Yea...but you'll be driving a Prius...

 

Just FYI the 400 and 350 blocks are the same physical size

 

SBC 400's were the first attempt at smog reduction back in the day. Those blocks suffered a lot of problems. A few builders did manage to get HP back into them. The Chevy 400 will be more costly to rebuild. I'd go for the 350.

 

ya i knew that. i've just never worked on one. my biggest issue was wondering how different the intake and heads were, like the ability to work on them easily in comparison to a 350. then accessory brackets, how different is the set up and what not. will the water pump protrude too far out to use a clutch style fan. simple stuff that you wouldnt think would be a problem outside the box, then once you get inside the box it becomes a major issue.

lol ya ya i know. dont remind me :P

i catch hell about that from the guys every time i mention toyota now

 

Is it possible to get a conversion like this licensed in any state? I live in CA where I expect DMV would not be too enthusiastic...

 

CA is the worst of the worst in terms of making changes like this. All I can say is good luck.

 

383 Stroker !

 

It all started in CA back in '67. AIR systems were required for cars with automatic trans. CA has had the strictest tail pipe emissions since.

 

ha, ya theres about 3 things keeping me from moving back to CA once i can afford the move to anywhere. emissions requirements (granted with a daily driver getting 45+ it wont effect that), property taxes, and cost of living in general. i would just as soon be happier moving back to TX.

 

I'll eventually figure it out. I poked around the Vehicle Code last night, and the DMV website. In theory, according to the Air Resource Board (or whomever), you can do it, but it has to be as clean or cleaner than the current engine. Any time you swap an engine, you are required to report it to DMV so they can issue a new ID number for your vehicle and re-register you. The fee appears to be $2.00 by statute. After all this, you have to take it to a DMV "referee" who will inspect the vehicle and presumably smog it.

Although licensing the first time round would be a hassle, I suppose it ultimately comes down to whether a newer 350 can run cleaner than a 10+ year old 4.3L. I have no idea. I assume the smallblock would be a bit more thirsty though.