A500 in an Early A

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65 Dartman

65 Dartman

1 of None 65 Dart Sedan Delivery
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I might have to change plans to go from my 833 to an automatic in my early A. I gotta use what I have on hand - a rebuilt A500. I know just find a 904 (not cost effective). I know the A500’s require some floorpan and crossmember surgery in the later A’s. For the early A I’m guessing the crossmember will probably be heavily modified. A search revealed nothing where it’s been done in an early A. If anyone can point me to where it’s been done, thanks in advance.
 
search whipple

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What's the difference between the A500 and the 518?
 
Donno if you'll be able to find him, but Paul Pitcher ("Pigdoc" on the Mopar Mailing List ) put an A500 behind a 360 in a '66 Dart wagon. I drove it about 15 years ago when he came visiting Toronto and I lived there. This post contains a string to tug at about it, and maybe it's still possible to join the MML and get access to the archives.
 
Thanks Dan! When I went to the link you posted, I found I was still subscribed to the thread - just really buried in the threads I follow and hasn’t been updated in ages. Great write-up on the mods to the floor and trans crossmember fir the A500.
 
Oh, hey, lookit there—I hadn't even scrolled through that thread; just went digging for keywords Paul Pitcher, but looks like it's a pretty complete illustration of what's needed. Glad to help.
 
65 Dartman said:
The early A’s transmission mount is about 2 inches narrower than the 67-later. Only the driver’s side holes align.
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Good to know. I have never seen the two side by side for a comparison.
 
toolmanmike said:
Good to know. I have never seen the two side by side for a comparison.
Click to expand...

Here you go Mike! Top one is early A that I’ve modified for dual exhaust. Too bad it can’t be used if I go with the A500. The 67-later is not quite as wide as I thought but still wider than the early A by about an inch or so. The actual mounting holes line up if they’re lined up with each side separately but not together.
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On the early A it is a Poly mount that I bought maybe 3 years ago
 
Thanks guys! I’ll get that one too. Getting ready to fit mine in my 65 Valiant.
 
I was thinking about what to do about the upper transmission crossmember modifications that are needed in an early A which needs to be wider and a bit taller than the stock area. Looking at the crossmember from an early A I parted out, I thought that if it were cut out between the mounting holes, then cut that in half right in the center and then added sufficient metal in the same contour as was original between the two halves to clear the transmission, it ought to work. With the width solved, the height could be adjusted as needed during assembly. Here is what it looks like, although I haven’t finished completely welding the new middle in to the sides.

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65 Dartman said:
I was thinking about what to do about the upper transmission crossmember modifications that are needed in an early A which needs to be wider and a bit taller than the stock area. Looking at the crossmember from an early A I parted out, I thought that if it were cut out between the mounting holes, then cut that in half right in the center and then added sufficient metal in the same contour as was original between the two halves to clear the transmission, it ought to work. With the width solved, the height could be adjusted as needed during assembly. Here is what it looks like, although I haven’t finished completely welding the new middle in to the sides.

View attachment 1715496966
Click to expand...

So how many inches did you add to the center?
 
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