What would you do 383 original or put 440

[TXcharger70]

OK guys i know this has been discussed but i really need some help. I thought i had made up my mind but i keep scratching my head. So i have a 70 charger with the original 383 motor and 727 trans 3:55gears. I was planing on maybe stroking the motor to 438 and putting some heads and a cam. My question is i have a buddy that is willing to give me a 440 motor that he has that would probally run high 11s according to him. i believe it is complete except maybe putting some aluminum heads i think. I want a good street motor that would hold its own and that i can drive it maybe not everyday but if i had to drive it i could with out worries. Now would you guys stay with the 383 or put it aside and put a 440 in it? I toss and turn just cause it does have the original motor.

[dstryr]

I had a new motor built for my Road Runner last year so I can pull the original and not worry about breaking it.  I drive it pretty hard and want the motor to be around as long as the rest of the car.  You wouldn't be disappointed with the 440.  Go for it.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

I'd probably go with the 440, but keep the 383 and tag it with info indicating it belongs with the Charger.

[mauve66]

yeah, i'm not into the resto- keep it all original thing, it sounds like  your original plan was to stroke the 383 anyway, so why worry about originality, go straight to the 440, if you want to keep expenses down you can still use things off the 383 while its sitting like valve covers, pulleys, alt/ power steering/ a/c, damper if both cranks are the same type, ETC,

if you want to be slick, do what i'm planning
paint it the same color as the 383 (unless your year has them both the same, mines not)
after you get all the accessories back on it put a 383 decal on top of the stroked 440, most Brand X'ers won't know enough to look for the difference

[68blue]

I had the same issue and started by keeping the origional 383 but discovered terminal problems with the heads after finishing the short block. To finish things out I put Eddy heads and manifold on the short block. It won't set any speed records but make a good street rod. There is a dyno post of it on the site somewhere. Considering a 100-150 nitro kit for the rare time it would be needed.

[TXcharger70]

If this buddy of mind holds true with the 440 then i will use every thing off the 383 to keep my cost down like Mauve66 said. The only thing i am worried about is that, Everyone probally has a friend that promises things and say we will get to it. Or tells you i haven't forgot about it just give me some time kind of friend. He is a great guy and means well and has wealth of knowledge especially mopars. But i am very impatient. The charger is at the body shop right now but i would like to have everything ready by the time its is done to i can put it together i would just hope i would have that 440 by then to figure out what i might have to due to it

[Cooter]

Agreed, Cheap power= 440....LOTS of aftermarket stroker parts for the 440 and even if you stroke that 383 all to hell, you still are around 30 Cubes behind the 440...Go with the 440 and save the 383 for the number crunchers...

[71383bee]

I agree and recommend the 440.  Tag the 383 and set it aside. 

A word of advice though...be VERY sure that you know what your getting.  Unless you have scene, heard and maybe driven that 440 I would not believe a word about 11 second this or that, etc.  At a minimum if its a running motor go find what its in and see it for yourself or if its out of a car spend some time to actually take it to a builder and have it run on a dyno.  I have heard and scene a few horror stories on so called turn key motors that eventually needed just about everything.  Most mopar guys don't get rid of motors without a good reason...unless its a 318 or a /6.  Especially a 440.  Most guys I know including me would sit on a 440 unless I had a bunch of them  or there was something really wrong with it.     

Just my   

[Sixt8Chrgr]

I think it really depends on what you are going to do with the car. You mentioned you were going to stroke the 383, so I am assuming you are going to drive the car pretty hard? If you are going to drive the car hard. I would agree with the other guys, put the 383 away and build and beat on the 440.

[TXcharger70]

I was also wanting to get some aluminium heads i am trying to decide between stealth and procomp does anybody have any suggestions? does anybody know anything about the procomp heads?

[bull]

Depends on whether you want to be tripping over a 383 block for the next (insert number here) years. If you didn't have an engine it would be a no-brainer of course but you already do so...