Mopar 318/275 HP vs. Chevy 327/275 HP 'L-30'

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69 Cuda 440

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Always a question,

Had Chrysler gone though with there earlier plans to build a
performance-only 318 cubed LA-Engine with 275 Horsepower, to be installed
originally in a {Dodge-only} 1966 Dart GT

To compete with the 1966 Chevrolet 327/275 HP {Code L-30} engine
in either the Chevy II Nova SS or Chevelle Malibu.

A 327 Turbo-Fire that was marketed as the 'Street Performance' 327.

The 327 Engine came through with;
*} 'Flat-Top and Notched' 10.25-1 High-Compression Pistons.
*} #461 Cylinder Heads good-flowing 'Double-Hump' casting 'Fuelie Heads'
*} 62 CC Combustion Chamber from the Factory {Minimum 57.5 CC}
*} 1.94" Intake and 1.50" Exhaust Valves

Added was the 'standard and good performing' .399"/.399" ~ 300* Duration ~ 78* Overlap ~ Hydraulic Camshaft.

And for a 'Fuel-Twist', a Holley #4160 Series - 550 CFM Vacuum Secondary
Square-Bore Carburetor {1.50" Primary x 1.50" Secondary}.

The Intake #3872783 was a '327 Corvette' Cast Iron Dual-Plane Medium High-Riser
which worked excellent with the 550 CFM Holley and Good-Flowing #461 Cylinder Heads.
 
The only 275 horse 318 I've ever heard of was only sold in Mexico. The 340 was rated at 275 HP, maybe that's what you're thinking of.
 
stock for stock, the chevy's 327 would spank the mopar's 318 at any given time in any vehicle. sad, but true.
 
Guys he's asking hypothetically. I think the 275 HP 318 wouldda been all over the 327. JMO. We'll never know since it was never built. Since the 275 HP 340 WAS built, that's a better comparison. We all know THAT outcome. lol
 
So there were plans to make a hotted-up version of the 318?? Nebver heard of this...

If that was on the table in 1966, I'd be surprised if the program wasn't just cancelled in favor of the 340 which came along a couple years later...presumably, production costs would only have been higher to make a similar performing engine on fewer cubes.

But...I like the idea of a sub-340 performance option...and there certainly were more superfluous engine options back in the day...so it's a shame it didn't come along.

What's the deal with the Mexican high performance 318? Was it any different? 4bbl, I assume??
 
I disagree about the 327 ALWAYS winning.

I put down many a gm 350 with several nearly stock 318s.

Yep, Mex 318 with factory 4 barrel was rated 270 and had "270" badges.

IIRC, was 1971/2-ish.

Don't know what other specs are, but could be 340 cam and /or better compression.

Came in A body Super Bees among other things!
 
MRGTX said:
So there were plans to make a hotted-up version of the 318?? Nebver heard of this...

If that was on the table in 1966, I'd be surprised if the program wasn't just cancelled in favor of the 340 which came along a couple years later...presumably, production costs would only have been higher to make a similar performing engine on fewer cubes.

But...I like the idea of a sub-340 performance option...and there certainly were more superfluous engine options back in the day...so it's a shame it didn't come along.

What's the deal with the Mexican high performance 318? Was it any different? 4bbl, I assume??
Click to expand...
The Mexican 318 was basically a 340 based engine sold in Mexico A bodies as a high performance option. There is a thread on it somewhere here. I've often wondered if the pistons were ever available through Chrysler?? It would have been a sweet motor!
 
Well............

Since the SB Chev came out in 55, that makes the first LA nearly 10 years later. You "wuda thunk" that in 10 years Ma would'ha analyzed what could'ha been made better, but in many ways they didn't. In many ways the LA series was just an extension of the old Poly block, including "Not Enough" head bolts.
 
YY1 said:
I disagree about the 327 ALWAYS winning.

I put down many a gm 350 with several nearly stock 318s.

Yep, Mex 318 with factory 4 barrel was rated 270 and had "270" badges.

IIRC, was 1971/2-ish.

Don't know what other specs are, but could be 340 cam and /or better compression.

Came in A body Super Bees among other things!
Click to expand...

thats the problem right there. The 327 was more of a performance engine than the 350. i think itd be more fair if a 318 and 350 were to match up vs. the 327...

not arguing. friendly discussion :)
 
RustyRatRod said:
Guys he's asking hypothetically. I think the 275 HP 318 wouldda been all over the 327. JMO. We'll never know since it was never built. Since the 275 HP 340 WAS built, that;s a better comparison. We all know THAT outcome. lol
Click to expand...

Correct 'Triple R',


The need for Cubic Inches was in play, but Chrysler {Dodge} was slow
to pull the trigger in early 1966 (Mid-Production} due to labor issues
at the time time.

The 327/275 HP 'Code L-30' was really the lower cost 'Small Block Street Performer' in
1965 and 1966.

Ironically, if you ordered a 327/275 HP in the Chevy II Nova or Chevelle
Malibu, it came through with a large diameter 'Single Exhaust'.

