Today, dollar for dollar, is the 318 faster than the 340 ???

would you agree ?

  • yep, the 318 wins if buying and building for under 3k

    Votes: 48 41.7%

  • Nope, the 340 always has and always will beat the 318

    Votes: 57 49.6%

  • Actually, never thought about it like this... Good Point !

    Votes: 10 8.7%
  • Total voters
    115
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Johnny Dart said:
Lol...And what is this budget you speak of ?
Just an average Joe here. And actually don't have any 340's. Sold the last one I had.
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The budget I speak of is the variable of anyone’s pocket, wallet, purse or bank account. You claim average Joe.

If you don’t mind answering, clearly you do not have to nor do I desire your answer. But answer the following questions. To yourself of course. Post them if you wish.
That’s your cal.

Your age
Your status, single, married, children if any
Own a home
Amount spent on bills monthly
Your yearly income
(average it out or a guesstimate if it is a variable income.)
Amount left over to hot rod what ever

How do you compare to the 18YO @ a min wage job looking to do something similar

How much more expendable income do you have over the 18YO?

Does that kid not deserve help in what he wants to achieve?

Or does he get the help in getting the old “Get a 340, the 318 is worthless, your a jackass if you do anything with it besides throw it away.”
 
yellow rose said:
A used Strip Dominator. That’s a couple of hundred bucks. Maybe less on a good buddy deal. I’d spend the 650 for a BLP BX4 carb and put it together myself. 180 bucks for a Howard’s cam that I pick the lobes. Regrind the lifters if they ain’t shot. I do my own head work and the valve jobs is about 200 bucks for what I use. I would be less if I could get on the seat and guide machine to do it myself, but I’m retired and I pay someone I trust to do that.

Where am I on price??? That right there is about the 1300 dollar mark. So I’d work some over time, take back pop cans, stick the old lady out on the corner...whatever it took to scrounge up the money for a set of 5204 Hookers and send that beeeeeeotch.

I’d be slightly over budget but still in the realm of doable for most anyone with an above minimum wage job who doesn’t have a drug habit and can manage his money at least a bit better than your average monkey at the zoo.

And I suggest 1500 is on the high side. You can shop around and save 500 bucks or so on the 340.

That’s how I’d do it. Everyone’s MMV.
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Thank you and well done !!!!! Exactly what I hoped this thread would be, recipes for the cost. Then we can look open-mindly at the builds and really consider which engines wins for the cost ...
 
dartfreak75 said:
In some cases 360s cost just as much and are just as hard to find as 340s. Magnums not so much but La's are getting scarce
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Here we go again with introducing an engine displacement NOT included in the topic guidelines.
Great job kid! Awesome! Just simply outstanding!

:rolleyes: :poke:
 
318willrun said:
As for me personally "at this moment", I have 750 bucks into my "free" 318 with dual quads, summit cam, and home ported heads. I'm up to racing any bone-stock 340 with 3.23 gears and stock tranny/converter. You can't even buy a good 340 block for 750 ??

Again, this is not stating 318's are better than 340, because they are not. It's stating at the lower end of the spectrum, you go faster with the 318 than the 340.
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And that 750 dollar budget 318 is faster than a stock 340 duster. Correct?
 
65 Cuda 340 said:
Exactly. 340 has 22 extra cubes and better heads, intake, cam, rods and exhaust manifolds, but you can't find a cheap 340 any more (I'm old enough to remember when you could). 318's, on the other hand - well, one of my Studebaker friends ended up with a 70 Fury with what appeared to be a complete, probably good running 318. He thought he'd be able to sell the motor for a few $$$. Couldn't even give it away. Finally just scrapped the whole car.

If you don't already have either motor, then the 318 is so much cheaper to get into than a 340 that it makes more sense to start with the 318 - which was the point of this discussion.

On the other hand, if you already have a 340 and a 318, starting with the 340 makes more sense. Dollar for dollar, you'll get more out of the 340. Especially if you're on a budget, because it's not just the extra 22 cubes, but also that with a 340 you're starting with better intake, heads, cam, etc.

But it's fair to point out that 360's are still cheap, so unless I already had a good 318 sitting around, I'd start with that.
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Not to mention a LOT of 318s can take a .090 over bore to 4" with some meat left....some can even go to 4.040 with meat left, so it's possible to have a 340 anyway. But, as I and many others here have said and I stand by, bore is not the big power adder. If somebody doesn't think a stock bore 318 can make power, their capacity for intelligence is severely limited.
 
318willrun said:
As of today, this day! To a point, yes! I'm on record stating a 318 is faster than the 340 "dollar for dollar". Not better than the 340, not worth more than the 340, not faster equally built than a 340, but faster dollar for dollar.

I looked TODAY, and I found this complete but disassembled 340 for 1500.00. This would be in my "region", and I'd travel round trip about 5 hrs, so add gas and a burger/fry to that making it 1575.00 and we donate the time!!
340 Chrysler Mopar Engine - $1500 (54603) | Auto Parts Sale | La Crosse, WI | Shoppok

Seems to be the claim here on FABO that 318's are "free", good running ones too.

