LUVTruck.com

I'm dropping this post on you guys to see what info you can give me? I was at the autoshop here on post helping a buddy of mine change out his fuel pump on his full size chevy ! You should seen the looks we got when my little Slammed LUV comes into the place with his full size in tow!!!! Well anyway to thie story at hand ! I went into the little waiting area/office and there was a note on there A guy has a 283 for sale for $100 or best offer!!! Said it needs to be rebuilt. I was wondering Is this a good engine I never really had any thoughts of a 283, also what kind of power do they have and what kind of mods can be done? Well I'm ready for y'alls opinion.

I can't remember, but a 283 might be able to be stroked to a 302.......
anyone else?
hell any small block chevy for $100 is worth it if you ask me.

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03Cobra

A great engine in its day,I may be wrong but I think it was the first to get one horspower for every cubic inch back in the late 50's but with all the options you have now I would pass and go 350 or 383. 283 would be small journal and have the old can type oil filter unless some one has converted it ,man they are meesy to change. Also no bolt holes in the heads for brackets. A hot ticket at one time and could be a good daily driver engine,good on fuel milage and should have enough power but if you want true performance I would go bigger. Flatheads were also once the hottest thing too!
And one last word of caution for the first 3 years they didn't have side mounts. Chances are that it would not be a early (55-57) block but I got one in the early 80's that was bored .125 over making a 4" bore and a 3" stroke = 302 all the old timers called them a 301 and not all blocks will bore that far. I ended up getting a 327 block and swaping everything over.

283 and 307 3 7/8" bore
302,327 and 350 4" bore
283 and 302 3" stroke
307 and 327 3.25" stroke
267,305 and 350 3.48 stroke
305 3.735 bore
400 4.125 bore 3.75 stroke

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stripped and just a memory!

i dropped a 283 into a 1960 chevy impala (convertible) ) and it moved that big ol pile o' crap pretty good. It redlined kinda high.

ONLY BEAD THINGBOUT THAT ISLATE MODEL BRACKETS WONT FIT THERES NO BOLT HOLES IN THE HEADS UN LESS U HAVE SOME LATER MODEL HEADS TO PUT ON

Well I am going to call the guy this evening the ad reads......1963 283 runs but needs to be rebuilt. 100$ or best offer. I'll give him a ring and ask about the mounting bracket holes on the heads. I mean I would really love to have a 350 or 383 but, like I said I am in the Army and poor!!! not to mention that I have to take it to the post auto shop and pay $4.00 a day for bay rental So needless to say unless someone REAL close has an old 350 or would part with their 383 really cheap. I think I am gonna have to go with the 283 I have almost everything together to do the swap I have to go check out a few S-10 rear-ends this weekend and I have gotten a few extra little things to trick out the truck itself. I'll put those up on another post maybe give some of you guys some Ideas to shoot my way. Anyway I think I have rambled enough. Any other suggestions or help I would love to hear from Y'all.

Don't take me wrong they are a good engine and I didn't build what I wanted for my truck. I built what I could find and what was the same as what I wanted in terms of engine family . My truck is now set up for a big block so I can put any big block Chevy in it 427,454, 502 and it will be a bolt in swap. If you use the 283 you can come back and put a 350,383 or 400 in with no problem. Now that my truck is running I have found another big block like I wanted and will slowwwwly build it like I want. I can take my time and still ride.

Also note" best offer" most people ask more than they expect to get.
If you are planning on going with something else later do a cheap rering if possible and save the machine work expense for your 350 or 383. Clean everything maybe skimp on boreing and pistons.Check the crank maybe a polish will get you buy.

You would be surpised at some of the things you can get by with and have a engine going. I am not saying it will last 100,000 miles but I have had to do it in the past and put 30,000 miles on just rings and bearings ,cleaned everything and did good to afford what it got. And by the way it ran good didn't use oil and was running fine when I sold the car

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stripped and just a memory!

