should be reported and reprimanded at minimum for that comment.

YOUR 1st post said it had to have  REASONABLE FUEL ECONOMY, and be able to HOLD ITS OWN AGAINST MUSTANGS CAMAROS AND OTHER MUSCLE CARS. Those were your words, not mine. A 383 BUILT TO MAGNUM SPECS, also your words, will NOT do that. Period. No matter what heads you drop on it afterwords. If you are an expert as you are stating, then what are you asking, besides the size of my genitals?

Edit- fwiw, and really not worth crap to you, but i am also a huge fan of 383s. My last one ran quite well and i have 3 more in the shed ready to go. What does that prove? Nothing.

[Bad B-rad]

report what ever you want, that got sent before I finished it all. It went on to say that I think you  know a thing or two about these cars and I can learn from you but for some reason you come across abrasive toward me. I am no idiot, I have ,have many big block chargers  and few dusters and a challenger, I don't post on here to argue, I do it to learn. How do I learn by asking questions. And maybe its me maybe I read something and I took it the wrong way. I am man enough to admit that. But if I don't like what someone  writes I don't feel the need to talk down to them, I just move on. Maybe it's that time of the month for me and I just took it the wrong way. But it kind of sounded that way about busting chops about fuel economy and "we are right back were we all told you before"
Du? a 69 big block fuel economy. I would guess that most people would know I mean in the scope of 69 big blocks not 2016 Hondas.
So sorry if my questions bug you but what is great about the USA is you don't have to like me and I don't have to like you.
But I want to learn and I will continue to ask for advice and questions in the quest to gain info. There is more then one way to get what we want out of these car's and we all don't have to have strokers. If I stroke a 383 then I lose what I like about it the short stroke. So I am not sure a stroked 383 is for me. IMO why stroke a 383 when they make 440's. If I want cubes then I can stroke a 440. So there is more then one way to get engines to produce.

[Bad B-rad]

 
I call a mildly hopped-up 383 a good motor because it's fun to drive. 

I think of competing with other cars as mostly a different topic.  "Fast according to a time clock" and "fun to drive" are two different things.  Minivans and FWD sedans are getting pretty fast these days, but they aren't fun to drive.

I agree. But it sucks to take out your Charger and get beat in an acceleration contest by a mini-van ya know. We all love these cars, and we all or most of us want then to preform very well, I mean we drive CHARGERS right. And they can't loose.
Or we/I don't want to.
If my 69 was as fast or faster then my 2016 R/T that would be a great starting point. If I built an engine and the first few times I had it out It was to that standard I would be happy to improve upon that.
I am not an expert or rich, just a heavy equipment mechanic with wife two kids, house and the same bills as everyone else, and a life long passion for Mopar muscle.So I can't afford to build ten engines and pick the one that suits me best. I can only ask questions and go off what I have had in the past and what other people say/advise. For me a 4.56 rear end car is not streetable, or fun for any long drive at or above 55mph. Maybe 4.56 work for you,thats fine. I have never had a 6.1.
You know how there is more then one way to skin a cat, same thing with engine building. Many ways to get what we want out of these cars.I am trying to find out what would be best for me. At this point on this build.
And I want to drive my car, that's how I enjoy it the most,driving.
I hope some of you maybe have a 6.1 and can say how it runs in your car, that may also not be right for me at this time with this build. But only one way to find out.

[c00nhunterjoe]

report what ever you want, that got sent before I finished it all. It went on to say that I think you  know a thing or two about these cars and I can learn from you but for some reason you come across abrasive toward me. I am no idiot, I have ,have many big block chargers  and few dusters and a challenger, I don't post on here to argue, I do it to learn. How do I learn by asking questions. And maybe its me maybe I read something and I took it the wrong way. I am man enough to admit that. But if I don't like what someone  writes I don't feel the need to talk down to them, I just move on. Maybe it's that time of the month for me and I just took it the wrong way. But it kind of sounded that way about busting chops about fuel economy and "we are right back were we all told you before"
Du? a 69 big block fuel economy. I would guess that most people would know I mean in the scope of 69 big blocks not 2016 Hondas.
So sorry if my questions bug you but what is great about the USA is you don't have to like me and I don't have to like you.
But I want to learn and I will continue to ask for advice and questions in the quest to gain info. There is more then one way to get what we want out of these car's and we all don't have to have strokers. If I stroke a 383 then I lose what I like about it the short stroke. So I am not sure a stroked 383 is for me. IMO why stroke a 383 when they make 440's. If I want cubes then I can stroke a 440. So there is more then one way to get engines to produce.

