Budget 383 rebuild - opinions needed.

[roadrunnerh]

Several years ago I picked up a ’68 383 long block. I bought it from a friend of a friend who said it was running when pulled. It is a 9.2:1 2bbl motor. I disassembled it last year thinking I would do a total rebuild (my first ever). I have the resources to do this, but financially things have changed a little.
My questions to you more experienced Mopar heads;
What would be the minimum I would need to do to get this motor back together and running? I regret pulling it apart since it looked GOOD during disassembly. The goal is to swap this motor in my Scamp. I have included some pics - if they help with your answer. Could I re-ring the pistons and install all new bearings and freeze plugs and reassemble. Am I crazy?
Another option would be to rebuild the bottom end with new pistons, balance the factory rods and use the 906 heads as is. Please help me decide, and keep in mind I want this to be a stock build @300hp to install in my Scamp and have fun.

 

[WileE]

"Looking good" is fine, but you have to know what you GOT before you decide what to DO. After everything's clean... You, or your machine shop, have to make sure there are no cracks. If the block's good, start measuring.Bores (don't forget taper), journals, etc. Everything. The last thing you want to do is waste your time to slap it all together & have it smoke its way down the street the first time you fire it up.

 

[Meep-Meep]

I have honed and reringed a lot of engines and they worked very well. Not a thing wrong with doing that either, but as stated, you need to examine the existing parts carefully. Look them over really good first then clean them and look them over again. Your old bearings look really good so I'd say the crank is straight or no other issues. You have some leeway in the short block but the heads need to be spot on for long life. Guides must be tight and if they are not have them done.

 

[WileE]

If everything checks out ok, by all means, get a good cross-hatch in the bores, new rings & bearings, and put everything back in the same place/same direction it was in. And, at the very least, rod-out all the passages.

 

[BeastlyBirdie]

As above, check all you can. If honing is not something you have done a lot of, either get a friend to do it, or, find a shop, though I'd only pay if it was machine honed. More than once I've seen taper induced from crappy honing, where ppl didn't know what pattern the cross hatch should be, and not enough at spots, etc...oh, and carefully clean the ring grooves, nothing like nicking a skirt....oops, lol.