340 in a 65 Dart?

[65dart]

I recently bought a 65 Dart 270 Convertible. It has a well running slant 6. However -- like most midde aged guys I'm thinking of more power. Is it possible/practical to put a 340 in to this 65? I don't want to race - I just want to have fun with a fun/tough car.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[BleedDodge]

Very possible, if you can find a 340...

[MR P BODY]

You would be far better off to go with a 360, plenty of them at a cheap
price tag, then go to a company called Schumacer(sp) they are in all
of the Mopar mag. for the mounts you will need. Its a pretty easy
change, have fun

[MrPbody]

I agree with the other Mr. P-Body. And for a street engine, I believe the 360 to be a BETTER choice than 340, anyway. More torque. Less trouble locating good parts. We're doing one right now, for a '71 Duster, that will make well over 500 horsepower, and still be "drivable" (all depends on how you define "drivable").
Mancini Racing is another good source for the MOPAR-specific stuff.

[turbo maxima]

it should b real easy, i think u do need to change motor mounts if i remember right, i know my last dart had a 225 which was switched for a 360, 360,s are really easy to find, the 340 is a better engine and it would do a little better on gas, and probly have a little more power, but they are hard to find, if u want a place that sells 340,s i would love to know where at cause im looking for one

[sub006]

Since your Dart is a unibody, you might want to look for some subframe connectors to stiffen the body against the greatly increased torque.

My son dropped a 388 Chevy into his formerly 6 cylinder '63 Nova and the bolt-on connectors were easy to install and really improved the driving experience. I believe they were made by Competition Engineering, available from Jeg's mailorder.

[beef_bourito]

why not go all out and put in a 426 hemi? it'd be more work and more expensive but i heard it could be done and the payof, in terms of power, would be much greater.

[sub006]

A well-built small block will have more power than your light unibody can ever use on the street. It will return decent fuel economy and need little maintenance. And young ladies love to cruise in them, especially GTs and convertibles.

A big block Mopar of any variety will unbalance your handling. A Hemi will need constant tuning attention.

A Hemi WILL get lots of attention in a Dart, parked with its hood open at a cruise night. And it will attract lots of other middle-aged guys if that's what you're looking for...

[BWig]

Originally Posted by 65dart

I recently bought a 65 Dart 270 Convertible. It has a well running slant 6. However -- like most midde aged guys I'm thinking of more power. Is it possible/practical to put a 340 in to this 65? I don't want to race - I just want to have fun with a fun/tough car.

Thanks for your thoughts!

A few years back I put a 318 in a 65 valiant that originally had a 225 slant 6. I don't remember having any big issues. Motor mounts from the 318 fit right in. You will need to replace the tranny as well. In mine, I took the motor, tranny and drive shaft out of an early 70's Swinger and bolted it to the existing rear end in the Valiant. One problem. The cross frame that supports the rear of the tranny probably won't be notched for dual exhaust (mine wasn't). Dual exhaust and some good sound was a must for me.