how would you guys built it?

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74scamp360

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Hey guys i'm currently working on swapping my 74 scamp with a slant 6 to a 360. For now i'm just going to get the motor in and get the car back on the road for the spring but i would like to mod. it a bit once time and money allows. I don't want to get into over boring and i don't have the money for a stroker rotating assembly so unfortunalty that's out of the question. Other then that i'm open to opinions, cams, carbs, head work, let me know what you think. This will be primarily a street car that will see some track time. I would like to see it run somewhere in the 12's on the track. I'll be running a 904 (not sure of stall yet) and an 8 3/4 with either a 3.55 or 3.91 gear. I don't want a higher rear end gear then 3.91 because it is primarily a street use car and will see highway time. Thanks for your opinions guys it's much appretiated!
 
If your not going for a race/street car, I'd go with 3:55 gears simply because the car will be easier on the gas mileage, easier to live with on the highway and if you don't have a built up 360, it will be easier on the engine as well. The 904 will benefit from a shift kit and stall but probably not much if your going for a relatively stock build.
 
well what i'm really looking for is a performance motor that can handle street use. Another thing in is that i believe that it is a smog motor so for right now, not much compression, mind you i havn't heard it run yet so maybe it's not bad. Also i say street car, but i'm looking for a street car that'll eat anything in it's path lol, but still drivable on the street you know.
 
remember a car thats fun on the street and not so great on the track will see a LOT of time on the street! but not so much on the track. a car thats a little better on the track but not so fun on the street will see a LOT of time in the driveway or garage
 
very true caferacerx, i know that my dad's 69' charger falls into that second category. It's a very aggressive 440 overbored atleast 30 (maybe more i can't remember right now) with a very rough idle. It scares me, dad steps on it and it pulls very hard all the way to 6 grand. It's a pretty good car on the track considering that all the chassis parts are pretty near stock. but it sits more then it drives just because it's not that driveable. it's got 4:10 gears and revs at 3700 going down the highway at 50 mph. We have to roll it out of the garage and to the end of the driveway because mom gets mad when we start it to close to the house, lets just say it runs a little rich and has 3 inches of loud flowmaster exhaust all the way to the back. I know what you guys mean about drivability so that's why i'm trying to find a happy medium of drivability and haulin' on the track. Thanks for the tips guys!!
 
360 is a great start! a modorate cam and good carb and intake with 3:55 gears should do every thing you want it to do just remember to upgrade the brakes and suspension
 
If you have a strict budget, concentrate on teh importnat things... You need the V8 swap stuff and decent exhaust regardless of the hp goal. And... You ned a V-8 rear (8 3/4) for it... again, regardless of gear ratio. I had a ton of fun with a 2bbl 383 in a one legger 8 3/4 in a dart years ago. No, not a lightning bolt at first, but reliable and fun which is the best palce to start from. Lose the performance goals, and get it in and running reliably stock. Then move forward when you can with bolt ons and better gears/sure grip.
 
what about a 5.7 magnum? they are cheap in the u=pull it yards, 360 magnum intake carb headers in an a body are a mean combo! that will roast your back tires! and be as reliable as your old /6 around town
 
I know my car is not the fastest thing around but it is decent for what it is and is 100% streetable and the motor's cheap to build.
It's a 73 360, STOCK bottom end, a MP purple shaft cam with .430/.450 lift The last time I was at the track it had as cast 1.88 valve 360 heads with an Edelbrock LD340 intake(hard to find, Air gap would work) it had a Holley 750cfm vacuum secondary carb, it's got an MSD 6AL box and MSD billet dist. I've got hooker headers, 3" exhaust and flowmasters. The 727 has a 3000 stall and a turbo action rev. manual VB. It was having some issues and the car was laying down, I later found out the threads in the head that hold the throttle cable bracket were stripped and the bracket was moving, even with issues I went 14.00 like three times lol, this was also on a 255/60/15 ET street radial with 3.91 gear. It's dirt cheap to put that motor together and it has good torque and street manners, Had I put it together it'd have more cam(that's coming) and now it's got X heads, might also get an Air gap and probably a set of pistons.
 
ya i already own the 360, it's sitting in my garage so that's the motor that i'll be going with. Like i said above i do intend on just getting it in and running and then afterwards doing some things to it. I will be putting in an 8 3/4 and i'm working on the brakes and suspension parts right now. i plan on replacing the leafs in the back and putting some sort of aftermarket shocks on it, plus torsion bars. thanks for the tip splitter that sounds like a good combo. that you have going on. I think that mine will probably resemble yours pretty closely. thanks again guys the advice is appretiated!!
 
Just because it is a pain to do later; when you have the engine out, buy and install a good set of headers before you put the motor in…it’s much easier to do at that stage of the game….Then again, you should probably have your final performance goal in mind when selecting the headers, so, do your homework first.
 
yes very true flyfish. I actually just thought of something. I've been told by some people that there are exhaust manifolds off of dakotas?? don't know what year, that work just as well if not better then headers. anyone else heard this?? I know when i bought my 360 it came with a set of exhaust manifolds but not what it woukld have come with. I went through the casting #'s and found nothing because i think that they are too new. I'm not sure what they are, possibly these dakota manifolds?????
 
High 12 second engine for a street car.

360
KB107's
XE268H
Good valve job on heads with bowl blending and a port match (you can do the blending Cheap.)
LD340/RPM/Air Gap
750 DP or VS holley
Headers
Decent distributor/ignition

Should make about 340-350hp and get you into the 12's hooking up. ET is in the chassis/converter
 
cool thats good info. i do plan on definatly getting an air gap for it and plan on getting headers with the TTI system. I've got the mopar performance electronic ignition system for it. I plan on doing head work sometime??? whenever i can afford it i guess. Thanks for the tips crackedback. Is XE268H a comp. cam?? Thanks again.
 
If you have a strict budget, concentrate on teh importnat things... You need the V8 swap stuff and decent exhaust regardless of the hp goal. And... You ned a V-8 rear (8 3/4) for it... again, regardless of gear ratio. I had a ton of fun with a 2bbl 383 in a one legger 8 3/4 in a dart years ago. No, not a lightning bolt at first, but reliable and fun which is the best palce to start from. Lose the performance goals, and get it in and running reliably stock. Then move forward when you can with bolt ons and better gears/sure grip.

I agree with this route, save your money until your ready to build the motor and have decided on what you intend to do with the car. It also not all about the motor, a car with a great motor isn't worth a damn if it can't stop or handle the power you intend it too.
 
thanks for the link caferaserx I can't read any of the numbers on them but those look identical to the manifolds that i have.

dano, i know what you mean there and I intend on doing it all at once, i plan on doing some upgrades in the suspension like leafs and shocks. I'm also trying as we speak to find a 73-76 a body to use for a disc brake conversion (definatly don't have the money for a conversion kit). Thanks again guys!
 
Yea, no need for a kit, if you have a local you pull it, it's a pretty good place to find parts or your local Craigslist. I think the spindles you need can come from later B, E, and F bodies, might do a search on that, it would increase your chances of finding a set.
 
I just saw that a pair of EQ Magnums are only $650 or so, which is a great price for those heads. Add those, some KB107's like crackedback said, a Lunati Voodoo 268 or Comp XE268 cam, Edelbrock RPM or Air-Gap dual-plane, a 650-750 cfm carb (personally I'd recommend Carter or Eddy AVS), and a good 2.5" dual exhaust. If you don't have the cash you could probably get almost as good results with mildly ported and milled J heads and stock pistons.
 
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