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GermzD74

GermzD74

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Dec 29, 2006
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San Diego, CA
Im hitting the loca yards over in my area and need to know a few things...Im pretty sure some vans and trucks came with 360's, how can I know if its a 360 or 318...and what type of rear ends did they usually come with, if any came with the 8 1/4 or 8 3/4 will they work with a dart car? Whats better for a fast street car? 8 1/4 or 3/4...thanks! :thumbup:



ps...what else can i use of a van, truck or power wagon?
 
The rearends will work but they may have to be shortened and spring perches moved. I am not certain of then van or truck rearend lengths but measure the rearend currently in the vehicle now for compatability.
 
As far as engine size, the only way I know for sure is,,,, on the driver side of the block down by the starter, the size is cast in. it would be hard to find with all that road sluge on there but its there.
Jeff
 
:pirat: As far as the horsepower question. I read an article once where a 727 trany delivers 25 less horsepower to the rear wheels than a 904. Also an 8 3/4 delivers less horsepower than an 8 1/4. I guess the weight mean alot with the rear, probalbly the heavy dutyness of the 727 robs power!!!!. But you will sacrifice reliability for speed. my .02 cents, walt
 
I remember WAY BACK WHEN! I used to have a Yellow Tradsman 200 Van.It had a 360,two barrell carb and factory dual exhaust! This was back when Vans were really popular,about 1974.I remember that that little short wheel base van would HAUL ***! It was DAMN FAST for a Van especially with a two barrell carb. That little Van would smoke both rear tires all the way through low,and then a little in second and chirp the tires in third!And this truck was 100% stock from the factory.I actually purchased it from the Lady that ran our Credit Union where I was employed which was Brown Oil Tools on Katy Freewy in Houston Texas! It was her personal Van. I do remember it being exceptionally fast for being a Van.Of course I carpeted it inside on the ceiling,walls and floor with a nice yellow/green shag carpet,built a nice bed area and installed a nice Pioneer stereo system.Played all the OLD ROCK AND ROLL 8 track tapes!Man those were the days. I sure would like to have that running gear to put in a little dart or duster right now. We had a guy where I worked that had a Pontiac trans am,400 with a 4 speed.Well I busted that *** really good with the van.His Dad was the Shop Foreman and had an old mechanic that worked there rebuild the 400 engine in the transam and added a few goodies.Well we raced again and I couldn't run away from him like I did before but he couldn't pull away from me neither,we were bumper to bumper. He tried to trade me that trans am for my van and I just laughed at him.I kept it for two years and traded it in for my very first BRAND NEW CAR! A 1976 Ford Granada,by then with a Family I had to settle down a little so the Van had to go.The Granada was a great little car with a 302 engine but it sure did not run like that Little Yellow Van!About two years ago my Wife and I was on Vacation in Colorado.We were driving down the interstate and I was looking in the rear view mirror.And to my surprise I seen a grill that looked really familiar coming up behind us.It was a Yellow Tradsman 200 Dodge Van that looked almost identical on the outside like the one we had.It even had a set of Cragars on it with wide tires.As it passed us I told my Wife look what is passing us! Just as it got about a car length in front of us but in the other lane,WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND LAUGHED OUR ASSES OFF! We had some really great times in the YELLOW VAN.It was great to remember all those great times back then.At that time we had been married for 31 WONDERFUL years!Remembering times like that are just PRICELESS and GREAT!
 
1969340dart said:
I remember WAY BACK WHEN! I used to have a Yellow Tradsman 200 Van.It had a 360,two barrell carb and factory dual exhaust! This was back when Vans were really popular,about 1974.I remember that that little short wheel base van would HAUL ***! It was DAMN FAST for a Van especially with a two barrell carb. That little Van would smoke both rear tires all the way through low,and then a little in second and chirp the tires in third!And this truck was 100% stock from the factory.I actually purchased it from the Lady that ran our Credit Union where I was employed which was Brown Oil Tools on Katy Freewy in Houston Texas! It was her personal Van. I do remember it being exceptionally fast for being a Van.Of course I carpeted it inside on the ceiling,walls and floor with a nice yellow/green shag carpet,built a nice bed area and installed a nice Pioneer stereo system.Played all the OLD ROCK AND ROLL 8 track tapes!Man those were the days. I sure would like to have that running gear to put in a little dart or duster right now. We had a guy where I worked that had a Pontiac trans am,400 with a 4 speed.Well I busted that *** really good with the van.His Dad was the Shop Foreman and had an old mechanic that worked there rebuild the 400 engine in the transam and added a few goodies.Well we raced again and I couldn't run away from him like I did before but he couldn't pull away from me neither,we were bumper to bumper. He tried to trade me that trans am for my van and I just laughed at him.I kept it for two years and traded it in for my very first BRAND NEW CAR! A 1976 Ford Granada,by then with a Family I had to settle down a little so the Van had to go.The Granada was a great little car with a 302 engine but it sure did not run like that Little Yellow Van!About two years ago my Wife and I was on Vacation in Colorado.We were driving down the interstate and I was looking in the rear view mirror.And to my surprise I seen a grill that looked really familiar coming up behind us.It was a Yellow Tradsman 200 Dodge Van that looked almost identical on the outside like the one we had.It even had a set of Cragars on it with wide tires.As it passed us I told my Wife look what is passing us! Just as it got about a car length in front of us but in the other lane,WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND LAUGHED OUR ASSES OFF! We had some really great times in the YELLOW VAN.It was great to remember all those great times back then.At that time we had been married for 31 WONDERFUL years!Remembering times like that are just PRICELESS and GREAT!
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Damn man you as old as me, Lets see 8 track tapes,carpet in the van, I'd say you would have to be like 50-54?
 
