Dart with TPI 305?

[PWMAN]

Originally posted by RaspinAspen
I got lucky and started with a steel crank from an old truck motor. The rods held out fine.....I might have overestimated the hp figure a bit though, but about 350 seems right.
7200 rpm? Yep. I built this motor about 7 years ago. After a proper break-in period, it would do it. I ran it hard for a few years, then sold the car. The motor changed hands about 3 more times, with each new owner beating the crap out of it! And, suffice to say, the latest owner still has it, still beats the hell out of it, and won't get rid of it. It IS getting a bit tired now, though, and he wants to have it rebuilt anyway. Guess who he called to do it.........

The steel crank is what held that together. What year block and rods where these? And did you use hydraulic lifter cam?

[RaspinAspen]

Gawd, its been so long ago........I think I remember the entire short block was a '71 or '72. Standard issue hardware inside except the special mains studs for the windage tray, reconditioned and shot peened rods, forged crank turned down with the clearances on the loose end, TriMetal bearings, etc. Stock replacement pistons .030 over advertised as 9:1 comp, flycut for the extra valve clearance. Didn't need it, but I wanted it to be safe)I used an Edelbrock Torker intake ported slightly and polished on the inside. 2 inch spacer that adapted the squarebore intake to the spreadbore Carter Thermoquad that I had plucked off my 440 project motor . (had to cut a hole and fabricate a hoodscoop by now)The 'J' heads I ported a bit, not too radical there. The cam was Purple Shaft 296/.557 solid lifter cam installed "straight up". The mechanical rockers I scabbed off an old 273. Headers were bought used at a swap meet, and had no name on them I could see (the seller didn't know what brand they were either! the price was right though and they fit perfectly) Valve springs I got from a racer buddy, don't recall the specs on those. Melling Hi-Volume oil pump and Mopar Performance windage tray. I painted the block Hemi Orange (good for an extra 20 hp I hear....jk ) My total costs? Less than $1000. It pays to have friends who are racers, machinists, salvage yard owners, etc.

In retrospect, the motor did NOT need to be revved that high, and it WAS pretty stupid to try. Nor am I recommending it. It seemed to peak power about 5500 or so. But I did it more than twice just because it would! After that I kept it more sane and only beat on it to 6,000. I can't say the next owners' were sane about it though.

[PWMAN]

Ahh yes, I happen to have a '65 273 solid cam in my truck! Just got it running last week in fact! Yup it has steel crank and rods from the factory, but I had to replace the old rockers. I used aluminum roller rockers. I wanted something different to put in my truck(77 Dodge Power Wagon) everybody puts in a 360 or 318. I wanted a 392 HEMI (not in the budget ) so I found a 273 at the Chrysler show in Carlisle, PA. It has about 325 HP, and 340 Ft/lbs of torque. Not bad for 280 CID(.040 overbore).
I'll include a pic that I took yesterday!

[RaspinAspen]

Very nice! Btw, the 318 I was talking about was in a '78 Plymouth Volare Roadrunner. That lousey 7 1/4 axle didn't have a prayer.....I went with a 8 3/4 with 3.91 gears.

How do I go about posting a pic of my current ride?

[badassgremlin]

pw man i know a palce where u can get a blown 392 for just over 8 grand

[badassgremlin]

Originally posted by RaspinAspen

How do I go about posting a pic of my current ride?

on reply see that little box that says attch file? click browse and find the pick and load it

[PWMAN]

Originally posted by badassgremlin
pw man i know a palce where u can get a blown 392 for just over 8 grand

Yeah thats a little over budget. LOL.
Plus the reinforcement I would have to do to my drivetrain would be insane. It's just a half ton truck, but it is beefy for a half ton.
I am changing to 3.91 gears soon, I have 3.21's in now. I can do 65 in first gear

[RaspinAspen]

Originally posted by badassgremlin


on reply see that little box that says attch file? click browse and find the pick and load it

Ok I just have to resize the pic down to fit in with the size limitations....

[RaspinAspen]

Here 'tis........

[RaspinAspen]

OMG thats a big pic! I guess I need to make a thumbnail size pic... How about I email the pic to someone who knows what they're doing on a pc, and they can repost it for me.....

[PWMAN]

It's not that big, looks sweet! What engine?

[RaspinAspen]

Slant 6 car .....that will get changed to either a 360 or right to a big block. I'll be stripping the car down this winter for some minor bodywork and new paint. Its going on a rotiserrie for all the work. Also its getting the 9 1/4 rear with 3.55/Sure Grip that I already have for it. Subframe connectors that I'll fabricate, Challenger T/A hood scoop, little here and little there, etc. I replaced the bench seat with the buckets from my wrecked Dart Swinger, just picked up a floorshift version steering column to get rid of the granny shifter a few days ago. I had the louvers and spoiler already. Tires and rims came from the Swinger also. I painted the stripes about 4 weeks ago, using a 1/18 scale die cast model of a Challenger T/A as a guide.

I'm making this into a "one-of-none" car, loosely based on the Challenger T/A. So that's why I'm listing it as a '79 Dodge Aspen T/A. Sort of an Aspen R/T clone with a few twists! Still, it runs great and still hauls butt even with the Leaning Tower of Power under the hood. Hey, I paid $300 for this car about 2 months ago! I live in Wisconsin, so I never see another daily driver F body that isn't a total rust bucket...this one is 99% rust-free, so its worth the time and effort to fix 'er up more! Thanx for your interest!

[PWMAN]

Sounds like it's gonna be pretty sweet.
Why the 9.25 rear? If you are replacing it why not go with the 8 3/4?

[RaspinAspen]

Originally posted by PWMAN
Sounds like it's gonna be pretty sweet.
Why the 9.25 rear? If you are replacing it why not go with the 8 3/4?

Call it "cost-effectiveness".........I happen to already have a complete 9 1/4 rear with the gears I want AND the Sure-Grip, so I'm much farther ahead to use that, instead of forking over all the green for the complete 8 3/4. What did I spend for this particular complete and wear-free ready-to-bolt-in-an-F body axle? $50 !!!! (Racer friends again)

Don't overlook the 9 1/4 axles, they're found everywhere, cheap to buy, are still being produced, and are plenty strong for any car not using slicks. (then you'd need aftermarket axles with the C-clip Eliminator option....still cheaper than the 8 3/4 setup) 8 3/4 rear axles are becoming scarce, the parts are all worn out already from 30+ years of use/abuse forcing you to buy NEW parts, which btw will dent your wallet pretty darn hard. I went this route with the '78 RR I had.......never again. $1300 total costs for a rear axle was tough to swallow, and since the day after I got it put in the RR, I could not justify the costs in anyway.

[PWMAN]

I didn't know they made c-clip eliminators for the 9.25, where do you get them?
I have a 9.25 in my truck, and the car I used to drive too-77 Chrysler Newport with a 440.
But I am about to rebuild the rear in my truck and I would be interested in a C-clip eliminator but I didn't know who made them.