That's the car I mentioned in post #66In Rockingham back in the 90s there was a car called the Darn Dart it was a 273 with X heads Dome Pistons that ran 10.90 all day long...Fact Jack!!
I was just wondering why somebody disagreed with post #8 ??..."Need"... ???...
Until you've had a 408 on the street in your a body, you haven't lived...
I helped a customer restore a 63 fairline 500.. He had the engine rebuilt twenty years previous and never broke it in... (260).. It was a cute little thing with not much interchangeability it seems like... It ran fine, for whatever reason he wanted to take it back apart and I can't remember why. But we took the heads off and had them gone through again... I don't know if it was his paranoia or what but we did it... while in the meantime we rebuilt the 2 speed Ford O-matic...Ford did have a 221 and a 260 V8, they could easily grow to a 272. But this guy is 6 popp'n it ??? I seen a Pontiac that had a 4 cyl (from the factory, half a 389) and it would go 11's
I personally owned a '63 Fairlane. Fun car, 3 on the tree 170 6 popperThe fun part about that car was when his seventeen year old son came in while we were breaking the engine in.. He had spent his entire life helping his father push that car in and out of the shop and it was the first time he ever seen it actually running...
my Dad and brothers owned a lot of '64 Fairlanes. 260, but most were 289's. Man those cars were quick with a 289 2bbl and a standard shift. I said it before, but may be the quickest small engine with a factory 2bbl of that age. 273 2bbl and 283 2bbl's didn't have a chance.OK as I talk about it now. I remember why we had to take that engine out and take it back apart.. Twenty years previous in his infinite wisdom did not put any r t v on any gasket and it was leaking out of every orfish l o l...
Somewhere I have a video of him With the car completely gutted a driver's seat and him doing a twenty foot long burn out l o l... But the car was drag race light. It didn't have windows seats interior or anything in it. We were just testing the engine and transmission... You could say he was putting it to the test...I personally owned a '63 Fairlane. Fun car, 3 on the tree 170 6 popper
Yes taking those shock towers out and putting the mustang two is definitely the ticket..Since ford is main topic...this is a 64 falcon me and my best friend are building...(his car) 1964 falcon Coyote lll gen with 98mm turbo...he is going 4 link 9"...10.5w....oh yeah...lenco...gonna be funnnn
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"NEED"...???..The hobby has changed so much in recent years. Used to be only Classics were restored
or modified but anything and everything seems to be included anymore. For racing the
easiest way to hp was usually chosen.But some guys like to be different or do something
that is more difficult or interesting.
It's pointless to argue which is best...my engine builder says anything can be made fast
nowadays...isn't there a 4 cylinder Maserati that is around 700 HP?
Back to the original question..why do mopar guys need a 408?
I think 318willrun's point anytime anyone wants to build anything other than 360/408 including big blocks and even 340s which are told to sale a lot of the time. All these V8s 318-543 can build the 300-600 hp most people will build pick your poison (rpm/powerband)."NEED"...???..
And a 500 hp 543 would be super daily driver making the most 1000-5000 rpm hp/tq so?A 500hp 408 is a pussycat of an engine. Can be driven all day. A 500hp 318 is an entirely different animal. It’s just so much better to start with more cubic inches for a street car. And the aftermarket makes it so easy to buy a kit and drop it in.
The jump from small block to big block is a big jump. At least in a street suspension A body. So the rationale usually ends at 408 cubes.And a 500 hp 543 would be super daily driver making the most 1000-5000 rpm hp/tq so?
It's all what you like @66fs likes the power and powerband of his 300-350 hp 273 over a similar 360 others wouldn't most of this is personal preference, most the arguments 408 guys make if followed would have a 440 to 540 in their car. Funny it ok to build a relatively small 408 compared to 500+ cid engines but not a 318.
Well, a 408 will fit anywhere a 273 will. A 500 or whatever cubic inch big block won't. Or not as easily for sure.And a 500 hp 543 would be super daily driver making the most 1000-5000 rpm hp/tq so?
It's all what you like @66fs likes the power and powerband of his 300-350 hp 273 over a similar 360 others wouldn't most of this is personal preference, most the arguments 408 guys make if followed would have a 440 to 540 in their car. Funny it ok to build a relatively small 408 compared to 500+ cid engines but not a 318.
Big Block with aluminum parts and headers is about stock LA weight, and unless your a serious corner carver a weak argument for the ability for more power.The jump from small block to big block is a big jump. At least in a street suspension A body. So the rationale usually ends at 408 cubes.