stock 383 dodge charger, how fast?

[440charger68]

i just want to ask the charger owners out there that have a hp383 in there car if they can get up and go pretty good. I have a 318 right now in my 68 and im lookinf for a hp383 motor to slap in. Any of you guys satified with yours? If you guys have vids out there that will help alot 

[Troy]

Depends on your idea of "pretty good". My dad raced against them "back in the day" with his 351 Torino and said if he could stay in front beyond half track he had a 50/50 chance of winning (383s like to rev). I believe he was turning low 14s. He never had to race a 440 but would have likely lost.

Where are you at? I have a "spare" 68 383 HP (more drive trains than cars).

Troy

[440charger68]

im in california right out side sacramento in el dorado hills, but im definately looking for a nice 383hp

[moparstuart]

i just want to ask the charger owners out there that have a hp383 in there car if they can get up and go pretty good. I have a 318 right now in my 68 and im lookinf for a hp383 motor to slap in. Any of you guys satified with yours? If you guys have vids out there that will help alot 

this car has a build 383 and will hang with my stock 440+6 motor

[69charger2002]

my old tired 383 ran right at 15 flat on the track. of course that was 3.23's.. my 440 stock with 4.11's ran 14.09
383's like troy said are more of a high revving engine. underrated in my opinion they are good motors

[my1st68charger]

I'd like to know the samething about 383s.My car was original 383 car when i bought it.I found a good running 383 out of a 68 newport, i knew the car because i serviced it when it was on the road about 7 yrs ago.A priest owned it and it did not ever have a hard time other than when i would take it for a test drive.It did not spin crazy or anything but it took off fast and got to 80 mph like nothing and this is a big car.my charger is going to be a driver when i'm done ,i want to drive my car after  , not store it . I'm thinking 383 with a 323 rear end. i hope it should move along preety good for a driver.I'm 33 yrs old and i  really dont know because these cars and motors are before my time.But i always hear good things about them.

[440charger68]

haha yea i know what you mean, had my charger for 6 years now and im only 18, but still learn somethin everyday 

[Sublime/Sixpack]

The 383 Magnum was a darn good engine and put out respectable power!

[moparnole]

My dad had a 383 in his 1971 roadrunner, and he tells me he couldnt keep it from spinning the rears when it went to second.

[440charger68]

thats final then, slappin in that 383 for sure now    will be sweeet, just need the sure grip now 

[ipstrategies]

I also have a 383 Magnum with 3.23 and It has plenty of power for me.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

thats final then, slappin in that 383 for sure now    will be sweeet, just need the sure grip now 

So apparently you picked up a 383HP?

[ChgrSteve67]

I have a 383 with a light drag cam.

With a holly 600 cfm carb, a A833 4 speed and 3.55 sure grip she Dyno'ed at 245 hp at the rear wheels and 319 ft torque.

-Steve

[my1st68charger]

mine is a stock 383 with a 2 barrel carb in a 68 newport i dont think its a magnum but it runs so nice.The eng is still in the newport,i'm waiting untill i,m ready to put it in the charger,this way i can still run the eng every couple of months and i dont loose anything off of it.There must be a difference between a magnum and just a newport eng.My charger is goin to be a driver so when i,m on the road i wont be able to use all that power anyway.But
I hope it will still move along preety good.I,m thinking a nice new four barrel and a set of new headders would be preety good .Any old fellas out there that can give us some input on this ,is a 68 newport eng good to go with ? I hear that they still have a steel crank in them.cams are different?

[Troy]

mine is a stock 383 with a 2 barrel carb in a 68 newport i dont think its a magnum but it runs so nice.The eng is still in the newport,i'm waiting untill i,m ready to put it in the charger,this way i can still run the eng every couple of months and i dont loose anything off of it.There must be a difference between a magnum and just a newport eng.My charger is goin to be a driver so when i,m on the road i wont be able to use all that power anyway.But
I hope it will still move along preety good.I,m thinking a nice new four barrel and a set of new headders would be preety good .Any old fellas out there that can give us some input on this ,is a 68 newport eng good to go with ? I hear that they still have a steel crank in them.cams are different?

I think the only (main) differences in 68 would be the cam, intake, carb, and exhaust manifolds.

