Car Building Philosophy ?-long!

-
Every morning now for a few days I have driven my Duster to work.

I get in it and drive a mile and half over bumpy roads and then hit the highway.

I give it a little brake as it struggles to burn out. I release the brake and it torques over to the passenger side just a bit. I'm thinking there is so much more.....

If a little tire smoke is good, how much better would it be with another 100-150 horse?

I know from past experience that the gears are a bit low, but it is 55 here so I am hoping to live with that.

ROB
 
Oh, and Mrmopartech I have your email saved from before. I mainly don't want to waste your time until I am fully focused on the task at hand which will likely be a month or so.

I thank you, ROB
 
Jeeper. If you stay with the 81/4 rear. Use the 3.91s or 4.10s.
On the street use a taller tire to help with mileage, If you are
looking for that. When you go to the strip use a shorter tire to
get a little more gear. The shorter tire will work the gear ratio
a little better.
I ran 3.91s in the Duster for the street and strip last year.
Ran 235/60-15s on the strip and 255/70-15s on the street. Had
fairly decent gas mileage and ran mid 13s without changing more
than the tires. Good luck. Green Duster.
 
Since we're on the subject: What does everyone consider their "perfect" compromise to attain their car's intended purpose?

My current plan of attack:

360 - 9:1 CR, 4 barrel, Airgap inatake, 475/455 cam, headers, ported & polished 596 heads.

904 trans - beefed up, shift kit, 2500 stall

8.25 axle - 3.55 gears, late model Suregrip (29 spline), Moser axles, LPW diff cover, welded tubes, rear disc brake conversion.

The engine is done, the transmission is next, and I'm currently collecting parts for the rear axle. The suspension has been upgraded with boxed LCAs, and it's getting F/R sway bars. Like i said, I would LOVE an A-500 with 4.10s...maybe in the future. Also I'd like to upgrade to Eddy EFI in the future. But the current plan will give a good solid, fun street car that I can drive anywhere.
 
Superdart, that sounds like a really good combination for a street car. Nothing too fancy, but a well thought out combination of matching components. With the 9.1 compression ratio and the ported and polished heads, you probably could have gone a little bigger on the cam, but with cams I think it's better to go a little too small than a little too big. :) It's a combination you should have a lot of fun driving.
 
Thanks, OV :toothy8:

It's taken me six years to get to this point (largely because I lived in an apartment with no garage four of those years). A lot of my choices were due to the knowledge I was able to gain here at FABO....this place rocks.:supz::thumleft::wav:
 
Hey Jeeper,
I will throw my 2 cents in to.

I think you should make sure of what you want before you put things together. If you want a strong street runner, (13 to 14 seconds), then that is not a radical build. If you are looking for something that is street/strip strong, (12 to 13 seconds), then you are going to get into something that is a little less comfortable to drive. It may be a lot of fun in certian situations but for the most part can be a pain to drive in stop and go traffic. Now if you want strip/street, (under 12 seconds), it will be a real kick in the pants off the red light but near impossible to enjoy any other time.
If you are wondering, I am building for 12 flat or maybe a little slower. Am I worried about street manners? Not in the least, my car is not going to be a daily driver. Maybe one night a week for a cruise and a day on the weekend for ratting around.

Jack
 
Well Said Coyote Jack.

I finally got an inspection sticker on my 73 Duster and she drives well enough for now. Since I will soon be taking her off the road for the winter and doing some serious maint/upgrades I find myself in the same place as many of you guys. I figure she is a 16 second car now and since I have no intent of ever racing her, I figure I will clean'er up and maybe warm'er up a little. After I pull that stupid A/C unit I may do some upper engine work to bring her up to maybe a 15 second car. Since "speed = money * performance" I figure this will save me a bundle. I can always hop her up more later.

Am I the only one who has had their moper for years and still does not have a radio or heater? :)

Keep the posts comming - LY

Dusty02.JPG
 
LY, you hit the nail right on the old noggin! I've had young guys come to me with big plans for their cars, most of them totally unrealistic. The first thing I tell them - "Speed cost money, how fast can you afford to go?" That usually brings them part way back to reality. :)
 
Isn't it someone on here who's sig says "You can never outrun the speed of your wallet."
 
I have been going through this same scenario the last couple of months as my car has started to take shape. I too want a car that is street driven, fun to drive on the highway, around town and will romp in the upper 12 range 3-4 times a year. I have gathered almost all the big parts. I originally purchased a 340 that was built by Magnum Superchargers that came with a .501 Comp cam. Duration 244, 10.1 compression pistons(I'm not sure if the engine was zero decked), M1 single plane, 750 Holley, ported J heads. 410 hp. Purchased the Keisler 5-speed before I got the engine and I hope the cam is not too radical for a street driven car. The 8 3/4 rear I got came with 3.23 gears and open diff.

I have made some changes according to the engine that was built to somebody else's specs. I thought I was on the receiveing end of a very good deal $$$ wise. Well after reading many FABO posts and reading the FBO site I found that I needed to make some changes. The M1 intake and 750 carb appears to be a little too much, although it came with the engine. I decided to go with an Eddy RPM intake, 650 Mighty Demon, and 3.91 gears. The car should launch hard and will hopefully drive and idle reasonable on the street after good ignition tuning. I will hang onto the M1 if I ever decide to make greater than 500 hp with the 340 and put it into the hardtop Valiant to race.

To obtain my PURPOSE while working with the inherent COMPROMISES of the engine build I'm out about $900. But, I am selling the 750 Hollley 3310 to slightly offset the extra costs I've incurred. If these upgrades/changes make my car that much more enjoyable to drive and I reach my intended purpose then $900 could have been much worse if i didn't have this awesome FABO site. Thanks. Great thread to share build experiences.
Dave
 
Hey LY

Great looking Duster you have. I was in you part of the state this summer for a few days. I wish I had of seen your car.

Jack
 
Thanks C.Jack!

Next time you are in the great, free state of Cow Hampshire, let me know and we can meet down at McGoo's for some burgers and fries. Of course by then she will likely have her new paint job. I was thinking of a shade called "Hello there officer! I'm YELLOW!" yellow. Come on by and we'll hang for a few. Also, next time I go to see my cousin the Newfie, I'll let you know and maybe I'll stop by your neck of the woods.

-LY
 
I know what you are talking about. My Demon is going to be "ARREST ME RED". LOL
Let me know when your coming through. Members are always welcome here.

Jack
 
Here's my .02. Build your car more conservatively at the outset. You can change - upgrade the parts as you go - to get more power/speed.

The other thing I have come to realize is that there is always going to be someone faster than you. You have to ask yourself how fast do you need to go, and how uncomfortable are you willing to be - in quest of those goals.

For me - I choose more easy mannered vehicles that are fun to drive, but dont beat you up doing it. Cost is a big factor and then other issues arise - drive-ability, comfort, mpg, etc.

The other thing is - consider what the others have recommended above - changing the tire size on the rear is equivalent to a gear change, use tall tires on the street and short tires on the track.

Personally I would not use the 484 mopar cam in a car without a steep gear set, the 484 really hurts low speed performance. Ive used them before in a 440 with a mild gear set and the car barely got out of its own shadow.

There is a reason mopar built their hot rod motors with the cams and compression ratios etc they used. Longevity, reliability, mpg, and proper street manners.

Good luck with it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top