Im not rude. Im just not sugar coating anything. I posted straight facts. Your requirements cannot be met with a mild, 3.23 geared 383. They cannot be met with a stock 6.1, 727 and 3.23s either. My statement regarding you reasking the same question is valid as well. Has nothing to do with me. You are asking the same question again looking for a different answer.
   The reason everyone is saying to build a stroker is because it will actually be cheaper then building the 383, will have uncomparable hp and torque numbers to the 383, will make that hp and torque at a much lower rpm then the 383. All of these benefits fit your requirements for what the car needs to do.
    Before i go much further, please elaborate on your statement regarding what you love about the short stroke that you dont want to lose?

[Bad B-rad]

I didn't ask you to sugar coat anything,my first question was about building a high compression 383/400. And if you could gain any horsepower by going with a stock stroke,fairly stock Magnum/roadrunner cam, higher compression and a set of 440 stealth heads,painted with a mopar M1-duel plane painted intake. So I would have a stock looking engine that may make a good amount more power then stock,but look stock. And you said no, you got to build a stoker. That's fine it can't be done, I got it. I moved on. Next I asked what would run better a mild stock 383 or stock mild 6.1 Hemi. I never had a 6.1 so maybe it will work maybe it won't. On paper the 6.1 has what like 100 more hp and I think the same torque as a 383, so what dose that look like in real life?
If all things are the same and a 383 and 6.1 hemi pull up next to each other how dose that race go down? Will the 383 jump out and then the Hemi flys by and is gone? Or maybe the 383 jumps out, the hemi catches it and they run neck and neck down the strip? I don't know but I would like to know.
That's a different question. Maybe what I want out of my car/engine build can not be achieved and I  have to build a stroker or 440. But can't I want what I want? I have never had a stroker motor, just stock stroke 440's and 383's. And maybe the parts are lighter now, but the engines I had the 383's power comes on differently then the 440. The 383 revs quicker then the 440. That's some thing that I like. That's a trait I would like my current build to have. Now once that 440's power comes on, every one I ever had, except maybe the 78 smog engine 440 ,will fly past my 383's But by that time we may be doing 60-70mph and may be out of room. Most speed limits here in NY are 65 tops.
Now take that same bad ass 440 and run it vs a new 6.1 in a Charger or Challenger and what would you say happens. How do you think that race goes down?

[c00nhunterjoe]

The high compression 383 with aluminum heads will obviously make more power then the stock magnum bottom end that you are referencing in this topic. This topic you still stipulated that it needs to beat mustangs camaros and other muscle cars with a 3.23 gear. There is just no way that its going to happen.
As far as 383 vs 440 vs 6.1 goes. Given the 383 and 440 are built the exact same- the 383 will most likely be a half second slower then the 440. The 6.1 will probably be 2 tenths faster then the 440 assuming you retain the factory injection and computer and 5 speed nag1 trans.  The 383 and 440 will launch the same with the 440 starting to pull away at the 60' mark and gently pulling a half car length on the 383 by the end. The nag1 allows the 6.1 to jump out like a stick car and closer ratios walk it out a car length by the end of the 1/4 mile.
 
   As to the 383 revving faster then the 440. I assure you, making the 383 into a 438 will spin up faster then the 383 or 440.

[Bad B-rad]

Or even that 440 vs a 5.7 Hemi?
By stroking a 383 what are you doing? You are giving it more cubes, right? And no replacement for displacement correct?
Well why will the 440 lose to the 6.1. Not because of cubes,because of flow and efficiency.
I don't know what kind of cars run on the street by you but I don't come across street cars pulling 11's in the 1/4 mile, that often. And if I do it almost never an older mustang or camero, Its a Vette or a NEW muscle car. So I don't need to do that either. low 13's or even dipping into the 12's is fine with me. Do that and be able to drive the hell out of it.
As I said if I could make my 69 run a touch better then a new R/T or SRT that's great. Not to handle better but straight line acceleration, as good or better that would be my goal for now.
And maybe for that to happen I might need a 500+CI motor, given a 727 trans and 3.23 gears. But I would like to do it, If I can with maybe modern Hemi. As we have ruled out a stock looking 383(not stroked)  

