BluePrint BP38318CTCKV 383 Crate Engine, Low Profile, Carb, Dlx

Built for cars with a tight hood line or a shallow firewall, this low-profile 383 still makes 436 horsepower and 443 pound-feet at 10.0:1 compression, but trims the harmonic balancer, distributor cap, and air cleaner down so the package fits where BluePrint's standard dress won't.

Low-clearance hardware

Three parts shrink the front-end height here: a 6.75-inch harmonic balancer, a ready-to-run distributor with a small cap plus its own tach drive and coil, and a drop-base air cleaner. Spark plug wires route underneath the headers, suited to Rams Horn-style exhaust manifolds. Induction comes from a 750-cfm carburetor on an aluminum intake manifold, and a front accessory package brings along the water pump, the air-conditioning compressor, the alternator, and the power-steering pump, though BluePrint notes it does not fit Corvette applications.

Clearance to confirm

The drop-base air cleaner tops out around 11.5 inches measured from the block's sealing surface under the intake. BluePrint says confirming clearance for the accessory drive on a given vehicle is the installer's job, and some hose, wiring, or fabrication work should be expected on certain combinations. This longblock is new, is not intended for pollution-controlled vehicles, and carries BluePrint's standard 30-month, 50,000-mile coverage.

Will this clear a low hood line? That's the point of the compact hardware here, but measure your own engine bay before ordering to be sure it fits your car.