So for the sake of discussion, lets give the above 340 the benefit of doubt that its a solid core. So we are re-ringing it, honing it, and apply a valve job w/new springs and new exhaust valves at the local machine shop. We got lucky, valve guides were ok to use. Next we add a FT hyd cam of choice, with an aftermarket intake such as a Eddy RPM or Stealth. We can assemble ourselves and we are sitting at about 2500-2800 into this re-ring/bearings oil pump timing set fresh heads and assembled at home.

Could one put the 2500-2800 into the free 318 and out run the 340 ?? I say yes.... and easily !! So at TODAY's prices, if your budget is 3k or less, you'll go faster with a 318 than 340.

AGREE ? BE RESPECTFUL .... please. This is NOT about the 360 or UTG.
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I already have good 318 and 340 cores so I know the 340 will go faster $ per $. You have to compare apples to apples! And if you do include the 360 (and why not) you can pick up good core engines n the cheap. So why spend your $$ on a 318 today?
 
318willrun said:
But with a 1500 more-dollar budget, a set of pistons and a set of Promaxx heads really puts the squeeze on the 340 build, trying to get the 340 together for your 1500 plus add performance parts. Now, just think if you start with a 5.2 magnum... better compression and heads... even if you gave 300 for it, 2700 thrown at the 5.2 vs 1500 on a tore down 340... yikes !! The 318 is looking like the faster motor IF you don't have a motor and your budget is around 3k. I love both engines. However, those that are "340 only" folks have not produced a rebuild-build that says "this is my build and the 318 would be done".
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How bout a free 318, and W2 top end score for 1500 at the swap meet? With 1500 left. Now things get interesting.
 
oldmopardude said:
all well and good,But I have five 318 engines sitting here that I would love to unload on someone.
But There is a waiting list should I decide to sell the 340 engines.
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I sure wish you were local. I'd give you a place to load them up.
 
If we all had unlimited funds we would usually just go out and buy exactly what we wish for first choice. So there then comes the hot rod mentality, and that is what makes life fun and challenging. Build as good an engine as you can for what you can afford and what is available.
I understand up North old cars rust out and not so much wear out mechanically. Down South , they can do both but not like in the salt belt. Back in my home state of Mo. 340s have been scarce and expensive for the last 15 years. And to find one not bored out to an inch of its life..well.
 
barbee6043 said:
If we all had unlimited funds we would usually just go out and buy exactly what we wish for first choice. So there then comes the hot rod mentality, and that is what makes life fun and challenging. Build as good an engine as you can for what you can afford and what is available.
I understand up North old cars rust out and not so much wear out mechanically. Down South , they can do both but not like in the salt belt. Back in my home state of Mo. 340s have been scarce and expensive for the last 15 years. And to find one not bored out to an inch of its life..well.
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This is why a 360 Magnum would be the way to go today.
 
if you build up the 318 with cam and heads will it
require a converter and gears to perform?
 
ir3333 said:
if you build up the 318 with cam and heads will it
require a converter and gears to perform?
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Yeah I forgot about that. You just can’t skimp on converter without paying a big penalty in performance. Since I don’t use automatic transmissions I always forget to budget for that.
 
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LO23M8B said:
I already have good 318 and 340 cores so I know the 340 will go faster $ per $. You have to compare apples to apples! And if you do include the 360 (and why not) you can pick up good core engines n the cheap. So why spend your $$ on a 318 today?
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But we’re not including 360’s. Why spend on a 318?
Read this reply below?
Today, dollar for dollar, is the 318 faster than the 340 ???

ir3333 said:
if you build up the 318 with cam and heads will it
require a converter and gears to perform?
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Just like any other engine….
LO23M8B said:
Plus a 4 barrel manifold. lol
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Not exactly…. Since so few people believe the stock OEM iron 4bbl intake is worth a ****, they go out and get an aluminum one. Point check…..
 
yellow rose said:
Yeah I forgot about that. You just can’t skimp on converter without paying a big penalty in performance. Since I don’t use automatic transmissions I always forget to budget for that.
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as you say, you'd be poop'n in cotton because you run a 4spd. lol
 
budget build 318.
302 or 308 heads. which would you prefer?
 
MrJLR said:
$100 318
$1500 340

$1400 for 22 inches

No thanks


Jeff
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Not every 340 is 1500 bucks. You can buy a block for 500-600 bucks. Buy the 318 for a hundred if it has a steel crank and use that crank and rods. Cast iron heads are cheap and getting cheaper. You’d be in the 340 less than 1500.

As for bore size and horsepower, the late (RIP) Harold Bettes said it best. If I can find his book I’ll take a picture of it and post it in this thread. The bigger the bore the more power you can make. And it’s not from air flow. A .060 change in bore size does almost nothing for flow, unless the intake valve is shrouded by a ridiculous amount.
 
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