Not an A-body but it has a 440

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MopaR&D

MopaR&D

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Some of you may remember the thread I started a while back about the '72 Polara 440/727 for sale in my area. Well I'm about 90% certain my cousin is going to get the car and we're thinking about initial upgrades. The engine is all stock, so what exactly did it come with? Forged crank, or cast? 6-pack rods (I know they are heavy)? How good are the stock heads from this year, and did they have hardened valve seats? What kind of compression? Maybe stock cam specs as well?

It only has 41k miles so the bottom end should be fine. I was thinking a Performer intake with a rebuilt ThermoQuad, multi-spark ignition, and a nice TTI exhaust (2.5" or 3" ya think?) off the stock manifolds, basically like I did with my Duster only in this case it's a 440 C-body instead of a 318 A-body. Also we plan to drive the car pretty often until my cousin gets a B- or E-body to drop the engine into, so decent gas mileage will be a plus. What might it be after these upgrades if the car has stock gearing/trans?
 
You wont know until you look on most items like gearing. I love the C bodies so I'd leave it alone it it's noce. I mean dont tear out the heart for another car... Not leave it stock. Headers are expensive but logs will work. I wouldnt do the intake until you do the cam and timing set... Which I would do right away. Use something small for torque and curve the factory distributor (and add the NAd or whatever...) Run a nice set of duals, and it will cruise forever.
 
moper said:
You wont know until you look on most items like gearing. I love the C bodies so I'd leave it alone it it's noce. I mean dont tear out the heart for another car... Not leave it stock. Headers are expensive but logs will work. I wouldnt do the intake until you do the cam and timing set... Which I would do right away. Use something small for torque and curve the factory distributor (and add the NAd or whatever...) Run a nice set of duals, and it will cruise forever.
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OH YEAH I forgot to ask the most important thing... Did the non-HP 440s come with double roller timing sets or do I have to tear off the timing cover A.S.A.P. before I get stranded?

And FYI we're definitely going to enjoy this car for what it is. I doubt the engine will get transplanted until a couple years from now.
 
It should have the std nylon toothed POS chain... That's why I'd change the cam too...lol.
 
Year of the car? You can get a better idea of a cast or forged crank depending on year. Also a 6-pak or a cast crand will have a offset weighted damper versus a forged crank will have a smooth damper. Take the dist. cap off, put a breaker bar/ratchet on the crankshaft nut and turn it back and forth to see how much play is in the timing chain before the distributor moves.
 
nothingbutdarts said:
Year of the car? You can get a better idea of a cast or forged crank depending on year. Also a 6-pak or a cast crand will have a offset weighted damper versus a forged crank will have a smooth damper. Take the dist. cap off, put a breaker bar/ratchet on the crankshaft nut and turn it back and forth to see how much play is in the timing chain before the distributor moves.
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If it's the original engine for that car and not an HP it will have a Forgrd crank and LY rods .
 
JohnRR said:
If it's the original engine for that car and not an HP it will have a Forgrd crank and LY rods .
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Again for clarification it's a 1972 non-HP 440, original down to the carburetor with 41k miles. That's good to know though, those parts are good for what, 600 HP? After inspection/machining of course...

What about cam/compression/heads? Will I need to worry about pump gas burning up the valve seats (happened on my '70 318 )?
 
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