big block daily driver?

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tyler_s18

tyler_s18

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i am getting fed up with new cars lol. older stuff is just more me. i found a really sweet 1970 d100 with 383 and 727 tranny. it seems really nice. i bought my 65 utline from the same guy and it was everything he told me so i trust him. what issues will i face being this would be my daily driver? its 2wd and will get some good tires so it will do ok with snow. what mileage would i be looking at with the big block? i dont know what ratio it has or tire size but that can all be changed. it has been a while since i had a carb on my dd. how bad are they to start in the snow or just plain cold? i really like the idea of this truck but my gf dosent and i hate when she is mad lol. also how do their heaters work? on my old 65 nothing worked well on it so neither of us have a good feel for how thay can be. i know i sound pretty car stupid but just want to be fully convinced and convince her to lol. how will the 3 speed do on the freeway(80+)? i think its drum brakes all around and idk about power anything. i gotta fix my current dd then sell it to get this truck but would appreciate info. thanks

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/1081418441.html

d100 1970.jpg


d100 1970 interior.jpg
 
I get a laff-able amount of MPG's with my smog (78) 400/727/3.55's/245/60/15's in my '79 Dodge Magnum. If the smog motor had power, as in not a smog motor, it might be tolerable. But no power and 11 mpg's aint cuttin it.

I'm makein way for a small block, 360 this summer.... I hope.
 
I used to have a daily driver that got 4mpg

I would love to have it back




And the year was 1979

And it was a 70 coronet R/T ,440 6 pack,727,8 3/4 with 3.55 gears

It got so bad that I bought a pinto as a second car and would get picked on by nova's and such and have to go home and get the dodge.

After which I would tell them that I went home and got mom's car to stomp on them with

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I don't have any experience with trucks, so can't help with most of the questions.

However I can say that if the carb and choke, and heat riser etc is set up properly starting in the winter should not be a big deal.

I have driven my Dart the last two winters and even after sitting outside all night with temps below zero it will fire right up. Once started, you may need to let it warm up for a couple of minutes before taking off.
 
Never owned anything newer than 1969. I've driven a '69 Coronet 500 440/727, '68 Charger R/T 440/727, '69 Super Bee 440/727 (motor swap before I got it), and I currently drive a '69 Dart 273/904, a '64 Dart GT 273/904, and a '69 Charger R/T 440/727, all daily drivers with the Charger most of the time. The Darts have problems now. They all get or got 12MPG except for the Coronet 500 which got 18MPG when it had a 318. My point is, all vehicles are machines, and no matter how old or new they are, they will break. Older cars tend to have more little stuff break, and new cars tend to have big things break. If an old car looks like a turd, the owner usually treated the rest of the mechanicals the same way.
 
OH! Thats what I forgot to post!!!

Give it a clear and good 10 min. warm up and it'll be good to go. The longer the engine runs, the better it goes!
 
that think looks to sweet to drive around in the snow, i would buy it and make a nice summer crusier out of it
 
I'd say convert to front disc brakes (with power assist if you're going to be towing/hauling any big loads). Rebuild the carb and get it tuned well (4 bbl?), and add a good electronic ignition system. Those things will make it more reliable and safe. In the future if you want more power you could also add a Performer intake, headers, a mild fast-ramp cam, and a good dual exhaust system and you'd have a very nice daily driver. If you make sure to go mild on the upgrades you'll get a boost in power with perhaps even an improvement in gas mileage, if you keep your foot out of it of course. I'd say if you did all of these things and took it easy while driving you might push high teens in MPG. Of course your rear-end ratio will determine that as well.
 
if you want an old vehicle that gets anywhere near decent MPG, you need a manual transmission slant six car. Big block is just bad news...thermodynamics are not on your side.

I would deal with the quirks of the newer car. My DD is a 2004 Chevy Colorado with almost 60k on it and I literally had two things that were defective fixed under warranty, and I've only changed the oil since. The original brake pads are going to last me over 100,000 miles. It also has a really rockin' locking differential that makes it a tank in the snow even though I have it SLAMMED to the ground.
 
i am really torn lol. this would be cheaper so i could do some insillation and wheels and stuff. it already has headers and glass packs i believe. or i could trade straight up and get a '98 full size cheby ext cab 4x4 5.7 auto. both would be fun and be really useable but the cheby i would feel better about racking up miles on and would be more useful but the dodge would be funner and a lot cooler lol
 
goldduster318 said:
if you want an old vehicle that gets anywhere near decent MPG, you need a manual transmission slant six car. Big block is just bad news...thermodynamics are not on your side.
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Why is that? I bet he already has closed-chamber heads on there. Add some zero-deck flat-top pistons and his combustion efficiency would be much closer to a contemporary 2-valve V8.

