Looking for some basic mods?

[mguner]

Basic and inexpensive is a distributor re-curve. Find out how much initial timing your engine likes and will start with when warm. Then shorten the advance curve to limit mechanical advance in the area of 36-38 degrees at 3000 rpm. Then you can work with the vacuum advance to get a total not to exceed around 45 degrees at cruise. More initial timing will give you an immediate and noticeable improvement if the car is running with less than it desires. Just make sure you aren't pinging with poor fuel quality or too much timing. The 273 has closed chamber heads that will swap over to the 318 and give it a nice boost in compression. You can usually find a good 318 pretty cheap and it is a bolt in swap.

 

[rumblefish360]

Make sure the car was born with that engine. I believe there was a year or two where an off the shelf intake won't fit on some 273's . Swapping intakes and carbs also throws off your kick down linkage. Guys on here have what you would need , whitepunkonnitro comes to mind.
That said , we had a solid lifter 65, 273 2bbl single exhaust barracuda. An absolute blast, I split the brakes for safety and performed a complete tune up as suggested. It was quick, torquey and fun. I miss it lots.

The first 2 years of the 273, '64 & '65 have the smaller intake manifold attaching bolts that go in at a different angle. All of the rest of the 273 line and other "LA" small blocks use the more common bolts. He's good to go if it is not a '64 or '65 engine transplanted in.

 

[66fyssh]

Welcome Alex! Looks like a nice clean Valiant.

Lots of great ideas here! I can't really add anything new.

Safety is always good so, as others have said, make sure the brakes are good to go. Dual exhaust would be good and will help your car sound good too!!

Then maybe a 4 bbl intake and carb. The swap is fairly straight forward. Then if you really want to get crazy put a stronger cam in it.

Have fun with your new Mopar!!!

 

[mguner]

And still a good improvement and very budget conscious would be to swap on a 2BBL carb and intake from a mid 70s 360. More CFM and very common and cheap.

 

[Heywodja]

How about having (doing) thorough inspection of the tires, brakes, engine and trans and differential. Get to know your car a little..

Then drive the hell out of it for a while and decide what best fits your needs/budget.. if that don't work..

put one of these in it with some skinny tires up front and a lenco..WHAMMO

http://www.sonnysracingengines.com/engines/sar-1005-2150-hp

 

[Bad Sport]

How about having (doing) thorough inspection of the tires, brakes, engine and trans and differential. Get to know your car a little..

Then drive the hell out of it for a while and decide what best fits your needs/budget.. if that don't work..

put one of these in it with some skinny tires up front and a lenco..WHAMMO

http://www.sonnysracingengines.com/engines/sar-1005-2150-hp

Whammo is right, all the way to the moon. Holy ..........

 

[Heywodja]

By The way... Welcome and that 4 door is a sweet ride..

here is what one of those was capable of on some old tech.. imagine the possibilities with a little NEW tech

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCUQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.moparaction.com%2FArticle%2FBrick%2FGreenBrick.html&ei=OPmaVaTzMcXm-AHDmLrwBg&usg=AFQjCNEmJvU3tC2KvlKN2JCvIkdmkG37Mw&sig2=Qe5dtfG3fZ1oGHwdPnVQWQ

 

[alexk90]

Welcome to the site Alex.

You're getting some decent advice here, first and foremost, go through the braking system and make sure it's up to snuff. Go through the steering and make sure it's good to go.

THEN, move on to power mods. As said, a 4v carb and intake, headers and a cam will wake it up a bit, couple with a good tune. With that, then you will want other than stock gearing in the rear.

Okay so what would be the next step up for doing gears?? Sorry kinda new to a lot of this stuff (lol).

So a good starting list from what I got (really no order here)
1. Tune up and basic checklist. (90 percent done with that)
2. Headers and exhaust
3. Move up to a 4 barrel carb and intake.
So some pretty basic stuff really. Then possibly later stuff could be doing a different Cam and rear end?

 

[txstang84]

I wouldn't count out the brakes and such. Redfish makes some good points, as do many other folks on here. And to be perfectly honest, headers aren't a requirement. If you just want to continue to enjoy the car and aren't really looking to set the street on fire with it, even mild cams still breathe just fine through stock manifolds...I just like many others, dig the look and sound of headers.

Exhaust doesn't need to be overkill...dual 2 1/4" is more than enough even for a modified 273 breathing through stock induction.

Moving up to a 4bbl will liven things up considerably over the little Carter BBD though. I can't say the later model iron intakes would be a bad idea, just gotta make sure of the fitment and port size...I'm probably wrong here, but the 360 4bbl intake ports may actually be bigger than the stock 273/318 ports. I'm pretty sure that engine should have 675 casting heads...also shared by 318s of the same vintage up to 74...those are open chamber heads.

