Trade that 283 to me for my 350 and you'll get better mileage just because the motor wont strain so much. Have a 350 turbo also. Heck for 2 grand ill build it with an rv cam. Pm sent
I got a 283 in my '36 Ford Sedan with a TH400 behind it (hey, it was cheap and available at the time.) 2.88 8" rearend and a 650 Edelbrock rebuilt to resemble a 500 (was cheaper than buying a 500 outright). I get 21 mpg with that old car. I got another 283 that I'm going to rebuild with a 200r4 for my '40 sedan delivery 'cuz I kick myself for taking the above motor and trans out of it in the first place to get the '36 going.
Not if you find a nice used one out of a 87-93 Camaro or Caprice. There is a guy in FL who sells them for $250 tested and all w/ convertor. Would work fine behind a 300 hp small engine.
I love the 283 in my OT daily, short on torque, but for work and back it's great, fast enough but wish it was faster 450cfm holley I was told "RV" cam 305 heads weiand intake headers Gets over 20 MPG in a beater 81 el camino with a shift kited T-400, i picked it up minus carb for $250 with 40,000 miles my only real problem is the 2.73 rear SUCKS, cuz it needs more RPM's
Filled mine up today and it came out to 26.9 MPG....283 with a small cam and auto with some high gears and your set. It aint about getting there faster than anyone its about getting there in style...
Remember on the 283's they are small motors, Dont put a BIG carb and intake on it, your usable RPM range will go WAY up, and they have a small stroke, so they LIKE rpms to make power I had stock 305 running the same intake and carb in my '81 EC before, Lots more torque, but NO rpm, whereas the 283 loves Rpms but is a little fussy off the line. They are total opposites
I've got a 64 4 door belair with 327, rv cam, edelbrock rpm intake, 650 holley vac secoundaries, 700r4, stock rear end, use as daily driver, good power and averages about 18 mpg - 23 mpg. solid car I would never go to turbo 350. You can find the right deals for a good 700r4. check junk yards and internet
What Shaggy said! I just sold off my (not OG anyway) 283 that was in my 63 C10 to a guy doing a 57 BelAir resto. I freshened up a roller cam 305, LT1 cam, Eddy intake and 500cfm 4bbl, T5 and 3.73 rear because I haul and tow stuff sometimes and I'm almost never a wring-it-out driver. I'm hoping for good MPGs but I won't know `til after the break in and tune. It depends on your vehicle, driving style and needs. If it's a SBC it can't be all bad.
All the X-frame cars used a SHORTER version of the Powerglide at 25 inches long as opposed to 28 inches for the short shaft TH350 and 200R4 transmissions; the 700R4 is even longer, as is the TH400. You WILL have to SHORTEN the driveline to use ANY trans other than the original Powerglide. TH350 will be the cheapest route other than keeping the Powerglide. You probably have low 3 series gears, and an overdrive trans behind a 283 with that high of gears won't make for the best combination; the engine will lug with the trans in overdrive. JMO. Butch/56sedandelivery.
three year old thread.....and the original poster hasn't been here in two years i hope he got it figured out by now
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