new from the uk

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Drag racer on speed

Drag racer on speed

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hi there,
im new to this site and im from the uk, there is quite a good scene in the uk for muscle cars, rods, nostalgia etc and when the weather is good events in the uk are usually great, plenty of cars and racing
im in the process of sorting out a 68 dart originally fitted with a 273ci v8 engine which is long past its sell by date seized and rusted out,
i have bought a 360 engine to put in which is a runner but is on stock parts, havnt found a engine no. on the block (where is it located?) but the casting no. is 3418468-3-360 & 11.22.71, 2bbl cast iron manifold no. 3614645, the heads are casting no. 3418915, the engine also came with a 904 transmission no. 3515852 3553 2097.

can anybody offer me any info on this engine & trans, what it came from? what hp it might have/had? i would be looking to upgrade the cam in it to give it a bit more hp, what is the best cam to fit allowing me to keep the stock heads, valves etc until funds allow a better build also i want to get it on the road next year and do a bit of strip action but keep it streetable

the dart has a 8 3/4 rear with 3.23 gears, the car needs a bit (lot) of work to get it sorted as the previous owner had given up with it and hasnt done anything in over 2 years due to finances, the front end needs rebuilding as it is all in bits - new parts will be needed for this which are quite hard to come by here in the uk, so does anybody have a 67/68/69 dart service or repair manual on pdf they could send to me to help identify the parts required

cheers

george
 
Welcome to the site George. Good luck with your project.

To answer a few of your questions........

Looks like you have a 1972 360. My sources show it was rated at 175hp @ 4000 rpm's and the torque was 285 @ 2400. These are net ratings, so appear a little lower then you might think. Similar gross ratings were 255hp & 360tq.

The "915" heads are also known as the "J" head. They are large port and the factory valve sizes were 1.88 int & 1.60 exhaust. Most will cc the chamber volume in the low 70's.

True compression on these engines is around 8.0 to 1.

A good exhaust, dual plane intake and a small (600ish) carb, along with a good timing curve, will wake it up nicely. Just use caution when upgrading the cam to not go too big on intake duration as that will lower the already low cylinder pressure.
 
George, I might have that service manual you're looking for on my PC at home. I'll have a look after work and let you know what I find.

That's an early 360 you have there. I'm not sure what it would have come out of in 1972, what with the 340 still in production. I would guess a pickup truck, but the Mopar geniuses on this site will be able to tell you for sure. One thing is for sure - that 904 would not have been behind the 360 from the factory. I think they only put the 727 behind the 360.
 
George,welcome.A friend,lived near Santa Pod Raceway,15-20 years ago.He raves about Steve Green's Cortina.And made fun of the Dangerous Brothers.A family,who pieced stuff together,out of junkyards.They usually blew up,or failed tech.Occasionly,a real fast pass,then BOOM!
 
well thanks for the good welcome, hopefully i will be able to get some pics up soon,

oldmanrick, thanks for the info on the engine, doesnt sound too bad hopefully a cam change will perk it up a bit i was thinking maybe 262/268? to use with the stock heads,

autoapar3000, thanks for the info on the engine, if you do have the service manual that would be a great help - i have a box of parts to try and reassemble!

abodybomber, ive been going to santapod on and off for 25 years, steve greens cortina was always there running hard, that thing screamed like a f1 car must have reved to 7/8k if not more, santapod is also the home of the mopar euro nats a must if you are into any yank
 
Welcome to FABO.You can get alot of info with pics if you click on the Forums at the top of Main page.Scroll down to Suspension,take your pick on a thread that sounds similar to your problems/issues.Good luck and hope you can learn lots from reading the info provided from members.:D
 
1972 full size Plymouth and Dodge cars were also equipped with the 360 2 bbl engines. Should be a good base to work form. As far as the 904, not sure of its origin, there may be more numbers stamped in both the engine and transmission referencing the VIN of the original vehicle. The 904 can be built to sturdy levels to work behind the 360.
Welcome and good luck.
 
Hey George, I found those manuals. If memory serves, I think I got these from FABO. The problem is that they're HUGE files:

71DodgeBodyManual.pdf - 11 mb
1970-71MoparParts.pdf - 101 mb
1971 wiring.pdf - 12 Mb
1972 Plymouth Chassis Serv Man.pdf - 550 Mb

If someone can offer me an FTP site to upload these file to I can get them to you. Otherwise it'll be tough to get these over to you.
 
cheers autopar3000, yes some big files there which could be of some use to me - do these manuals cover the 67/68/69 darts as i have been told this model is different to other models?

george
 
Dropbox file sharing app? might help sharing these file, free to set up and use up to a certain level of space.
 
George,
No, the 1968 isn't too different. There was a change in the body design at the front and back of the cars in 1970, but most of the major mechanical components remained the same from 1967 - 1976. Obviously if you're looking for something specific to your 68 like, say, taillight part numbers, then you're out of luck. These 1970 - 1972 manuals will definitely serve you well. I'll figure out a way to get these manuals to you, one way or another. Sit tight.
 
Hi George,
Any Dart is OK by me in the UK. Not seen too many 68 Darts over here. You haven't got the yellow 68 that was recently on E Bay from Cornwall have you? Where are you in the UK? Where you at the Nats this year? If you need parts if you are not already would be wise to join the MMA as there are always parts coming up for sale.
360 in an A body a good combination. There was a 68 360 Dart the Nats this year running in the 12's
 
hi paul340, im from the midlands, no i didnt buy the 68 on ebay to pricey and didnt like the interior, i got mine from a chap in kent it was last running about 7 years ago at the moment its a right mess, the front steering/suspension is all in pieces, the chap hadnt done anything to it in over 2 years due to finances, ive got a 360 to put in it as the original 273 engine is completly shot there are a few other bits that need to be done before it gets back on the road - hopefully mid next year
this year was my 6th visit to the mopar nats, great event getting all that yank muscle in one place, i also go to a few events at shakespeare county raceway nostalgia nats, hot road and drags
this is my 1st yank so lots to learn about them, i have looked at the mma site havnt joined yet seems a bit quite? more info going on on here

george
 
Welcome to FABO!

You will enjoy it here. Great people and information.

Enjoy the ride!

Ma Snart
 

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