283?

[MD13ailey]

I have seen some pretty cool 283s I guess it all comes down to what you wanna do with it. If you want a cruzer and r just lookin for the sound sure a 283 is great. If you r wanting to go fast then you shouldnt be worried about mileage and in that case there is no replacement for displacement. As far 305s go I built one. Had quite a few good parts on it, thought it was pretty powerful.... then I put he 355 in and had my eyes opened.

 

[DRIVEN]

so for me, chevy305<Chevy283 olds307>chevy283 i would rather put time into an olds engine if its in an olds.

That's an odd thing to say from the person who originated the thread. The original premise, if I read it right was, "why don't you see more 283s in Gbodys?" I guess that's kind of like saying "why don't you see more flatheads in Mustangs?" Then debating that 5.0s or 4.6s are better :lol: . I guess it all boils down to what you want your car to be. I still think a 283 has more personality than a 305 (that's not saying much) but obviously it's not as powerful as a 355 and it's not an Olds.

 

[anakputa]

One of the reasons they got rid of the 283 was that GM found out it was lasting too long. They want you to buy a new car every 3-4 years. They needed an engine that would provide good torque and also to wear out hence the 350. When I was a kid you were lucky to get a car to hit 60K, it was all wore out by then. Now the cars with proper maintenance can go 200K - 300 K miles now. For a daily driver the 283 with a small Carter/Edelbrock AFB would be a good choice and with an Overdrive transmission and 2.29 gears..I wonder what the fuel mileage would be? My friend had a 68 Satellite with a 318 2 Barrel Carb that would get 24 MPG and run 140 Miles an hour..

 

[oldtinsmith]

I'm lov'n this post!!! Seems to be alot of positive input here too. My first brand new car was a 1965 Chevy Biscayne, with a 283 and 3-speed stick. I drove the crap out of that car and it never let me down (if I drove sane, I could get 24-26 MPG on the highway!). IMO, Chevy stroked the 283 with the 327 crank to make a 307 and thus increase the torque of the base V-8 to be able to power the land yachts that were being built (and to keep costs down).
It has been said that there is no replacement for displacement and this is a true statement IMO but, alot can be said for building a 283! 1) If you want to race at a strip, chances are good that there will be fewer cars in your class. 2) The bore of the 283/307 will have less intake valve shrouding than the smaller bore of a 305 (better breathing means more power).
3) The 7 1/2" rear would stand a good chance of living behind a 283 (and probably a WC 5-speed). 4) Headers (1 1/2") and exhaust (2 1/2") being of a smaller diameter would have fewer fitment issues.
That being said, the cost savings from not having to buy parts for a heavy duty drive line could be put into building the engine!

Doug

 

[canadiantbone]

My brother & I built up a 283 back in the late 80's & shoved it into his 69 camaro . That thing went like a bat out of hell . That being said , it was also matched up cam/converter & gearing . It beat many a 350 . I still think that the 283/327 are under rated as an engine . understanding that with the same engine & parts , you will make about 50 more hp & torque , it's still cool tp say that you have a 283 . There is a replacement for displacement , it's call a turbo ! reliable hp & you don't know you have it untill you stab the go fast pedal .

 

[oldiejams]

so for me, chevy305<Chevy283 olds307>chevy283 i would rather put time into an olds engine if its in an olds.

That's an odd thing to say from the person who originated the thread. The original premise, if I read it right was, "why don't you see more 283s in Gbodys?" I guess that's kind of like saying "why don't you see more flatheads in Mustangs?" Then debating that 5.0s or 4.6s are better :lol: . I guess it all boils down to what you want your car to be. I still think a 283 has more personality than a 305 (that's not saying much) but obviously it's not as powerful as a 355 and it's not an Olds.

that is odd, i worded it weird. 😳 guess i was trying to say i would like to have a 283

thanks for all the posts though, this thread as been interesting.

 

[G_Body_Enthusiast]

hey now im getting my 307 rebuilt :lol: bored over a bit because it was so worn down... but i think its pretty cool to build original and make more or as much power as you can out of the original engine that came with the the car, that takes someone special anyone can go find a big engine and built it but come on, how cool does it sound when you let people know your 307 is making 400hp (mines not because i dont have a lot of money lol) i think the 283 would be pretty cool because you dont see many of them. its all personal preference though

i wanted to take my buick V6 and build it up but i'd rather just do that with the 350 sitting on my engine stand. there is a certain cool factor to do it that way and all but nobody is really gonna care and i dont care if anyone likes it or not. i just want more power and 2 extra cylinders automatically puts me further ahead in the game of power just like more displacement will as well. i dont want cool any more, i want power so my car can get out of its own way for a change. i dont have the wallet to afford cool. otherwise i'd probably go with a blown buick V6 just to be an oddball.

 

[CHRIS.O]

They are a short stroke small cylinder diameter engine. They need to rev to produce good power. Revving isn't great for a street car in my opinion. To set one up to run good time or perform well you would have to use a lot of gear, large stall and large cam. This would make a car that did not have pleasant street manners. Also I have been told that you cannot run 2.02 valves because of the small bore size.

 

[MD13ailey]

putting a turbo on is technecally cheating and it still doesnt replace the displacement. Put that same turbo with the same amount of boost on a 350 and see were you r sittin (other than with a shattered 10 bolt) most of the time mod for mod the bigger cubic inch engines will make more power and torque

 

[TRX]

Reasons not to use a 283:

Heads lack "7th hole" required for some later model exhaust manifolds.

Heads lack accessory holes on ends.

A/C, alternator, P/S bracketry from 229 or 305 won't fit 283.


This can all be dealt with, but it's a lot of extra work compared to dropping in a later motor.