Why doesn't anyone hot rod a Dodge "poly" engine?

Just to add a bit more to what Flatoz has said the 'Poly' was a popular motor in Australian Hot Rodding during the Sixties, one of my favourites is Darrol Fingers '34 5 window.

Hey mate you forgot mention it is in the same condition today

 

Hey....I've got a running, recently rebuilt Chevy 350 and a 350 Trans in my 37 Dodge I'll jerk out right now if anyone has a Poly and a 727 they want to trade for.

Serious

I bet I can't give it away.....

 

Well having read all the stuff posted about the poly, and your observation that the valve covers are neat and unique in appearence, check the 32 roadster in the January issue of Street Rodder on page 70. Then go HMMMMMMM!! I know the rest of the story on Mr. Story's car. A little shade tree chicanery, things are not always what they seem to be.

By the way you can rod about 3 SBC for about the same price of a manitenance rebuild of a poly.


img516.imageshack.us/img516/7815/img03113tv.jpg

G

 

A Poly build isn't any more expensive than a Nailhead, Hemi, Stude, MEL, Caddy, Y-block, or even Flathead. It isnt in the same class of Hot Rod motor as the SBC. It's in with the "unique" or "off beat" motors in the afore mentioned list. If you want to compare the SBC to something that is it's equal, look at the SBF and SBM.

 

Yeah but you will have a rod powered by the same old boring engine.
BTW Where is your Intro?? Did you take some time to read the rules?

Dawg

 

the day I start comparing the cost of a rebuild on a chubby to any other unique motor is the day I give up hotrodding, as I have become a street rodder.

thats just a gay way to look at things.

 

A poly really ain't that much more expensive to build than an sbc and a damn site cheaper than a hemi.

T.OUT

 

Mopar had a hardening process that went by the name "Tuftride". This involved introducing nitrogen into the surface of blocks and heads at 450-550 degrees for 30 minutes or so. (that is a very general description)

Very effective but it had the effect of dulling machine tools that were later used on these pieces especially in repair shops.

 

I have a poly 318/automatic in my '60 Plymouth Fury (the one from my four door to two door conversion thread) and it's gotten me 24 miles to the gallon on the highway with the single barrel carb/single exhaust. I have a factory four barrel intake for it (pretty rare) that I may use, and the later 318 electronic ignition is going to be a must-have swap.

Another cool thing about running a Poly engine is you can use a pushbutton Torqflite behind it and run the pushbutton controls on your rod's dash. Just remember, you'll need a parking brake, as the early pushbutton tranny's didn't have Park.

 

You can also carry a couple of 4X4s to use as chocks

Dawg

 

That's funny, I did that for the first year I had my '60. It also reminds me, the pushbutton tranny's had a single cable operated, tranny mounted parking brake, so all you'd have to do would be hook the cable to a brake lever or pedal somewhere in the car to have a functional parking brake, no need to hook it to the rearend.

 

The camshaft question is pretty clear, poly engine valves are intake -exhaust -intake -exhaust and so on, La engines are exhaust intake-intake exhaust - exhaust intake ect.
not even close!!

 

I plan on running one in my 31 dodge if I find one cheap. I also am a fan of those valve covers. later shawn

 

No, the amount of money I spent rebuilding a flathead 6 was "frivolous" spending, but wasn't or isn't "gay". Coulda gone down to the Drug store, gotta crate motor, and some speed stuff from the billet aisle for about the same amount. But then that wouldn't be unique, or period correct would it??????

 

My one friend has a truck someone swapped him a while back. I'm not sure what the chassis is, but it's set up as a mud truck and has huge, maybe military 4x4 axles with like 36 inch tires on big rims. The cab is a '72 or so Ford, the bed a '73-up Chevy Stepside.. the motor? A small Hemi. I ran the serial number when he got it and turns out it's a Plymouth block with Dodge heads. Runs nice and the truck will go about anywhere.


