so i have a 1982 elky that is dead stock, on that note the motor is going and i am looking into a new one i am stuck between a 383 stroker or a 350 either the ram jet or regular. what would the best one be i am looking to do a bit of racing with it and still be a daily driver. also what tranny to match it and would i need a new set of gears?

You will probably go through that stock rear end pretty quick. Its a 7.5" GM 10 Bolt.

I'd go with the 383, a ZZ383 if you're buying the whole thing and not building it GMPP makes a great engine. I have one and with some minor mods you can raise the 425 HP up to 500 pretty easy.

You'll need a good transmission. What do you want Automatic or standard? A well built 700R4 is what a lot of us run right now but nothing like grabbing gears and popping the clutch ether.

Gears will depend on the trans you pick with tires and stuff like that.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Horsepower = $$$$$!!! How much are you willing to spend, how streetable are you looking for it to be, and how quick are you wanting it to be completed? ZZ crate motors are a nice start, but they can get pretty expensive...and then you've got to figure on building the rest of the drivetrain to withstand the stress.

engine wise i want a turn key for no where over 6k i would like a manual i was thinking a t56 as for rear end i will be replacing that LATER but can i get a new gear set for the stock rearend?

If you are thinking T56, the Viper Version, you can do a 4.11:1 easy. The Viper Version T56 has a final over drive gear of .50. Make that 4.11 look like a 2.05 on the highway. Cruising RPM could be lower than 2000 RPM.

My ZZ383 ran me just over 5,000.00 from Pace Performance Parts. That rear end you could keep sure, how long it lasts depends on you mostly. If you race the Elky it will go pretty quick. You can bust it up just spinning the tires. With a 425 Hp and 450 Lb/Ft. of torque 383 your engine and transmission are going to turn when you apply the gas the drive train will move and if you got grip and your tires don't want to turn then the spiders will "usually" be the first things to shatter in the differential.

yeah i know that so if i go bigger i should up the rear end too? because i was just hoping to put new gears in it

I will be using a 350 on mine for a daily driver, but I have to drive 30 minutes both to and from school, so I wanted something with a little better gas mileage. If I lived in town and didn't drive as far I'd have a 383. that's just my 2 cents.

For the rear end, you can get the 8.5" rear from a G-body Grand National or 442 and it will be a direct bolt in with the exception of having the driveshaft shortened 1 inch. These cars came with 3.73 and 3.42 ratios depending on the years (another member can tell you exactly which years). Btw, the ring and pinion in the stock 7.5" rear isn't the main weak point, it's the spider gears, although it will all break if you plan on racing.