I Need Your Advice

[Mopar Man]

Alright so i went to a local juck yard a coulpe of days ago to pick up an 8 3/4 rear end.  Right now my car has a 318 and i planning on putting some more motor in it.  So im starting with the rear end since i dont know what motor i want. I was thinking about getting a 360 and beefing it up or just keeping my engine and beefing it up.  I was thinking that mainly for the gas milage. i know that small blocks get better. Alright on with the story, after looking around i came up upon a 383hp.  Not running and is going to need a re-build.  The guy wants 500 for the drive-train which i think is a pretty good price. But my 71' is a daily driver.  And i dont really no what type of gas millage this type of engine is going to get.  Right now im getting about 12.  I need to know what type of gas milage you all are getting in you big blocks and if you think that this engine swap would be worth my time for a daily drive.  If  you dont think this is a good idea then i want to know what you would do.
Thanks Mopar Man

[Rocky]

You're trying to make a decision based on the fact that you currently get 12mpg?

A 383 can definitely give you 12mpg if it is tuned right, and you have reasonable gears in the rear end, and that is a conservative estimate.

The only other factors that I see, would be the choice between a decent running 360, or a swap to a 383 that needs a complete rebuild.

[Old Moparz]

There were a lot of responses to a similar question not too long ago.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,8825.0.html

If you read through it, the MPG will range from single digits & up for a big block. Keeping your foot out of it is the best way to improve mileage, but why have a big block & try to get good MPG?

['CUDA360]

I vote for the 360 but no one here is surprised.   $500.00 does seem a little steep for a 383 core though
and of course with a big block change you have to change the driveshaft, torsion bars, headers ect

Did you say a 727 or a 833 comes with that 383?

[adauto]

Milage??? I thought that's what they made Neons for? .... Seriously tho... driving habits and rear end gears can make a big diff motor nonwithstanding.

[Big Lebowski]

Yep 2.94 freeway gramma gears get good mpg, but 4.10 gears will make any car a dragster. Screw mileage, stroke the 383 to 451 with a 2600 stall tranny, with the 4.10's/ street slicks, you'll smoke anything off the line. 

[Silver R/T]

Ive seen supercharged 440's get 10mpg. But if you want to get engine based on mpgs go with 318