[c00nhunterjoe]

Cars by me are running 9s on the street.... but its not everywhere, i get that. But a stock 302 in a fox body mustang with just a cam, headers intake and gear will run 12s. And those are everywhere. My 2007 charger rt ran 13.20s on the stock tires. On slicks it could have dipped into the 12s. Mine was only rated at 350 horse, the new ones are 390? I think? My analogy of the 440 losing to the 6.1 is because the 6.1 makes more hp and the 5 speed automatic puts it in the powerband better then the 727.
  The 383 stroker gets a new crank, new rods and lighter pistons. The total rotating mass of a 383 to 438 is less then that of a stock 440 therefore spinning up faster and using less hp to do it.

How fast can a stroker spin up? Here is our 572. Watch the tach. After launch it goes on a throttle stop for roughly 3 seconds then goes wide open. Runs 9.90 at 155mph.
https://youtu.be/2ciFpx9QaxQ

[Bad B-rad]

See the advantage of the new cars with the new transmissions is not something I will have, because at best I could have a 46re(need computer won't bolt to Big block,may not handle BB) or 518 trans.
So if I am limited by budget and what will fit with out cutting up the car, I am prob gonna  stay with the 727 and 3.23 is prob the deepest gear I will want to run,maybe 3.55. But on my last ride I didn't like the 3.91,the bad out weighted the good with those gears for me, on the street.

When I asked about a basicly stock 383 magnum build with just a boost in compression and aluminum heads, the response was you wont get any real measurable gain in power with that combo. So I moved on to maybe the 6.1.

What do you think a 6.1 with the FI but a 727 looks like vs a 440? Everything the same trans,gears weight, car, just the 440 vs the 6.1 both stock engines. Do you think the 440's torque just beats the 6.1 hp advantage?

[c00nhunterjoe]

See the advantage of the new cars with the new transmissions is not something I will have, because at best I could have a 46re(need computer won't bolt to Big block,may not handle BB) or 518 trans.
So if I am limited by budget and what will fit with out cutting up the car, I am prob gonna  stay with the 727 and 3.23 is prob the deepest gear I will want to run,maybe 3.55. But on my last ride I didn't like the 3.91,the bad out weighted the good with those gears for me, on the street.

When I asked about a basicly stock 383 magnum build with just a boost in compression and aluminum heads, the response was you wont get any real measurable gain in power with that combo. So I moved on to maybe the 6.1.

What do you think a 6.1 with the FI but a 727 looks like vs a 440? Everything the same trans,gears weight, car, just the 440 vs the 6.1 both stock engines. Do you think the 440's torque just beats the 6.1 hp advantage?

I cant recall the torque curve on the 6.1 but i think its comparable to the 440 so the 6.q should pull ahead even behind a 727. Its alot more cost putting the 6.1 in the car and will still be slower then most cars on the street. The link to russ's website is really the route you want to go based on what you want out of the car with 3.23s, a mild sounding, stock appearing engine. He runs low 11s through exhaust manifolds and 3.23s, drives it something like 50 miles to the track and back, and cruises it everywhere. Its turn key reliable. Has a mild cam so its not hard on the valvetrain, and is not really all that hard to duplicate. His is a 505 if i recall, so you could do the 496 or 470 cube version and be running high 11s or low 12s in a mild mannered cruiser with stump pulling torque off idle.

[Bad B-rad]

Cars by me are running 9s on the street.... but its not everywhere, i get that. But a stock 302 in a fox body mustang with just a cam, headers intake and gear will run 12s. And those are everywhere. My 2007 charger rt ran 13.20s on the stock tires. On slicks it could have dipped into the 12s. Mine was only rated at 350 horse, the new ones are 390? I think? My analogy of the 440 losing to the 6.1 is because the 6.1 makes more hp and the 5 speed automatic puts it in the powerband better then the 727.
  The 383 stroker gets a new crank, new rods and lighter pistons. The total rotating mass of a 383 to 438 is less then that of a stock 440 therefore spinning up faster and using less hp to do it.

