440 vs 360 Weight Analysis.

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How much cylinder head is necessary to reach the BB potential. 500-540 ci?

There is a 540 ci Challenger that runs mid 9's consistently, and leaves the light like he's going through a crosswalk...
As MUCH head, as you can afford!
That 540 probably has a very tame rear gear, and tight converter.
Goal? No traction problems, and monster finish line speed.
Enough tire, gear, and converter, it's possibly an 8 sec car. Maybe he doesn't want or need it faster.
I want my car to run no more than a low ten. No chassis cert, no license, no physical, no gloves, neck collar, no heavy jacket and pants, no problems.
 
that's feather weight compared to the factory iron intake on a ford fe big block. the intake includes about 1/4 of what's normally the cylinder heads. i've read swapping to an aluminum intake saves about 50 lbs and i can quite believe it having done the swap a few times.
neil.
You got that chit right! I've done an aluminum intake swap on a 390. I used the engine hoist to lift the iron intake off the engine.
 
As MUCH head, as you can afford!
That 540 probably has a very tame rear gear, and tight converter.
Goal? No traction problems, and monster finish line speed.
Enough tire, gear, and converter, it's possibly an 8 sec car. Maybe he doesn't want or need it faster.
I want my car to run no more than a low ten. No chassis cert, no license, no physical, no gloves, neck collar, no heavy jacket and pants, no problems.
The Challenger I spoke of runs 9.60 in 6000'da. The car is back halved with a full interior. The car is especially fun to watch next to a nasty small block pulling the tires and bouncing all around on its way to getting smoked at the top end!

I have two 440's sitting here and thought about building a 540 for my Daytona because it came with a set of BB headers. After I priced out the stroker kit and ENOUGH cylinder head, I came to the realization that the heads were out of my budget...

The 540's haul the freight well though!
 
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The Challenger I spoke of runs 9.60 in 6000'da. The car is back halved with a full interior. The car is especially fun to watch next to a nasty small block pulling the tires and bouncing all around on its way to getting smoked at the top end!

I have two 440's sitting here and thought about building a 540 for my Daytona because it came with a set of BB headers. After I priced out the stroker kit and ENOUGH cylinder head, I came to the realization that the heads were out of my budget...

The 540's haul the freight well though!
Yeah. It's kind of a shame that I bought a pair of aluminum bbc heads that flow 350cfm for $800, and 350cfm bb mopar heads cost $3000. And they would be bare minimum for a 540 mopar.
 
Yeah. It's kind of a shame that I bought a pair of aluminum bbc heads that flow 350cfm for $800, and 350cfm bb mopar heads cost $3000. And they would be bare minimum for a 540 mopar.
There was a rank BBM with Chevrolet style exhaust ports that showed up last year. Indy Heads?
 
No offense. Probably a big block chevy in a mopar.
You ain't lyin. You caint do the cubic inches or the power to match this for the same price in a big Mopar. PLUS it has a 30 month, 50,000 mile warranty. It's a sad reality.

 
You ain't lyin. You caint do the cubic inches or the power to match this for the same price in a big Mopar. PLUS it has a 30 month, 50,000 mile warranty. It's a sad reality.

I wanted to buy one of those for my Opel when they were still under 13k, but it simply won't fit. I can't use a tall deck or raised exhaust heads without throwing away a $2000 set of custom headers. (Too close to the rollcage down bars, and the floor of the car).
Looks like I'm gonna settle for a 540 short block.
 
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I wanted to buy one of those for my Opel when they were still under 13k, but it simply won't fit. I can't use a tall deck or raised exhaust heads without throwing away a $2000 set of custom headers. (Too close to the rollcage down bars, and the floor other car).
Looks like I'm gonna settle for a 540 short block.
"Settling" for a 540 somehow don't sound like settling. LOL
 
tough times...
Well, blueprint makes a standard deck 598...... but I don't have enough cylinder head for one of those, lol.

IMG_20240524_102520.jpg
 
Yeah. It's kind of a shame that I bought a pair of aluminum bbc heads that flow 350cfm for $800, and 350cfm bb mopar heads cost $3000. And they would be bare minimum for a 540 mopar.
And they say it because there's not enough sales of mopar stuff, which of course is PURE BS. If they sold them at a comparable price they'd have many many more sales due to the price alone
Can't say how many times I mistakenly looked at an ad, and thought, alright I'll buy a pair, and then realized I was looking at Cheby **** I had no interest in. Same with pistons(same price to make taller compression height or zero deck or at least 68-69 pistons for a 318 as short ones)& just about every other part you'd want. It's a Mopar Tax & they lose sales every day. And add another Tariff for all the proper stuff to build a 318! Businessmen can sure be dumb sometimes.
 
And they say it because there's not enough sales of mopar stuff, which of course is PURE BS. If they sold them at a comparable price they'd have many many more sales due to the price alone
Can't say how many times I mistakenly looked at an ad, and thought, alright I'll buy a pair, and then realized I was looking at Cheby **** I had no interest in. Same with pistons(same price to make taller compression height or zero deck or at least 68-69 pistons for a 318 as short ones)& just about every other part you'd want. It's a Mopar Tax & they lose sales every day. And add another Tariff for all the proper stuff to build a 318! Businessmen can sure be dumb sometimes.
Yup. They'd win out with quantity of sales if the prices were more fair across the board. Guys who wouldn't normally be able to afford parts would be buying them.
 
Can still buy a quality piston for a Chev 350 for 30- 35 bucks. basic rebuild pistons for under 200 for 8. lol
 
I remember when TRW Forged Chevy pistons were 49.99 a set.
I bought a set of forged 400 Chevy pistons for $100 (new!) and machined the dish off, and hung em on 5.7 rods. Zero deck 406 for $200. 11.5 to one with cheap aluminum heads.


How much is a 408 Mopar shortblock again?


I can buy a 632 Chevy short block, in an aftermarket block, all forged, for less than an aftermarket bare bbm block.

There something wrong in that.
 
I bought a set of forged 400 Chevy pistons for $100 (new!) and machined the dish off, and hung em on 5.7 rods. Zero deck 406 for $200. 11.5 to one with cheap aluminum heads.


How much is a 408 Mopar shortblock again?


I can buy a 632 Chevy short block, in an aftermarket block, all forged, for less than an aftermarket bare bbm block.

There something wrong in that.

My shortblock will end up around 5k.. maybe a little more.. **** changes.
 

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