hey guys
I am going this weekend to look at a 79 z28. The guy says it has a 383 stroker in it that he got from a shop in VA about 2 years ago (no receipts) that has eagle cam, eagle dart heads, and eagle roller rockers. says it is supposed to be putting out 420 hp but I don't know how that translates to "fast" with these vehicles since they are rather heavy.

I can't tear down the engine so can't tell. He says there are 2K on the engine and 68K on the tranny (400 trans) and body. Also has a 3500 stall converter. Has a dent by the driver's side front tire. Custom dual exhaust that dumps at the rear, a new wiring kit from painless wiring, and the interior is partially swapped out.

He is asking 3K. Anyways....I guess it will be heard to know if it is a stroker right? What do you guys recommend being the big things to look for on these.
thanks

 

‪Buyers Guide --- Never buy a "Rusty" Camaro or Trans Am again!‬‏ - YouTube

 

No way to tell if it's a stroker, even after hearing it. As a matter of fact, probably the only thing you can confirm are the Dart heads, if you can't inspect the internals, and he has no receipts. In otherwords, you've got to assume it's all BS, and start from scratch.
You'll have to drive the car, and if possible have a mechanic look at it, then decide if you believe the stroy, and the seller, then buy it if you do. If all the story could be confirmed, then a $3k price is very good, but I'm guessing it's cheap because he can't prove it.
I figure at best it's often half truths, so take what the seller says with a grain of salt, and hope you get lucky.

 

Thanks I really appreciate that. He seems to have run into a financial situation and was asking 7K and dropping 1K a week because he needs the cash.

Will you feel a seat of the pants difference if it is a stroker?

 

No way to "feel" a 33 ci increase. I've ridden in stroker 383's built for trucks that were not high HP engines, just torque monsters, and wasn't impressed with their power. It all boils down to how the engine was built. If they did everything you mentioned, and it truly has 420 HP, it will really go, regardless of whether it's 420 HP 383, or 350 engine.
If a Camaro has that kind of HP it should easily light the tires up clear through 1st, and into 2nd. I know both of my cars will, and one is a 327, the other a 427. I doubt if anyone rode in either with a blindfold that anyone would be able to tell what cubic inch each of them was.

 

Those are words to live by right there.When i bought my car,it was basically the same story,motor is a built up 355,i did this to it,and that,etc. but he had no reciepts or paperwork to prove it,only thing i can be sure of is it has an aftermarket cam,because it has a bit of a lopey idle.As far as things he told me were done,it just went in one ear and out the other,so as far as i'm concerned,it's a basic 350 with a cam until i can get everything confirmed.
As far as looking at the body though,that video above is great info on what to look for,and i cannot stress enough to make sure you look at the rear frame rails from the front of the leaf spring all the way to the rear of the car,this is a very common spot for these cars to rust out.

 

Manual or Automatic?

 

I would just reiterate what the other folks have said about taking the seller's comments with a grain of salt since he doesn't have receipts or anything else proving the engine is as he says. In addition even if it was built like he said, it may very well have been abused. Probably best to remember that while it may be a good deal, it WILL require things that you will miss seeing or that are hidden until you get it and have spent some time with it, i.e., don't expect a 30+ yrs old car to be like new and to be as reliable as a new car. Having said that, they are incredibly tough if reasonably taken care of. My '79 RS has almost 300,000 miles on it and has never had the valve covers off. Biggest problem areas tend to be accessories and A/C along with normal things like brakes, tires, etc.