Newby needs help

[grease monkey 73]

Hey guys I just bought my first mopar 73 dart sport slant 6 but got a motorhome 440 and Trans with it I dont think I want to use the big block cause this car is a father daughter project so I was wondering what I could get outta selling the bb and what size motor I should look for to build a decent daily driver any input would be nice I always been a foxbody mustang guy until my girl fell in love with this car

 

[dustoff440]

Motor home engine is probably a 440-3 THE 440-3 has extra cooling holes in the head and depending on the year may or may not have a forged crank, Certain years had angle plug heads which are crap. The tranny will not work behind a passenger car application without changing the rear tail shaft. AT best you can hope for a forged crank and a decent set of heads. Decent crank and heads, plus all the and accesories, not hard to find nor expensive 3-400 bucks. A 360 LA Or magnum would fit nicely in there.

 

[Kern Dog]

A 5.2 or 5.9 magnum engine along with a 999 trans would be a great combo for the car. Those engines can be found in 1992-2002 trucks and vans. They often run to 300,000 miles and get decent mileage in an A body. The 999 trans is basically a 904 but they had lower 1st and 2nd gears for better performance from a stop. 3rd/drive is still 1 to 1, so you'll still get decent fuel economy. These transmissions can be found in most any 1980 or newer 318 or 360 powered vehicle.
There are conversion motor mounts to install these engines, but if you want a factory looking installation, look for a V8 K member from any 73-76 A body. It can be Dart, Valiant or Duster. If your car has 9" front drum brakes, then it will have the small bolt pattern . You will probably want to upgrade to front disc brakes and a different axle. Get back to us when you are ready. We'll be here.