I'm going to be keeping at stock to slightly over stock build on my 383 backed by a 4 speed. I'll be getting an aluminum intake to lighten up the front from that iron brick of a factory intake, a slightly larger cam for a little more power, and possibly headers...still undecided.

Is anyone using 3.23's and are they great cruising gear with still plenty of pep to get up and go? Or is it worth a few extra rpm and bump up to a 3.55 or 3.91. Mind you that I'm using the #'s drivetrain and won't be racing or bashing on it a whole lot. Just the occasional show off.

I like even a SHORTER and BESTer "cruising" gear than that .... a 2.76.

If you want to have "fun" with the car .. you will need a HEAVIER flywheel to keep the R's up when and if you want to "show-off" !

With a 4 speed a 2.76 might be just a little too high for me. With that gear I could probably go over 200mph .

Me and my old man were discussing an issue last night. I had already bought a 440 out of that 78 winnebago I told you about Doc a couple months back. Well he suggested that its probably better leaving the car with what it came with. He made his Dart into such a monster with his 440 that he is having a hard time just cruising in it. So I have a feeling the 383 is gonna suit my needs as a cruiser and keep that origional factor.

A 3.23 is a decent all-around gear ...I would just use whatcha' got.

3:23 is well suited for the short stroke higher winding 383 engine.
With the 4 speed you will be very happy.

I am running a 323 in my 68 Charger (440 )with some 275 60 15 tires and it is a little buzzy at 70...,
but I am now used to every thing that is on the road having overdrive and spinning under 2 grand at 70...

3.23sg

run it in my sb stepside and does fine on the road as a cruzer

will still run on the interstate at speed and will still come out the hole showing off

for playing and show boating I pop the 3.91sg in the 8 3/4 housing

then it dont go on the interstate and it comes out the hole like a bat out of hell

drops the mpgs a bunch also

for long trips I have a 2.76 I pop in

did I mention thats why I run an 8 3/4 in my stepside??? and its an A-body housing in the 85 truck to boot

I'm running 3:23s and a 4-speed in my slightly modified 383 dart. It is a little sluggish on take off most likely due to the EDL higher designed RPM Performer intake that is designed for higher rpm performance. Once it is rolling the dart accelerates and cruises great. I will stick with the 3:23s and someday change to a lower rise intake.

I had 3.23s in a valiant with a 360 and hated going on a trip with them if I could go over 50 mph. It just felt like I was stuck in 2nd gear.

I have a 2.76 SG in my cuda now and love them, I can buzz along at 80 and barely work up a sweat and the 235-55-17s can barey hook with the 360 in it as is so a lower gear would do me no good.

Ok, first think 3.23 with SG came out in that way from dealer, so is definitelly a good all around setup. Nothing wrong with those...3.55 was option too even on R/Ts

not everything requires more than that, although the mods you are planning

...be careful with your cam selection or it will be lazy at low rpm..

I'm gonna shoot comp cams a request. The one I'm looking at, since my goal is mainly torque and not a high rpm screamer, is the XE262. Hopefully it will give me the power I want and still sound good since it does have a 110 centerline.

I'm not sure if the XE262 will utilize our large tappet diameter or not.

... they might suggest XE-268.
#1 selling cam at Comp....three years in a row.
XE-262 might be better if compression is low.

Sometimes less is more. Less duration and more lift will help keep the 383 fun for the street with those gears. I have 3.23 SGs in 2 cars, 1 an auto and 1 a 4 speed and love them, but I also have headers and dual exhaust and build my motors for lots of torque because I want to go fast from 0 to 75. If you want to go to the track then add duration. It all depends what you want to do.

I want to build a torque monster rather than a high rpm car. That's why I opted for the XE262 but if there's better let me know.

I'm probably going to get an aftermarket dual plane intake and a pair of summit headers. I'll put the lead brick intake and manifolds on the side. I want to keep the motor stock looking. The headers will be the only thing and even then most people will accept headers.

lunati voodoo 60302 is what I'd use then....the XE (non HL) lobes from comp are their most aggressive .842" lifter lobes (chevy lifter diameters). their good, I had an XE262 in my 360 and liked it. the voodoos though were designed by the same guy who designed the ultradyne cams, and the chrysler cams are designed for a .904" lifter. gets you a tad more .050 dur, more .2" dur, and more lift for a given advertised dur.

I have the XE268 in my 360 in my car and the gearing is not a problem. I would have prefered the XE262 but I just used what I had.

I'm running the XE262 in my 383. Works very good, power is strong from 2,000 to 5,700 RPM's. 2200 stall, 3.73 rear gears. If you're going to use 3.23's, personally I'd run the XE262. With 3.91 gears I'd run the XE268.

BTW, with 275/60/15 rear tires I can light the tires up from a dead stop for 30 to 40 feet. That's not power breaking either. Just stomp on the gas from a stop.

The good thing is I don't have to worry about a torque converter and I have manual brakes so vacuum won't be an issue. I just have to learn how to take advantage of the 4 speed, I'm used to driving automatic muscle so this is kinda new to me. Lots of older guys telling me it will be a load of fun.

Junky,
Are you using an aftermarket intake, heads, and headers? Do you have pics of your engine?

Performer RPM intake, 750 Holley, Schumacher Tri-Y headers, 346 iron heads with 3 angle valve job.

That's basically the same setup I am shooting for. I'm gonna just get the summit brand headers. How does the RPM performer do off the line and does edelbrock performer or rpm performer have a mounting for the factory choke? One of the guys mentioned how his was sluggish off the line with the intake.

I have the 346 heads on my engine to. What do you think of them?

You have mph but no et.

Comes off the line just fine for what it is. As far as the heads go, they work just fine for what they are. It all boils down to money and what ya want to spend.

I just picked up an XE262 for cheap that someone never installed, thinking of putting it into my '66 Newport 383...

should work good. with that heavy of a car and with the probably more highway oriented gears, I wouldn't use much more. in my 360 it liked a lot of initial timing (about 18 degrees)