EDIT: tyler s18, please don't get a Chevy. If you are going to get something new get something like an early 90's Dakota. Mopar Action revealed that they are fantastic handling vehicles and can accept a small-block V8. In something that weighs only 3300 lbs. or so that would be a pretty fun package even with a warmed-over 318.
 
i have always been a new cheby and old mopar fan. i have not been impressed with my moms durago. lots of issues even for its lowish miles. i think chebys are the best american built new car around. but would love to have the best car made (old mopar:)) but cant really decide yet
 
MOPEkidD-3 said:
Why is that? I bet he already has closed-chamber heads on there. Add some zero-deck flat-top pistons and his combustion efficiency would be much closer to a contemporary 2-valve V8.

EDIT: tyler s18, please don't get a Chevy. If you are going to get something new get something like an early 90's Dakota. Mopar Action revealed that they are fantastic handling vehicles and can accept a small-block V8. In something that weighs only 3300 lbs. or so that would be a pretty fun package even with a warmed-over 318.
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The fact is that the engine will need more fuel due to its larger displacement. With the larger displacement, you have more air in the cylinders and an air fuel ratio has to be maintained so there will be more fuel required. Even if it has the closed chamber heads, they're not a high swirl design and there is likely a bit of valve seat wear making the flow pattern worse.

The full sized chevy truck, provided its in good shape, is a great vehicle. They're good for about 300k on the engine before they get tired. The more modern suspension and likely A/C would be really nice too.
 
so i found a 01 360 motor and 4 speed od tranny out of a wrecked van 600 for the motor and harness and 500 for tranny. i figure all that could go in the truck pretty easy and get decent mileage and drivability. plus it would be cool lol. if i were to take the 360 outta the scamp and put the efi intake on it and stuff would that work? my 360 is a 75 outta a cordoba. then it would be rebuilt and bored and all but efi.
 
I've seen that truck for sale. I want it, lol.

This is what I'd do:
Headers (like you say, it may already have some but I'd go for some small tube style headers).
Full 2.5 inch exhaust with some good high quality fairly quiet turbo mufflers.
Do a leak-down test, replace all gaskets, seals and re-ring and give a good 3 angle valve job and guides if it needs it.
Add a mild cam with specs at .050 in the low teens.
Bolt on a M-1 dual plane square bore manifold.
Top it with a vacuum secondary 600-650 cfm Holley with a 1" 4 hole phenolic spacer.
Change the rear gear to something in the 2.73 range if your going to be towing anything.
Add some white letter BFG T/A's and keep the steel wheels (They're most likely 15x7's anyway) and pop some dog dishes on.
Add a four speed or keep the 727. Better mileage with the 4 speed.
Add an electronic ignition and distributor of your choice.

Put a couple racer stickers in the rear window and you'll have a very cool cruiser that will get pretty good mileage on the highway (I'm betting 17-18 with this combo), and cruise all day at 80 mph easy. The cool factor would be way high with a low total investment. You could still probably light 'em up at the stoplight too.

Yes, it'll take a bit to warm up, but it won't be bad if the choke is set right and you don't block manifold heat. The heat should work fine too as long as the weather strip around the doors/windows are good and everything else is in working order.

Chances are that you'll have whichever truck you chose far longer than your present gf, so don't base your choice on that. Now hurry up and buy that truck before I decide to trade my Ramcharger for it. :)
 
sounds gr8:) do you think all the work could be had for around $1500 plus the truck for a total of $3000 or less? it sounds like it but idk

i have had 14 been thru 14 cars not including the two i have now. thats since i was 14 and im 19 now lol. me and my gf now are gonna get married im just waiting on her rents to let us lol so i want to not make her to mad lol. i will pbly get tire of the truck come winter and think about getting something else. thats just me. but i think this truck could possibly be one i would like for a long time
 
tyler_s18 said:
sounds gr8:) do you think all the work could be had for around $1500 plus the truck for a total of $3000 or less? it sounds like it but idk

i have had 14 been thru 14 cars not including the two i have now. thats since i was 14 and im 19 now lol. me and my gf now are gonna get married im just waiting on her rents to let us lol so i want to not make her to mad lol. i will pbly get tire of the truck come winter and think about getting something else. thats just me. but i think this truck could possibly be one i would like for a long time
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Minus the gear ratio change and valve job with guides, but a .030 bore, balance and flat tops plus a bore and balance it would be about 1800 over the price of the vehicle, including gaskets, carb, manifold, cam and lifters and timing set.

I did not figure in ignition, exhaust, bearings and other small stuff you'll need like hoses, belts, air cleaner, etc.

If you don't need pistons the build will be much, much cheaper as you won't need boring and crank balancing.
 
ramcharger said:
Minus the gear ratio change and valve job with guides, but a .030 bore, balance and flat tops plus a bore and balance it would be about 1800 over the price of the vehicle, including gaskets, carb, manifold, cam and lifters and timing set.

I did not figure in ignition, exhaust, bearings and other small stuff you'll need like hoses, belts, air cleaner, etc.
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My 2 cents............buy it and drive it like it is! dont change anything. take the 1800 bucks and put it in a cigar box. 1800 is about 900 gal. of gas and if it gets 9 miles to the gal you could drive about 8000 miles!:profiler:
 
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