Once upon a time, the 383 big-block Mopar engine got very little respect. It was standard equipment in the legendary Road Runners and Super Bees of the late '60s, early '70s, and was found under the hood of many other Mopar musclecars, including A-Body 'Cudas and Darts. Sure, it was overshadowed by the massive 440 and not in the same league as the 426 Street Hemi, but it was a reliable, powerful, and a less expensive alternative to both. If you wanted big-block power and were on a budget, the 383 was attractive to a lot of buyers. And why not? It had loads of torque and offered a wonderful bore-stroke ratio (4.25x3.38 inches). With the right aftermarket cam and some induction and exhaust mods, it could be a high-winding screamer.
Hundreds of thousands of Dodges, Plymouths, and Chryslers were propelled by this plant before it was replaced by the 400, but today it's an under-appreciated marvel. When a 383 gets tired, it seems like no one thinks twice about replacing it with a 440, a stroked 440, or for the bucks-up enthusiast, a Hemi. Even the 400 gets more respect. Stroker kits that increase its displacement to 451 and 500 ci have been around awhile, and are becoming more and more popular. The downside, however, is that 400 blocks are getting scarce and, correspondingly, more expensive.
Now let's see a show of hands: How many of you have a derelict 383 (short- or long-block) sitting in the corner of your garage or shed? That's what we thought. They're everywhere, and if you don't have one, they are cheap to purchase. And what about those of you who have one under the hood of your musclecar? While highly modified hot rods are more in vogue now than they were in the late '80s and early '90s, originality still matters to some people and could mean better resale in the future.
Such was the case with the owner of the '65 Dodge Coronet 500 you see here. It's an original 383/330-horse car backed by a 727 TorqueFlite. It came with a 3.23 Sure Grip from the factory, but the 831/44 was rebuilt a couple of years back with a set of 3.91 cogs. The factory 383 was pulled back in 1993 and replaced with an RHS-built 383 with a mild cam and slightly massaged heads. At the time the replacement B-motor was assembled, low-compression was in vogue, and this one checked in at a regular-fuel friendly 8.0:1. Over the years, the 516 heads (with 2.08/1.74 valves) were replaced with a set of 906 heads ported by co-author Dan Foley. With an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, 800-cfm carburetor, and ported Magnum exhaust manifolds, the 3,900-plus-pound Coronet ran a best of 13.03 at 102.9 mph. The car made regular (non-trailered) trips to dragstrips from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and Ohio, where it was consistent in the bracket classes-close to two tons of fun for its owner. But the fact of the matter was, the RHS 383-trooper that it was-was in desperate need of a freshening.
Engine technology has come a long way since that big-block was assembled in the late '80s. Street compression ratios of 10.0:1 and higher are back in style; cam technology has come a long way; and the Mopar fanatic has his choice of high-flow aluminum cylinder heads. With this in mind, the owner decided to assemble a fresh 383-based mill, one that could kick Brand X tail in the ever-more competitive world of street and strip performance. Ultimately, the owner felt if the car was born with a B-engine, it should remain with one.