318 Street/Strip build?

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Jonnylightening

Jonnylightening

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Hey guys I've bought my first A Body Mopar. It's a 1965 Plymouth Valiant 4 door 3 speed car. I'm wanting to build a 318 that'll be a good Street Strip setup. I'm not worried about fuel economy, but would like it to run on pump gas. Looking for ideas. Please no 340, 360, or stroker comments
 
Oh man, there are so many directions to go here, but first:

What is your end goal?
What's your budget?
Have you researched some of the builds in here utilizing the search bar?

Plenty of ways to make a 318 run well, and in a 65 Val, a well built one will move it along smartly without breaking the bank, but you also need to take the REST OF THE CAR into consideration. Making a street/strip car is just as much, if not more, about the chassis, suspension, and braking as it is about power...having a powerful engine is nearly useless for time slips if you're not putting the power to the pavement, unless you enjoy making expensive clouds of smoke and tearing up suspension and driveline parts...
 
...where the hell is RRR's thread about building hot rod bliss or whatever it was?? That one was simple!
 
It more depends on budget at this stage, how much are you willing to invest? A good thing about an’18 is you can make a pretty good combination for not a whole lot of money. Do you already have an engine? While not mandatory for a good build, a 68 to 74 truck motor with a manual transmission usually has a steel crank and thicker cylinder walls, if you stumble across one. But any garden variety 318 is good for your purpose.
 
I guess we should also ask-where are you starting?

You say 65 Val, 3 speed...slant car? or 273 2bbl? 3 speed stick or auto?

BLUF: Need more info to make any real recommendations.
 
It’s really mostly about the budget.

Figure out what that is first, including upgrades to the trans, rear, suspension.
What you have left is the motor budget.

More than likely, a 360 will be cheaper to reach your performance goals........ unless there are no goals.
 
Do you already have the 318? or is it that the only thing that's locally available to you?
 
Zero deck the block, 340/360 heads, Air Gap intake, Holley 650 DP, keep the cam under 230* duration, headers if you can fit ‘em, dual exhaust. Aim for 9.2-9.5:1 compression. Let er rip.
 
I'm pretty sure it used to be a sticky on either the small block page or the performance issues page...maybe I'm remembering something that never was though...
 
...still curious for some more details about the car...

If we're talkin about retrofitting an el strippo slant/3speed manual/7 1/4 car with 4 wheel manual drums and 60 years of neglect or indifference to be a DD with, lets say a dozen trips up the 1320 per year, that's gonna occupy some time and serious funds...even if the end game is focused more on daily drivable than track safe...
 
Garrett Ellison said:
It more depends on budget at this stage, how much are you willing to invest? A good thing about an’18 is you can make a pretty good combination for not a whole lot of money. Do you already have an engine? While not mandatory for a good build, a 68 to 74 truck motor with a manual transmission usually has a steel crank and thicker cylinder walls, if you stumble across one. But any garden variety 318 is good for your purpose.
Click to expand...
I have 1 currently out of a 68 wagon with 3 speed, possibly 2 more from 67 wagons, and 1 from a 75 d100. At the moment don't really have a budget .just getting ideas on tried and true combos.
 
txstang84 said:
I guess we should also ask-where are you starting?

You say 65 Val, 3 speed...slant car? or 273 2bbl? 3 speed stick or auto?

BLUF: Need more info to make any real recommendations.
Click to expand...
it was a 3 speed Slant car but that 3 speeds not going back in. I have a newer all cast unit I'd like to use
 
My goal is upgrade brakes to disc in front, 8.75 rear, my A230, 318 screamer-ish, sub frame connectors at least, beefier rear springs...etc
 
SSG Karg already put a general guideline up for the engine itself, without going too far in the weeds...

that would assume though you have the option of putting in new pistons and put them up close to the deck to regain some lost compression. Slapping 340/360 heads on a stock 318 is a sure recipe for < 8:1 static compression and makes the engine feel sluggish on the bottom end, especially when you slide in a new bumpstick...
 
Jonnylightening said:
Hey guys I've bought my first A Body Mopar. It's a 1965 Plymouth Valiant 4 door 3 speed car. I'm wanting to build a 318 that'll be a good Street Strip setup. I'm not worried about fuel economy, but would like it to run on pump gas. Looking for ideas. Please no 340, 360, or stroker comments
Click to expand...

RustyRatRod's Guide To Hot Rod Bliss

my Low dollar 318 hop-up project

IMMENGINES.COM

I am considering these heads, a pretty good deal, except for the approximately 50 pound hit ill take in the front vs aluminum and I only really need to get my compression to 9.5 with the bumpstick I am planning on.
 
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Thanks for the link and reminder rumble/ ratrod
OP you can overpower that chassis with a stock 360
do the chassis first
if strip stock or 6 cylinder bars
if on the road the largest you can find
good luck on that 8 3/4 width/ spring perches almost easier to build a 9" Ford mustang or find something else that fits
thanks for being on board with the connectors- we bent more than one of those up
even with the 413 we had to keep a wide torque band with the stock big heavy three speed even more so than the TF we switched to
stock cam was too long so we used special Isky then Racer Brown
 
Wyrmrider said:
...good luck on that 8 3/4 width/ spring perches almost easier to build a 9" Ford mustang or find something else that fits...
Click to expand...

Just curious here, but how is relocating spring perches that big of a deal? If he has a good axle assembly, just swapping them on one side at a time shouldn't be super difficult, no?
 
txstang84 said:
Just curious here, but how is relocating spring perches that big of a deal? If he has a good axle assembly, just swapping them on one side at a time shouldn't be super difficult, no?
Click to expand...
Measure , mark w/white paint pen all the way around the axle tube.....then grind them off, put rear in , slip new pearches under...toss the u bolts on loosely...adjust rear side to side and roll to rough in the desired pinion angle.. then snug u bolts and set it down and measure the pinion/yolks angle with driveline in place. Reverse steps and adjust as needed, torque and spot weld..., lift car and remove u bolts out of the way and finish welding. The pearches have locating holes for spring nips to closely dial in the to n fro for each side, close enough that with a tape you can dial the last 1/4 or so in. If that's not understandable, sorry that's all I have time for right now.
 
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