Thread: 62' 283 Biggest cam???? how can i get more power?

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Hi there guys, i bought a 64 belair with a 6 banger that is smoking so a guy i know has a 62' 283 thats a complete runner for $300. (the guy went to some high horsepower crate motor.)


Can anyone suggest a nice big cam for this motor?
alot of guys are telling me the biggest i can go on the street for a daily is a 327-350hp cam..

What else can i do to crank some more power out of this motor without really tearing it down>?

Its definitly getting a new cam and lifters, maybe 1.5 rockers and new high performance valve springs and a gear drive?

thanks for all your help!
Jason

This is a 327/375 hp cam, but it is a solid lifter cam.

hmm, somthing like that but hydro would be nice, but would the stock power pack heads work with somthing like this?

The last time I ran that cam was in a stock '74 400. It would be quite a bit wilder in a 283. It would require a 2500 or so stall converter in front of an auto trans and headers.

i will definitly be running headers and around a 2500 stall.

More power............ get a bigger engine! there is only so much you can do with a 283!

Originally posted by 64Belair
Hi there guys, i bought a 64 belair with a 6 banger that is smoking so a guy i know has a 62' 283 thats a complete runner for $300. (the guy went to some high horsepower crate motor.)


Can anyone suggest a nice big cam for this motor?
alot of guys are telling me the biggest i can go on the street for a daily is a 327-350hp cam..

What else can i do to crank some more power out of this motor without really tearing it down>?

Its definitly getting a new cam and lifters, maybe 1.5 rockers and new high performance valve springs and a gear drive?

thanks for all your help!
Jason

Why not shop around for a good 327.Way back when, I used a 327-350 cam in my 64 SS Impala ,4 speed,that was originally a 250 HP. motor . I was very pleased. A 327/375HP,( referred to as the 30--30 cam )would be a real dog in a close to stock 283. You would need everything else to go along with the 30/30.or you'de be pissing up a rope. With a close to stock 283 even with the power pack heads I would use no larger than a 268 Comp cam.Forget the gear drive. It's hard on your motor and just makes a bunch of noise. Spend your money on something more worthwhile,like headers,roller rockers,etc,etc,etc.
NTFDAY ,Im not trying to disagree with You,I think You were just throwing that out as an option,but Unless he is planning on spending a lot of money on a 283,which I dont think thats the case, Thats too much cam.

You could try the old L79 hydraulic cam used in the 350hp 327s. It's still produced by various brands. .222 duration @ .050 and .447 lift at the valve.

Start your project with a 400 small block. It's way easier to make power with a bigger motor and a streetable cam will make life much easier.

Alot of people are trying to steer me away from the 283, but $300 for a complete runner i cant go wrong to dump a cam and roller rockers.nice intake and headers and slam it in the car for the summer,.

the same amount of people have been telling me that a 283 can be a really snotty/snappy motor that will run very strong.

the car currently has a 250-6 that smokes like crazy so i cant go wrong with the little small block.

Do you think that maybe "a lot of people" might know more than you do?

Have you thought about how you're gonna deal with the soft valve seats and unleaded gas?

How are you gonna hang your accessories on the motor with heads that are not drilled and tapped?

TRY THE L79 CAM , DUAL PLAIN INTAKE ,500CFM CARB AND SMALL TUBE HEADERS (1 5/8 ) .ADD A GOOD HEI DIST AND RIDE . IF YOU WANT MORE MOTOR START GATHERING THE PARTS FOR A 350 .

Hanging accessories wont be a problem, im just running power steering and altenator. i have tons of rams heads manifolds "in stock" here at my shop, but i will just run a header bracket.

"Do you think that maybe "a lot of people" might know more than you do?"

I never claimed to be an expert here on small block chevys and im not looking for 500hp either, just a nostalgic look, cool exhaust note and a little get up and go.

The "alot of people" who having been telling me that a 283 can run are the guys who raced them back in the 60's or have built them for hot rods, 57 chevys, etc..

the other have are younger "drag racer mentality" types.

"Have you thought about how you're gonna deal with the soft valve seats and unleaded gas?"

yes i have! The heads have already been gone thru on the 283 im planning on buying.

Check out some of the cars from the shop i work at on the pictures page of www.radirwheels.com


27RAT, sounds like a plan, i have a bunch of old mid 60's aluminum intakes i can try out too, so i will see what will work out best, thanks for your help!

Originally posted by riverhorse59

NTFDAY ,Im not trying to disagree with You,I think You were just throwing that out as an option,but Unless he is planning on spending a lot of money on a 283,which I dont think thats the case, Thats too much cam.

That cam was originally in a 265 punched to 301 with a set of heads that matched double humps. The dist was an early dual point Vette with a Mallory dual coil and an early Vette 2-4 setup. It was hooked to a 39 box via a Sheiffer 10 lb alum flywheel into a 40 pickup rearend with 441 gears. That was my '36 5 window, mid '60's, and it was a screamer for it's time. And yes, it had one hell of a rough idle.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NTFDAY
[B]That cam was originally in a 265 punched to 301 with a set of heads that matched double humps. And yes, it had one hell of a rough idle.

I should leave this alone but I cant! Were You casting your own blocks back then? A 265 could just barely be bored to a 283,and a 283 could just barely be bored to a 301. A 265 bored to 301 would have been bored .250. Dont think so!!

What is a set of heads that matched double humps?

And Yes, a 30-30 had one hell of a rough idle.

64 Bel Air, No one here is telling you that a 283 can't be made to run. They will . I have had a couple that ran very good,but I had everything working well together. You just dont want to put a big solid lifter camshaft in a 283 with small heads,small valves,and valve springs that dont have 50 pounds of seat pressure,and think you are accompolishing anything, You're not.

The point several of us here were trying to make is, For 300 to 500 bucks you could find a used 327, 350 or 400 smallblock to work with. Thats a lot more cubic inches to pull a 3500 pound 64
Bel Air. Parts cost no more for those motors than the 283. As a matter of fact,most rebuild parts are cheaper for the 350 than any other motor.

Build what You want and we will try to assist you in any way we can. Good Luck and have fun with your project.