Which engine to rebuild?

[Speedbird]

I'm making a decision on which engine to put in a car.
Please help.
I'm eventually going to pull the numbers matching engine from my 69 Road Runner for safe keeping. (Someday)
If someone was going to buy the car from me later would they want another 69 383 to be in the car or a 440?
The buyer would, of course, get the numbers matching engine with the car.
I've got both engines already, so the question is which one to rebuild for this particular car with that in mind.
This is just one of my considerations.
For example the 440 needs a forged crank which would add to the cost of it.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Mocajava]

Onlyone.....I am in the same dilemma and so very interested in how you make your decision. I also have a good running 383 in my 69 Coronet and a 440 block (cleaned,inspected and bored) that I will have to find a forged crank for. Love the aspect of quicker revs with the 383 and can rebuild to a healthy HP engine BUT will I miss the power of the 440 as well as the "wow factor" later on and regret not going all the way? Will be standing by and reading as this thread progresses to make my own decision.

 

[super-bee_ski]

440
Always go 440
1. You may sell car and you have the 440 for another project.
2. 440s are sweet!

As Carroll Shelby once stated: "There is no replacement for displacement"

 

[Speedbird]

Thank you Super-bee-ski.
See, I've got two cars and two engines.
So I'm trying to figure which way I want to go.
Right now I'm also considering that it will be less money out of pocket since if I don't put the 383 in the Road Runner like you say I can build the 440 later for the RR.
That would work good for me.
My priority is to get an engine in car number 2 first ( That's not the RR).
So bucks down on the 383 for car number 2 and save the 440 for the RR later?
That works unless most people shopping for a car might want a 383 in an other wise all numbers matching RR and they would then have the original engine as a bonus.
Car number two is not a correct car, so that's not a consideration.
Complicated, huh?
Sorry. Hence the poll which I added.

440
Always go 440
1. You may sell car and you have the 440 for another project.
2. 440s are sweet!

As Carroll Shelby once stated: "There is no replacement for displacement"

 

[slepr1]

Save the 383 and make the 440 a stroker. If its more power you want, go with the stroker. I wish stroker kits were available when I rebuilt mine many years ago.

 

[Seventy]

If you have to buy a crank and rods, I agree with slpr1, eagle stroke kit will cost about the same as buying used cores, getting them worked, and balanced...

Same goes with heads, you can get an affordable set of aluminum heads for about double what it will cost you to do a set of 906's for...

440 blocks are out there, I would sell the 383 and put a 440 in any mopar that you are building a motor for. The cost between rebuilding a 440 and a 383 are the same, so go 440 unless its numbers matching, even then unless the car was super rare, I would put a 440 in it...

 

[Jeremiah]

I'd build a 400 based stroker myself. If the car is an OE resto I'd keep is sotck appearing (manifolds, tin, etc).

 

[Speedbird]

50-50 on the buyer of my hypothetical Road Runner so far
It was just a nice coincidence that I got an extra 69 383 to build.
That's what got me thinking about asking what people would want if I sold the car to them.
I know a 400 would be a smart compromise for several reasons but I don't have one.
If the poll says that people would rather have a 440 in the RR it will confirm that I'm an leaning to getting the 383 done for car number 2 first.
That would be one car out of the way.
I've found a local machine shop I can trust to build it and I'm hoping that the 383 doesn't turn into a money pit.

 

[jamey]

If you are planning to sell the road runner, I'd put a 383 in it and keep the 440 for a car I was going to keep.

 

[ws23jrt]

The poll asks the question about a date coded engine. I see that as a bit different from an engine with the vin number matching the car.

If the engine is just dated to be correct for that year car it would not be enough of an incentive for me to save it for a future buyer. However if the 383 has the vin of the car on it and the car is otherwise going to be saved as a "numbers matching" car for the possible future value that it may bring I would go with that idea now and avoid the regret one may have later. BTW the 383 is a great motor and the seat of the pants difference between it and a 440 needs to be considered rationally.

I was reconditioning my C500 in the late eighties and had a rebuilt 440 from a 70 charger that I used to swap out when the car was in the paint phase. I still have the vin. matching engine that is just fine for rebuilding but I now regret that it is not in the car. The car is for sale and I feel that even though the original engine will go with the car at sale I see it as a negative for a buyer. In other words a real PIA.---Your later is my now--:icon_redface:

 

[Speedbird]

Yes.
I think you are suggesting to pull the matching 383 and rebuild that.
That makes sense too since it needs at least some head work.
I hope not sell the car but I am just trying to cover my bases.
But I need to make a decision on a motor for the other car first and the question in the poll will give me an idea of what people that might buy the RR would prefer which would be a strong factor in which engine to get ready to go in car number 2.
Right now it's a toss up. I'm thinking that's the way it is going to end up.

