I finally got my car running and to the track

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Doosterfy

Doosterfy

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Statesville, NC
Well it was a long time coming but I finally got my 70 440 Gold Duster up and running and to Lebanon Valley. It's a street car, registered and insured with full exhaust, interior, power steering and all. It has a flat hood, runs on 93 octane pump gas, and is fully streetable. I made 7 passes and let my friend make a pass also. All runs were in the 11s with a best of [email protected] and the 60 ft times are in the 1.6s. The car has the little Schumacher try-y headers and the car was run exactly as it's run on the street. The only change I made was to lower the tire pressure in the drag radials down to 15 psi. I can't link you tube from this phone but the video is on you tube; Duster racing at Lebanon Valley Dragway. The springs are not relocated, the rear wheelwells are not cut. So far I'm very happy with my first Mopar. Watch the video and let me know what you think. Oh, and I have not fine tuned it yet so there's more in it.
 
68 340 said:
What size drag radial are you running?
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The tires are Mickey Thompson 275-60-15s. They fit the stock wheel wells perfectly. They also work very good. I run 30psi on the street and the car drives just like a 318 a body, no wierd or spooky stuff at all. They did not spin at all on the track either. Just drop them down to 15psi and go race. For a sreet strip car like this slick are pointless. The car also feels more stable on the top end of the track than any of the other cars I've run with slicks.
 
Very nice.

Try more pressure. I tend to run 20-22 in cars similar to yours with 275/60's. Find the highest pressure that produces best 60'.

Plenty of runs, nothing broke, good day at the track. :cheers:
 
congrats looks like she goes prettygood.
 
MTmopars said:
Shoots out of the hole nicely. I bet it feels good!
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Yes it does leave really good. The only problem with that is it red lights every time. I staged as shallow as I could, just barely lighting the second bulb and leave as soon as I see the last amber. That gets lights right in the .350 range. I'm going to go with a looser setting on the front shocks next time I go to the track in the hopes that if the front end rises more it will slow down the reaction times just enough. If it got the same traction on the street it would be a killer stoplight racer if I still did that kind of thing, (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)
 
Wow, an awesome car and some great driving. Launches well and keeps on climbing the whole way . In the early 70's I put a lot of money in my first 340 duster to run in the low 11's and by doing that I went overboard and it would not run on the street.
 
Congradulations, that is a perfect combination. Hope to see you at the Mopar Day @ L.V.D. I am trying to do the same with a 383. Goal is 12.00 seconds
 
twayne24365 said:
Specs on the motor?
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The engine is a 67 440. I bought it for $2500 already done but never run. I took it to a good engine builder and had him tear it down and it was a complete screw up. Too many problems to list but luckily nothing too hard to correct. It's a stock forged 440 crank, Eagle rods, Speed Pro forged flat top that weigh 720 grams. Stock bearing caps and bolts. It had 906 heads with big valves and springs in it but I shelved those and bought 440 Source CNC heads and put Comp springs, retainers and locks on them. I also had them milled .050 to raise the. Compression. I ditched the MOPAR 509 cam and went with a Comp Extreme Energy 296 street solid roller and COMP lifters. It has Smith bros push rods and Crane Gold rockers which I'm going to swap for better stainless rockers, the Crane alum ones were in the engine when I bought it. I also installed the MRL top end oiling kit thanks to bOb Shinglers warning. I topped the engine with an out of the box Torker II and a Holley 850 double pumper I bought off eBay. I use an MSD Pro billet distributor and a 6AL box. Timing is 20 initial and 37 total all in by 2000 rpm. The cylinder cranking pressure is 210 psi. I heard a slight rattle once at throttle tip in and it dieseled once when I shut it off so I've been using Turbo 108 off road octane booster and it's working good. I also have a Milodon 7 quart pan which I'm changing out cuz I've already banged it twice so I'm going with a custom pan I'll fab myself, with a more shallow, wide sump and baffles. Also going to fab my own bigger headers with multi piece individual tubes. I'm going to send the tubes for cylinders one and two strait down through the K frame. The car will always keep the stock K frame and torsion bars and stock power steering so the headers will be a big challenge.
 
hcarr said:
Wow, an awesome car and some great driving. Launches well and keeps on climbing the whole way . In the early 70's I put a lot of money in my first 340 duster to run in the low 11's and by doing that I went overboard and it would not run on the street.
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I had one race car that could not be driven on the street. I hated it, never again. I have to be able to hit the streets and enjoy it.
 
EL5DEMON340 said:
Looks nice, what gear ??
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It has 4.57s. The car has an A-518 overdrive trans. When I built it, I was thinking race it with three speeds like it's a regular 727 and use the O/D to cruise the street but as soon as I made a pass at the track the car was up against the. 6500 rev limiter a good 2-300 ft before the finish line and it went through the traps @109 popping and spitting. The guy who did my trans had told me that the O/D in the 518 can handle full power so on the other runs I used it and it worked great, hit the O/D at 6000 and the car just frieght trains through the traps pulling hard. The O/D works great on the highway also. 3000 rpm is just over 60 mph. I also have a PTC 9.5 inch 4000 converter which is working absolutely perfect with this combo.
 
The plan with this car is simple. I set a bunch of chiselled in stone constraints. It will always be a street car that can be driven comfortably on the street, including highway driving without overheating or buzzing the fillings out of my teeth. It must retain the stock chassis and suspension with bolt on traction devices only, no relocating springs or opened up wheel wells. Same for the front end, it will always retain the stock K-frame, torsion bars and the big Mopar power steering box and pump. It will always have a flat hood, no holes, scoops or bumps to clear a tall intake and it will always have a closed element air cleaner and get cold air into the motor with ducting. All the original street equipment like wipers, heater, lights, turn signals, horn, all that stays. Also, the only things to lighten the car will be through lighter components, like alum heads etc. The car will never be gutted in an attempt to remove weight to go faster. I weighed it at Lebanon and it weighs exactly 3500 with me in it, that's perfect. I know a lot of people love going crazy and modding the hell out of their cars and if that floats your boat then have at it, and I've done it too, tubs, tin interiors, lexan windows, huge gauges, switches all over the place. Every car I did like that, I regreted. It quickly gets to the point where it's hardly usable and when you go to sell it, you wind up loosing your shirt. Oh, I almost forgot, NO NITROUS EVER!
 
I like your concept. Mine is very much the same, stock interior, and suspension, no tubs etc. I went with more cubes (500) and less gear (3.55). It has a hydraulic roller cam and 727 with an 11 inch convertor. Revs are 2500 at 60 mph on the highway. I run it thru the mufflers and the best so far is 11.53 at 118.5. I drive it to the track, race it, and so far back home again.
 

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qkcuda said:
I like your concept. Mine is very much the same, stock interior, and suspension, no tubs etc. I went with more cubes (500) and less gear (3.55). It has a hydraulic roller cam and 727 with an 11 inch convertor. Revs are 2500 at 60 mph on the highway. I run it thru the mufflers and the best so far is 11.53 at 118.5. I drive it to the track, race it, and so far back home again.
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Good looking barracuda, sir.
 
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