Left the guy a message earlier and am waiting on a reply from him to see if he still has the engine! I also went today and got a trunk kit !!!! the battery is getting a new home !

I had a 283 in a LUV truck some time back and really enjoyed it. I didn't race it but when I wanted to tow a 24 foot boat, it had no problem. Stopping was a different story though!! Right now I am building a LUV just the way I have wanted to for over 20 years. Of course some things will change a bit due to higher prices and neat things out there that have peaked my interest. But back to the engine part. I have a Chevy 283 sitting in my garage which of course needs to be rebuilt but my neighbor gave me a 350 with about 95% of the parts for it and a TH 700R4 tranny. Both require rebuilding but I have an excellent start as they were free. At first I was considering going with the 350, but after thinking it over, I am leaning towards the 283 as I am looking for relaibility, economy, and cost of rebuilding. I do not plan to race this one and while the 283 will let me do what I want on a daily basis, I know I won't have the power to try anything stupid. Also I am welding up a steel gate for a neighbors yard which will take all of two hours and he is buying me a rebuild kit for the 283. (Pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets, etc) What a deal!!!! Finally, I am a bit leary about the Datsun 300 ZX Turbo rear end assembly holding up to the power a 350 can put out. So you see, the size of the engine is up to you as to just want you want to do with it.
Rick

Arrrrrrrgh I guess he called and the wife took a message. I think he still has it.... if he does I'm gonna go ahead and get it I mean what the hell I can run it till it dies and then she's all set up for anything bigger right? Well heres my update after almost 4 hours of cussin' , spittin' , hollerin' and a few cuts and scratches the battery is in the bed!!!! Now all I need is the S-10 rear end the driveshaft oh yeah I guess I will need a tranny too unless the old man wanting to get rid of that engine has one with it,but I'm not holding my breath. Well I guess I have rambled enough. I'll try give another update tomorrow. hopefully I'll be going to pick it up.

when I installed my first v8 in the luv, a mechanic had and extra drive shaft for his luv. i kinkd modeled my truck after his. it fit perfect, th350 to stock rear end. $50.

He put in a ford 9. So did I. If i would have kept it, I would have gladly given it to anyone of you...but i threw it out when I moved from Seatlle to Spokane. Its probalbly under 100' of landfill in the snohomish area. anyone got a detector...

g

Hmmm Well I am going to go pick it up on Saturday!!! I finally got ahold of him after playing phone tag for a week. He's gonna take 75$ for it. I am so stoked I have been on ebay as well looking for parts stuff for it and have found a good deal on rebuild kit for it. I was also BSing with a guy at the hospital I was moonlighting at last night and he has a S-10 with a 350 I told him I was looking for a rear end out of one and he told me he's gonna go to a ford 9" and that he would sell me his. So I am gonna make him an offer of like 50$ for it. cause theres no telling what kind of shape it is in and how hard he drove it. but so far all my plans are coming together smoothly hopefully I can get some time to get started on the swap before I have to go to War !!! Seriously I would be quite pissed if I had got started on it and had to leave it there cause when I came back I would want to drive it sooooo bad and of course I couldnt. Well anyway I thought I would drop a quick update! holler at ya later.

[quote="Husker4eva]hopefully I can get some time to get started on the swap before I have to go to War !!! Seriously I would be quite pissed if I had got started on it and had to leave it there cause when I came back I would want to drive it sooooo bad and of course I couldnt.[/quote]

same here, but its too freakin cold to do anything

PLEASE Mr Bush let me finish my truck b4 you deploy me

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I like my steak like I like my women, young, tender and bloody.

All I need is my weed, women, and wine. -Edge City Outlaws

Quick update ! I didnt get the engine this weekend BUT he called and told me that something had come up and that I didnt need to worry the engine IS mine!!! So we are gonna get together next weekend and I'll go pick it up! Well now I am off to ebay to look for good stuff for it ! lol I am already bidding on some Chrome shorty headers I think I might just do the buy it now price for 55 bucks. anyway Just wanted to let y'all know I got it.