Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383

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Offline HP2

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #15 on: December 20, 2007 - 07:08:54 AM »
Maybe you know this carb setup by it's looks.

Edelbrock 4bbl, probably AFB style, but we would need the numbers off it to confirm style and cfm rating. Decent carb, IMO. Some here don't really care for them though.




Offline Born_Fast

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #16 on: December 20, 2007 - 07:32:26 AM »
Edelbrock 4bbl, probably AFB style, but we would need the numbers off it to confirm style and cfm rating. Decent carb, IMO. Some here don't really care for them though.

So i already have a 4bbl carb in there? Duh, that shows how little i know, because i mistook it for a 2bbl from the pics. If it performs decent, i might keep it there, as this would save me some bucks for other things, like a new cam, Pertronix, wheels, suspension or stereo.

What can you tell me about the manifold/intake? It seems to be Edelbrock too. Experiences from this setup anyone?

And what cam can you guys recommend?

Offline HP2

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #17 on: December 20, 2007 - 10:21:23 AM »
Looks like an Edelbrock Performer. That and the carb are decent, reasonable performers in regards to power and mileage. Whether or not they are the ultimate for your combination requires more detailed information on the engine and its internals that you may not have or have not presented. To make good recomnedations we need more info on what you are starting with, budget, goals, etc.

Some casual observations looking at your engine bay; you already have an okay intake and a 4 bbl carb (bbl is the abbreviation for barrel, not carb, btw) and headers. You already have electronic ignition so it is doubtful Pertronix is going to be any better than what you have as the stock mopar ignition is very good. The air cleaner is kind smallish and made of paper. You  might want to step up to a 14" diameter and a low restriction element like K&N, Accel or something similar. Your heater is disconnected so if it gets cold outside, your going to be cold inside as well. Your air conditioning is disconnected. Did you know you had factory a/c in the car? You have drum brakes on all four wheels. Since you have a/c, you also should have heavy duty cooling as well.

I'd recommend you get the car in hand and drive it for a while as it may already be very powerful and you don't know it yet. If so, there is no reason to plan upgrades and changes that you may not need. Get some books and do some reading up on things. I'd recommned the factory service manuals for your year first and foremost, then maybe the mopar performance manuals on chassis and big blocks. If you can shake down the seller for more detailed info on changes, upgrades, or rebuild info, especially anything to do with your engine and drivetrain, that will save you some hassle down the road as well as help us make recommendations to you.

BTW, beautiful car. Welcome!
« Last Edit: December 20, 2007 - 10:56:58 AM by HP2 »

Offline Born_Fast

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #18 on: December 20, 2007 - 10:46:08 AM »
Thanks HP2!

You are right that i should drive it for a while, before starting to buy things that i might not need. How can you tell it has drumbrakes? Because the dealer told me it has discbrakes.
If it actually still HAS drumbrakes, then upgrading thse will be one my first mods. Along with maybe a XV suspension kit and some nice rims. Roads and traffic can be tricky around here.

The dealer also told me it has aircon, but i wonder if it's working, bceaus they disconnected it. The one on my old car was constantly leaking.

Also having a functional heater would be nice, considering that it's constantly below 0°C right now.

Offline HP2

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #19 on: December 20, 2007 - 11:06:02 AM »
The master cylinder is the giveaway. Since it is a stock master cylinder, it should have a large reservoir and a small reservoir. The large one is for the disc system, the small one is for drums. Yours has two small reservoirs on it, hence drum brakes. Although it is possible that someone put disc brakes on it and did not change the master cylinder. If this is the case, then you will want to change that out right away as that is a safety issue with the small master cylinder not being able to move enough fluid to properly run the disc system.

Offline Born_Fast

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #20 on: December 20, 2007 - 11:31:59 AM »
The master cylinder is the giveaway. Since it is a stock master cylinder, it should have a large reservoir and a small reservoir. The large one is for the disc system, the small one is for drums. Yours has two small reservoirs on it, hence drum brakes. Although it is possible that someone put disc brakes on it and did not change the master cylinder. If this is the case, then you will want to change that out right away as that is a safety issue with the small master cylinder not being able to move enough fluid to properly run the disc system.


You definitely know what you are talking about.

Let's assume the dealer was wrong and i have still drum brakes. Then what kind of disc brake system would you suggest at a reasonable price?

If however the brakes were upgraded to discs, then any brand/type "disc-brake-size" reservoir will do just fine?

Offline Born_Fast

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #21 on: December 21, 2007 - 03:23:46 AM »
Mine still runs drum breaks on all 4... getting a 440ci at 500ft/lbs of torque - Maybe its not wise to keep drums... can u imagine what may eventuate? :roflsmiley:

I believe the XV suspension Kit comes with XV Breaks designed for that suspension kit (unless breaks are something you can buy off them which does not come with a suspension kit) and it comes with XV shocks dialed in to suit that suspension kit. Im not sure on this though neither am I sure how good there shocks are compare to Konis or whether they are fully adjustable like Konis.  :clueless:

BBL means barrel.... ! I always thought somehow it was either "barrel carb" or "Big Block (BB) something (L)"

How does BBL stand for barrel when there is only 1 B in barrel? :bricks1:



Hey G-Man!

