10 sec. 318?

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You don't need a stroker to go fast my stock stroke 360 in my "streetcar" runs 11's all day and has very good street manners,and was nowhere near $6k to built,show car days are over much more fun doing what these cars were built for running the 1/4 mile...thumbs up i get plenty of those at the track or to or from...if you ain't breaking anything you ain't going fast enough...
 
If you go through his posts he mentioned driving it a bit more than just at the track. He is on a budget. Using the 318 because he doesn't want the work of an engine swap…… Well, we can see the writing on the wall with that one.

Just tossing out options and trying to get him thinking. I have seen too many 10 second builds that end frustration.
 
Yeah, I think I'm looking into a stroker kit for the engine that's in the car now. I don't necessarily want to put the car out of commission while I get the work done, but then again I really don't want to have to try to sell off all the leftover parts if I get a new engine since I don't really have the space for a spare engine sitting around or the money to let it sit around. I saw one in another forum that was a 390 kit for right under $1500. Someone else mentioned a set of heads from IMM for $1300 or so. It's starting to sound pretty good to me price-wise. I would like to at least have 400 horse under the hood on engine alone for now, maybe throw a blower on top later for fun and the wow factor once I make some more money to try to pull 1/4 mile times down =P. What kind of numbers do you think I could get with a 390 stroker? Gotta have that nice lumpy idle to go with it, I don't really care for a sleeper too much at this point. The paint isn't going to turn any heads, so I'll make up for it with exhaust, lol.
 
Ahhhh, he doesn't want tens, he wants a lumpy idle!!!!!

Owning a 390, in something that tows for a living, I can say, you get torque, at a lower RPM. 70 inches, at 1hp per inch, do the math, and it happens at a lower, RPM.

However, if you want a 12 sec car, that SOUNDS mean, stick with the 318.

I had a 11.5 sec 318, 600+ lift solid roller, hundreds of hours of head work, forged guts, it sounded, and in all seriousness, WAS bad ***, but the same parts in a 440 would have ripped the car to shreds.

Build a nice healthy 400HP 318, and just enjoy, you will have 20thou in a real ten second car, EASY.
 
Yeah, I've pretty much gone every direction in the past week. I was set on a 5.7 new hemi swap, but the more I read the more it started adding up. I've debating stroking the 318 in it to see what I could get out of it and then boosting it later down the road for some more fun. Now I'm debating starting fresh with a 340 or 360 block and doing a stroker kit on it, but no matter what I look at I'm never really sold on it. I want to run at least mid 11's, but would love to just dip into the tens and some point in the car's life. I would really like to do a blower build and have a nice set of butterflies sticking out of the hood, but I just don't have the money to do it all at once. If I can build a good engine that puts out good power and have fun with it and blow it down the road that would be ideal. I don't want to have to open the thing back up and replace everything when I put a blower on it down the road. I know that some stuff would have to change like the intake and cam, but I don't want to have to pull the block and swap out the rotating assembly.
 
One of the first things you need to decide is your budget.Then a time line. Lots of things come into play like parts availabilty,skill set etc..

I like Andy F's book as it has the budget as one of the first topics in the book.

Plan,plan,plan and then write it down.

Of course sometimes weird things happen and you have to change your plans.
 
Yup. Best advise so far. Form a plan. Decide what you really need from your car to be happy.

30+ years of playing with cars and from experience I will tell you….. Without a plan you will chase your tail, blow a bunch of extra cash, and most likely end up with something half *** that really isn't what you wanted.
 
