Does anyone know where I can find any articles on-line on 283 buildups. My 66 chevelle convertible has the original 283 and i have installed a 200/4r in it. For as long as this engine has been around, there has to be some articles on buildups. I know that there are 350's galore out there but I really want to stick with the 283.

It depends on what you want from your car. Do you want a stock rebuild, or are you looking for performance? The 283 was geat engine for its day, but to coax vast amounts of power from it will make the car almost undriveable on the street. Small engines that produce a lot of horsepower must make their power at higher RPMS. This requires camshafts with long durations which produce very rough idle quality. For cruising around town at lower RPMS, it makes the car very uncomfortable to drive for any length of time.

You need to think about what you want from this engine. You can produce the same amount of power from a 350 for a lot less money and retain driveability on the street. You could put the 283 in storage and leave it in stock form in case you ever decide to sell the car.

[This message has been edited by Randy Mosier (edited 12-04-2002).]

In a car as heavy as yours with an OD you may have some trouble being happy with a 283. They don't make much torque but will run down the freeway at 4000RPM forever. Keep the heads very small ( I recommend the 283 Power Pack head) use very little cam and a small carb. I don't know what gears you have but I would use at least 4.10s with the OD.

In the middle 70's I built a 283 in a 65 Chevelle for drag racing. The engine was balanced, had headers , a 750 dbl pumper Holley, a General Kenetics solid cam , an M-21 4spd and 4.88 rear gears. It was a solid 7500RPM motor.

With all of that it was a joy to drive and ran in the high 12's all day. Launch was typically @ 6500 RPM.

That said, I agree with Mike Feudo in that they will run happily down the freeway all day at 4000RPM. Its a comfortable feeling knowing that at 4000RPM you have a 3500 RPM cushion. You aren't even straining the motor. In my 72 velle with a 350 and 2.73 gears 4000RPM is both busy in the engine and WAY , WAY over the national speed limit.


If there was any downside to my 283 it was with 4.88 gears on the street you were in 2nd gear half way through a typical intersection and in 4th gear 100 feet later. The car had very short legs.

I've mostly used 283s behind stick cars, so over camming was part of the package. My shoebox would run high 12s uncorked with tires, high 13s through the muffler on street tires. Probably not the package for an automatic.

In the '70s, Car Craft Mag did a 283 Chevelle that used ported Power Pac heads, stock pistons, 204/214 generic cam (the one ground by Crane and sold by everybody), Performer manifold, and headers. The car ran low 14s @ 97mph and delivered over 20 mpg using 3.36 gears. A pretty fair all round ride IMO.

I bet a dandy combination for a 283 or 292 would be a set of 305HO heads with the 58cc chambers and 1.84"/1.50" valves. Just keep the CR. in the pump gas range!!

Next an old 600cfm 1850 Holley tuned right for your size engine on a Performer or even an old 300hp/327 AFB cast-iron intake.

A set of 1.5" four tube long headers.

And a small hydraulic like the "Performer" Greybeard mentioned or the little solid -097 Duntov cam that I dearly love!!

You should get in the range of 260/270hp, (maybe a schosh more), and the little sucker will run like a scalded dog with the right grears, tires and tranny!!!

My Mom's '65 Custom 300 Chevelle, 195hp 283 2-barrel with just the old stock -929 cam would go 6500rpm, easy!!!

Boy, she got pissed off at me when I installed a $20 junkyard WCFB setup to make it a 220hp engine!! pdq67

Thanks for the replies guys. I do want to hop the engine up a bit. It has powerpack heads on it now, 1 5/8" long tube headers, 4 bbl quadrajet and eldelbrock performer intake. 2 1/4" dual exhaust with DynomaX pro-turbo mufflers and 3.31 12 bolt posi rearend. The cam came with the motor but does not appear to be stock. It appears to be a high lift short duration came and the only markings are "CMC" on the distributer end of the cam. I have asked several people if they have seen this type of cam and nobody has seen the CMC markings. The engine purrs now but i have never had it on the road. I'm still restoring it. Should be done by spring.

That being said, I need to stay with the 58 cc heads or something close to keep my 9.25 CR. You mentioned the 305 HO heads. Do any of you know anything about them. They came out at a time that GM wasn't making any serious high performance cars so are they really high output? Does anyone know what cylinder head numbers that they were?

Clyde

i have a stock rebuilt 66 283.i picked up a set of 11-1 pop ups on rods,for a 30 over 283 which i have.asuming the pistons will go,what cam can i use with a 2 spd?
any experience?

Clyde, If you are going to keep the 66 block I think a small 327 Crank & rods will give you a true 305HO. There must be someone here with more info on this combo. I know it has been done.

Bob,
That's 307HO.. pdq67