I found this on the XV website http://www.xvmotorsports.com/products/detail/index.cfm?nPID=5&cid=2&cdesc=Suspension

Looks like there are no brakes in the level / kit included. And clicking on the "brakes" section of their website will only bring a "no products available yet" message.

If there are still drumbrakes on my car, i'll upgrade them asap. First of all for safety reasons, but also because drumbrakes look awful behind some nice Torq Thrusts.

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #22 on: December 21, 2007 - 11:49:46 AM »
not to mention the original 4 wheel drum brake will have residual pressure valves & can drag the calipers on drum brakes

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

Offline repo68

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #23 on: December 21, 2007 - 07:54:00 PM »
Hi Dreamcruiser,

I thought I'd add my  :2cents:, since my setup looks pretty close to yours.  I have a '70 Chally with a 383, tti headers, electronic ignition, Edelbrock Performer 4bbl carb (750cfm) and dual plane intake.  It already runs pretty strong, and I haven't even tuned the carb yet.

IMO, a dual plane intake, such as the Edelbrock RPM is probably the way to go, unless you plan on racing the car.  I've read that intake provides better torque at low rpm, and matches the hp of some of the better single-plane intakes up to 6500 rpm.  I think Hot Rod mag recently did an intake comparison test, using a mopar 383.  Here's part 1 (the initial buildup): http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/hrdp_0711_mopar_383/index.html

Anyway, I'm just a newbie, so I'll also be looking for advice from the experts on this site.

Good luck with your car.  It looks beautiful!


Offline CHALLENGED BOB

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #24 on: December 28, 2007 - 03:50:54 PM »
Hey newbee - me too and I'm next to lost on using this forum but hopefully this will get through.

I have a 70 Challenger RT with a 383.  The original 4 barrel carb set up was an "iffy" performer.  If the weather was right, if it wasn't too hot and on and on.  Starting it was a pain.... so I switched it out to a fuel injected Holley set up.

The kicker was the mechanic who did the work swore he could hide it so no one could tell it wasn't stock.  Thanks to the air cleaner and his clever installation - he was right.  I have even entered it in stock judging.  I got points taken off for the headers but the judges didn't catch the FI!

I'm pleased with the decision as it starts right up and jumps to it when I give it gas.  No hesitation.  I saved the parts of course in case I need to sell it and a purist wants to go back. I can't see going back personally.

I suggest that you get your car and enjoy it for a long time before you make permanent decisions reguarding it's appearance and performance.  Generally they are worth more in stock condition than if they have been bastardized.  Find out what you can get away with without hurting the value then decide if you really want to do it.

For what it's worth.

Offline Madmax440

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #25 on: December 28, 2007 - 09:00:02 PM »
Welcome aboard Dreamcruiser - Thought that I recognized that black beauty from somewhere - http://www.pjsautoworld.com/1970cars/1970dodgechallenger.html. This is my dream car here. My Father bought me my first car when I graduated from high school and it was a 1970 Black on Black with a 383 Magnum. As it has been said already, the best thing that you can do right now is wait and see what you have first. Although a little advanced homework never hurt anybody. I would strongly advise that after you get the car and spend a couple of weeks getting familiar with it - Try getting Chryco and some of the others here in a chat room and just keep asking questions. So often one question just leads to another question. Did I mention that I love the car - Damn border patrols let another one get away.   

Offline Born_Fast

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #26 on: December 29, 2007 - 09:45:01 AM »
Haha thanx Madmax!

That car just has to be loved. Fell in love with it at first sight. And after some negotiations and finding a way to fit this in my budget, i can finally call it my own. It should arrive here in a couple of days and like you said, i will drive it for a while, before deciding what to change. Unfortunately i have never driven a classic Challenger before, so i have no idea if the handling/performance is actually quite decent or should be improved.

On the day i signed the contract to buy my Challenger, i also bought a fliptop gas-cap on ebay, because i just love the style of that. Yesterday it arrived in a small package, and now i got at least one part of my dreamcar already here to marvel at. Hahaha.

Offline Born_Fast

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #27 on: January 03, 2008 - 11:16:38 AM »
Hi again everybody!!

My Challenger is still on it's way to Europe, but i just had a phonechat with the seller and learned that

a) it is a one owner car and they even have it's history.

b) it is not numbers matching, since the preowner changed the original 318 to a 383.

Now i'm a bit worried about the resale value. Will it be much less because of non matching numbers?
And can there be any technical problems, caused by the engine swap? Maybe the transmission is only suited for the 318 and will take damage from the 383s power? I'm no expert, so please enlighten me.

Cheers, Ralph

Offline dutch

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #28 on: January 03, 2008 - 11:29:11 AM »
hey Ralph,

the tranny would be changed with it since it will not fitt the bigblock, so no sweat there...
could be that the torsion bars are a little thinner for a smallblock car. That will be less stable handling.
I don`t think an upgrade to a 383 will do any harm to the car`s value, esp. in europe. :thumbsup:
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Offline Born_Fast

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Re: Introduction & questions on tuning a 70' 383
« Reply #29 on: January 03, 2008 - 11:40:50 AM »
Thanks dutch. Not that i plan to give away this awesome car anytime soon, but yet i was a bit concerned because everyone here seems to be talking about the importance of matching numbers for an E-bodys value.