One thing on the tailshaft parking brake - the shoes for them are tough to get and they're a pain in the ass to keep working correctly from what I've been able to gather. So your milage may vary trying to use it. A lot of guys with the late '50's cars not concerned with originality will put a later rear on it to eliminate the tapered axle with pressed on drums and get a conventional parking brake too.

There's plenty of cores out there sleeping that would make nice motors with a little going through and maybe a clean-up bore. They aren't that hard to find. I think they don't get used as much - at least the '50's Mopar engines - due to expense and because a Chevy motor is like dirt, they're everywhere. Somewhere here though I have an old issue of Street Rodder with a '55 Chevy in it that has a 440 Chrysler for power - sometimes what goes around, comes around.

 

Hey Plym_46 Who are you?? What are you driving?? Did you take a few moments to read the rules and post a intro??


Dawg

 

Have a profile posted,

Were I Britania I'd waive the rules.

Didn't mean to piss in anybody's Wheaties.

http://img287.imageshack.us/img287/5900/dsc00118vj.jpg

 

mate, think you need to reread my post, I said nothing about how much you spend on a different motor, but the fact that is you compare it to a SBC build that , that is gay, its not the same sport.And never will be.

 

Ok I will make this simple...
Go to this Link LINK
Read Rule # 6
You didnt piss on my wheeties..And who the hell is Britania.. Everbody has to fill out their profile AND post a intro. If you would have taken some time and read them You would know this.

Dawg

 

There's two Weiands out there-the old ones look different than the ones sold now. I've got pics on my home computer of the old style one I have on the shelf. If I remember right, the runners are less defined in the outside of the casting than the new ones are.

I'll look for my '65 Direct Connection brochure tonight, and bring it in to work and scan it- it has all the part numbers for the dual quad set-up and some valvetrain parts that were available back in the day.

 

LA 273, 318, 340, 360 all use the same chain. The Poly 318 and LA 273 and 318 share lots of parts chain, timing cover, dizzy, crank, etc....

 

By chance I re-read an old Car Craft, when Davis was still doing the tech Q & A. At that time you had to have your cam reground. Also, Dick Landy Ent. had a conversion kit to slap on a Weiand 174(?) mini-blower. I'll post some more info when I get to the mag. Also I think the Mopar Muscle tech was in late 2001. I think it was September.

 

I've got a stock one in my daily that's gunna get cammed, with tri power new ignition and gunna paint it over and chrome lots a parts.

 

56 Plymouth. 277 Poly engine....bone stock for now. It was pretty easy to find stock replacement parts for it but finding speed parts is proving challenging

 

Based on the decals, I'm guessing the aircleaner is original, but is the orange paint OE too? Yowza, that's a bright motor.

 

Yeah orange was the color mine came in.

 

Negative. Air cleaner is original but the Motor was painted silver from factory.

It's an in progress pic. Eventually the Air cleaner will be chromed along with the rocker covers.

I just need to figure out how to duplicate the original "Hy-fire" script before attempting this.

 

Oh good, yellow and silver sounds like a much less eye-searing combination. The chrome and orange sounds like it will be nice.

Heck, it will be nice, that's what my 327 looks like right now.

 

I build Poly 277/318 motors and have all the speed parts to make your Poly run like it should; New Poly performance camshafts, New oversize stainless steel valves, NEW POLY FINNED ALUMINUM VALVE COVERS, Weiand aluminum dual quad WPD4D, Weiand 7503 single four, Edelbrock P600 three deuce, OEM cast iron four barrel, blueprinted/hard chromed shaft rocker assemblies, gasket sets, pistons....let me know how I can help you.
By the way, my first "Hot-rodded Poly" was a 56 Plymouth 277.
Take care and give me a holler.

Gary Pavlovich
[email protected]
402" Poly Stroker motor - 405HP@5600rpm/442Torque @4400rpm to start...
see my archived articles in Mopar Muscle 9/2001 and 10/2001

 

Ok SPAMMER Now go and read the rules than post an intro.
To make things easier here is THE LINK

Dawg