what can i do witha 4 door sedan

[1963newport]

I have a 1963 chrysler newport. It is a 4 door hardtop, with a push drive 727 auto, it has a 8 3/4 rear and weights 3,800 pounds. It has a 361 in it now, but is going to have a 440 from a 71 challenger soon. My questions is what can i do with this car. I know its not anything cool but it is still a car. How can i drop weight in the car and put more power in the car. Thanks

[rumblefish360]

Well, with a 4 door, you can create a sleeper. With a 440 you can really create a screeeeeem machine.
As far as getting the weight down, you can take out what isnt needed in the trunk, then go to the sound deadener under the carpets. Toss cast iron parts overboard in favor of alum. units if its in the bugget.
That would include wheels as well as the heads (if possible) carb, headers and intake. Which is allready done I would guess.
There are underhood components that might be able to go as well. Are you inner fenders able to come out? Do you know someone that can make a fiberglass bumper?
Do you have a plan for the engine? At the weight of the car, you'll probly be focusing on torque rather than top end power.
As far as I'm concerned, its a cool car. 4 door or not.

[451Mopar]

Speaking of sleepers, my friend is putting a 451 stroked 400 in his moms '68 Newport.
My friend and his mom race fairly regularly and she originally just warmed up the stock 383 in the car.
Se suprised allot of Mustangs and other cars with the stock looking and sounding newport

[carguy]

I don't remember if the 63 Newports were unibody or full frame. They did have a wheel base of over 120 inches. Be carefull about how much power you put to the rear wheels, you might turn that boat into a curlly fry. If the cars in good shape, I would do a restifacation (fix it up a bit) and cruise.

[BugEyedValiant]

I know that I am being a smart@ss, but put in a 572" Indy headed all aluminum motor. 572=more hp, and all aluminum=weight loss

[Frank]

A great deal of the old iron available to all of us now has 4 doors. There are a lot of possibilities. Don't let the 2 extra doors get in your way. As a cruiser it's great, and your buddies will grow to appreciate the extra doors for quick ins and outs. Even just parked and hangin' out with the doors open gives you an advantage.
Plenty of power is almost a requirement with 4 doors. You know some idiot in a Camaro that looks like a slot car is going to challage you at some point. Putting your tail lights in his face would be fun.
Like rumblefish (I love that name!) said, there is a lot of things you can do to lighten it up, and big torque is definately the way to go. Be creative. Man, you're driving a MoPar, you've already decided to be different.
Four doors just make you that much more different. ENJOY!

[rumblefish360]

LOL Thanks frankendart.
Is your handle Frank & Dart or like Frankenstein/Dart combo. Ethier way it works, I like it as well.
Have you ( and readers alike) taken a look through the members name list? There are some really good handles out there. Very creative to.

BugeyedVal; Yea you are being one, but then again, not really. The torque and power would surely be a force and then some. You made me laff good. Then I said to myself....thats not really a bad Idea!!!
All you need is money 451mopar's Idea could be a little easyer to do though.
Question....When did Chrysler make all unibody cars? And 1963Newport, is your car a unibody? If not, there could be a little work in it for you.
How about a Super charger?
Things that make you go Hummmmmmmm.

[moparots]

I think 4 doors is a wonderful SLAP in the face to the typical Mustang and Camaro owner...Im in the process of building a "4 door" 1968 Dart.....the car was almost perfect except it had 4 doors. I couldnt sell it to anyone, so I figuered, what the hell make a really fast sleeper out of it. I pulled the old / 6 out and dropped in a 360, new 8-3/4" rear end ....and BAM! Smoking cheby boys who thought they could beat the car that looks like "Barney Fife" should be driving it. Glad to see more fast "Foor Door Frenzy" out there .......... Go For It

[carguy]

To add to my previous reply, if you have a 440 to drop in your Newport, that would be the way to go. Four door cars are cool. I'll never forget the look on the kids face (he was driving a jacked up old ford of some sort) when I left him at the stop light in my 76 caddy 4 door sedan with a 500 cid. It was fuel injected(TBI) first year, not many made. I loved that car.
Also, Rumblefish, did you make it down to N.C. last weekend? The weather was great.

[rumblefish360]

Carguy;

Uhhhh, how did you know i was going. Never mind...I talk to so many people....
AND YES I DID WAHOOO!!!!!!
Went dressed in long sleve shirt and step out of the car and looked my sister in the face and said "Wheres the freakin mall, I need shorts!!!!
I could not beleive it was 85 degrees. I left NY and it was 55.
After the mall, my sister went into labor and had a baby girl. Now I'M an UNCLE!! (7lbs 10 oz 21 inchs , out of a lil 5'4" girl. Damn!! She only gained 30lbs through the whole thing!)
After that, I went to Richmond VA. to see my best freind for a few.
Good GOD it sucks to be back!!! Had snow this morning.
What the heck is that all about??? Then it went to about 60 degrees!! If this keeps up, I'm going to be sick 2 fold.

[Frank]

Hey Rumblefish, The name actually started back in the mid 70's when we built a supercharged hemi Swinger. I called it Frankendart because it was a monster of a car. That came from my wife telling my buddies that Frank and Dart are in the garage, as usual. So the name came from both ideas. Good reasoning.

1963newport, listen to these guys. Big inches and maybe a supercharger!!! Man, 4 doors and half an engine hanging out of the hood, some tubs and LARGE meats, a Dana, and a push button auto!
The supercharger alone would draw everyone eye away from the 2 extra doors. You'd probably have to point them out.
MAN! Lets go!

Sorry, guys. I got a little carried away.

[DartGT66]

With a four door you can open the rear doors. Try that with a 2d sedan or coupe.
I love 4 D's and I think it's a big + in any car. The newport is propably very heavy, possibly in the 4400 lbs range, so you need all the cubes your budget allows. Years ago we built a '67 Fury III /6 car with a zero budget. First we swapped in a '76 360 and 904 combo, it was a junk yard engine with a loose bottom end, we installed a new MP 260/268 cam, a performer intake and a 3310 Holley and ported the heads. The car run 15.1 with a 3.23 sure grip rear. Next we swapped in a '75 440. Also a well used short block with new rings&bearings, ported heads, MP 280 cam, headers, torker2 intake and the same 3310 carb. Now the Fury run 13.8's at 104 mph, enough for most, weighing 4400 lbs with the driver. And the 3.23 gears let it run a dangerous top speed too.

[Jims451]

I still have my 1967 Coronet 440 4-door.
This car was my first car and it had a 318 with 4-bbl intake and headders that I put on it in highschool.
Later when I had a second car (actually my Power Wagon truck), I put a MP purple shaft 284/0.484" cam in it and 3.91:1 gears. This was too much cam for the stock torque converter, but the car still ran 14's. By this point the sun rotted interior was removed and stored and the car has only a bucket seat from a '68 Pontial Le-Mans (because it was free.) I know I had under $500 in the entire car.
I was considering restoring the car, but then my brother-in-law backed a bobcat into the drivers side fender >(