Quote: anyway, budget minded, I still give the nod to the 383. a good intake, carb, cam, headers, and you have a 400-425hp motor on 89 octane gas. the magnum will cost a bit more money to get over 400 hp out of it.
...and I think the weight difference is overrated; once you put on headers and an aluminum intake, the 383 isn't that heavy. A mini starter, alum water pump, etc. and it gets lighter yet. You could always go with a set of alum eddy's or stealths in the future too. I would bet that a 383 with all the alum goodies is as light as a stock LA setup.