hi there ! im new here !

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ValerianMagnum

ValerianMagnum

the little car that could
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
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Location
montreal , canada
hi there ! im a new lil boy in the forum , im from montreal canada ! and i have a 65 canadian valiant , i just bought a 360 magnum crate engine to put it in ... but the problem is ..


i dont know where to start .. the only thing i did .. is to take everything off , and i bought an engine that as 410 hp .. ..



i bought an lightweight mopar 360 starter , and an holley 650 double -pump carburator ,

the car is solid , but do i have to sandblast it ? the floors are a little bit rusted but solid ... and btw the car as is original paint .. and the most important thing is that i want to make a sleeper with it ...

kind of : gone getting the groceries , back in 11 seconds !

okay !!! so let start this up .. if you were me .. you will start with ????



thx !


Joe











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I would start by finishing those 2 Heinekens on the roof before they get skunked! Seriously, I would clean it up real good and then see what needs attention. If its solid, stick that engine in there. I'd be tempted to do that first anyway.
 
pull that 6 and paint the underhood before you drop in the motor and pull the k frame`and have it blasted and paint it also. A clean underhood is the start of a nice job.
 
Salut Joe. Bienvenue. :) What part of Montreal are you from? We have a couple of members from there.

First: You have a slant 6 in there now, so you'll need V-8 motor mounts in order to put in the 360. Check the for sale section here at FABO.

Second: You have the /6 tranny which won't bolt to a V8, so you'll need a transmission with a V8 bellhousing. I'd look for a 904 first, or a 727. If the engine is EXTERNALLY balanced you'll need a neutral balanced flywheel or a torque converter with weights for the 360. Auto Trader or scrap yard.

Third: You will have the 7.25" rear end with probably 3.23 gears. That won't last long behind a hot 360, especially if you get some traction. Look for a 8.25" from a 73-76 A Body. It's a bolt in, will handle the power of the 360, and will give you the large bolt pattern 5 x 4.5" axles. Right now you have the small bolt pattern 5 x 4". And don't forget, the lug nuts on the LEFT side of the car turn CLOCKWISE to come OFF, and the RIGHTside of the car they turn COUNTER-CLOCKWISE to come off. That should save you some broken axle studs. :)

Fourth: You'll need a set of 66 or earlier V8 exhaust manifolds, or a set of headers to complete the installation.

That's a start. Get the engine, trans, and driveline working in the car, then you can start on the cosmetics. Good luck.
 
Welcome to the site!

I would inspect the suspension, brakes, and determine if anything needs upgrades or rplaced such as the rearend, K-member/Motormounts and transmission for the V8.

My project is a 71 Dart, My plan so far is to get it in solid running order (Suspension, Brakes, drivetrain) and enjoy driving it while collecting the body parts and materials needed for a body restore!
 
if your trying to turn 11's, you have a lot of work ahead of you! as was mentioned before, you will need to replace the entire driveline -- motor, trans, 8.75 rear end. would HIGHLY recommend entire new brakes, upgrade to dual master cyl and front discs. forget about a power booster, there's minimal room once the v-8 goes in. you'll need swap mounts or a v-8 k-frame. headers are a B***H. you'll need a whole new exhaust system, and depending on your manifold or header choice, this can be a bit of a pain, did mine on my own with help from a friend but it was two-day job and VERY custom. also you will need a center steering link from a v-8 car to clear the oilpan. you will need a front-sump oil pan and pickup if your crate motor doesn't already have one, most passenger car 360's have that so its not too hard to find. you'll need to figure out a new accelerator pedal/cable setup or find one from an original v-8 car. don't know if you have a column or floor shift but the shifter will probably need attention too. i would also recommend tying the front subframe to the rear rails somehow as well, these cars are kinda flimsy. not sure what kind of roll cage you need to go that fast or if one is needed at all but you might want to check into that as well. also might want to consider upgrading to superstock leaf springs in the back and while your doing that, you will probably want to move them inboard so you can get a decent size tire back there, can't run 11's if you can't hook up! plan on at least rolling the rear fenders or possibly a mini-tub job. you'll probably want to relocate the battery to the trunk. oh yeah, might want some heavier torsion bars as well.

wow, i just re-read that and its quite a list! remember, this isn't a chevy so there's a lot more work to get everything together but the end result is much more satisfying. i've been working on mine on and off for a year and i'm only about halfway through the above list but the major driveline stuff is done and as soon as i finish the trans rebuild it will be on the road for the summer.

now, this is just my OPINION, but i'd keep the four-door as a parts car and start looking for a decent 2-dr post body. the post cars are supposedly about 200 lbs lighter than the hardtops and the 4-dr weighs even more. you did say your making a sleeper but i think (and again this is just my opinion) that the 4-dr sedans just look horrible. however, if it suits your needs better as a driver, then so be it.

all that being said, looks like you have a nice solid base to start with. the hardest part about these early a's is finding parts. not much is reproduced in the aftermarket for our babys, which is why, if you have the resources, a donor parts car is invaluable.

good luck with your project and keep us posted with LOTS of pictures! you'll find all the help you need here, GREAT bunch of people. I've learned a whole lot since joining this site and everyone has been really cool.

-tim
 
http://www.engine-swaps.com/

'63-66 A-Body S6 to 273/318 or 340/360 Conversion, 273/318 to 340/360 upgrade, or 273/318 Replacement. Exclusive, mounting brackets bolt a 273/318 or 340/360 directly to your Slant 6 K-member — with no cutting, welding, suspension changes or K-member removal required. Also available for 273/318 replacement or 273/318 to 340/360 upgrades. Powder-coated brackets, factory-style insulators, grade 8 bolts, $144 + $13 S&H.

Add to your shopping cart (273/318 replacement)
Add to your shopping cart (340/360 upgrade or replacement)

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