Yeah, my problem at the moment is patience to some degree. I've usually been a very patient person, but I've been itching for a project for a few years and finally have something in front of me that I can work on. At this point I only really have around $5000 to work on over summer. I would really like to at least do whatever engine work I go with while the weather is nice, so that's top priority. I realize I can't make a 10 second car in two months on $4000, but I would like to at least get a good solid base to work with that would be really fun to drive, hence the 400 horsepower now and blower later. However, it seems like it's dang near impossible to build Mopar stuff the ways places shank you on prices. I think my current plan of a stroker is within reach since I've seen rotating assemblies for $1500 and brand new heads for a a little under that as well. Assuming I can keep accessories and other stuff like ignition off of the engine already in it I would still have $1000 for an intake, cam, and possibly machine work and a carb depending on what I need. Does this seem reasonable or am I missing too many details? I know $1000 likely won't be able to finish that list, but if I can reuse the carb on it and if I don't need any major machine work I think I could get it running. Anyone know of a good version of heads I should be on the lookout for to give me more money to work with?
 
Well, I always go through the suspension and brakes first. Doesn't matter how fast a car is if it's all over the road and can't stop.

Along with this I make sure the engine that is in the car is running well and the electrical system throughout the car is working correctly.

Next…..

I move on to the interior. I can drive a ratty car with a nice interior. A nasty interior makes me uncomfortable.

Up to this point I have a project that I can drive.


Now comes the big stuff…..

Paint and power adders.

While the car is in the body shop I get the engine and trans ready at home.


This is the basic plan that works for me.
 
Map63Vette said:
Yeah, my problem at the moment is patience to some degree. I've usually been a very patient person, but I've been itching for a project for a few years and finally have something in front of me that I can work on. At this point I only really have around $5000 to work on over summer. I would really like to at least do whatever engine work I go with while the weather is nice, so that's top priority. I realize I can't make a 10 second car in two months on $4000, but I would like to at least get a good solid base to work with that would be really fun to drive, hence the 400 horsepower now and blower later. However, it seems like it's dang near impossible to build Mopar stuff the ways places shank you on prices. I think my current plan of a stroker is within reach since I've seen rotating assemblies for $1500 and brand new heads for a a little under that as well. Assuming I can keep accessories and other stuff like ignition off of the engine already in it I would still have $1000 for an intake, cam, and possibly machine work and a carb depending on what I need. Does this seem reasonable or am I missing too many details? I know $1000 likely won't be able to finish that list, but if I can reuse the carb on it and if I don't need any major machine work I think I could get it running. Anyone know of a good version of heads I should be on the lookout for to give me more money to work with?
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I bought a set of RHS heads for 875.00, granted there iron, but there nice, i'd talk with Brian on the heads (& the build), he sells a nicely prepped RHS heads for a great price, it'll support 500 HP, if you can get a rotating essemble for 1200.00, thats a VG price, especially if it comes with rings/bearings, so the heads & assemble will be 2500.00, that leaves you 2500.00 to play with, figure about 3-400.00 for all the block work, still leaves over 2K. You can comfertably build the engine on that 5K, if you decide to go with a 360, i'd skip the LA & look for a magnum, there fairly cheap & newer, less stress do to there lighter rotaing assemble, FI & low friction rings leaves little wear on the cylinder walls, even with higher mileage, so theres a good foundation, plus its a roller block, Brian put together a mild one & its making good power, i'd talk with him & get ideas.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
Well, I always go through the suspension and brakes first. Doesn't matter how fast a car is if it's all over the road and can't stop.

Along with this I make sure the engine that is in the car is running well and the electrical system throughout the car is working correctly.

Next…..

I move on to the interior. I can drive a ratty car with a nice interior. A nasty interior makes me uncomfortable.

Up to this point I have a project that I can drive.


Now comes the big stuff…..

Paint and power adders.

While the car is in the body shop I get the engine and trans ready at home.


This is the basic plan that works for me.
Click to expand...

I agree suspension/brakes is the first place I go on any used vehicle.

I tend to build my cars from the axle forward after that. Lots of guys throw tons of money at the engine and then proceed to blow up thier trans/diff.
 
Plan your build BEFORE you just go throwing parts together…If you are SERIOULY considering a blower in the future, then build the bottom end accordingly (like lower compression pistons than what you would have probably used in a NA motor, steel crank, etc..) if this is just a “wouldn’t that be cool if” and it never comes to fruition, then you will end up with a screwed up combo that doesn’t live up to its potential.

