Options for Replacing Slant 6 in 65 Dart

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McHugh

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I am looking to put a "slant 8" into my Dart.

Any opinions or leads on Engines and Transmissions would be appreciated.
 
well if your looking for a nice streeter id go with a 318 with a 904. they give alot of oomph and have very nice street manners. well mine does for now (LOL). but if your lookin for a nice street strip small block you could get a 360 with a 904. those are nice. and then theres the last option a 440 with a 727 theres ur real power lol
 
I thought the 65 has limited engine bay space.

Reguardless, I'll preety much echo what he said. For the project on the cheap, a wrecked Durango or Dakota or Ram can provide an engine (And maybe a tranny, but an O.D may be a bit big to swing under the car, maybe.....) with a carbed intake replaceing the F.I. set up for ease and quickness to get it up and running.

The 318 is 230 HP? or 245 HP 360.

I beileve Mr. Gasket has a simple swap kit a bit cheaper than the Schmaucher kit. You'll have to figure out exhaust which would be duals no matter what and shorten the driveshaft a bit. Find a 8-1/4 rear at a min. or a 8-3/4 for an A-body.

There a good swap and the overdrive if possible can deliver low Hwy. RPM's and 20+ MPG's w/3.55 gears.
Minor engine upgrades can have you at 300 HP without any issues.
 
A 273 V-8 was available from the factory in 65, so that would be a logical first step. 273's and 318's are outwardly identical, so a 318 will bolt in using factory parts. 340's and 360's are substantially similar, although the mounting points on the block are slightly different. A 440 or any other big block was never offered in a pre-67 A-body, so there are no factory parts to install one. It can be done, but requires significant fabrication (custom headers).

In any case you'll need the corresponding V-8 transmission, a more robust rear axle, better brakes and so on. Plenty of us are replacing slant sixes with V-8's on this site (I'm swapping a 318 into my 65 GT) so there is plenty of info out there. Search your way through old posts and forums and see what others have done.
 
You could always leave the slant six in place. There are lots of ways to get more power out of it and it would much more unusual at shows and cruises.
 
With a V-8 swapped in place of a /6 you'll need a drop steering link also...to go with a stock 318 not making alot of horse power the 7 1/4 should handle that. The 273 ci 65's had 7 1/4 rears...
 
GTGrinly said:
With a V-8 swapped in place of a /6 you'll need a drop steering link also...to go with a stock 318 not making alot of horse power the 7 1/4 should handle that. The 273 ci 65's had 7 1/4 rears...
Click to expand...
oh yeah I forgot , ditch the 7 1/4. I said good bye to mine this weekend.

65Dart 0062.jpg
 
mopardart72 said:
well if your looking for a nice streeter id go with a 318 with a 904. they give alot of oomph and have very nice street manners. well mine does for now (LOL). but if your lookin for a nice street strip small block you could get a 360 with a 904. those are nice. and then theres the last option a 440 with a 727 theres ur real power lol
Click to expand...

WHy is a 360 for street strip and 318 for street? Makes no sense.

I have a BB A body. Big bucks to do that swap right and you have a 66. I would go with any V8 small block you can get your hands on.

One cool option would be to go with a new style hemi V8. Talk about the ultimate in streetablility, even a fuel injected V8 out of a pickup etc. Parts are available in suplus. Might be a unique option for you. Depends on your skill level.
 
roccodart440 said:
WHy is a 360 for street strip and 318 for street? Makes no sense.
Click to expand...

It does to a degree.

Because the 340 took the thunder away from the 318 as the only performance engine for small blocks. MoPar/Chrysler never got behind the 318 as a engine that could perform. It was a basic people mover engine.

Getting a 318 into the mid 12's isn't to hard, just so much easier and street freindly with a larger engine. Until recently, no one really made a performance piston for a 318. KB makes a few that are resonable in cost, but still more expensive than the larger engines.

On the cheap, after a bottom end rebuild with high compresion pistons, it's just a big cam, gear, converter away with 360 heads and a capable intake and 750 carb with headers.

And engine like this (Quicker than 13's or low 12's) will need more cam, converter, gear than a 340 or 360. This equals a less street freindly engine. And it's down on power next to a similar or less built 360. With it's longer stroke producing more torque, it makes life easier.

Building a 318 because you want to, want to be different, because you have it, whatever.... is fine. But if you have the extra money to seek out and get a 360 at whatever cost in addition, instead of building what you have, is a better bet than being down 22 or 42 cubes next to the 340 or 360.
 
Rumblefish, you proved my point. A 360 is just as good if not better for a street only car
 
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