New hemi in an old A Body

[mrpoptart]

I'm toying around with the idea of throwing a new hemi 5.7L in a 68 valiant. I think you can get motor mount adapters for the magnum engines, will this work for the new hemi engines too? Any idea of the requirements for making a new tranny fit too?

Anything else I should know besides the nightmare of wiring something like this?

Thanks,
M

[dwc43]

Well, it wont fit. The tranny wont fit in the tunnel or between the frame rails. Since it's a partial unibody if you don't know what your doing and go cutting on the sub frame you will end up with a car that is bent and doors that wont open and close right. There's no headers for it, and you would need a completly new wiring harness just for the engine and then you wouldhave to rewire the rst of the car to get your lights and such to work. Really not worth the trouble. A big block car would be better and easier to do. We have one thats really fast.

[mrpoptart]

Ah DWC, sometimes I think it would be easier just to call you rather than leave a message for you on here. I just thought the idea of mixing old and new would be pretty cool--the fuel injection, tranny ratio, etc. I'm not afraid of work, nor of creating my own wiring harness. I know that anything's possible, it's just a matter of time money and patience, I was just wondering if anyone else had done it.

IF the answer is no, doesn't that mean my car would be extra cool when it's done?

[dwc43]

If you can get it done and done right, go for it. It's going to be a big hassel though. MY main concern is getting the tranny inside the frame and mounted without messing up the whole car. As far as I know, it's never been built before.

[MoparMarcIdaho]

If you can put a hemi in an arrow you can put one in an old A body.Sox and Martin ran a hemi arrow years ago.It wanted to launch on one tire only but was quick.You would have to start at the frame and go from there with a roll cage and subframe ties,tubbed the whole nine yards and then it would live.I would do a one piece nose and not fiberglass either,with that short wheelbase it will need weight up front.

[dkn1997]

someone is making a wiring harness for this swap- it was in hotrod or carcraft last month. if they offer it as a crate, then it seems logical that many of the fitment issues would have been solved (mounts/headers/tranny adaptor) Again, that's IF they decide to make it a crate motor.

I don't know what the physical size of the actual motor is, but as long as that would physically fit in the engine bay, then there is hope that in a few years you will see shumacker making mounts for it, JW could make an ultrabell to adapt a 727 to it, painless could make a harness for it, etc.....

as stated, there are many ways to go faster much cheaper and easier, but you cannot put a price on the "cool" factor.....

[John Kunkel]

Anything fits in anything, I'll be installing a 5.7 Hemi with a 5 or 6-speed in my '62 Lancer when the prices come down.

http://www.hotrodlane.cc/

[rumblefish360]

Originally Posted by dwc43

Well, it wont fit. The tranny wont fit in the tunnel or between the frame rails. Since it's a partial unibody if you don't know what your doing and go cutting on the sub frame you will end up with a car that is bent and doors that wont open and close right. There's no headers for it, and you would need a completly new wiring harness just for the engine and then you wouldhave to rewire the rst of the car to get your lights and such to work. Really not worth the trouble.

If you can get it done and done right, go for it. It's going to be a big hassel though. MY main concern is getting the tranny inside the frame and mounted without messing up the whole car. As far as I know, it's never been built before.

OK, I hate to do this but, you leave me no choice in the matter.
Check out my man in Fla. his site ... http://mywebpages.comcast.net/dewme5/
shows what a little cutting and welding can do.
Talk about a big tranny made to fit ........
The only wire problems is making a good place to tap into the engines power to run the system. Create a new sub system. Painless wireing can help there.

mrpoptart Do it if ya want. Don't let the project size get ya. baby bites until it's done rather than biting off to much at once.
Dodge...Dare to be different!!!!!
Not afraid, not a cookie cutter, not a bow tie copy cat boy!!!!!!!
A big block may be better in many ways, that is never going to be a HEMI.
It may out power it. However, being how many cubes down...???... is never an easy thing to overcome.
Then again, WOW factor.....

[dwc43]

Now that's ugly. Reeally ugly. I hate to see what he did to the frame underneath it. I saw nothing on the top side photo to suggest reinforcement. And all those welded up restricted pipes look really bad too. That's not what I would call the wow factor, but to each his own, right?

