is it better to put a 383 or 454 in buick regal for street racing ?

Question

is it better to put a 383 or 454 in buick regal for street racing ?

Answer 1

Both have their advantages and disadvantages.



Both can make big power. The 454HO and the ZZ383 both make 425 HP out of the box, but the 454 makes more torque. But the 454 has the potential to make more power than the 383 with the right modifications.



But the 383 is a lot lighter than the 454. A lighter car can be more nimble than a heavier car. Also, small block Chevys are cheaper to modify than big block Chevys.



Looking at some of the other answers, I think it is funny that someone who claims to have been a mechanic has never heard of the very popular Chevy 383 stroker. GM even sells this engine, the HT383 (GM PN 12499101) and the ZZ383 (GM PN 12498772) in their GM Performance Parts program. So I would question the knowledge of these people who claim to be mechanics.



Anyway, why waste your time and resources in pointless street racing where you are endangering innocent bystanders.



Do this on the track instead. Here you may even make a little money to help cover your expenses. There will be a sanctioning body with a rule book and inspectors so there is a level playing field. This same rule book will help make sure your car is built as safely as possible. The spectators will also be safe. If you crash, there will be paramedics and an ambulance on site so you will be attended to in seconds. Who knows, you may even make a few fans, which can be cool.



There are several classes of racing availible. With these classes you sill be up against drivers with similar skill levels and equipment. This way, no one has any unfair advantage or disadvantage.



Go to your local track and check it out. Get a copy of their rule book. There will be several classes so you can choose one that best fits your wallet. Start with the rule book so you don't make any modifications that you can not use.

Answer 2

I have to laugh at all of the respondents who think you are referring to a chrysler engine when you say 383. why would anyone in their right mind put a chrysler engine in a gm car? tisk tisk. Shame on you all.



I would go with the 383 simply because you came make very good power and torque with the 383. While it is true that big cubes = big torque, I think you will find it easier to fit the 383 in a G body than a 454. You will have a hard time finding headers that will fit without any serious modifications, or that don't cost an arm and a leg. I know, I'm putting a 468 olds in a G body. I see it coming now, a 468 is a 454 .060"over not an olds. Well, 455 bored .060" over is 468. Do the math. There are tons of 383 stoker kits around. Not to say that there isn't a lot of 454 parts out there. Just remember, you want to build your motor for torque, not horsepower. Torque is what moves the car. A 383 with 400 horse and 400 ft lbs of torque would be a sweet motor to run on the street. And for all those that think just because street racing is illegal that everyone will stop doing it, just go ahead and keep thinking that.

Answer 3

Both engines are very good choices for drag racing applications. The 383 strokers are extremely popular and will weigh less then a 454 big block.



You have to remember that 383 cubic inches is just about as high the displacement can go safely on a 350 small block. There's some wild builds that are well over 400ci, but it's hard to get them tuned correctly without problems. In the drag racing world, it is common to stroke 454 Chevy's out to 509ci.



For some reason I think it's kind of "redneck" to put a Chevy big block in a Buick Regal. I think it would be much cooler to drop in a 455 and keep it all Buick. They make more low end torque then 454's and you could easily get one down to the 10's with the right upgrades. You really don't need a tunnel ram or anything, just a healthy 10.5-1+ compression 455 that's making 500 horsepower, slicks, and maybe a nitrous kit too. Try to keep it with one carburetor if possible for simplicity and tuning purposes.

Answer 4

This depends on several things which only you can answer. If the Buick is a heavy car IMO 3500 pounds and up then the 454 is the engine. If your car is below 3000 #`s then the 383 stroker would be my choice. Do you notice the 500 pound difference in weights I listed. Well that's because that difference is right in the area to where a lot of other things come into consideration. Believe it or not from 3000 pounds to 3500 pounds you really need to consider just how you are going to build the engine, your tire sizes, spring rates etc etc. You can take a 383ci stroker and put it into a 3500 pound car with the correct rear end gear ratio and cheater slick and all the accessories that are considered the best money can buy and you will blow the doors off the same 3500 pound car with the mildly built 454. But then add all those same high dollar accessories to the 454 and even in a 4000 pound car it may in fact come back and beat the 383ci stroker. I`m sure I have totally confused you, i`m sorry.



