First Car! Needs more power.

[g2driver]

O.K. I just bought my first car, a 1973 Dodge Charger. I have always wanted a charger but finally found one in my price range. The engine is a 400 and was rebuild last year. I know that the 400's in '67-'69 had 375bhp. The '73s 400 has only 280bhp, it lost 95 horses!!! Is it just a limiter that is keeping those horses down? Please help I want more power!, how can I bring it up to older standards?

Thank you.

[BleedDodge]

They did that because of the lower emissions laws. You could put a lumpier cam in and some different heads on it for some more power, to start with.

[99grandgt]

one thing, the 400 didnt have 375, that was the 440 hp. the 400 was comparable with the 383. around 330 or so. another, that block is slightly bigger than the 440, and can be bored to holy hell and back without problems...so, you can have it bored out a little more, and go find a 440 crank and lose that 3.38 swinger...get with the 3.75..to make a 451, bore it over 30 and the 440 crank will suffice. mild 906 heads, and a decent intake and headers, electronic dist. package, you could make 500 horses easily. so get to work!!!!

[kman10587]

I believe '73 was the year they switched from SAE gross to SAE net, so that would explain the "power loss".

[BleedDodge]

1972 was the year.

[moparz]

Oh come on people... the 400 is just an over bored 383. Overboring the 383 made it lose a lot of compression the 383 used to make. It was a cheap way of making a bigger sounding engine but lost a lot of power due to the outragous size of the bore. You would be better off building a 440 or a 383 stroker. The 400ci is just a of an engine.

[BleedDodge]

That's so false it's not even funny.

And what's this about a 383 stroker? From what? A 350 chevy?

You "come on".