How fast can a stroker spin up? Here is our 572. Watch the tach.
https://youtu.be/2ciFpx9QaxQ

Ok So that I get. If the stroker is lighter, and a whole lot lighter then the org rotating mass that it can rev as quick or quicker the the shorter stroke engine. I NEVER had a stroker so I didn't know about the parts being so much lighter.
See buy wording it that way I get it I understand that maybe your stroker can rev as quick or faster then stock 383. But then I would still hold on to the thought that if I  go stroker, wouldn't the 440 offer an obvious advantage for me. Unless the heads ability to flow enough air for the extra cubes becomes the problem? Is that the issue that mildly worked head flow enough for 450 or so cubes but that above that the cost to work the heads to handle the extra CI out weighs the lower cost of the stroked 383 vs the stroked 440?
I can see that there is not much of a down side to that NOW. If the longer stroke can rev faster then the stock stroke, then really no negative.

[Bad B-rad]

See the advantage of the new cars with the new transmissions is not something I will have, because at best I could have a 46re(need computer won't bolt to Big block,may not handle BB) or 518 trans.
So if I am limited by budget and what will fit with out cutting up the car, I am prob gonna  stay with the 727 and 3.23 is prob the deepest gear I will want to run,maybe 3.55. But on my last ride I didn't like the 3.91,the bad out weighted the good with those gears for me, on the street.

When I asked about a basicly stock 383 magnum build with just a boost in compression and aluminum heads, the response was you wont get any real measurable gain in power with that combo. So I moved on to maybe the 6.1.

What do you think a 6.1 with the FI but a 727 looks like vs a 440? Everything the same trans,gears weight, car, just the 440 vs the 6.1 both stock engines. Do you think the 440's torque just beats the 6.1 hp advantage?

I cant recall the torque curve on the 6.1 but i think its comparable to the 440 so the 6.q should pull ahead even behind a 727. Its alot more cost putting the 6.1 in the car and will still be slower then most cars on the street. The link to russ's website is really the route you want to go based on what you want out of the car with 3.23s, a mild sounding, stock appearing engine. He runs low 11s through exhaust manifolds and 3.23s, drives it something like 50 miles to the track and back, and cruises it everywhere. Its turn key reliable. Has a mild cam so its not hard on the valvetrain, and is not really all that hard to duplicate. His is a 505 if i recall, so you could do the 496 or 470 cube version and be running high 11s or low 12s in a mild mannered cruiser with stump pulling torque off idle.

See we can all get alone. 
I just asked what I thought was honest questions and wanted honest answers. I didn't want to get my balls busted or talked down to because I would not let that happen in real life if I was face to face with someone. Maybe I read something wrong and just got bent out of shape, regardless, I feel much better now, not only did I learn something HUGELY useful, I got to have a great conversation about Mopar engines with someone that has some experience that I do not. That's great cause that's why I post here. To learn stuff,maybe teach stuff and to enjoy our cars.

So now that you know what I want out of my 69 build and you have a new hemi so you known how quick they are, your advice is that my best bet as a broke dude trying to get the most bang for the buck is that stroker that  RUSS has. That sounds good.
I would still like to do a little homework on the 6.1,I have saw a few kits to turn the 6.1 into a 7.0(426) that looks like a bad ass setup. Thanks for the advice.

[Mike DC]

 
The modern Hemi is a very efficient & well designed engine but it's a small block.  The 5.7L is 350 inches.  The 6.1L is like 372 inches.  At stock displacements it won't come near the low-RPM torque of a 440.

[Bad B-rad]

Oh no doubt about it. I agree 100% And in a street engine where torque is almost always king, can the 6.1's HP advantage overcome the big blocks torque??
And If I can build a 6.1 stroked to 426 for about the same price as a 383/440 stroker that c00nhunterjoe suggested, that would be really something cool.

[G-man]

Anyone like to see proof of... OOOO My apologies, this was the engine post. Ahem.

I don't see how anyone can say a stock 383 is fun to drive.

Those things are slow like nothing else. Hell, a 4-Cyl car feels just as fast these days.

And fuel economy... it is one of those things I been chasing, power and fuel efficiency. Only gonna get that from a turbo set up and then you are talking a 20,000+ installation to 'save on fuel' which with the km you drive will never be saved.

Unfortunately, if you want power, quick, and efficient... Go buy a nissan skyline. No charger is gonna touch it, fuel efficient and corners better than most things and doesn't cost through the roof to buy (fix/restore bla bla).

