'68 Dart with a 318 LA - Build Options

YY1 said

Do not assume anything, for example, that it needs overbored or new pistons.

However, with machine shop labor, you may be better off doing a Magnum swap.

That's a 100 HP increase if you don't rebuild the Magnum (and you can find them almost all day long that don't need rebuilt).

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The magnum swap was one of the first things I thought of after I decided a 340 swap was out of the question. My problem was that I have some parts (manifold and headers mostly) that I wanted to reuse. I understand that the headers will bolt up to magnum heads but the manifold won't. I guess I could sell that to offset some costs but upgrading the cam gets a bit costly.

I think I'll swing by the local Pull N' Go salvage yard on the way home from work tonight and see what they have. They show 18 various 2003 and earlier Ram pickups, Dakotas, Durangos, and Ram vans in their inventory. Maybe one of those has a magnum in it. They price V8 engines at $299 plus $85 core charge. I'll probably see a lot of empty engine bays where magnums once sat.