Hey yall. Im new this forum and classic mopars in general. I just recently bought my first classic american car, a 69 4 door valiant signet. I've owned it for about 2 months now, done some regular maintenance changing oils, plugs, battery and tires, and in that time i've found out some cool things about the car. I bought it thinking its just a 318 3 speed auto with some bad body paint. It was not that. It in fact has a 70 340 in it with a 727 gearbox connected to the 7 and 1/4 rear end. Power disc brakes in the front and fiberglass fenders. Im happy, but scared at the same time, because everyone says the engine is rare and not worth building, but selling. I would love to build this thing into a ripper, but im not sure if im competent enough for this engine. So my main question is does this engine need something special to work to its fullest potential? Im gonna post pics as soon as we have light here.
Build idea: A high rpm screaming cruiser. Reliable 7000rpm goal. Added power is a plus, but not the main focus, since its not a race car. Loud, but needs to pass inspection 98 decibels under 3000rpms.
What mods should i focus on, if i stay with the 340?
Is the 7 and 1/4 rear end good enough for the application?
Should i build the transmission at the same time as the motor?
What exhaust setups should i consider? thinking of going with and x pipe into mufflers and boom tubes (not a fan of the look).
Ps. Im not american so some maintenance parts might be tougher to get a hold of.