B/RB block stock car

[ikeco]

Is any one out there running a B/RB block circle track car? I have been racing local dirt tracks with chevys and fords for many years with much experience. I have found a very well built 72 dart chassis that currently has a 440 in it. The engine has one broken piston and will need rebuilt, not a problem. Although I have not seen it run the guy says it handled well. I am debating whether to get this car or not and if I do whether to go ahead and fix the 440 or convert it to a small block. There are a couple of tracks that will let me run the 440 and others that only allow 408" limits which means since I have to fix it I could build a 400 instead. The problem is I know nothing about mopars. I like the idea of being the underdog and having the only Mopar in the area but I want to make sure I have a fighting chance and not end up just another back marker.

[340king]

It is my opinion that a car that runs well with a big block should be capable of running well with a small block. This is true if there isn't a strange circumstance like a huge 3/4 mi track, 20° banking or something like that. Usually, the weight difference of the small block offsets the HP difference. The decresed weight should add up to added cornering force=faster lap times

[Rich33]

We've had some big blocks run in our street stock class over the years. One in particular ran a 440 charger in the mid eighties and won a championship with it. Then, he built a 400 powered Barracuda and won a championship with it in '94. We've had a couple of others run middle of the pack with them.

The guy who won those championships liked the 400 better. He said it was a lot lighter (than the 440) and after he built it up it made great power. He twisted the heck out of the thing and never had reliability problems.

If it were me, though, I'd run a small block. Dusters are nose heavy anyway and it's hard to get much set back under normal street stock rules.