Sorry, not trying to be a party pooper. Just make sure your head is on strait before you start spending that 5k.
 
If you are used to GM/Ford stuff then you might think it's shanking. But when the market for your product is about 15% compared to 50(GM) or 30(Ford) the shanking is called business. So just get used to it...lol.
How much boost are you planning? What type of blower?
 
Buy this engine here. Add gears. Strip the car of all unnecessary weight and make sure it hooks. A complete Caltrac system is about $1K.

No need for a big block or blower.

:read2:
 
Im willing to bet a caltrac system will still be hooking fine at 8 or 900 hp with some big 13" wide slicks.Whats to worry? 4 link might be great and all but takes more time and money to install unless done yourself. Home built caltrac will cost under $100.
 
needsaresto said:
Im willing to bet a caltrac system will still be hooking fine at 8 or 900 hp with some big 13" wide slicks.Whats to worry? 4 link might be great and all but takes more time and money to install unless done yourself. Home built caltrac will cost under $100.
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What you think and what you have experience with are two different things.

I have a CalTrac car, I have a four link car, I drive another CalTrac car (because it's a stocker) and another 4 link car. There is no comparison, not even close. If you think CalTracs are good to 800 or 900 horsepower you are having a wet dream. In reality they can be more than inconsistent with a 13 second V6 stocker.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
Well, I always go through the suspension and brakes first. Doesn't matter how fast a car is if it's all over the road and can't stop.

Along with this I make sure the engine that is in the car is running well and the electrical system throughout the car is working correctly.

Next…..

I move on to the interior. I can drive a ratty car with a nice interior. A nasty interior makes me uncomfortable.

Up to this point I have a project that I can drive.


Now comes the big stuff…..

Paint and power adders.

While the car is in the body shop I get the engine and trans ready at home.


This is the basic plan that works for me.
Click to expand...

That's sort of where I'm at right now. I've been trying to just get the car back on the road and drivable so i can have some fun with it. The interior is first on the list for sure, I'd really like to have some carpet in it, lol. The front seats are out of a Viper that I made up some mounting rails for with universal seat sliders. All the panels and trim are actually in really good shape, I was really surprised. No dash cracks or anything. The little 318 purrs like a kitten now that I've got the fuel filter clean and a new fuel pump on it, but the throwout is grinding pretty bad, so that's on my weekend list. The rear end is okay, it's an 8.25 with big bolt axles and 2.5" brakes, so it's actually not a bad piece, though it needs posi. I actually bought the car pretty much out of a body shop, though admittedly it's not a really good job, pretty thin and some sanding scratches showing, but I'll work on that later, at least it's fresh and presentable. I've added up most of what I think I'll need for interior, so I wanted to get a head start on engine ideas since I know that's the big ticket item of the build.


@ JoeDust
Ooh, I like the sound of that. The rotating assemblies I found were from an Ebay seller. Someone else mentioned them in another thread, I'd have to look it up, but he did kits for a 318, 340, and 360. At the moment he doesn't have any 318 listings, which would be nice so I could reuse the block I have, but if all I needed was a block I could probably get something out of a junk yard cheap I would hope. Is there really any difference between the 340 and 360 block? I know the bore is a little different, but strength-wise is there anything of note between them?

@FlyFish
That's my big problem right now. I have always wanted to do a blower car and would love for this to be my first, but I know that there is no way I can build the whole thing at once on my college student budget. That's where I'm really struggling, I know that I should go lower compression for a blower, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a year or so before I could even consider one, so I want to make something that would be fun in the meantime. I can still boost higher compression, but I'm not sure how much I would want to put the engine through since I would still be driving it on the street.

@Moper
It would be something that sits on top, probably 8-71 style, would need to look into the specifics, but advice would be greatly appreciated since I'm really not too knowledgeable on all the different types and sizing =P. No centrifugals or turbos for me, I wanna be gaudy for once, lol. As far as boost, I'm not exactly sure. I would like to shoot for 500-600 horse, so whatever it would take to get me there, though I will be driving it to the track, so I would say from my limited knowledge that I would probably keep the boost under 15 or so, unless the engine won't have any problems standing up to it all day.
 
im in the same boat myself, ive got 3 318's and the more im looking at all this i think ill run the 318 untill i build a 360 fi, a little more electrical but if done right it should be more user friendly, id like to say go big or go home but the 440 is just a tad out of the budget for now.
 
