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-   -   a few questions : ) (http://www.moparchat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124529)

breaux 12-31-2012 01:45 PM

a few questions : )
 
hi again everybody. so i wanted to get ya'lls opinion on a few things, and see what you mite have to add. so i picked up a 1968 dodge dart, it has the slant six 270. i'm thinking if the number's match up that i mite rebuild the engine in it, instead of picking up the 360. i have heard that the car can be worth more if kept with the original engine. i am looking at building a cruiser more then a racer. what would be the maximum horse power i could get out of it? the 360 engine sounds awesome, but i don't think i need 380+ horse power : ) just want something fun to drive, and still has some pick up.

next, i was wondering if anybody has used the plastic dash cover replacements? my dash is cracked, and i saw that they have nice plastic one's that glue on over top. they look nice, but seeing what ya think.

also trying to find a vinyl floor kit. any sugestions? all i can find are carpet's for some reason : ) also need replacement door panels.

next on the list is that pice above the rear seat that seperates the trunk, and has the speaker holes. thinking about just cutting a pice of plywood and covering it with speaker carpet. but maby they have new one's out there?

last one for now. i need a suspension system. the hotchkis looks like overkill for what i am doing with her. adjustable upper's and lower's seem sorta pointless since i don't plan on racing her, and they would be set to street anyway. does somebody have a performance street kit? or do i just pice it togeather?

thank you in advance for all ya help : ) and hope the holiday season has been good to ya!

440roadrunner 12-31-2012 03:07 PM

Regardless of engine, ALL of these cars are under suspended compared to modern cars. Biggest favor you can do yourself is the following:

1--Obviously, inspect and or rebuild the suspension as necessary. If it has not been touched, I'd replace all bushings and ball joints

2--Consider some sort of disc brake upgrade. You should do this BEFORE rebuilding the front end, because you either need to make the decision to keep your old 4" wheel bolt pattern, or convert to the 73/ later parts and the later 4.5" bolt pattern

3--Get stiffer torsion bars and INSTALL a front sway bar. Replace the shocks

4--Using modern radial tires, do NOT use factory alignment specs. Use the chart on this page (the skosh chart down the page):

http://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/...alignment.html

NOTICE that camber is the OPPOSITE of factory, IE original specs for bias tires have the tire OUT at the top, more modern radial specs have the tire IN at the top, or negative camber

5--Rear suspension has many options and sources of rear springs. In my case, though, I'd junked out a newer Duster and a Demon both, so I took one set of spring packs apart, as well as my 67 originals. I then stacked the LONGEST spring leafs out of each pack, I believe ending up with 1 more than factory, and the bottom one is one leaf longer than the original. This gave me a little lift and the stiffness I want without being harsh. All it cost me, other than the rear axle swap I was doing at the time, is a set of U bolts and new "spring clips" which you can buy at any spring and brake outfit, or order from many places on the www

breaux 12-31-2012 03:31 PM

nice. that is some good info for sure. i am doing the disc breaks right now. seeing as i needed both feet on the pedal to stop the darn thing : ) thanks for the info

Madman Stephan 12-31-2012 04:31 PM

Hi, here's my 2 cents:

There's really not a big demand for numbers-matching, slant six A-bodies. Keep the original motor if you want, but a nice 360 can be fun without being over the top. For the dash cover, yep, done it, just make sure to cut out the "swollen" areas around the cracks on your current dash, or else it won't sit properly. Yes, the rear shelf can easily be replaced with a thin fibre board covered in any material. And regarding the vinyl floor kit, you should consider vinyl truck box liners which can be sprayed once your seats are out.

440roadrunner 01-01-2013 12:21 AM

I pretty much agree with Madman. It takes a LOT of money to make a small engine produce HP. High compression, wild cams, or turbos come to mind. A stock out of the box 360 with a mild cam can give you instant results for a LOT less money.

Rich Kinsley 01-01-2013 10:22 PM

Most importantly it depends on how deep your pockets are. The conversion will require more peripheral work. I don't think the K-frame and trans will swap to the 360 and they are externally balanced. The /6 won't be a rocket but it will be dependable and more economical if you actually want to drive it. It's my opinion that you should build the car for yourself and don't worry about resale. It isn't a big bucks car but it's fun :-)

440roadrunner 01-02-2013 04:08 PM

Sorry, disagree. He was talking Hotchkiss suspension, which indicates he's willing to spend some money. I still believe swapping in a mild V8 is far more effective money wise than trying to get impressive HP (and low mileage!!) out of a /6.

The K member will be fine. If he keeps the /6 K he'll have to buy Schumaker or other aftermarket swap mounts, but these are popular and accepted.. If he has a stick, he'll have to change the clutch/ bell/ flywheel, and if automatic, he'll have to round up a small block auto, but those are easy to find. Hell I've got about 4 of 'em sitting around here, and not over 50 bucks into any of 'em.

Since the 360

coupe32 01-10-2013 07:56 PM

How about a 340 or even a 318? Put an engine back into it that you could get in 68. There are plenty of 318's out there still and a lot of 340's too if you look around.

Skwerly 01-15-2013 02:44 AM

yes! even a 'warm' 318 can do 300 horsepower with ease. chuck some 3.23s in the rear and teach the honda guys a few lessons. :D

Glenn E. Cozad 01-20-2013 03:55 PM

breaux, about yor build
 
First, to all, glad to hear from you all again. Long dry spell, but finally, back to work. Feels good to be needed. Years back, acquired a '70 Duster with a /6 and 3 on the tree. Converted to an extemely modified 904 auto and swapped the rear end to 81/4 with 4:10 and built the 6 according to instructions from the man who was responsible for its developement for racing. Lloyd Purcell. I was running 13.9 quarters@ 96 mph and still very street savvy. There were a lot of times at car shows that I was very glad to have a /6 that ran that way and it sparked many conversations with old enthusiasts that I will never forget. #1 Make up your mind whether you want to stay original with the /6 or do you want to smoke unsuspecting people. Trust me, there were times when I first got the car when I thought about dropping in a "crate" 392 Hemi. In my case, I am glad to have stuck with the six, basically because now I have that experience under my belt. Sold the car, still to this day, want it back. Suspension wise, switched to radials, Installed high performance urethane bushings throughout, cranked up the torsion bars for "Good Stance" and professional re-alignment. It all boils down to your personal preferance. Either way, stick with MOPAR and by all means listen to the very qualified people who post in this forum. These people are a wealth of info you won't find anywhere else. To all, THANK YOU. Glenn.


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