Very cool. And definitely gonna get all the engine parts before i do anything. maybe start with the basic stuff i can easily swap in. I live in an apartment complex right now and my folks(err mom) doesnt want to see a car in the driveway/garage for a long period of time. Plus, whats the point of buying a project if i cant drive it while i build it.
I live in an apartment complex, too. I rented a big storage unit and did the contstruction work on the Demon in there. It also gave me a place to put the big greasy stuff like the engine, transmission, and rear axle. The same greasy storage quickly evolved into secure storage of a rebuilt engine with lots of new shiny parts and cop car wheels with new tires.
I built up a K-frame with the engine, transmission, steering, and suspension attached since I was changing them all. I dropped the old stuff out on a dolly and wheeled it out from under the car. I emptied the dolly, reloaded it with my new stuff, wheeled it under the car, lowered the body and bolted it up.
DGC333 gave you a great parts list and some good advice. There are some areas that are not clear and or choices you will need to make.
* K-member (or you can use adapter mounts).
Si.
* I swapped in disks in the front, the 9" drums are inadequate even with the \6.
All Dusters through the 72 model year had a 5x4" bolt pattern (SBP) with LH threads on the drivers' side. Starting with the 73 model year, all wheels had RH thread studs, disk brake cars had a 5x4½" bolt pattern (BBP), /6 cars retained the 4" pattern. Although there is nothing wrong with the SBP disk brakes, your choice of wheel sizes are limited. Most, me included, go to the BBP brakes which were shared with the 68-70 B-body.
* I swapped in an 8.25" rear end which also came with 2.5" by 10" drums. This required the drive shaft to be shortened 1.5".
Match the wheel bolt pattern with the front unless you like carrying two spare tires. There is some aftermarket support for the 8¼ in the way of gear ratios; not so the 7¼. If you grab the 8¼ from a Duster, Dart Sport, or Demon, try to get the driveshaft, too. It's save having to shorten the shaft.
If push comes to shove, you can use a 7¼ rear with a mild V8 and an automatic. I wouldn't recommend it with a stick or if you're going for some ¼ mile action.
* I swapped in .890" diameter torsion bars. The \6 bars are inadequate for even a \6.
This is a matter of taste and preference. A soft bar with very firm damping produces a compliant ride and gives good control. The soft bar will be most effective if you have a front anti-sway bar. Otherwise you're putting your roll control on the torsion bar. If you're going canyon carving or autocrossing, go to larger bars.
* I swapped in a V8 radiator.
Yep. More power=more heat.
* I had a 4sp so I needed a new bell housing, clutch disk, pressure plate, flywheel and had to modify the z-bar to fit the bigger bell housing. If you have an auto you will need a v8 automatic and if you have a 360 you will need to get a external balance flex-plate and use the same torque converter or get an external balance converter.
On the AT car, you'll need to have a working kickdown linkage. too. Study the donor car closely.
* I had a A-body doner v8 car so all the brackets, pulleys and accessory items swapped directly onto the 360 I built (the doner was a 318 ). I used the starter that was on the \6. I replaced the hoses but used the p/n's of the upper and lower hoses from the doner car for new ones.
* And of course you will need a new exhaust system. I had a built \6 with 6 into 2 headers and dual exhaust so I only need to modify mine to adapt to the v8 headers.
Need A-body exhaust manifolds or headers that will fit the A-body. There are some engine back kits that make this easy if you want headers.
Some of these items may not be necessary to physically make the car mobile but I would consider them all necessary if you plan to drive the car more than back and forth to the end of the driveway.
I did this swap over a couple of years. All the suspension, brake and cooling updates were made while the \6 was still in the car and the car was never off the road for more than a couple of days at a time. I had the 360 already to go from Air cleaner to oil pan with rebuilt suspension attached on the doner k-member. When I actually did the motor swap I started on a Saturday morning and took the car for its first drive with the V8late Sunday afternoon. I would recomend you take the same approach that way the car is available to use verse ripping the motor out and have the car sitting for months or years trying to track down all the little parts you will need but no one ever tells you about.
I was in and out in two months working mostly weekends and a few hours after work from time to time. Having the car in a rented facility minimized the need to always be able to drive it after I've been working on it. I had a plan with sub-tasks and scheduled completion dates. I did as much as I could building up brakes in the apartment, for example, before I ever rented the unit. I also cleaned a lot of parts before I got going, too. Once I moved into the storage unit, I stayed with my schedule and actually got more done than I had planned. For instance, while the original engine was out, I painted the engine compartment. Needless to say, the car did not run that next week while the paint cured.
At the end of the two months, it went to the body shop for painting and next to the exhaust shop for the pipes.
Tips:
1. Get all of the parts first. You'll miss a few in spite of your best efforts. I did, at any rate.
2. If you rent a storage unit, be sure you have access to electricity. Public Storage builds their facilities where you would have to run a cord to the office to get a power outlet. I don't recommend them for that reason.
3. Have a good supply of water, oil dry, and hazmat containment supplies. Storage facility managers take a dim view of liquids running out from under their spaces. It you're doing it, there's no hiding it.
