18,000 orig. mile 318 build

None of this is intended to impugn your knowledge level, they are just suggestions. This is how I would approach this 318 if I did not a lot of money. You can look though craigslist or ask around to other motor heads to find a stock cast iron 4 barrel intake for $50 or sometimes even free. The stock MOPAR intake flows very well, and truth be known it out flows many low-end aluminum intakes. You can get a double roller chain and gears for about $30 to $40 (Seal Power), and a good cam & lifter kit from summit for about $125, stay in the 220 to 230 @50 duration the Summit Racing - SUM-1798. Stock stall is around 1000 to 1200 with the increase torque it will go to about 1500 rpm this cam should come in at about 1400 to 1500. This along with the gaskets $75 should be around $ 290 now the rest of the money should be spent on the little things, plug index kit $25, new plugs (just a little cooler then stock) $20 Champion. “Let me set the record straight for the guy who say they would not run anything but A/C plugs. A/C stands for Albert Champion who lost his patient to GM and started a new company called Champion.” Any who, new plug wires, don’t spend high dollar just a good set for about $35 to $40 bucks and a cap and rotor for $30, and wire looms $25. Last but not least is an orange ignition box you can find them all over the internet for $50 buck or less. This should give you about 75 to 100 hp gain and will be a lot of fun to drive. Stay away from headers until you have a few more bucks stock exhaust manifolds work fine with dual exhaust will flow up to 350 to 375 hp (it will run much cooler), you will make about 300 to 325 hp doing these changes. To save money you can dump the exhaust out in front of rear tires. Also you can install the Fel-Pro 1008 - Fel-Pro Performance Head Gaskets it is .039 compressed thickness from the stock .049 thickness and you will hit or be real close to 9 to 1 compression ratio. You can do all this for about $425 to $450. If you need a Carb you can get a used 600cfm Edelbrock for $50 to $100 dollars all day on line. Plan a Saturday (all day) and maybe some of Sunday too. If you are not real knowledgeable take Thursday and Friday evenings (about 2 hours a night) and watch some internet videos on intake manifold and cam changing, and how to index spark plugs. Install new plugs, cap, rotor, and orange ignition box, replacing these are self-explanatory, but they are on the web if need be. You will need 5qts of oil (with breaking additive) & a filter. 1 gal of antifreeze, (Drain Antifreeze before removing intake) and you will need some orange or black permatex (Use sparingly). A thin coat on both sides of the timing chain and water pump gasket (just for the pitting that occurs and to keep it in place during re-install) and then under and on top of the intake rubber end gaskets. Permatex in the crotch areas where the head and block meets and where the oil pan and block meet, a little thicker in these area about 1/6 inch. You can do all this with minimum tools (Wrenches & and sockets) MOPAR engines use rocker shafts so no valve adjusting is needed. You might have to rent or barrow and gear puller for the bottom timing chain sprocket. Run the engine for 10 minutes then shut it down, check antifreeze, then run for another 10 changing the rpm often from idle to 2000 rpms for the whole time. Then go out and have fun with it. This can all be done in the car and an amateur can do it in about 8 to 10 hours. Remember MOPAR stand for (Massively Over Powered And Respected) and for a true MOPAR person it is a (Mopar or No Car) GOOD LUCK and let us know how it goes.