The poll asks the question about a date coded engine. I see that as a bit different from an engine with the vin number matching the car.

If the engine is just dated to be correct for that year car it would not be enough of an incentive for me to save it for a future buyer. However if the 383 has the vin of the car on it and the car is otherwise going to be saved as a "numbers matching" car for the possible future value that it may bring I would go with that idea now and avoid the regret one may have later. BTW the 383 is a great motor and the seat of the pants difference between it and a 440 needs to be considered rationally.

I was reconditioning my C500 in the late eighties and had a rebuilt 440 from a 70 charger that I used to swap out when the car was in the paint phase. I still have the vin. matching engine that is just fine for rebuilding but I now regret that it is not in the car. The car is for sale and I feel that even though the original engine will go with the car at sale I see it as a negative for a buyer. In other words a real PIA.---Your later is my now--:icon_redface:

 

[Cranky]

Enjoy your car and do what you want with it and don't worry about resale value. If I were to buy the car, I 'might' like the original engine but at the same time, it would be taking up space in my garage. I've sold a couple of original numbers matching cars just because I didn't want to mess them up doing what I wanted to do but now I wish I still had them back to do what I wanted to do! Well, one car got sold to a new owner that did just that.....built what he wanted and didn't care about a 383 Challenger being all numbers matching. I got decent money for it but it was worth it and the guy wanted a car that didn't need a bunch of body work. Actually, it didn't need any body work and that's why he wanted it so bad. Unless it's a Hemi or a 6 pack car or a 440 rag top etc, I don't worry about the numbers anymore. If you think you might be selling it, having the original engine might help you get more money for it I wouldn't spend the money unless you plan on keeping the high dollar stroker and selling it with a decent running original engine in it.

 

[HEMI RAM]

I have the same deal going on right now, I bought a 70 Roadrunner that is finished and ready for assembly. The car came with a date coded 383 that was rebuilt and ready for final assembly. Within a few days I located a very low mileage forged 440 from a Winnebago. I am going to clean, hone, change to high compression forged pistons, add a 509 lift M.P. cam and electronic ignition and I'm ready to go. I've never been a 383 guy so every chance I get I change to a 440 including my Duster.

 

[mmissile]

I wouldn't buy a road runner with a 440, unless it were an A12 or A12 clone.

 

[Ron Ward]

Regardless of engine, throw some forged pistons in it and pour on the nitrous.

 

[mopar 3 B]

The 440 has always been a gas hog. If you plan on driving it and not beating it to death put the 383 back in a enjoy.

 

[HT413]

Option 3: sell the 383 buy another 440 block so car 1 and 2 have 440's.

 

[TetanusShot]

400's aren't that tough to find. Neither are forged RB cranks. I would think a 451 stroker dressed up like the factory 383 would be the best route, but if its not an option go 440 all the way.

 

[GinoX]

I always liked the 383 for its "revviness" if built right.

But yeah, I too am in the now and the 440 would be the choice. The future buyer would buy both engines with the car. His dilemma......

 

[Bruzilla]

Ah... the old to 440 or not to 440 crisis of conscience. Truly a dilemma that's nearly as old as the great Mary Ann vs Ginger debate (we all know Mary Ann wins hands down!)

I've been hearing this question asked, about the 440 not the girls, for 30+ years now, and here's what I've learned. Always, always, build and install a 440 because most likely that's where you're ultimately going to end up... assuming you don't luck into an awesome deal on a Hemi.

I've lost track of the vast number of guys I've know who've sunk fortunes into 340s, 383s, and 400s, only to eventually realize they really want the power and panache of a 440 and now their money is gone, and when they try to sell their smaller engine to someone eager to make the same mistake they themselves are trying to correct, they usually only get a quarter to a third of their money back, so they lose most of the money they dropped into the non-440 engine, then have to come up with more money for the 440, and even more money to buy stuff for the wife so she'll cut you a little slack on this matter.

When it comes to engine changes, the rule is go big or go home, which means 440.