[Kern Dog]

Buy a furrin car ? 

[1974dodgecharger]

Coonhunter is right for a lot of things....everyone wants their cake and eat it too with a old big block that cant compete with modern cars its the truth.  I mean compete as in have their cake and eat it too...

A 383 can make some nice HP in the 500HP with a 10 to 1 I know because I had one, but I felt it was maxed out or near the max vs a 440.  Get a G3 HEMI if you want power and MPG and reliability etc....

[500Jon]

Good thread Brad!

Comparing a 60's Mopar with a 2017 Muscle car is like comparing a Model 'T' against a 62 max wedge car, it ain't relevant.
Fun is all about drivability with good fuel consumption and a good look in a shopfront window as you drive past!
Gone are the days of Maxxed-out Muscle and a new era of comfort with performance is required.

Is that achievable with a 50 year old Mopar?
Yes, but at what price???

I've met many hard-nosed Mopar guys say they get much more fun outta their NEW Challenger or dare I say it Camaro...
There's plenty of busted new Chargers and Challengers looking for a rebody with old Mopar tin.

So back to the REAL QUESTION, what is best for you Brad?
Big cars need big engines, but I know a lot of guys with 318 B-bods that go to every show, park next to the 440 cars and never complain about MPG...

I would say a fuel injected 318 or 360 would be the best of both Worlds.

Anything over a 4-inch bore is proven to be INEFFICIENT, that's the real science of 100 year old GAS guzzlers...

That's why the Viper V10 is designed with 318 geometry.

[Bad B-rad]

Good thread Brad!

Comparing a 60's Mopar with a 2017 Muscle car is like comparing a Model 'T' against a 62 max wedge car, it ain't relevant.
Fun is all about drivability with good fuel consumption and a good look in a shopfront window as you drive past!
Gone are the days of Maxxed-out Muscle and a new era of comfort with performance is required.

Is that achievable with a 50 year old Mopar?
Yes, but at what price???

I've met many hard-nosed Mopar guys say they get much more fun outta their NEW Challenger or dare I say it Camaro...
There's plenty of busted new Chargers and Challengers looking for a rebody with old Mopar tin.

So back to the REAL QUESTION, what is best for you Brad?
Big cars need big engines, but I know a lot of guys with 318 B-bods that go to every show, park next to the 440 cars and never complain about MPG...

I would say a fuel injected 318 or 360 would be the best of both Worlds.

Anything over a 4-inch bore is proven to be INEFFICIENT, that's the real science of 100 year old GAS guzzlers...

That's why the Viper V10 is designed with 318 geometry.

You are correct on many points. On a 73 Dodge Challenger I built I used a 5.9 Magnum engine from a 2001 Dodge Ram 3500 van. I used the 46re auto trans also. And with that set up I could have 4.10 rear gears and when trans was in OD it was like 3.07 or something, and that was a great set up,for me with that projet. It did what I wanted it to do. It did not have a ton of power but ran very good and fun to drive.
Now on this 69 I want something different and I have not figured it out just yet so I am trying to get peoples advice and learn from their rear world experience.
A 1969 engine(that was designed in the 50's) vs a 2016 engine are worlds apart, no doubt. But sometimes you CAN have best of both worlds, and sometimes you can not.

I really have to look into c00nhunterjoe's suggested  stroker, because that maybe just what I am after. I had no idea that stroker kits were so much lighter now. I was under the idea that if I stroked out my 383 that it would no doubt put out a ton more power,but it would just take forever to "pick up steam" so to speak. I was wrong.
But before I go ordering the kit up, I would like to explore a few other options or ideas. One being the 6.1 Hemi in its stock form and then maybe with a 426 stroker kit.
I think that stroking the 383 may end up making the best car for me,with the amount of off idle torque it will have and the cost to do it and that I could have the car LOOK stock,even using the stock exhaust manifolds.
Ultimately I am after what most all of us want, our Chargers to be the best they can be.
As far as fitting the auto transmission that is behind the current Chargers and Challengers,besides the cost, I think it requires cutting up the torsion bar/crossmember and lots of mods to the tunnel. I do not know that as fact but I think that is what must be done for it to fit. And although I have no doubt I could cut it out and make it stronger by plating/boxing/bracing it what ever. For me, on this 69 Charger. I do not want to cut up and modify any major parts like that. Just for me anyway.