Troy

[triple_green]

From someone who raced in the day......

A stock 383 HP (not 2 barrel) Charger was probably about 15 in the quarter mile. But lots of people had bigger carbs and headders and ignition upgrades and bigger tires which usually put them in the low 14s. People used to talk about their cars being in the 13s, but most of them got to the track and actually found high 14s and low 15s.

In May my 16 YO son is going to take "Triple Green" to the HS drags, with a set of drag radials....so we will see.

3X

[Green71R/T]

mine is a stock 383 with a 2 barrel carb in a 68 newport i dont think its a magnum but it runs so nice.The eng is still in the newport,i'm waiting untill i,m ready to put it in the charger,this way i can still run the eng every couple of months and i dont loose anything off of it.There must be a difference between a magnum and just a newport eng.My charger is goin to be a driver so when i,m on the road i wont be able to use all that power anyway.But
I hope it will still move along preety good.I,m thinking a nice new four barrel and a set of new headders would be preety good .Any old fellas out there that can give us some input on this ,is a 68 newport eng good to go with ? I hear that they still have a steel crank in them.cams are different?

I think the only (main) differences in 68 would be the cam, intake, carb, and exhaust manifolds.

Troy

According to my Chilton there is also a difference in compression:9.2 vs 10.0-1.If the newport engine is sound-good oil pressure,compression-I would run it as is.The two barrel carbs work well.I have everything to convert my 69 newport 383 to a magnum but i have not because it runs good as is and gets good fuel economy.The one upgrade I would do is electronic ignition.

[440charger68]

yea i know of a 69 hp383 in the neighborhood, pulled out of a roadrunner i think, but it had only 60,000 miles on the engine and it runs pretty sweet, also have the tranny 

[Scatpack]

I am a 383 fan, I like the others too but with so many people have to have the 440, 383 are much cheaper and easier to come by. I like the rev of a 383 also.
In an original Superbee ad from the dealer.
Chrysler Quoted  " The 68 Coronet R/T had a 440 magnum and the 68 SuperBee had a 383 magnum. Tests by drag race king Dick Landy with both cars show about a .02 Sec difference in a quarter mile". You could overcome .02 just with tuning a carb.

[69CoronetRT]

mine is a stock 383 with a 2 barrel carb in a 68 newport i dont think its a magnum but it runs so nice.The eng is still in the newport,i'm waiting untill i,m ready to put it in the charger,this way i can still run the eng every couple of months and i dont loose anything off of it.There must be a difference between a magnum and just a newport eng.My charger is goin to be a driver so when i,m on the road i wont be able to use all that power anyway.But
I hope it will still move along preety good.I,m thinking a nice new four barrel and a set of new headders would be preety good .Any old fellas out there that can give us some input on this ,is a 68 newport eng good to go with ? I hear that they still have a steel crank in them.cams are different?

I think the only (main) differences in 68 would be the cam, intake, carb, and exhaust manifolds.

Troy

As Green71 says...the CR was lower in the 2bbl 383 and the HP assembly has different valve springs and unsilenced air cleaner. Remember there were three different versions of the 383-4bbl available in 68 Dodges: the 383 330 horse in Chargers and C bodies, the 383HP 335 horse in Super Bees w/o AC and the 383HP 300 horse in the Dart.

[Scatpack]

I nice set of 67 915 440HP heads would change that 9.2 comp to approx 10.2

[Troy]

Ah, I knew I was forgetting something in there. Mopar wasn't exactly "precise" during assembly from what I've read so that compression ratio could vary widely. Fixing it is as easy as swapping on a set of closed chamber heads right (or pistons, or head gaskets)? Of course, we're speaking in theoretically stock terms here so those things shouldn't enter the equation.

I also forgot to mention that when dad was racing against these things it was never a Charger - always a Roadrunner or a Super Bee (or possibly plain Satellites and Coronets) which would have been a bit lighter. Guys at the strip were almost never "stock" so I have no idea if these cars had the right air cleaners, intakes, or exhaust (and I don't know the rules for the different classes either). I just know his times (he still has pictures of the slips and trophies) and that he was running right with the 383 cars. From what you guys have said those 383s would need some work to be in the low 14s.

