looking for restorfied car ideas..pics..?

[GLHS221]

I once saw a cuda a few years back at the nats that was redone using alot of current technology like 360 efi truck motor, 5 speed, all wheel discs, don't remember the interior but i think it had some other cool things in there too. Right now I have 67 coronet r/t built up 440 for street strip getting about 6mpg and with gas prices what they are and all I might sell the r/t and build or buy more a cruiser type car like I can take on road trips instead of drag strips. I have thought about redoing the r/t but I have been growing found of e bodies. I am still up in the the air though, i could pull the built 440 out and put in a 5.9 or something. I know some others have done similar things like this, I basically need something that is going to be reliable to drive every day and I don't think the big 440 is the answer especially in the las vegas heat where i will be moving. So I guess I am looking for ideas on things to do or pictures of other projects of the same type. Thanks for looking.

[riquiscott]

Before you decide whether or not to keep the 440, tell us why it's currently getting 6MPG. Is the engine extremely built-up, or are you running a very low rearend ratio, etcetera? If your 440 is reliable enough for daily use, but just gets horrendous fuel economy, keep in mind that the thousands of dollars you'll likely put into a new engine, fuel injection, and five-speed tranny would buy a LOT of gas. On the Keisler automotive site, they have a table that shows a 440-equipped car going from 9 MPG with an automatic tranny to 14 MPG with one of the Keisler 5-speeds. Eventually, the gas savings will pay for the transmission swap, but they estimate it may take 60-75,000 miles to recoup your cost. I ordered one anyway, since I really wanted a five-speed, but I probably wouldn't have done it if fuel economy were my only concern.


Scott Gardner

[GaryS]

6 mpg sounds way out of line! My son's '69 Coronet, with a low-12 second 440, gets 14 mpg when he takes it easy. That's with 3.90:1 gears.

Needless to say, when you get into the secondaries a lot, that mileage is cut in half.

[GLHS221]

i dont want the 440 because i want efi mainly. I want something super reliable so I can drive from minnesota to nevada and not have to carry a spare alternator, starter, or worry about vapor lock. I have also been looking at the 5.7 hemi motor to use too now and looking into some suspension/steering upgrades. I rebuilt the front with all polygraphite bushing and moog balljoints/tierods etc/hd gas shocks, but it still feels loose like it floats on the road like all big cars and I hate that..any upgrades availilable to tighten the car?

[GaryS]

Heavier torsion bars, premium shocks, a firm feel steering box, good tires and a wheel alignment by someone who knows how to do it.

I recommend Tom Condran's book for the best info available in one place. It's called: Performance Handling for Classic Mopars. The last address I have for ordering the book is:

Acme Mail Order
P.O. Box 282612
San Francisco, CA 94128-2612

It was $30 when I ordered mine in 2000.

[GLHS221]

Gary thanks i will look for that book.

[MoparMarcIdaho]

I think Holley makes a TBI kit for older vehicles,I run a Holley economaster 480 CFM 4 barrel on one in a truck,full time 4x4 and it gets 14,do you have a sway bar on it?Older cop cars are good donors,offset wheels a no no too.

[riquiscott]

In addition to the throttle-body injection kits, Holley also makes a universal multi-port fuel injection kit as well. You have to modify your intake manifold to accept the fuel injector bungs and the hold-downs for the fuel rails. The throttle body just bolts in place of the carb. They have two versions, one that flows 1000 CFM, and another thats flows 2000 CFM.

Given the choice, multi-port injection is preferable to throttle-body injection, since the throttle body and intake manifold only have to flow air, not air/fuel. The fuel is injected later, almost right on top of the intake valves. That way, you don't have to worry about the air/fuel mixture separating out and puddling in the intake manifold. That's also why a 2000 CFM fuel injection setup isn't overkill the way a pair of 1050-CFM Holley Dominators might be. At low engine speeds, the huge carbs can't maintain enough flow velocity to keep the air/fuel mixture atomized. On the fuel injected setup, the fuel never has a chance to separate out.

Scott Gardner

[riquiscott]

Looked around a bit more, and Edelbrock has a "Performer RPM Pro-Flo" multi-port fuel injection system designed specifically for the 413/426W/440 Chrysler big-blocks. At about $2700, it's pricey, but it seems to have everything included - wiring harness, ECM, fuel pump and filter, manifold with injectors, fuel rails, throttle body, oxygen sensor, and a new distributor. It can also be adjusted without a laptop.

