wade
Well-Known Member
hammer down the lip where the trans tunnel and fire wall meet and shove it in there. do it or your scared
Sounds like you've all made up your minds, but I'd go for a stroked small block. That is my plan as soon as possible. They are lighter, they will drive better, and you can get a ton of power out of a stroker. Unless, of course, you just want a big block. they do look cool.
So far I definitely will need disc brakes, a rearend and driveshaft, and was going to do torsion bars regardless. Do I need to modify the K-member?
Sounds like you've all made up your minds, but I'd go for a stroked small block. That is my plan as soon as possible. They are lighter, they will drive better, and you can get a ton of power out of a stroker. Unless, of course, you just want a big block. they do look cool.
I had to grind my /6 ears down and drill new holes, no big deal. Total cost with you having a motor, resealing, header, install kit, exhaust, rad around 1500 or close. If you have a 8 1/4 it will hold up to 450hp or so. 7 1/4 take it out.
You just need an electronic ignition distributor for the engine you get. It might even have it already. It will plug right into your duster harness and your good to go. You shouldn't have to do anything with the wiring.
Do i need an MSD Ignition kit, or can I use a stock 440 ignition, dist, sparkwires and plugs?
I'd recommend an MSD with a rev limit. I've used 2 digital 6 units and I really like those. They let you have 2 rev limits and a timing retard.
While I haven't used one the HEI units seem to have a good rep.
I'd stay clear of the orange box, chrome box etc. Can they work? Yup.. Antiquated technology though and every car I've had one on has failed me at some point. Wither the box failed or the ballast resistor let go. MSD eliminates the BR.
Does MSD run a kit package of everything I should need to get it running?
Not sure. You need a distributer and a box.
I'd recommend the pro billet dizzy and the digital 6 box but any box with a rev limit will work.
If you want a rev limiter, MSD 6AL.
L = limiter.
I guess I don't see that.
It sounds to me like you are on a budget. You don't need all that **** to get the car running. It can be upgraded later on down the road. I spent a good amount of money putting a viper trans in my car at the same time as an engine swap. There is no cheap way to that trans swap, so the rest of the engine swap was done on a budget. I already built cars buying good parts along the way and it was time to do something different.
Just So you can relate, I started with a slant 6 74 duster, luckily it had factory discs as an 8 1/4". It had electronic ignition fom the factory. While trans took all kinds of unique parts and fabrication I just dropped the BB in, I honestly used the original 1974 electronic ignition box tht was in the duster. Yes I even re used the original 1974 coil. It all worked so why not. I've had sever B engines through the years so I had stock electronic distributor. Weather it came in the 400 or not, I dont know. Probably. I ditched the huge 100 amp police alternator, and guess what? Used the same 1974 slant six alternator that had been working all along. I still to this day am using the factory original 1974 battery cables.The slant 6 wiring harness has everything in the right place for a bb swap. No extending wires. At some point I had parted a car that had an MP chrome ignition box and blaster coil so I eventually swapped that in. I honestly noticed no difference in my application. I have driven this car up and down the east coast. Yeah I have replaced some of that stuff along the way. I put a new higher amp alternator in before a road trip to Florida. Last year on a trip to ocean city Maryland that alternator took a crap. Has about 8,000 miles on it. In the trunk I had the original 1974 alternator, I swapped it in a supermarket parking lot and went on our way. I keep a used but good ballast resistor, fuel pump, ignition box, coil, alternator, and distributor in a tool box in the trunk all the time. It all fits along with some other mis labels things to hopefully get me back up and going on the side of the road. New parts can fail too.
Like I said I have built other cars with top notch parts, full rebuilds... When I wanted to build this car my priorities had changed, I knew I could still build a cool car and have fun so I just went about it a little differently. We have taken I on family vacations, drive it to work, fishing, to the beach, store, where ever. You don't need to dump 10,20, 30,000$ into a car to have fun.
But yeah I just want a list so I don't say, buy the engine, then realize I need a 5k ignition system or something dumb like that, that potentially screws me over.
These cars logged millions of miles with the factory ignition. For a starting point, I would just go that route. MSD fancy pants stuff can be added down the road.