But to answer your question in another way.

Any engine is good as long as you get the right builder to build it for you. No stock engine is worth a crap in stock factory form. If you are going to seriously race a car which puts loads of stress on the engine, then the engine needs built to with stand the forces you are going to be applying to it. A good reputable engine builder can build either engine to give you about the same durability. With the main differencs being in the total horse power and nost importantly, ft. pounds of torque you will need to launch that beast. 383`s do produce a lot of torque, but compared to the 454 which is a torque monster the 383 will still be second best in a pulling contest.



It all boils down to how radical you are going to build your car and how much money you have to spend on it.



If I had very little money say less than tfree grand, then I would choose the 454. A good solid stock engine for the foundation and add headers a cam kit a good duel plane intake and 800cfm holley dbl pumper and a decent ignition system. You will be able to still run pump gas and most of all street friendly gears and out run most hot rods you come up against.



I have found that most street race engines are generally over built and have poor combinations of parts and normally do not run very well. While the fellow that keeps it simple and mild and consults with an engine specialist, winds up winning most of the street races.



You need to do a lot of reading and researching and find your self a engine builder that knows his sh-- and has actually built some cars that have good win reputations. That builder can be a world of info

Answer 5

go with the 383. It will be a direct bolt in if the regal ( i guess you are referring to the older regals that came with V8s). The 383 is a very good engine and is a torque monster if built right. If you go with the 454, you are going to have to purchase some engine mounts, change the transmission mounts, fab up a driveshaft, and other pain in the *** thing like that. But you may have to anyway if you go to the 350 or 400 trans. A GM overdrive would need some beefing up to handle a high horse 383.

Answer 6

Zz 383 Stroker

Answer 7

It's hard to beat a modified 454. With rectangular port heads, 11 to 1 or highrer compression and a serious cam, you would have an easy 500 hp and much more with a tunnel ram and 2 fours. Remember, big block Chevys like lots of compression to make serious power. Unless, of course, you are running a blower, then 8 to 1 is plenty.

Answer 8

for street racing you,d want the 383 stroker engine ,they crank out a lot of horse power and would be better for that,i have ran both before and i think the 383 stroker would be a much better engine,quicker on response time also,good luck.

Answer 9

This vehicle could be equipped with a mild motive force module, a small circuit board enclosed in a small plastic housing taped to the harness at the back of the glove field. the mild motive force module could desire to be failing. additionally while between the solenoids that actuate a working laptop or laptop controlled equipment including Exhaust gas Recirculation, Evaporative purge administration or the transmission torque converter take carry of (TCC) turns into shorted the severe modern-day pass for the period of the ECM (on-board laptop) can harm the ECM, if so the mild could desire to "flicker" and the ECM might could desire to get replaced. The provider Engine quickly mild could desire to in no way "flicker" that's the two ON or OFF. Flickering could desire to point an inner failure of the ECM. yet another state of affairs I genuinely have considered is a twine chafing on the exhaust manifold or an engine bracket inflicting the mild to flicker yet frequently that could ultimately blow a fuse. Early "G" physique (formally A bodies) vehicles developed water leaks around the windshield that could enable water to holiday down the "A" pillar into the ECM. If the windshield has been replaced there could be a threat of a poor sealing activity including a niche interior the sealer cloth.

Answer 10

the 383 i believe is a chrysler engine and costs less in my area to repair than the 454 chevy engine. and it is a great engine to get performance out of .not that the 454 can't perform but i have found all my Chrysler's' outperform any of the gm products i have driven !

Answer 11

There's no replacement for displacement when it comes to racing, go with the 454.

Answer 12

a 383 is a mopar engine, a 454 is a gm engine. if your going for keeping it all gm, go with the 454 and leave the mopar motor for a Chrysler, plymouth, or dodge product

Answer 13

i guess the others did not read question correctly...street racing is ILLEGAL and dangerous you not only endanger your life but innocent people as well plus big fines and possible jail time

Answer 14

depends on what kind of goodies u have on the engines, also consider weight factor.