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Tech Question
Mike Bowman, Cleveland, OH, 1965, Dodge, Dart, 170
On a 1965 Dart 170, is it possible to swap in a 426 Crate Hemi without too much headache? My biggest concern is fitting the elephant into that little space. There is no power brake booster, thank goodness. Original engine is a 170c.i.d. 101 hp slant six with three speed on the column. What mods do you recommend in the suspension to handle the increased weight and what drive train swaps would you suggest? I'm sold on the new Tremec 5-speed tranny. This is my first attempt at building a car. I figured that I may as well start off big. This is intended to be a street and strip mid-life crisis car, not a resto or bracket racer. I just want to have the fun of a Hemi before they plant my remains...(ha ha!!) The budget is about $18,000. Your advice is valued and wanted. -A loyal Mopar guy.
Mike-
Jeez. Did you ever hear of learning to crawl before you walk? Even in a '67-up "widebody" A-body, this isn't exactly simple, especially for street use. But in a narrowbody, this is far from a driveway bolt-in. We're talkin' a few weeks at a professional chassis shop to do it right, and a real hack job otherwise.
If you really want my advice, save your money - and the car by using a 360 crate engine. Not only will the swap be far easier (only real hassle would be the exhaust, and Tri-Y headers are now available to ease that job), but the car might actually have a slim chance of turning and stopping.
Rick
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