I had an 8 track in H.S. and I'm 47.

I work at Baker and know several who were with Brown. Some are still at Baker.

Another ID point on a small block is on the block just below the driver side head. Scrape a little paint off and you will see the cu. in. number and a few letters there. On the 2 barrel models the 318 has a small carb and the 360 has the same one used on the 383 and 400, which is much larger. The holes in the 2bbl intake on the 360 are also larger. 8 3/4 rear is strongest and was used up to 72 in Dodge trucks. Have the housing and axles cut to A body length. The pluses are that you also get the big bolt pattern and brakes. Happy hunting!
 
Quick look. Look under the hood for an emissions tag. In Cali they have engine size listed. On some others they have a build sticker in the cab area that has engine size and rear ratios and size. Along with options.
 
THANKS A LOT GUYS! I hope I find something good! How exciting hehe, let me know if theres something you might want me to keep an eye on, something you havnt found in your local yards!
 
Actually I am 56 years old! I worked for Brown Oil Tools as a Maintenance Mechanic repairing and rebuilding all the shop machinery, Lathes,milling machines,grinders,overhead cranes,changing the red flashing light on top of the derrick on the property at 8490 Katy Freeway when needed because everyone else was scared to go that high up! LOL. I worked for them about 4 years and left there for a Position at UPS where I stayed for the rest of my working days.And talk about BEING OLD! When I was 15 I had a 58 Impala with a 348 three dueces,powerglide trans and a 4 track tape player.I wish I still had that beauty,Car was WHITE Exterior with turquoise interior and had a set of Keystone mag wheels with Firestone wide ovals on them. I mowed yards,shined shoes at a Barber shop and solicited the Houston Press Newspaper,and was a stock boy for a local store/beer joint after school to buy that 58! Now to afford a 58 Impala like that you almost have to be a Successful Stock Broker! LOL If my memory serves me correct I paid $375.00 for the 58 when I bought it. The Old man I got the car from gave me a good deal because I had mowed his yard for many years for him and continued to mow it until his death about 3 years after I got the car.I would take about 20 at that price now!LOL
 
Hay SGBARRACUDA !!! :drinkers:
That sure did bring back some memories for me.
That sure would be a great ride back then. :notworth:
 
My van was a 77 Dodge long wheel base with a 318, headers and duel side pipes. It was silver with blus stripes. We went to Van-Ins all over the sputjeast in it. Work all week, drive all Friday night. Then party all weekend and drive back home Sunday night and go back to work on Monday. If the kids now tried to do that it would kill them.
 
a quick way to tell the difference between a 318 and a 360 is the carb. The 318 two barrel carb is really small, and the 360 2 barrel carb is alot bigger. most of your mid 70's to late 80's van are 8 1/4 or 9 1/4
 
You can also tell a 318 from a 360 by the balancer, the 360 will be weighted and the 318 will not. 70's truck and vans all had 727's if they were autos so it is a good place to get small block 727's. The 8 3/4's last year in a 1/2 ton pickup or van was '74. But You could get both the 8 1/4 or 8 3/4 for a couple of years then after '74 it was either the 8 1/4 or if ordered, it could have the 9 1/4.

Chuck
 
Hey guys! Went to the yard in San Diego called Ecology, known down here in socal...and guess what! found a pretty straight 74 dart 2 door just like mine! has pretty decent trims that i need, and all thos little defects that over the years get messed up...saw a nice 360 van...sweeet!
 
now, if thats a "pick a part" type yard youll prefer to get an engine from a pickup over a van. I have pulled motors out of dodge vans, its no joy ill tell ya
 
chrisII said:
now, if thats a "pick a part" type yard youll prefer to get an engine from a pickup over a van. I have pulled motors out of dodge vans, its no joy ill tell ya
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Hehe alright, i'll try and find a truck, today I got a big deal on a bunch of stuff my car needed...mostly electric, interior, exterior parts and a better one barrel carb for me! woo hoo!

thanks for all the advise guys!
 
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