But the 'smart' Chevy Gearheads knew that for just a few dollars, you could
get the Optional 'Code N10' Dual-Exhaust system...which was worth some free Horsepower.

I'm trying to find some Specifications on the 1966 LA 318 performance
proto-type.
 
mopardude318 said:
thats the problem right there. The 327 was more of a performance engine than the 350. i think itd be more fair if a 318 and 350 were to match up vs. the 327...

not arguing. friendly discussion :)
Click to expand...

Evidently, you've never driven a 370 HP LT1 350 in anything. They'd romp all over a 327. I had one I put in a 60 Nova. It was NOT slow.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Evidently, you've never driven a 370 HP LT1 350 in anything. They'd romp all over a 327. I had one I put in a 60 Nova. It was NOT slow.
Click to expand...

Thats correct. i dont know anyone who owns a 1970 corvette. if i did, they'd be crazy if they let me drive it!
 
Kind of odd this thread got posted just had this convo with my best friend.he is a chevy guy...he has a 73 nova with a 327..mostly stock....he is usually giving me a hard time about my 318 in my 74 dart swinger.....however im about to build up my 318...im thinking 340 j heads, bored .30 0ver, gear drive, good street/strip cam...msd....ect....any other ideas or tricks to pump out more ponies in my 318???
 
The 69 Camaro DZ 302 with it's over the counter ram log was not a car to underrate as well. Most any car, big blocks included can affirm this..
 
1968dartman said:
It might spank the 318 but not a 340!
Click to expand...
I had a 327 back in the day out of a 67 vette put it in Beaumont in stock trim with the exception of headers and spanked 340's all day long,
Then removed the 327 warmed it up and put a tunnel ram with 2x4's and put it in a 55 Chev 4 gear. It would eat most big blocks!!!
 
The 275hp 327 was kind of a middle of the road 327. Chevy made a factory 327 with 375hp! I think even the 340 in comparison to that motor is hurting. I'm a Mopar guy but the 327 with factory parts or modern parts is going to be more of a performance motor then a 318.
 
One of the advantages of the 327 Chevy, was the low-cost and availability of
performance parts, and all the inter-changeable parts.

Not much difference between the;
* L-30 = 327/250 HP '1962 thru 1965' Standard Performance Engine'
* L-30 = 327/275 HP
* L-75 = 327/300 HP

Can remember back in the Day at my Fathers Machine Shop, Chevy 327's out-numbered 'all'
Mopars 20-1 in Performance rebuilds.

Have to admit it, the 327 was a 'great street performer', especially in the
light Chevy II's and 67' and 68' Camaro's, and gutted 55'-56'-57' Chevy's.
 
Chrysler always responded with more power than GM. The 318 had more power than its competition, the Chevy 283. The 340 had more power than the 327, and the 360 was going to be the Chevy 350 killer, but the smog laws kicked in while it was being developed.

But of course if you're smog exempt, you can take advantage of the improved breathing and larger main bearings of the 360. I've never had any problem with head clamping or head bolts on a 360, including some pretty stout ones I've had built, such as a 408 stroker. And even a stock 360 cast crank is pretty darned strong!
 
I always thought it would be a cool idea to create a 318 "Commando".....everything a 273 Commando had, except with extra cubes (and maybe a '68 340 manual-trans cam). One huge question though: would those small port cylinder heads have held it back, in a competition with the 327? The tall port SB Mopar heads didn't come along until later on the 340, as we all know.

BTW, I always found it astounding that Chrysler never bothered in the slightest, to hop up the earlier LA 318's......I mean, geez, not even a 4-barrel?!
 
A 4-barrel, hi-po 318 was offered in cop cars such as the Diplomat in the '80s, but I'm not sure if it was available to the public or not.
 
Everyone on here is forgetting that yes the 327 had the L-79 350 but the was/is another more powerful version of the 327 that was released. It is the 327 L-84 375 HP motor/option and that it was a RPO option.
I have driven an L-79 car and an LT1 and they were close to each other but the L-84 would walk all over the LT1 all day. The first time I ever saw the L-84 the first thing that came outta my mouth was "the heck is that on top of the motor." All my uncle did was smile and said get in.
 
Chevrolet 327 'Standard Street Perfomance 'Turbo-Fire' 327's'

* 327/250 HP {1962 thru 1964}
* Carter AFB 400 CFM
* Cast Iron Intake Manifold #3844457

* 327/250 HP {L-30 = 1965}
* Rochester 486 CFM
* Cast Iron Intake Manifold #3844457

* 327/275 HP {L-30 = 1966}
* Holley 550 CFM
* Cast Iron Intake Manifold #3872783

*327/300 HP {L-75 = 1966}
* Holley 585 CFM
* Cast Iron Intake Manifold #3872783

These 327 Engines had the same Compression, Camshafts and Cylinder Heads
with the same Valve Sizes.

The Exhaust Manifolds for the 1966 327/300 HP had bigger outlets and was a
standard Dual-exhaust with a larger Exhaust Pipe System.
 
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