1972 Dodge Colt
This will be a long read.
I bought the Colt in 2019 with the plan to race it with my old slant six engine.
I was thinking it should go 8.50 in the eighth, or high 12s in the quarter.
It took me a couple of years to get on the track.
The engine never performed like I thought it should.
I made it to one Slant Six race and runner-upped somehow.
I have made about 20 test and tune runs in the 2 years it has been on the track.
Started with the single 4 barrel and finished with the 3 Weber system.
Well at the last test and tune on the last run it quit running and would not restart.
After doing some early checks it looks like the timing chain is the problem.
I have only started tearing it down but turning the crank does not move the rockers or the distributor.
So I have started planning the changes for next.
More compression, more cam, some more head porting, and other small changes.
I will be working on the front suspension to allow more travel and new front shocks.
In hindsight here is what I take away so far.
I started with a car that had not been on the track for at least 5 years.
The engine had not run in a least 10 years.
I had to build 3 heads to get one that would at least get me on the track.
I made a mistake in building the 2.66 first gear transmission.
The 3 Weber system was a huge learning curve, but I am very happy with it now.
Getting new brakes on the front end was a great improvement.
The clutch tamer, hydraulic clutch and diaphragm clutch are still needing improvements.
So stay tuned I will post milestone changes as I go along.
And I am still wiring the new shop and moving equipment and parts.
Here are the guts for the new engine.
New pistons, NOS rods, new Cam and Lifters.
This will be a long read.
I bought the Colt in 2019 with the plan to race it with my old slant six engine.
I was thinking it should go 8.50 in the eighth, or high 12s in the quarter.
It took me a couple of years to get on the track.
The engine never performed like I thought it should.
I made it to one Slant Six race and runner-upped somehow.
I have made about 20 test and tune runs in the 2 years it has been on the track.
Started with the single 4 barrel and finished with the 3 Weber system.
Well at the last test and tune on the last run it quit running and would not restart.
After doing some early checks it looks like the timing chain is the problem.
I have only started tearing it down but turning the crank does not move the rockers or the distributor.
So I have started planning the changes for next.
More compression, more cam, some more head porting, and other small changes.
I will be working on the front suspension to allow more travel and new front shocks.
In hindsight here is what I take away so far.
I started with a car that had not been on the track for at least 5 years.
The engine had not run in a least 10 years.
I had to build 3 heads to get one that would at least get me on the track.
I made a mistake in building the 2.66 first gear transmission.
The 3 Weber system was a huge learning curve, but I am very happy with it now.
Getting new brakes on the front end was a great improvement.
The clutch tamer, hydraulic clutch and diaphragm clutch are still needing improvements.
So stay tuned I will post milestone changes as I go along.
And I am still wiring the new shop and moving equipment and parts.
Here are the guts for the new engine.
New pistons, NOS rods, new Cam and Lifters.