Original 318 worth keeping??

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MopaR&D

MopaR&D

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So I finally got my new 360 Magnum in my '70 Duster and I'm wondering what to do with the original 318 I pulled from the car. I was thinking of saving it and someday (at least a few years from now) building it into a turbocharged engine and dropping it back into my Duster. However since my parents' house where I keep all my car stuff is selling I either need to get rid of the old 318 or put it in semi-permanent storage. First thing, how much does a 318 shortblock usually go for? It needs an overbore and full rebuild, think I could get $150 out of it? And then how big of a deal is keeping the original block to my car? I am aware that hundreds of thousands of 318 Dusters were made so I feel like the car wouldn't be worth all that much more if I kept this block vs. just finding another 318 core to rebuild into a nasty turbo engine. Let me know your thoughts I kinda need to figure this out within the next week or so...
 
I have one I kept, someday ANY Mopar V8 engine will be hard to come by :glasses7:
 
I have kept 7 for the reason stated above. These will become fewer and fewer as the years go by. If one is standard bore and saved now it will be easier to use later.
 
honestly, if you have the means to do so, keep it. Whenever you go to resell the car (if ever), having the original #'s matching motor always helps out the value. Plus, those 70' 318's weren't too bad at all 230hp, that's as much as my 99' dakota 318 magnum:mrgreen: (true it is net) just my .002 i say keep it! i'm keeping my slant lol
 
If you are not in a position to keep it, get rid of it. yeah maybe it will be worth something some day but, is that really worth you spending like 100 bucks on storage a month?

If you have a place to keep it for free where its not in the way keep it but, if its going to be a huge pain to keep just get rid of it.
 
SirDan said:
If you are not in a position to keep it, get rid of it. yeah maybe it will be worth something some day but, is that really worth you spending like 100 bucks on storage a month?

If you have a place to keep it for free where its not in the way keep it but, if its going to be a huge pain to keep just get rid of it.
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If you have to pay for any storage it isn't worth keeping.
 
I have 2 or 3 laying around back, 6 years ago when people started buying up all the 340/360s pretty heavy its funny alot of these car up for sale now have the words rebuilt or BUILT 318 in them now instead of 340 360 400 or 440
 
Thanks for all the replies, looks like I'll be keeping it. The situation with storage is that my parents live overseas and all the stuff from their house here in Colorado has to be stored now that the house finally sold. So I don't think it should cost any more money to throw my 318 block in one of the crates along with the other garage stuff.

I do kind of have a sentimental attachment to this engine as well:tongue:, it was the first Mopar engine I learned to work on and I taught myself everything I now know working on it.
 
nothing wrong with a 318 if you like v8 power just to get around.some people build the crap out of them. as far as any real value? when was the last time an original "numbers matching" 318 car had any real value? not to say they never will but i just dont see it happening. *IMO* but good choice to keep it.
 
I agree,Moped.You have a known good engine to fall back on.To get rid of it is false economy.You know it runs,keep it.
 
Keep it, as a bonus it most likely has a steel crank.
And you know what it is vs some core down the road.
Oil the cylinders up real good.
Seal it up real good, I have even removed the spark plugs and filled the cylinders clear full of oil, sealed the exhaust manifolds, removed the intake and filled the intake ports, and engine clear full of oil and put the manifold back on.
I did this to a low milage 64 413 hp many years ago, and when removing the oil 20 yrs later the engine still turned over by hand. After being stored in a 100 yr old drafty barn.
Have you ever seen anything rust in oil?

Google engine storage and you will find tons of info.
 
Save any old mopar part.

Not numbers matching, but I picked the 413 up for free when I bought my 65 plymouth from a guy, he was going to leave it for the new home owner, or haul it to the junk yard.
It is now in good friends truck. This truck is has a small write up in MOPAR COLLECTORs GUIDE September 2011.
RIP buddy.

1000474r.jpg
 
^^ what he said that thing is wicked...

As far as being a "good-running" engine that's not really the case, I pulled it because it had terrible blowby and felt like it lost power every other time I drove the car. I pulled the heads and swapped on 302s along with a 4-bbl. and small Voodoo cam and that's when it became really apparent; the bores have noticeable ridges but I haven't looked at the bearings. Also I've had the oil pan off and I'm pretty sure it has a cast crank. Nevertheless I'll still keep it in case the unthinkable happens and my new 360 blows up from something stupid :banghead:
 
sireland67 said:
Keep it, as a bonus it most likely has a steel crank.
And you know what it is vs some core down the road.
Oil the cylinders up real good.
Seal it up real good, I have even removed the spark plugs and filled the cylinders clear full of oil, sealed the exhaust manifolds, removed the intake and filled the intake ports, and engine clear full of oil and put the manifold back on.
I did this to a low milage 64 413 hp many years ago, and when removing the oil 20 yrs later the engine still turned over by hand. After being stored in a 100 yr old drafty barn.
Have you ever seen anything rust in oil?

Google engine storage and you will find tons of info.
Click to expand...


Steel crank was dropped after 1967 model year in passenger cars, although some heavy duty trucks (318-3) were said to use them later.
 
twofosho said:
Steel crank was dropped after 1967 model year in passenger cars, although some heavy duty trucks (318-3) were said to use them later.
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Complete BS.

I had a 69 truck with the single plane 2 barrel carb, steel crank.

My 71 318 stock 58,000K challenger had a steel crank.

Chrysler was just using up their stock.

These are the only two pre-73 318 engines to compare them to that I have ever had.

Maybe a location thing? I have lived in WV all my life.
 
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