Advice:69' 383 4bbl vs 72' 440 4bbl, both stock what do you pick?

Bad B-rad said:

I have had a few 383's and a couple of 440's in my past, so I have my own ideas of what I can realistically expect from each engine, in the stock, to mildly modified state.
I also love to learn, and have no issue taking advice from people who have more experience then me.
In the past every 383, or 440 I had, I was interstead in going as fast as I could, as quick as I could, and I RARELY did any highway driving.
Even going to the drag strip, 1.5 hrs on the highway, I would trailer my car.
Driving around my home town on back roads the 30 miles to work was no big deal, but long highway driving, the rpms were high, and the dash was like watching trees fall, gas fell to left, as MPH, engine temp and rpm fell to the right.
Now I am older, and my goals have changed a bit.
Although I did yard drive my car last year, this will be the first year, I really get to enjoy driving my Charger.
And my goal is to take the car to Carlisle (3.5 hrs one way, and the Nats 8hrs one way)
Having this goal in mine, I will be keeping the factory 3.23 gears.

So the only mods from stock I currently have on the #'s 1969 383 4bbl, is the Mopar performance aluminum intake manifold, the copy of the cast iron one, with the fel pro valley tin with the crossover blocked, a set of 70's headers the car came with and a mopar mini starter.
By the time Carlisle comes, I think I will have switched to a factory style electronic ignition, with the orange box hidden.
I also have a vintage 70's direct connection aluminum water pump housing, that I will toss on with a new water pump.

But I have toyed with the idea of installing the 1972 440 I have, and MAYBE, going to 2.94, or even 2.76.

My thoughts are the 69 383 and the 72 440 as they are, will probably preform very similar, 0-60 and 1/4 mile, and again the times are what they are, I am not ready to be building an engine this year.
I will have to use what I have, and what I can modify cheaply.
But the 440's extra torque MAY allow me to run the 2.94 gears,(or 2.76) and make long highway trips a bit nicer.

Keeping in mind that the headers, water pump, and starter will swap right from the 383 to the 440, and that I have an electronic distributer for the 440.

Anyone have any advice or good tips on this subject for me?

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Pentastar440 said:

Well, my first car, a '69 Charger had a stock 383 4V and 2.76 gears. It could hardly spin those 14" wheels. I had a '70 Challenger 440 with 3.23's it could do better. Because I was a 20 year old idiot, I put 4.56 gears in it. Smoked those tires like nothing. But.. it could pass anything but a gas station. My '70 Charger R/T ( 440 of course) had 3.23 gears when I got it. No problem spinning those wheels. I was looking for a bit more pep and installed 3.55's. These work great. 70 mph under 2000 rpm. Definitely harder on fuel than a 383 though, my friend and neighbour Grant, (also a member here) and I went to a car show about 70 miles from here last year, He got 14 mpg in his '69 SuperBee 383 ( 160 oz. Canadian gallon) I got 12 MPG. We travelled together the whole trip. So, if you want mileage, the 383 wins. If you want acceleration, 440, hands down.

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