The rear end/gear swap will really only be needed if you beat on it with modifications. Stock 2bbl 273 won't overpower that rear unless you're just downright abusive. My stock 40+ year old 7 1/4 sits behind a 4bbl'd 5.2 Magnum...I just know not to drive it like a jackass. That being said, if you want to up the ante for power, an 8.25" out of a 73-up A body is a bolt in affair, but you'll have to shorten the driveshaft about 1.5" if memory serves and anything stock will come with 2.45 highway gears, but the pieces are readily available to make it into a SG with pretty much any performance ratio. Otherwise, an 8 3/4" or even a Ford 8.8 can be made to fit (and that swap, if sourced from an explorer, will come with free disc brakes, trac loc, big bolt pattern and 31 spline axles)...there's even a sticky for that, and they often cost less to purchase, set up, and install than an 8 3/4.

SO many possibilities...as mentioned at least a few times in the past few pages--nail down what you want out of the car first...then work toward that goal smartly. A lasting home is built on a good foundation, your car should receive the same gratitude.

 

[rumblefish360]

2.45's are super uncommon around here but we're ready to be served up out west. The 2.45 IIRC came more so standard in The gas crunch years. 2.76 was the common Hwy.gear here. Metro-ish area.

The 340/360 ports are larger. Intake wise, the Performer has smaller ports. Actual size on other intakes should be looked up & known Before purchasing.

Agreed on exhaust manifolds over headers.
Use a split duration cam here. Comp Cams has a line designed just for exhaust manifold engines.
I agree I exhaust sizing. A decent designed X pipe and a pare of turbo mufflers is all you'll need.

 

[Woods74]

Okay so what would be the next step up for doing gears?? Sorry kinda new to a lot of this stuff (lol).

So a good starting list from what I got (really no order here)
1. Tune up and basic checklist. (90 percent done with that)
2. Headers and exhaust
3. Move up to a 4 barrel carb and intake.
So some pretty basic stuff really. Then possibly later stuff could be doing a different Cam and rear end?

Like Rumble said, don't even f8ck with it if you want power. Use it as a base to learn how to mantain a v8, then move on. Everything else is pissin' in the wind. Although you could take those fancy parts, minus cam, and put them on the bigger engine.

Cam, converter and gears go hand in hand. Get a good converter, I repeat, get a good converter!! Don't cheap!

 

[bOb shingler]

if it's not up graded to electronic ignition that would be the second up grade to installing a K&N air filter. a free flow muffler or dual exhaust system. tune-up like said and new oil and trans fluid.

 

[alexk90]

Like Rumble said, don't even f8ck with it if you want power. Use it as a base to learn how to mantain a v8, then move on. Everything else is pissin' in the wind. Although you could take those fancy parts, minus cam, and put them on the bigger engine.

Cam, converter and gears go hand in hand. Get a good converter, I repeat, get a good converter!! Don't cheap!

Right now I am enjoying the car and I just want a little bit more out of the car for now. I figured in a year or two. Right now the brakes are in good shape and everything but, i do need a new exhaust and would like a bit more sound from the car (lol). So would like to add headers and exhaust.

 

[alexk90]

I wouldn't count out the brakes and such. Redfish makes some good points, as do many other folks on here. And to be perfectly honest, headers aren't a requirement. If you just want to continue to enjoy the car and aren't really looking to set the street on fire with it, even mild cams still breathe just fine through stock manifolds...I just like many others, dig the look and sound of headers.

Exhaust doesn't need to be overkill...dual 2 1/4" is more than enough even for a modified 273 breathing through stock induction.

Moving up to a 4bbl will liven things up considerably over the little Carter BBD though. I can't say the later model iron intakes would be a bad idea, just gotta make sure of the fitment and port size...I'm probably wrong here, but the 360 4bbl intake ports may actually be bigger than the stock 273/318 ports. I'm pretty sure that engine should have 675 casting heads...also shared by 318s of the same vintage up to 74...those are open chamber heads.

The rear end/gear swap will really only be needed if you beat on it with modifications. Stock 2bbl 273 won't overpower that rear unless you're just downright abusive. My stock 40+ year old 7 1/4 sits behind a 4bbl'd 5.2 Magnum...I just know not to drive it like a jackass. That being said, if you want to up the ante for power, an 8.25" out of a 73-up A body is a bolt in affair, but you'll have to shorten the driveshaft about 1.5" if memory serves and anything stock will come with 2.45 highway gears, but the pieces are readily available to make it into a SG with pretty much any performance ratio. Otherwise, an 8 3/4" or even a Ford 8.8 can be made to fit (and that swap, if sourced from an explorer, will come with free disc brakes, trac loc, big bolt pattern and 31 spline axles)...there's even a sticky for that, and they often cost less to purchase, set up, and install than an 8 3/4.

