Here is what $5000 buys you.

[Kern Dog]

Thanks. I don't drag race. I peel out and like to have fun but I think I'll be okay. I had a "drive plate" like that on my first 2 440s in the red car and didn't have any trouble. This 383 surely will make less power. I have the car lift and will be able to do periodic inspections.
The SFI certified drive plate in the red car had 2 broken sections when I pulled it out to install the Tremec.

[Kern Dog]

Today was mostly about getting the carburetor and throttle set up.
I put on a Holley 600 that I had rebuilt a year or so ago. The 600 may seem small but the 440 Magnum used a 580 cfm Carter. The Holley carburetors come with the Chevy throttle arm and need the adapter bracket # 20-7.
I had to put a "button" on the bottom for the Bouchillon kickdown cable to attach.

[Kern Dog]

I needed some sort of bracket for the throttle cable and transmission kickdown. I had a bracket from a van or motorhome. I had to grind it a bit and shape it to clear the intake runners. I found another bracket to use for the throttle return springs.

[Kern Dog]

The taller intake made it so the throttle cable was TOO short. Years ago, I found that the 73-76 A body used a throttle cable that is a direct fit and is about 4 inches longer.

[Kern Dog]

Water pump and housing are on, the WP and crank pulleys were sandblasted and painted semi-gloss black.

[Kern Dog]

I didn't paint the grooves of the pulleys.

The 383 is a shorter engine than a 413-426-440 due to the lower deck height. This meant that the air cleaner fit under the hood with no special dropped base.

[cdr]

Great progress !!!

[ACUDANUT]

Great JOB Sir. I take it you have maybe a truck radiator ? I only ask because that water pump housing ?

[Kern Dog]

The first 440 that I built was from a 1978 Chrysler New Yorker. That is the water pump housing from that engine. I used it from 2001 to 2018 in the red car. I only changed it because I was adding A/C and wanted to use an aluminum WP housing and a copy of this style wasn't available at the time.

[Back N Black]

Is there any adjustment on the  Bouchillon kick down cable? I have a friend that installed the cable and his car is not shifting properly, he wanted me to have a look at it. Any advice before i go and check the cable?

[Kern Dog]

The cable actually has 2 points to adjust. There is a sliding collar in the cable itself and then there is the square hole bracket it fits into that has a slotted groove.

[ACUDANUT]

 I would have painted the inner fenders first 

[JB400]

He's doing mockup.  He'll tear it back apart once he's done, and slap a $100k paint job on it and flip for for double.


Option 2 is drive it just the way it is, once he gets it running

[Kern Dog]

Option 2 is the plan.
I am going to willingly drive it as a car that guys in the 70s and 80s used to do.....Just get it running and NOT focus on the appearance.
Guys in Auto Shop in High school had ratty looking cars that had beat up bodies and ratty interiors but ran like the wind. That is the goal here. I already have a shiny one. It will be nice to have one that can take a scratch or a dent without ruining the day.

[Kern Dog]

I like chrome but I wanted a more low key look for this engine. The Edelbrock air cleaner was the only chrome on the engine so I sand blasted it and painted it black.

[darbgnik]

I prefer the black as well.

[Back N Black]

Just a general question, why do people not paint the intake or water pump housing?

[Kern Dog]

I can't bring myself to paint aluminum stuff. Maybe leaving it natural finish is like showing off a bit.

[ACUDANUT]

I can't bring myself to paint aluminum stuff. Maybe leaving it natural finish is like showing off a bit.

I agree, why hide Aluminum parts with paint ? Show it off !!

[AKcharger]

Good work!

[Kern Dog]

Thank you, guys.   

Last week in my red car, Ginger,I added a headlight relay kit made by a guy in Southern CA. He goes by the name "Crackedback" on a few internet forums. The car developed a few strange symptoms as a result....The headlights wanted to come on when I turned the ignition key. It turned out to be a problem with the 1970 headlight door relay. I swapped in a newer Bosch 30A relay and the problem was fixed.
I decided to change the relay in this car to the same style.

[69rtse4spd]

Nice work 

[Kern Dog]

A little bit of progress has been made. The radiator I'm using is a Griffin that was in Ginger from 2001 to 2019.
I am lucky to have some spare parts in the shed. I grabbed an alternator, a power steering pump and hoses, fan clutch and fan and an Edelbrock fuel pump from the shed and put them in.

[Kern Dog]

The first fan clutch that I was going to use sat too close to the radiator. I had a NEW Hayden 2947, the one that has a neck about 5/8" shorter.

[moparstuart]

The first fan clutch that I was going to use sat too close to the radiator. I had a NEW Hayden 2947, the one that has a neck about 5/8" shorter.

just ran into this problem on my 68 charger  who knew there were so many  , the 2947 did the trick it is super thin  .  Oriellys wanted 100 bucks plus shipping and it was special order . 
  got it  for 40.00 bucks  at Rock Auto