low buck aspen/valore for the strip

[fastback340]

Alright maybe I'm spending to much time thinking but heres my Idea. I want to pick up a aspen or valore to make a fun low buck drag car. It will see very littl time on the street except for a cruise to the local car shows now and then. I'd like it to run in the mid 11's.
I plan on stripping out the heater and A/C,back seat,and adding some fiberglass buckets. Lose any wieght I can. then stuff a 440 in it.
so i need help with the motor. cam ,intake,heads,comp(race gas is fine) will any 8-3/4s rears fit? it'll be a 727, what conv?. I dont want to get to carried away with my cuda and theres gotta be plenty of these hiding somewere. what do you think?

[5thAve]

http://www.moparchat.com/forums/show...p?threadid=690

[Tarrbabe]

Before you worry about big HP, think of your chassis set-up. The Volare - Aspen is an overweight A-body. If you worry about the chassis first, then you can better judge what changes you make with the engine-trans-rear. You will need to use an 8 3/4 or Dana 60 rear. The F body uses an Iso system (Rubber pads to soften the feel of the ride) between the springs and the rear-end. The Iso system has to go if you want the system to transfer power efficently. The rear springs have elongated oval front eyes and are not performance items. The springs will need to be replaced for true performance also.
I personally think this a great race car even though they are heavy compaired to the Dusters and Darts. The wind drag ratio is better for the F-bodys is better than the A's.

[dwc43]

We use them as dirt track cars, but i had a friend that dragged one. Andy mayes is the guys name. He runs a Challenger. You might have seen him in the mags. He won king of the streets champion in his class.
As for the car, we run a '69 Charger 8 3/4 rear with no mods. it fits right in there. As for the springs, you can run the mopar ss springs. They fit without the extended front hanger that you have to have on the b abd e bodys.
The engine will have to go in from the bottom just like the factory installed them if you run the big block. Small block will go in from the top, but are still a pain.
If you put a roll bar in, take a plasma cutter or a die grinder and air chisel and carefully remove all the metal box around the outside of the roof. It's actualy welded on in overlapping layers of metal. It helps with strnght since it's a partly uni body car. So make sure you have roll bars if you remove it.
As for weight, it's not a problem. Our cars have to weight 3250 after the race with the driver. With me and balast weight it's about 3400, but remember we have a full nascar type cage from front to rear and we have a min. tube thickness too. The added thickness of the tubing adds a lot to the weight. Adrag car uses lighter tubing and a whole lot less of it than we do.
Lets go race.....and beat up on some chebby's

[dirty dan]

[i]Originally posted by dwc43 [
The engine will have to go in from the bottom just like the factory installed them if you run the big block. Small block will go in from the top, but are still a pain. [/B]

Why would you put it in from the bottom?

[dwc43]

It wont fit.


I forgot to mention you have to use manual brakes and use the master cylinder relocation kit mopar sells to move the master over. I'd use the kit that uses the new masters with the plastic resv. and aluminum body. Might be a lb. or two lighter.

[Mopardad]

There are plenty of places to lose weight in a Aspen/ Volare. Start with the bumpers, Early Duster bumpers can be put on without alot of work & they do not look out of place. There is alot of xtra weight in the doors because of the guard beams etc. These cars also can stand having the rear springs replaced with A body springs, The stock ones have a long front segment that is hard to control, You need to make a extended hanger to do this but it is a easy job. A stock width A body 8 3/4 will fit fine. A mild 360 would easily go into the 11s in a F body without the hassles of trying to fit a big block in. My son is running what started as a 80 Volare /6, now with 77 Aspen front sheetmetal 360 ,999trans, 8 3/4 4.56 gear, car weighs 3005 with him in it (he's probably 155) Best pass so far 11.05 @ 122mph

[5thAve]

Power brakes are a go if you use an older brake booster. Shouldn't be a problem putting the motor in from the top if the tranny doesn't go in with it.

[gotcha]

I have had a 77 Volare RR for over 15yrs. It was originally a E-57. (360 2V). With normal mods..LD340, Holley 750 DP,headers, dual exhaust, bracket heads, 509 cam, etc. it was a street and strip driver and ran mid 13's at 3630# without driver. AC, PB, PS, and full interior.

A 67-70 B body 8 3/4 rearend is the correct width with slight relocation of the spring pads. I used the pinion snubber, and long shocks.

With the 8 3/4 and 3.91 SG, this car went 12.90's all day long on the Iso Clamp springs.

The Iso Clamp suspension as mentioned is not the best, but will work by thru bolting (clamping) the front segments. The front segment is much longer than the SS A-body segment (20.5) The longer front hanger must be specifically for the F body.

I then installed a 440 street-strip version, removed the A/C and kept everything else. 12.50's

Next was a 451 with Aluminum heads (EB). 12.20's and drive it to work.

472.....11.98 best and drive it to work, all of this on an adjustable rocker arm hydraulic cam. There was always a lot more in the car.

Now 505, 8 point cage, light bumpers, manual steer, manual brakes, fuel cell, inspection, tags, street legal 10.5 tire car. SS springs, and complete stock appearing. Almost track ready.

I have never put a big block in it from the bottom.

The only clearance problem is the A/C hump on the passenger side firewall. B body headers fit perfectly with no clearance issues.

The doors are extremely heavy as mentioned, but it is hard to remove armor without extensive exterior denting or cutting, but can be done.

I have done about everything you can do to the Volare/Aspen F bodies over the last 15 yrs. Weight transfer is better than the A-body.....a little heavier, but with better rear weight percentage.

The C/D is better than the A body.

Currently working on a coil over weld-in K-frame. The transverse T/B front end is about 200# too heavy. Love these cars for street strip use and are inexpensive to acquire, fun to drive. The 360 cars are really nice when done right. Remove front bumper shock absorbers and replace with light fabricated brackets.

Replace K frame insulators with solid mounts and remove rag joint from steering shaft.

With light bumpers, glass hood, and normal weight saving methods, a weight of about 3300# empty is bottom line on a full interior, stock appearing car.

This car has been described in other threads and websites, and will be happy to answer any specific questions.

[Crank]

I thought that the E-Body springs were a good replacement i sware i read this in a mopar performance book in the super stock spring section.that they were the same size or length

[gotcha]

Crank.....there was at one time some incorrect information given on this subject or was stated incorrectly. "There are longer front spring hangers available for the B-E-F-M-J bodies." They were kind of lumped together in the press stories. The facts are as follows.

The A-bodies and the 62-63 B bodies are the 20.0 (20.5)inch front segment. They have a 35 inch rear segment.

The 64-65 B bodies are 21 inch front segment w/35 inch rear segment.

The 66-70 B bodies are 22 inch front segment with a 36 inch rear segment.

70-74 E bodies have a 22 inch front segment with a 35 inch rear segment.

60-69 A bodies have the 20 inch front with 35 inch rear segment.

70-76 A bodies have the 20 inch front with 35 inch rear segment.

71-73 B bodies have the 22 inch front with 36 inch rear segment

The front segment establishes the wheelbase, but you often see the incorrect rear segment, which pulls the shackles slightly forward.


The F-M-J bodies have a 24 inch front segment, thus the front hanger is 4 inches long to accomodate the SS spring. The B-E bodies use a front hanger 2 inches longer.

The Mopar Performance catalog lists the FMJ hanger as a separate part number.

Just more info for the storage bank.