SB Mopar in a Hamb freindly drag car

Am i the only one on the Hamb racing a small block Mopar "LA" in a Hamb freindly car ? Seems like every Nostalgia race i attend during the year with my Dart i am the only one running one .I am a member of a few other sites specifically for Mopars ,but im just curious if there is anyone else on here with a 64 and older drag car thats SB Mopar .Most of the guys on the Mopar sites i go to are running mid 60's and up stuff .If you are racing one i'd like to hear about your setup ...

 

I agree with your observation. Sad, but the BB Mopars are actually cheaper to find and put together. You deserve credit for running a SB

 

I know you wont believe me ,but at the time i bought this car it was the cheapest ,most well built ,Hamb freindly Dragcar i found of any make.Only thing was it was a Mopar .I have been real happy with it and its given me bang for my buck on everything i have done to it for hardly any $$ ...

 

Actually while i wrote the book on BB Mopars (Literaly) one would be hard presssed to beat a 360 for a decent power low buck build. I have done several and have also speced them out for other shops. Like to 440 it is hard to overcam duration wise and used the same heads as the 340 in some instances. I have had them on my flow bench just shop ported at 268 CFM. 9 to 1 pistons are now available and more if so desired even in hypereutechtics. Pricewise compared to a crate motor from momma mopar you could do about 2 or almost three . We also did 340s to 380 cubes and 360s to 371s aka Hoover motors. Not a motor I would sell short.
Don

 

yes agree...Shocker you are doing the brand good...keep thinking about my 56 Plaza with a nice 440....to bring to the Thaw....as I have some 55-57 Chebie boys running there....all it takes is money....

 

Thanks for the compliment.I just wish there were other SB Mopars racing at these deals.Animal on here had a 56 Plymouth with a 440 in it at the Hamb drags a few years ago ,and it was pretty cool .Hope you get yours built and race with us .Agreed on the $$ to make it happen ,it stands in the way of me doing lots of stuff to my vehicles ...

 

I'd build one if I could find a car to build ..

I've placed want ads all over for couple years

Closest one I found on here was way far away in Northern Cal

and no way to get it here cheap enough

 

The guy that i got the Dart from and i stay in contact via Email .He told me a few weeks ago that he is proly gunna down size his collection of Mopars.He has a shitload of them and is as honest as they come .Sum of his cars are builders and sum are finished and sum in between .If your interested i can put you in touch with him .He is in the Tulsa area ...

 

I used to have a 68 dart, built the origional 273 that came in it, it was a screamer...sold it years ago. Probably still have a few small block parts laying around somewhere.

 

I bought a project car this spring with a mid 70's 360 and 727 trans. This is my first small block mopar so I have much to learn.

 

Just depends on what he might have

 

Damn near every Mopar thing I have is big-block - my Coronet, my wife's New Yorker, a ready-to-install '69 440 on a stand, and three 440 bare blocks, with enough parts for maybe two complete 440 builds.

There was a guy here in OKC that for years, has run 9,000 RPM out of a seriously-built '69 340 engine, and actually had the engine up to ten grand on a dyno (it did NOT blow!). A SBM can be built for outrageous HP and RPM, to be sure.

 

bigdad, the H.A.M.B. Drags is a traditional pre-65 drag race. Just drop a SB in that 1964 Plymouth Valiant wagon you have.... you don't have to have the 56. Heck, you could even uncork the slanty and just have fun!

If I ever get around to finishing my 40, it would be a hoot to run at the drags, but I have other projects ahead of it and I could start another with what it would cost to pull it 1200 miles out to the HAMB drags, run it and pull it back.....
Not exactly vintage either, with EFI.

 

I have other plans for the Valiant

61- 2 door Plymouth or Dodge -prefer hartop

55- 2 door Plymouth hardtop

 

Oldest thing i know of he has for sale is a 63 Belvedere 2 door hardtop.It was at the Hamb drags in '09 .Its ready to go with a 440 ,727 TF,and an 8 3/4 with S/S springs.It runs 11.80s last i heard .Its still wearing the original blue paint (faded) with the original bench seat interior .Most of the other stuff he has is 65 and up from what he has told me .I will keep my eyes peeled for you a 55 Plymouth or a 61 Plymouth or Dodge builder as you specified .I need sum help at these events against all the Chevys ...

 

Not drag racing a small block mopar but I am putting one in my Rambler that is hamb friendly.

