[occupant]

Friend is trading me an engineless '77 Newport for some obsolete computer equipment I have. He is pulling out his 383 B engine, leaving a dual pattern truck 727 in its place. Quickie Q, does dual pattern mean LA engines will fit, too? Or B/RB only?

I could go any number of ways on this. Read a few tech articles at MMM, they built a couple pretty stout 318's on the cheap, one would cost me $1300 in parts on top of a 318 core (got one). The other had $900 of parts but I'd also have to find 360 heads. Both great is the LA engine will fit the transmission.

I also located a running 413/727 for $350 out of a motorhome, that would leave me $1150 or so to build it better and I could make some money selling one of the transmissions. Last option is a built 440 from a 1973 Charger, but it's $2500 and I'd need a flywheel at the very least since the car is a 4-speed, wrecked, and I have to take all or nothing. Both of these would be hard pressed to do 15mpg, but that's the least important of the 3 concerns.

What do you think?

 

[brian0605]

The 318 will probably give the best fuel economy, yes can be built fairly cheaply and probably as reliable as a SBC. But the 318 just isn't going to make enough torque to really make that boat scream. Sure it'll pull it down the road, but if you really want that thing to GO I say go for the 440. You can part out the rest of the car and make some of your money back. And as far as MPG, the built 318 I'll guess around 12 to 14 and the 440 built 8 to 10, and of course this all depends on how far you stick your foot into the carb. Brian

 

[occupant]

I guess for me, the most important concern, over and above gas mileage, speed, and cost, is that it SOUNDS right. I'm thinking 440 Charger myself, but if I can get the same sound out of the 413 RV motor, then I'm happy. I'm assuming the RV motor is going to be torquey, lazy, and choked off. So it needs a better carb and intake, possibly headers, and probably a camshaft. I guess I need to wait until I get the 413 home to find out how it's built, what's in it, and what COULD go in it.

 

[T-bucket23]

318 is too small for that heavy car, go with one of the larger options.

 

[xntrik]

My buddy has a 413 from a 70s motor home now. Yes, Chrysler built the 413 for truck use for a lot of years after it was deleted from the car lines.

The biggest problem is pistons. Obsolete. He is thinking bore to 426, but pistons are still $$$.
Heads are deep open chambers. At first glance they look like usual BBM heads but the edge of the open chamber is twice as deep as the regular heads. I'm talking a full 1/8 inch or so, just guessing by a quick look. (Totally NO quench, which didn't bother Chrysler engineers since the hemi has none either) The thing really needs early 60s heads, depending on piston availability.

Plans are to install the 1960 25" cross-ram set up that is hanging on the wall.
Believe it or not, it is going into a Mopar "t-bucket" type street rod.

He already has a 440 long-cross-ram. :thumbup: Polished long-ram looks and runs awesome in his 70 pickup. Totally uncharacteristic of the stereotype long-ram power, pulls strong through 6000 rpm.

 

[Sir Joab]

"15mpg, 15sec 1/4, $1500, am I dreaming?"

Nope. Stick with that 383 if you want to do that. (Thought the 413 would be the most fun.) I have a 383 with a 2bbl and it gets 22 mpg on the highway (highway only). This is my setup:

3700 pound '62 Chrysler 300 sport.

2.91 rear end.

26 inch tires.

727 torqueflite with stock converter.

200 pounds of stuff in the trunk. (It's my daily driver.)

A LIGHT foot on the gas.

I think it's in the 15's at the quarter mile, but I haven't run it there.

 

[Sir Joab]

The 318 will probably give the best fuel economy, yes can be built fairly cheaply and probably as reliable as a SBC.

It didn't for me. To quote my dad: "A 318 is a 318, you can't make 'em any better, and you can't get much worse!"

 

[xntrik]

It didn't for me. To quote my dad: "A 318 is a 318, you can't make 'em any better, and you can't get much worse!"

That is as UNtrue of a statement as I have ever heard.

318s are fine engines that can make 350 streetable-daily-driver hp easily.

But a 360 can be built for similar money.

It is hard for me to believe that your 62 Chrylser 300 box-car is lighter than a B-body
and congratulations......you have the only 383 in the world that ever got more than 15 mpg.

You need to weigh that 62 Chrysler 300 on a certified scale. I think you will be suprised.

 

[occupant]

I'm pretty sure this thing weighs a lot more than 3700lbs. 5mph bumpers front and rear, post sedan, AC. The 76-78 New Yorkers weighed in anywhere from 4600 to 4900lbs. Even if it doesn't have power windows, locks and seats (and what Chrysler didn't have all that in the 70s?!!), I'm sure it's well over 4500.

Friend is offering to put in the original 400 for me when he pulls the 383. But that's no fun, especially since I bought an engine stand and some tools already. *whines* I wanna build an engine! *no more whining* Good news is the engine has been sitting for 5 years, so it's gonna need torn down I'm sure. He doesn't know if it still turns over yet, hasn't touched it. The other good news is this would be a free engine that is guaranteed to bolt right in.

I need to get more information on that $350 413. If it's really from a motorhome, and it's the really heavy duty 413-3 motor, it'll have extra cooling hoses and funky spark plug holes and a bunch of other junk like a gear driven cam. The pictures make it look like any other 413, 426, or 440, so hopefully that's not the case. It's supposed to run as is, motorhome was damaged in a storm, no flooding.

 

[Sir Joab]

That is as UNtrue of a statement as I have ever heard.

318s are fine engines that can make 350 streetable-daily-driver hp easily.

But a 360 can be built for similar money.

It is hard for me to believe that your 62 Chrysler 300 box-car is lighter than a B-body
and congratulations......you have the only 383 in the world that ever got more than 15 mpg.

You need to weigh that 62 Chrysler 300 on a certified scale. I think you will be suprised.

Just relating my experiances with the 318.

The the '62 300 sport version was made from the lighter newport body (I believe it was the newport) instead of the heavy newyorker body used on the "letter car" series.

As for the gas mileage, I'm just telling you what the gas pump's numbers are telling me. And, as I said, I don't normally drive it in town. (Which helps.)

Thanks for the congratulations!