A 440 A-Body... that can handle?
a 383/400 block weighs less than a 440. 25 pounds less i think.
aluminum heads save a lot of weight as well, vs iron heads.
with aluminum heads/intake/headers you will actually weigh less than a stock small block with iron heads/ iron intake/ iron exhaust manifold.
so a 400 stroked to a 451 or 500 c.i. will give you the power of the 440 at less weight.
torsion bars work fine. although you can upgrade to a modern setup (like hemidenny's rack&pinion/coil over/tubular kframe setup) the old style setup can be tuned properly to even use in autocross. the newer tubular stuff is costly, but can cut about 150 pounds off.
big 17" wheels and rubber can actually lower performance... there is the deadweight factor if the wheels and rubber weigh a lot more. like putting a 50pound weight in your back seat. but there is also the spinning weight factor... it takes torque to spin that 50 pounds in a circle too,
absorbing some of your horsepower and some of your braking power as well. not only that, if it raises the car up it increases your center of gravity higher from the ground, which reduces handling. avoid the "bling look" lol.
hood scoops.... i've personally got water in an engine and bent a rod. i fixed it and the engine was good as new. but what a pain in the butt. as long as it's garage kept and you never get water in the engine you will be fine. otherwise, it's really not necessary.
also a bunch of pictures here of the "Green Brick" a 1969 valiant with leaf springs / torsion bars that kicked a lot of porche & ferrari's asses in some road racing: http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/archive/one-lap-pix.html
a 383/400 block weighs less than a 440. 25 pounds less i think.
aluminum heads save a lot of weight as well, vs iron heads.
with aluminum heads/intake/headers you will actually weigh less than a stock small block with iron heads/ iron intake/ iron exhaust manifold.
so a 400 stroked to a 451 or 500 c.i. will give you the power of the 440 at less weight.
torsion bars work fine. although you can upgrade to a modern setup (like hemidenny's rack&pinion/coil over/tubular kframe setup) the old style setup can be tuned properly to even use in autocross. the newer tubular stuff is costly, but can cut about 150 pounds off.
big 17" wheels and rubber can actually lower performance... there is the deadweight factor if the wheels and rubber weigh a lot more. like putting a 50pound weight in your back seat. but there is also the spinning weight factor... it takes torque to spin that 50 pounds in a circle too,
absorbing some of your horsepower and some of your braking power as well. not only that, if it raises the car up it increases your center of gravity higher from the ground, which reduces handling. avoid the "bling look" lol.
hood scoops.... i've personally got water in an engine and bent a rod. i fixed it and the engine was good as new. but what a pain in the butt. as long as it's garage kept and you never get water in the engine you will be fine. otherwise, it's really not necessary.
also a bunch of pictures here of the "Green Brick" a 1969 valiant with leaf springs / torsion bars that kicked a lot of porche & ferrari's asses in some road racing: http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/archive/one-lap-pix.html