Map63Vette, go find you a 93-02 360 magnum engine, i'm sure you can find one for 3-400.00 thats complete & running, build that!! All your really after is the block, if you can find a magnum block cheap & in good shape, that would work, but most that are tore down had issues, thats why its best to find one that runs.
 
Yeah, I was just talking it over with my dad and trying to figure out which trucks had them. I know I've seen a 5.9 badge on some sport Dakota's, so I thought about looking there since I figured they would be a good start. Did the blocks really change any between years? Can I expect a new 360 to drop right in without changing any mounts or anything? As for what 100 mile said, since I originally wanted the 5.7 for FI and from what I've read elsewhere I may try to keep my eye out for an FI system on Ebay. Someone said they got the complete bolt on kit (I think it was a Holley pro-flow or something) for $800. I think I may go carb for now for simplicity and cost and then maybe step up to EFI if I ever manage to get a blower on it. That way I can have a nice set of butterflies sticking out of the hood =P.
 
Map63Vette said:
Yeah, I was just talking it over with my dad and trying to figure out which trucks had them. I know I've seen a 5.9 badge on some sport Dakota's, so I thought about looking there since I figured they would be a good start. Did the blocks really change any between years? Can I expect a new 360 to drop right in without changing any mounts or anything? As for what 100 mile said, since I originally wanted the 5.7 for FI and from what I've read elsewhere I may try to keep my eye out for an FI system on Ebay. Someone said they got the complete bolt on kit (I think it was a Holley pro-flow or something) for $800. I think I may go carb for now for simplicity and cost and then maybe step up to EFI if I ever manage to get a blower on it. That way I can have a nice set of butterflies sticking out of the hood =P.
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Map, You can find these magnums in the Dakota/Ram & Durango, it would be alot easier to find one from a truck, don't scout the bone-yards unless you know the guy & he will cut you a good price, like i said, for what your wanting, all you'll need is the block for a stroker build, i have a 95 360 in my swinger, it wasn't bad at all on the install, but thats a bridge you won't be crossing for a bit, did you look at my thread about my track outing last night, its in the race section, i ran that with a very mild 360 magnum with a stock high miled shortblock.
 
Hmm, sounds like a good place to start. I'll have to scout around and see what I come up with. Did you end up having to change motor mounts or anything? Admittedly the car I have has some rather "curious" mounts consisting of angle iron and square tubing to get the mounts where they need to be for the 318. I'm pretty sure they never changed the K frame from the /6, but I will definitely change the mounts when I swap the engine if not the whole K frame. I wouldn't trust my welds for much, especially not a high power engine twisting on them.
 
Map63Vette said:
Hmm, sounds like a good place to start. I'll have to scout around and see what I come up with. Did you end up having to change motor mounts or anything? Admittedly the car I have has some rather "curious" mounts consisting of angle iron and square tubing to get the mounts where they need to be for the 318. I'm pretty sure they never changed the K frame from the /6, but I will definitely change the mounts when I swap the engine if not the whole K frame. I wouldn't trust my welds for much, especially not a high power engine twisting on them.
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If you have a decent welder you do anything, you'll need a 360 mount for the DS for an A body, the pass side 318 mount should work, you'll need an oil pan for a 360, you'll find this swap is relatively simple, these magnum engines are great, even with there stock short blocks, i'm running RHS heads, i won't be changing much on mine, it runs too good @ 12.5s through the exhaust, the only thing i might do down the road is put 100 shot to it IF the tires will hold, should be good for a 7.5 pass, if not better, i've got around 5500.00 in my car (including the car), so i'm more then happy with it, i have around 18-2000.00 in the engine.
 
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