Scott Gardner

[ehostler]

The Holley TBI is crap. The EB setup is a great way to go, for an old 440.

As far as being reliable goes, it all depends on what work you have done to it (true for any vehicle). I bought my '69 Coronet 500 Convertible (with a 440 automatic) in Winnipeg, Canada and drove her all the way to Manassas, VA (near DC), with no problems.

Vapor lock is rare, unless you incorrectly routed your fuel lines.

Starter motors don't fail often. If you are concerned about that, then you can grab a starter off of a newer Ram, Dakota, Durango, or Jeep and install it.

Alts don't fail often either. If you are concerned about yours, again, you can swap in a newer ND style from a newer truck or Jeep.

As far as 6 MPG goes, you need to keep your foot out of it. I get 10 - 12 MPG out of my 440. My carb is jetted too rich and the engine could use an overhaul.

[ehostler]

Honestly, for everything that I have read about your desires, you may wish to sell this car and buy a used Neon. It will cost you a lot less and give you everything that you are looking for.

Just a thought

[GLHS221]

i already had a neon and I dont like fwd cars, that is not what I am looking for. I want the styling of an old car with the tech of a new car.

[riquiscott]

You mentioned the 5.9L and 5.7L Hemi as potential candidates for an engine swap. How much do those engines cost, including the engine, wiring harness, ECM, and transmission? There's a lot you can do to "modernize" your 440, but I don't know how cost-effective it would be compared to swapping in a modern engine.

Scott

[crashbox455]

www.pro-touring.com

the problem with these kind of cars, as ehostler pointed out, is that they get out of hand REAL fast.

your 440 can be just as reliable as a newer magnum, and you're gonna be spending money either way, if you look at a Megasquirt or perhaps retro fitting a TBI from a 454 Vortec you can keep cost down on the EFI.

overdrive will be the single biggest thing you can do for gas mileage. A518/46RH + bellhousing adapter = you can keep the 440.

if you end up doing a magnum 5.2/9, shoot me an email. i can help you out with the wiring harness.

[ehostler]

I would use a Keisler conversion or a GV OD unit, before I used the A518/46RH. The A518/46RH will need a lot of floor cutting, along with cutting apart the tranny cross member and creating a new one.

[GLHS221]

You mentioned the 5.9L and 5.7L Hemi as potential candidates for an engine swap. How much do those engines cost, including the engine, wiring harness, ECM, and transmission?

I got price estimates for the 5.7l hemi so far; engine 6250,trans 3500, misc parts 4250. That is for everything brand new. I guess I thought it would be alittle less then that because I could get a real hemi (426) for that price range.

crashbox455 thanks for that link I like those projects. I havent heard of Megasquirt before, what is that?

riquiscott thanks for the insite on the eb perfromer rpm fi. That sounds like a very reasonable alternative compared to what I have been looking at! Anyone run that here?

ehostler yea I do not want to cut up my floor and wreck alot on this car that can't be changed back to stock so I guess I will not look at that 518/46h

[riquiscott]

Originally posted by GLHS221
ehostler yea I do not want to cut up my floor and wreck alot on this car that can't be changed back to stock so I guess I will not look at that 518/46h

I've got a Keisler 5-speed, and although I haven't installed it yet, it looks like there's not much cutting involved. I received a template for cutting the transmission tunnel, and it doesn't look like I have to open up the existing hole very much. All of the transmission mounts are a direct bolt-in. Even with adding the hydraulic clutch, it utilizes the factory firewall hole for the hydraulic clutch assembly, so there's no real cutting or fabricating there, either. The Keisler transmission swap is running me about $6000, but that's everything from their top-of-the-line transmission to the bellhousing, clutch, flywheel, hydraulic clutch actuator, wiring harnesses, shifter, etcetera.

Scott Gardner

[ehostler]

If you want to stay with an automatic, the Gear Vendors OD unit is only about $2,500. It requires no cutting, only one small dimple just under the back seat.

[GLHS221]

yea i think a gv od and eb efi would actually get me what i am looking for after looking at all the options. then some suspension tuning and putting the a/c back in and I would be set.

[crashbox455]

www.bgsoflex.com makes the megasquirt.

last i checked, it uses mostly stock chevy sensors, so- YOU DIDN'T HEAR IT FROM ME.

if you want a low-buck TBI alternative, try www.howell-efi.com they have lots of adapters & harnesses. again, lots of chevy retrofit stuff, doesn't bother me but it's your car, your prerogative.