1973 Dodge Dart Sport Upgrade?

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dillon14

dillon14

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I have a nice clean low mileage 225ci slant six automatic Dart. It runs excellent now. Would it be an improvement to install a 273ci 4bbl and an 833 4-speed?

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Can't think of much situations where a manual trans is an improvement over an automatic transmission.
A 451ci with a A518 for instance would be a nice improvement in my book.
 
Nice car! Your car, do as you wish. I mean, I usually pull power steering and install manual steering because that's the way I like them.
If 4 speeds are your cup of tea, then by all means put on in it.

If you want opinions, then I'd say if you are dropping in a V8, why would you go with the smallest of the LA motor family? Is it because you already have a 273? My point is 318/360's are so much easier to get, an are at LEAST as cheap and offer 45 more cubes with the 318, and 87 more cubes with the 360. Did you look at the 5.2/5.9 magnums for options??
 
Nice,nice,nice. Did I say NICE ? WOW, I want it !! I'll trade you even for my 273 68 Valiant.
 
That’s a great find as they are getting harder to spot in that condition and unmolested!!
 
I'd do nothing but polish it up and drive the snot out of it. There are as many opinions as there are members, and dumping the slant for a V8 is a popular thought. Still, I'd leave it as is. Properly maintained, you can drive it for decades before you need to rebuild it. Slants last forever.
 
I don’t think you’ll like the improvement level because of the added weight and the hassle behind it all. The 273 is OK. It’s just not a big HP improvement over a good running /6.

As a normal suggestion. When this /6 to V8 question comes up, I suggest to go with the biggest engine you can get.
Equip it with the best cylinder head, intake you can for the job it is being built for. Cam according to the intended rpm range of operation.

Beautiful car you have there. Enjoy!
 
I had a 74 duster almost exactly like that....I went and modified it for a 340 and all the go fast goodies.

when it was finished I wished I hadn't touched it at all and I wanted my old car back the way it was.

They are originals only once
 
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I had a 72 Demon slant six automatic. I just added some factory rallye wheels and white letter Goodyear tires. One of the best cars I ever had. It was so quiet, no one realized it was a six cylinder. I have had several 73 Dart Sports. First thing I did with all of them was remove those bumper guards and fill in the holes with new bumper bolts. Those are things that can be undone easily if you ever want to.
 
Just realize. .. once the mods start, you may never get finished.
 
Nice car! If I was going to go through the trouble of swapping in a V8 I would go with a 340 or 360. Same amount of work, much more fun.
 
I miss my 74 slant. I’d leave it like that, but maybe add a four-speed & buckets.
 
IF that /6 is healthy, perhaps, just add on some bolts on parts. Headers into a X piped dual exhaust, 4bbl. intake and carb.
 
dillon14 said:
I have a nice clean low mileage 225ci slant six automatic Dart. It runs excellent now. Would it be an improvement to install a 273ci 4bbl and an 833 4-speed?
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yes
more torque
better mpgs
quicker zero to anything
smoother idle
more snap!
V8 rumble
increased trailer-towing capacity.
So, yes
 
opinions right? Ok, here is mine. I've owned lots of slant 6's, and every one I pulled for a V8 was a great experience and I never looked back! I love dual exhaust and the V8 sound, no /6 can replace that. The V8's "touch of the throttle" response, passing power, and options for intakes, cams, heads on a V8 vs a /6 is not even on the same planet.
  • And as far as the reliability? Noth'n tougher than the small block mopars. I've owned so many that I couldn't remember them all, abusing and beating on them with high miles, etc etc and NEVER lost a small block mopar. EVER. I will say this, I've replaced a few /6's, though, due to main bearings knock'n.
  • bottom line, it's your car, do as you wish! :) I personally fully understand keeping the slant, or going V8.
 
Rainy Day Auto said:
I had a 74 duster almost exactly like that....I went and modified it for a 340 and all the go fast goodies.

when it was finished I wished I hadn't touched it at all and I wanted my old car back the way it was.

They are originals only once
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I rarely weigh in on a topic more than once, but I'm feeling the need to offer a viewpoint. Back in the day, I had a 73 Duster with almost the same setup as Rainy Day Auto. Slant six, auto, and not much else. A fantastic car that I wish I never sold.

My current baby is a 66 Valiant with 126K on the clock, still running like a Swiss watch on the original engine. 52 years old, and you can't tell it's running when you stand next to it. With the exception of the radio hole being sawed out by some idiot for a DIN unit, and a hole in the dash to accomodate a manual choke cable (converted from the factory electric version), it is dead stock as it left the factory. My first thought upon finding this jewel, was to move to a 340/6-pack. And yet, when I drove it for a while, I could not bring myself to be a participant in sending another original survivor to the scrap heap of history. I am keeping the slant. It will be spunked up with internal and bolt-on goodies, but for any but the well-informed, it will appear to be a stocker. As RDA says above, they are only original once. I feel the responsibility to keep this one for history.

And lest anyone wonder if I'm a history-phobe, I am not. I have a half an eye to finding another A-body that I can turn into a street beast. But it will be a car that's already not in the history museum.

So, all this said, this is indeed your car to set up as you please. If you decide to go the V8 route, it will likely be better/faster/meaner than any slant. But it might be a good idea to consider changes that you can't take back.

Fantastic car by the way...
 
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