Forged 383 Project
With the 355 project a failure, we took the lessons-learned and
embarked on a slightly more aggressive 383 project.
My goals remain to build a setup that will perform, last for years and not require frequent maintenance.
A true "street car" that can handle summer daily commutes or road trips and still turn heads at the track.
Certainly not a daily driver and nothing I would dare drive in the snow, but not a garage queen either.
I initially toyed with the idea of buying a complete 383 shortblock from VRE, I decided that I
could probably have it done locally cheaper, faster and have more control over the build.
Having "control" worked out well and I was able to make changes to my initial plans without
causing myself too many headaches. I was also able to visit the shop and talk to the machinists
one-on-one to determine what worked best and why. I don't regret the decision at all.
K&M has a great reputation.
I often refer to Bret, Lloyd and Ed as my "three wise men"
They've never let me down when it comes to getting factual and accurate answers to my questions.
My notebook of "great advice" collected over the years is heavily laden with notes from those three.
I tuned to Bret Bauer at Bauer Racing for the rotating assembly and custom cam.
Bret is a very sharp guy and he was able to help me determine exactly what I needed
(and what I didn't). He also provided plenty of answers throughout the build.
Had I gone at it alone, I'd have made several poor decisions and never known it.
Everything from proper quench and compression ratio, to making sure the block and bottom end
would handle the load we would later generate. Bret is one of the most open and honest people
I've ever had the opportunity to do business with, Bret doesn't sugarcoat anything, which is exactly
what I needed.
Lloyd Elliott at Elliott's Portworks has always done fantastic work, this project was no
different. Lloyd suggested the Dart 180cc castings and a quality valvetrain to meet my needs.
He completed the portwork and had the heads back to me in no time at all. Customer service at
Elliot's Portworks is nothing short of amazing, he provided responses to countless emails
(sometimes several in a single day) and questions.
Ed Wright at Fastchip.com provided me with a baseline tune that will allow us to start the car
and complete out basic testing and break-in prior to making the trip to Tulsa for final dyno-tuning
in his shop. Ed has considerable experience with extreme LT1 builds, he's been taking care of tuning
my oddball projects for years, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I gathered most of my components from Jeg's and Summit Racing.
Both sites are well-designed and make it easy to find exactly what I need when I need it.
I've been a customer for many years.
Shopping list for the 383 Project:
Block Bored +.030" ------------- Mike @ K&M Performance (08/18/2008)
Zero-Decked--------------------- Mike @ K&M Performance (08/18/2008)
Half-filled block -------------- Mike @ K&M Performance (08/18/2008)
4-bolt splayed mains------------ Mike @ K&M Performance (08/18/2008)
ARP Main Studs------------------ Mike @ K&M Performance (08/18/2008)
ARP Outer Main Bolt Set -------- SummitRacing (09/08/2008)
Eagle 4340 3.75" Undercut------- Bret Bauer @ Bauer Racing (08/05/2008)
Eagle 6.00" Rods with ARP2000--- Bret Bauer @ Bauer Racing (08/05/2008)
Wiseco -13cc Pistons + .030"---- Bret Bauer @ Bauer Racing (08/05/2008)
Wiseco matched rings------------ Bret Bauer @ Bauer Racing (08/05/2008)
Clevite77 H-series bearings----- Mike @ K&M Performance (08/18/2008)
Internally Balanced------------- Mike @ K&M Performance (08/18/2008)
Custom Billet Cam "JM383" Grind- Bret Bauer @ Bauer Racing (08/02/2008)
Assembly------------------------ Mike @ K&M Performance (09/05/2008)
LE-Ported Dart Pro Heads-------- Lloyd @ Elliott's Portworks (08/15/2008)
- Manley 2.055/1.60 Valves
- Patriot Gold Extreme Springs
- Ti Retainers, locks and locators
- Custom Valve Job
- Milled to 56cc
Additional Porting for Manifold- Lloyd @ Elliott's Portworks (08/15/2008)
Canton 15-242t Oil Pan---------- Private Sale (08/01/2008)
Canton 20-013 Pickup------------ Car Shop Inc (08/06/2008)
ARP Head Studs------------------ Jegs (08/29/2008)
ARP Pro Series Rocker Studs 7/16 Jegs (08/29/2008)
Intake manifold gasket set------ Advance Auto Parts (08/29/2008)
58mm TB gasket------------------ SummitRacing (08/29/2008)
Lower gasket set --------------- SummitRacing (08/29/2008)
Valve cover gaskets------------- SummitRacing (08/29/2008)
.029" GM Head Gaskets ---------- Mike @ K&M Performance (08/29/2008)
TCI SFI Flexplate--------------- Mike @ K&M Performance (08/29/2008)
Comp Hi Tech 7.500" Pushrods --- Summit Racing (3/18/2009)
ATI Super Damper---------------- ATI (03/01/2009)
Lunati Timing Set--------------- SummitRacing (08/06/2008)
Injectors 42# Flow Matched------ Racetronix (08/06/2008)
Felpro 1405 Exhaust Gaskets----- SummitRacing (09/08/2008)
Stage8 Locking Bolts------------ SummitRacing (09/08/2008)
2x Hooker Aerochamber 3in/out -- Jegs (09/29/2008)
Bulk 3" Mandrel Exhaust Bends -- Jegs (09/15/2008)
Universal 3" X-Pipe Kit -------- Jegs (09/15/2008)
UMI PHB Relocation Support ----- UMI (09/29/2008)
Pirate 6-pt Chrome Moly Rollbar- (02/21/2009)
RCI Camlock 5pt Harness -------- (05/19/2009)
Wolfe Crotch Strap Bracket ----- (08/13/2009)
ATI Torque Converter ----------- (03/01/2009)
Strange S-60 ------------------- (05/21/2009?)
Racetronix 255LPH Kit ---------- Racetronix (10/31/2008)
Installation-------------------- (11/02/2008)
Custom Exhaust Work ------------ (04/04/2009)
Base Mailorder Tune------------- Ed Wright @ Fastchip.com (10/07/2008)
Dyno Tune----------------------- Ed Wright @ Fastchip.com (1/30/2009)
Idle Video Clip: http://s38.photobucket.com/albums/e146/jmontign/93%20Firehawk/Dual%20Exhaust/?action=view¤t=MOV001_1.flv
Additional pictures coming soon