Just got the motor in the car a month ago but cold weather has set in here and my dads 39 ford takes up the only garage space available to turn any wrenches. Hopefully as soon as warm weather gets back around I can get it all finished up and on the road.

The Mopar is a 318 backed by a 727. I warmed it up a bit with a edelbrock performer intake, edelbrock 600 4 bbl carb, and plan to put in a different cam and match port the heads and try to clean the manifold up a bit to get a little more flow from them as well. I was going to run headers but it was all too tight of a fit for anything other than manifolds.

At any rate glad to hear about more small block mopars as it seams all you see if the big blocks.

Thanks

 

I don't see any issue, the LA motor is certainly HAMB friendly.
I'll have one in my altered in a year or two...

 

Huh? What is this observation based on? Bone yards are full of mopar LA small blocks and it's close cousin, magnum small blocks. Production for them ended in 2002, big blocks have been gone since 1978.

There is a long history of mopar small blocks in stock & super stock that goes on to this day. It's no secret that they provide the best bang for the buck.

 

Well I guess my former wagon isn't "Hamb Friendly" by 3 years. Still I went an even more unacceptable route in the Mopar circles, a small block in a B body (Magnum 360). I build my cars simple (904 / super stock springs / 6 cyl. torsion bars) and with an older stocker look. I have a '66 Belvedere wagon that is getting the same set up except an LA 360 instead of a Magnum.

 

I do have a 2-4 intake for a small block Mopar if anyone is looking

 

I was referring to vintage correct engines. Just try to find a pre-1970 sbm, let along rebuild one. There are bbm's all over the place from "the day"

 

I really like your wagon .Looks like it hooks pretty well also .What kinda times did it run ???

 

12.49 @ 106 with a 1.66 - 60 Ft. was it's best. Ran deadly consistant 12.50's & .60's. That old gal would hook on an ice rink.

I also have a small block early A body. Just a low buck cruiser project.

 

My avatar has a small block Chrysler, and while it isn't "officially" drag raced, it has done it's fair share of street racing and more than it's fair share of being squirrely!

 

I love the LA mill- long rods, stable valvetrain 18 degree heads all from the factory.

Got a 360 punched out to 415 in my 61 Falcon Gasser. Should be a hoot when it hits the pavement. 520lb/ft NA but i've got an old Paxton and some giggle juice for it too. My buddy says his 4th gen camaro 60foots like a monster-he has no idea,

rick

 

You can expect sum major torque from that 360 stroked to 415 .My 408 stroker in my Dart is a freaking lowend torque beast.I figure my torque is about the 510lb/ft mark.I have got low 1.5 60 foots with the PG trans with a 1.76 low gear leaving at 3500 .I swear i could put 2.70 gears in the ass end of my Dodge and the motor wouldnt bog off the line .A 4 inch stroker crank is the recipe for stump pulling lowend with the "LA" engines IMO ,and the air compressor and vagina spray your speaking of putting on yours with that light weight Falcon body ,its gunna be a handfull ...

 

ETwagon, What sort of power is that putting out and what is the weight of your wagon? I've only raced my Valiant once in street trim with a 318 and full pipes on 175/75 tires and ran 14.14 @ 106.7 with a 2.18 - 60Ft.



Just curious what sort of times i might be looking at if I could get it to hook up?
Not a drag car, but i wouldn't mind getting it on the track again.

Neat wagon by the way.

 

yup- got me a 520lb/ft and 462hp reading out of the dyno-put it in a 69Plymouth with that same 2.76 low first in the 904 and had lots of fun in a 4100lb car. Now we've got the same motor, regular gearset 727, in a 2900ish pound falcon gasser with some set back to the mill, plus blower,a and/or spray- we'll just see! cant wait...

-rick

 

What body style Falcon are you putting the Mopar in ? My 61 Ranchero Falcon weighed 2690 lbs with a 302 ,heavy scattershield ,iron toploader 4 spd , and a 9 inch rearend.It was straight axled up front and had 10 inch wide heavy ass Crager S/S 's in the back .The car was all there with a bench seat ,heater ,all glass ,etc.I think you may be a little liter than 2900 lbs with a small block Mopar .Either way i'd like to drive it after the install ...

 

At the time I sold it I ran an out of the box Magnum 360/380 HP crate motor, low gear 904, 4.56 sure grip, super stock springs and 6 cyl. torsion bars.
With the back seat and heater removed it weighed #3450.