SO many possibilities...as mentioned at least a few times in the past few pages--nail down what you want out of the car first...then work toward that goal smartly. A lasting home is built on a good foundation, your car should receive the same gratitude.

That is very true and right now I am wanting a daily driver with just a little more giddy up. Nothing to crazy at the moment until later.

 

[Rapid Robert]

I'd suggest (1) a new timing chain set with the keyways & adv it 4 deg. (2) then dial in the dist curve (initial with vac gauge method then limit mech timing (slots) to get 35 total (initial+slots with can capped) & the FBO plate ($25 to your door is the fastest/easiest for this) then toss the heavy spring with the elongated loop on one end & sub in a mr gasket or MP light spring in its place then adj the can to come in as fast as possible but staying under the pinging point in everyday driving under varying RPM/load conditions on your hottest/driest (most likely to ping) day (CCW with a 3/32" allen wrench slows it). any ping you can hear is TOO much. this'll be pretty easy & will wet your whistle & motivate you to continue on

 

[67 gt]

Good mention tool man Mike. I forgot that simple but very important and responsive part.

Redfish, while the definition of muscle car above is accurate, it is also lacking only in a sense of what the label was applied to, to begin with. Through the years, it has changed into any car from the mid/early 70's and older with any V8.

His more door Valiant is a basic people mover Econo box, a disposable car of the era, just like most cars of the era. Duster, Nova, Mavric (sp?) etc...

Certain models of these basic people mover econo boxes did achieve the status. 340 Duster, some Nova's as well. With power plants well more motivated from the factory than there basic engines.

A /6 or 318 Duster will never be considered a muscle car. Though it looks just like its brawny brother. I'm not here to or suggest I'm short selling the 273. But I do suggest a bigger engine every time over doing up a 273. Adding bolt on parts and/or a cam is fine. If you want to do the 273, that's fine as well. I am just absolutely sure a bigger engine to start will yells better results in the long run and the right now.

If anyone decided to champion the 273, if that's what you wanted to do, I'd help and cheer you on. I did a basic bolt on and cam change in a Duster a few years back for no other reason then Just to screw around and show what a basic set of parts can do for the 318.

I had a few ridicule and roast me (and a few curse filled nasty PM's) because of it. But I didn't care. I was having fun. And to me, that's what it is all about.

But let us not blur the line on what is and what is not a muscle car.

Well said straight line

 

[Mattax]

Right now I am enjoying the car and I just want a little bit more out of the car for now. I figured in a year or two. Right now the brakes are in good shape and everything but, i do need a new exhaust and would like a bit more sound from the car (lol). So would like to add headers and exhaust.

Then a higher flowing muffler like a Dynomax 'Turbo' will get you the sound and perhaps a bit of engine performance that you want. Duals would be a plus and not that hard for a shop to bend up. Year One, TTI and others have the factory style exhaust hanger bracket for the second side if you go dual. A really good single exit like the '67 273 Hi-Po would be fine for mostly street use. Headers are a much bigger project to install. I wouldn't bother on a two barrel unless its something you really want to do.

For a little more get up and go around town, I agree that the first thing to do is work the existing system. I disagree on tossing the distributor spring. Even if you don't use it now, it will be usefull if you ever go to an electronic ignition. Start with documenting your existing curve. Now you have a baseline and you can go back to it when things dont work as planned. Then experimenting with a bit more advance, quickening the first part of the curve with a lighter spring, and then the whole curve. [edit adjusting the spring perches can also be used to quicken the curve] This is where hot rod 'tuning' is very different than a 'tune up'. Points ignition, so check the gap and dwell and condition of the points. You'll need a tachometer, dwell meter, timing light and while a vacuum gage isn't required, its very helpful.

If you're happy with the brakes, good. Keep them adjusted. A front anti-sway bar is a really good bang for the buck in terms of handling. A factory bar is fine, but attaching it to the lower control arms is a project. A more bolt-in solution is available from places like Firm Feel, but may only work with thier bars, which are bigger than factory.

Good reading beyond the factory service manual on suspension, engines, etc is the Chrysler master tech pamphlets. http://www.imperialclub.org/Repair/Lit/Master/index.htm

If you are going to the drag strip the engine is going to be going well over 3000 rpm at WOT. Then a 4 bbl and intake will help power.

 

[moper]

As far as mods - start with basic tuning and validating it's all in good shape. Add a set of udal exhaust on the factory manifolds. Those two will add power and economy to a daily driver. If you want more, you'll need to get into an intake and 4bbl.