68 Barracuda Hemi swap

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CudaFish1968

CudaFish1968

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Joined
Jul 6, 2020
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Location
East Tennessee
I have owned this car for 41 years. It started life as a 318 2 bbl, column shift, 904 car. No rear diff was in it when I bought it. I cloned it to a 340 S car with floor console 1970 340, 727 and a 3:55 SG 8 3/4. I enjoyed that set set up. I then did a 5.9L magnum swap with a 46RE trans. Then one day back in 2013 a 2004 5.7L hemi drive train from a truck came up and I purchased all the parts I wanted off of it. Speed forward to 2020. I now have a 2004 5.7L hemi , TKO 600 5 speed trans, 3.73 SG, 4 wheel disc brakes, IFS and what fun it has turned out to drive. I have learned many tips from this board as well as the B bodys board. This was by far the most challenging swap I have done. I am at 98% complete. I can answer any questions if anyone has any. I hope ya'll enjoy my hemi swap journey. Let the fun begin. Out with old and in with the new.
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What is that front clip with tail lights in the back ground on the left? Pictures and parts you are using on the HEMI swap would be great. Like who's suspension and harness plus all the fabricated parts. I am sure this was not a easy or cheap project
 
The clip you see in my shop is the " Cuda Tail", that is a trailer I built in 1998 or so. It looks like the car from the front and the car from the rear. I used a rear suspension from a Dodge Dynasty and blended the front fenders to the rear, blended the hood to the deck lid. It opens from the rear.
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The engine was from a truck, I modified the timing cover and water pump to get the throttle body to fit. The truck intake would not let the hood close. 2006 car intake with 2006 coils. Hot wire flashed the pcm from auto to manual. I bought hot wire wire harness. The fuse relay box is from a 1st gen ram truck. I modified it to house all the relays and fuses. The alternator is excited by a light bulb. Its the 140 amp Bosch that was on the donor.
The front suspension is from Gerst. Wilwood 4 piston discs on front (with 14" rallye wheels) SSBC rear discs. Home made sub frame connectors. Silver sport TKO 600 trans kit. I am using a HHR cooling fan with a mitsubushi pwm fan controller which ramps up the fan, 11 amps, no 26 amp spike from a relay. I use a mishmoto fan controller to turn on off fan with a speed activated switch to turn fan off above 40 mph. Dakota digital electronic cable drive box to operate the speedo, a widget man box to pulse the tach. I used Hooker jeep stainless headers. Whew this can get long. kevco racing made the oil pan for me $439 with shipping uses the factory pan gasket and dip stick.I have read the horror stories about the milodon oil pan and found a better solution. And much much more.
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Dartsun said:
Subscribed. Great build thanks for the info. How do you like the Gerst front end? Dustin
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It is a major improvement over the torsion bar suspension. (Sorry I know that statement will anger some) I called all 4 guys that make IFS for our cars, I liked Carl the best and bought his IFS. I am thinking about his 4 link rear later on. The install took work as the others will. All parts were shipped. I sat on that kit for 1 year before I installed it. It does not drive anything like before. I have a manual rack. I love it.
 
As it sits today the engine compartment. I had to swap sides with alternator and A/C compressor to get the hood to close.
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I also bought a rack from Carl but have been sitting on it for few years. Glad to hear how great it is, I went for the power rack tho. Dustin
 
Great work!! looks awesome!
Did you do any internal work on the hemi, or keep it fairly stock? Wondering if the 5.7 stock is plenty of power for that setup. Thanks.
 
Nice job! Was the 5.9 Magnum fuel injected? If it's laying around where you're tripping over it.....I'll come across the mountain and drag it out of your way, lol.
 
Yes the 5.9L is fuel injected, it's a 1996 full rebuild, hughes camshaft, valve springs matched to cam, degreed camshaft, 46RE trans, hughes converter..... It is sitting on that wood stand over by the wall just like the 1st. pic. I am hoping to find a notch back to drop it in. Do you have a spare notch back? Look at what I did to the throttle body on that 5.9L It will flow more air than the engine and make.
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Awesome build, I am getting ready to put a G3 (probably a 6.4) into my 71 Charger but am very early into the planning stages. I intend to use a stock K frame in my car. I do have a 68 FB Cuda that I was thinking about putting a 5.7 into but now I am thinking of selling it.
 
Wow....the 5.9 throttle body looks great. Is it a polished factory one? I live near Asheville, and haven't seen a notch in I don't know when. There used to be a few 67-69 conv Barracudas in S. Asheville, but they were rain buckets 20 years ago. If they're still there, I can't imagine there would be much left that's salvageable. I'll keep an eye out for you though.
 
JDMopar said:
Wow....the 5.9 throttle body looks great. Is it a polished factory one? I live near Asheville, and haven't seen a notch in I don't know when. There used to be a few 67-69 conv Barracudas in S. Asheville, but they were rain buckets 20 years ago. If they're still there, I can't imagine there would be much left that's salvageable. I'll keep an eye out for you though.
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It was a factory throttle body til I ...... put it on the mill and swiped off the things that were about 3/8" up around the bowls. I rounded and blended the bowls, polished them up.
 
Wow I just bought this 68 Formula S 340 column shift auto Looks familiar. That trailer is awesome.

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A costly mistake with this choice. I found out very quickly that it would not crank and run with the " base tune " as I was told .
I tried for three months, paid a guy to tune it, he got it pretty good, but I was not satisfied. My experience factory pcm has everything figured out.

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