[dwc43]

Originally Posted by MoparMarcIdaho

If you can put a hemi in an arrow you can put one in an old A body.Sox and Martin ran a hemi arrow years ago.It wanted to launch on one tire only but was quick.You would have to start at the frame and go from there with a roll cage and subframe ties,tubbed the whole nine yards and then it would live.I would do a one piece nose and not fiberglass either,with that short wheelbase it will need weight up front.

That was a tube frame race car too, not a stock conversion piece.

[rumblefish360]

Ugly, yes, bare welds are. But he got it to work and well it did.
He pumped enuff bost to crack the block. Car is still good.

[dewme5]

You can fit anything in anything. Most people are just scared to try. A guy with CNCmotorsports as his home page saying it cant be done, is just funny. No, it can't be done with out work. No, it won't be resto correct, can it be done.. Hell yes. Will it be worth it? Hell yes again.

about my car. yeah, it was rigged. rigged alot. But then nobody makes the bolt in kit for what I've done. but, alot of people have been following in my footsteps because of that "ugly" work. Maybe someday I'll have the money to work on my car full time, but I don't. I couldn't even afford new turbos. oh well, I'll make due. Ugly... yeah, but did it work... Hell yes.

PS. I hate NASCAR

[dwc43]

Originally Posted by rumblefish360

Ugly, yes, bare welds are. But he got it to work and well it did.
He pumped enuff bost to crack the block. Car is still good.

Ouch! Speaking of cracked blocks, you got a magnum short block laying around. My brothers racked just under the head on the passenger side between the two middle cylinders. Leaks out water as fast as you can pour it in.

[rumblefish360]

Nay, a 360 of '79 vintage, a roller able 360 of ??? vintage. Loking to build those 360's later.
A 318 of '79 vintage and up for sale.
318 w/ Edel. performer intake and Edel. 600 carb. No exhaust. Carb to pan, all acc. included, $350 w/904 trans included. Runs strong and hard.
A 400 of '79 vintage,, disassembled very disassembled. For sale.

[64dartwagon]

I'd love to have you as a neighbor. Want to move to Cali?? I have a fresh roll of wire in my welder and a fresh bottle of Co2 and a spare. I to have been thinking of adding some boost but with a belt driven turbo or two. And as of right now i have a spare car just to cut and paste to practice. And congratulations on thinking on your own and doing what comes to mind.

[dwc43]

Originally Posted by rumblefish360

Nay, a 360 of '79 vintage, a roller able 360 of ??? vintage. Loking to build those 360's later.
A 318 of '79 vintage and up for sale.
318 w/ Edel. performer intake and Edel. 600 carb. No exhaust. Carb to pan, all acc. included, $350 w/904 trans included. Runs strong and hard.
A 400 of '79 vintage,, disassembled very disassembled. For sale.

Thanks anyway. I think he just wants to put the magnum back together. can't figure out why it cracked where it did. It has not been hot as far as I know and the CR is not high enough to cause any troubles either. Guess it could be a flaw, but it's been a long time before it showed up now. Can't seem to find a decent short block laying around worth the money either.

[bigiron]

Bravo Dewme... I've seen pros do better looking jobs but I can see how that could have been fun....

To bad about the block... don't ya hate it when that happens.

I've done worse looking jobs and still been respected on the strip... or out at the local "Race for a buck track"...

I love it when someone says it can't be done... it kind of kicks you into "The challenge has been laid" mode.

So can you put a Hemi in an old A body??.... of course. Is it worth the trouble???? To me it isn't... but I've done things that are not worth it to someone else... I think if someone was to try it would be pretty cool.

Just my thoughts on the matter

[dusterrcr]

After reading the Popular Hot Rodding article on the 5.7.It looked like small block shivvys were coming out of street rods all over the place.And 5.7 going in.-------------Please do it. I would love to see it.Might replace the big heavy 440 in my Duster someday with a 5.7

[LA360Dart]

From all that i've read the new hemi and 4.7 use the old 727a ( RE46 ) bellhousing pattern so should be fairly easy to swap into a body, Also if need be A518 will fit a A-body but you need to open transmission tunnel after the mount. Saw it done at spring fling a guy with a 68 Dart just used the ends off his trans mount to frame and then made the rest of mount. Then sliced the tunnel and added about a 1.75" strip of metal to top of tunnel to allow OD unit to sit in place. I might still have his number see if i can get some pics .......


denny