Troy

[69CoronetRT]

Ah, I knew I was forgetting something in there. Mopar wasn't exactly "precise" during assembly from what I've read so that compression ratio could vary widely. Fixing it is as easy as swapping on a set of closed chamber heads right (or pistons, or head gaskets)? Of course, we're speaking in theoretically stock terms here so those things shouldn't enter the equation.

I also forgot to mention that when dad was racing against these things it was never a Charger - always a Roadrunner or a Super Bee (or possibly plain Satellites and Coronets) which would have been a bit lighter. Guys at the strip were almost never "stock" so I have no idea if these cars had the right air cleaners, intakes, or exhaust (and I don't know the rules for the different classes either). I just know his times (he still has pictures of the slips and trophies) and that he was running right with the 383 cars. From what you guys have said those 383s would need some work to be in the low 14s.

Troy

The 383 RR was designed to run about 14 flat and 100 MPH in the 1/4. Common day two mods for the strip were headers and an open air cleaner element or just take of the assembly. Some guys would swap gears (3:91s or 4:10s were common. Some guys went deeper) and throw on a set of 7" slicks for the strip. That's one reason why the 8.75 was a great rear end to have. You could swap the gears on race day morning and swap them out for the drive home.

Most cars were in the 14-15 second range, some were in the 13's and it took a lot more 'back then' to get a car into the 12's or below.

[mauve66]

also remember that the engine is only part of the equation, trans and rearend have a big part in the final number, would be interesting to see what gear the newport has in it, unless you posted and i missed it, probably a 3.23.

the maximum performance ratio for a 440 in 66-67 was considered the 2.94 (or so) by the factory,

[69CoronetRT]

also remember that the engine is only part of the equation, trans and rearend have a big part in the final number, would be interesting to see what gear the newport has in it, unless you posted and i missed it, probably a 3.23.

the maximum performance ratio for a 440 in 66-67 was considered the 2.94 (or so) by the factory,

The gears would have a great impact on 1/4 performance. However, 3.23's were optional in 66-67 with an automatic while the 67 B body 4 speeds came with the 3.54 Dana.

[my1st68charger]

I,m not sure what ratio the newport is.I'm going with a 3:23 rear end for my charger i was told they were a good middle rear end ,good low end and high.I even thought of keeping just the 2 barrel for gas economy.Maybe save some money too at the sametime.This motor runs so nice ,not a shake just purrrs.It don't even smoke when you start it ,like i said it was owned by a priest in a small town here in Shawville Quebec Canada.It never had a hard day in its life,and he only drove it in the summer.I remember servicing the car about 7 yrs ago.and it would put up a good run agaist those 3.1 grand ams this is like twice the car.I remember driving it around a bit .

[chargerboy69]

To be honest, my wife's newer 5.7L Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited would have given both my 383 Chargers a run for their money. My newer Trans Am would smoke them both. It also depends on which rear end you are running too.

[my1st68charger]

What rear end are you running in your chargers?

[G-man]

i got a stock 383-4 speed n far as it feels, its everything but slow.

[71 Bee Man]

My 71 Superbee is running a 68 383HP block and 3.55 gears. Goes good enough for me.

One question.....what's the difference with a block being a 383HP ? I assume the HP mean "High performance"....is that right, and are they any better than other 383's ??

Peter
Sydney, Australia.

[69CoronetRT]

My 71 Superbee is running a 68 383HP block and 3.55 gears. Goes good enough for me.

One question.....what's the difference with a block being a 383HP ? I assume the HP mean "High performance"....is that right, and are they any better than other 383's ??

There is NO difference between the blocks. What is different are the internal things listed above: cam, springs, and windage tray plus the carb and air cleaner assembly.

[chargerboy69]

What rear end are you running in your chargers?

The one a 3:23 the other a 3:55.

[Scatpack]

While we all like speed, its not as important to our classic muscle cars as it was in the 80-90's when Detroit wasn't making anything remotely fast. Nowadays you can buy a car right out of the box that will smoke most of our classics. I love them for the style, seat of your pants feel and the sounds they make versus the new cars with leather, dvd players, cruise control,power seats and all the other creature comforts. You loose something when you add all that stuff.

[Ghoste]

The only statement that counts is a line from "Two Lane Blacktop" which goes, "you can never go fast enough".