Conference napalm::musclecars

    In doing a 70-73 6cyl duster into a440 does the k frame have to be
    replaced.
    

     YES YOU DO IF YOU WANT IT TO LOOK STOCK. MOPAR PERFORMANCE HAS KITS
    BOLT ON SO YOU DONT HAVE TO CHANGE THE K FRAME.  

    
    Does anyone out there have a dodge dart sport ?  I have a dodge dart
    sport with a 440 Magnum, Hemi 4 speed pistol grip and will soon be
    installing the SIX pack that originally came with the engine.  
    
    What I'd like to know is if your running a SIX pack what luck have you
    had with it.?  Does it need constant adjustments ?? basically how well
    do they run.
    
    The car is presently set up with nitrous ...not sure of the spelling..
    but will most likely remove it with the new carbs going in.
    
    The engine was recently built up and has about 200 miles on it.  It's 
    been running excellent with the Holly 750cfm carb but I want the
    orginal six pack back on it.  Hope to do it this week.
    
    Matt

    
    
     Well, 
    
     I am know Half owner of a 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger.  The car in
    excellent shape, and is Black.  The car is set up for Racing...
    Posi, heavy duty tranny, heavy duty rear end, modified leaf springs,
    accell distributor, moroso chrome dress up chrome everywhere, and 
    a ice pack.  The battery is located in the Trunk of the car, and the
    battery cables are heavy duty cables, which run from engine, thru
    firewall, and then under door sills, then inot trunk area.
       The front seats are buckets, and the car has racing tachs...
    
     My brother traded his 1982 camero for this car.  we purchased the
    car last friday, but we were told that the Engine does not start.
     Well, the Engine is seized, the engine is a 318 , and we removed
    the engine last night with the help of my brother's Tow truck...it
    was a piece of cake.  We bagan to strip the engine for usable parts,
    and will later dispose of the block.
    
     The tranny, flywheel, and cluth are 4 months old, the previous owner
    had the reciepts...also a New starter.  The engine in the car was
    nicely detailed, and the engine compartment is totaly clean, rust free.
    
      The owner had told us that the drive shaft was heavy duty, made
    custom by Mopar for racing, and that the Engine fender wells had 
    been customized , old wells were cut out and racing wells were placed
    into the car.  It looks nice, but does mopar make Custom wells, and
    parts for using the darts for racing ???
    
     anyway the previous owner had also put in a Mopar heavy duty tranny,
    with Z-slip Hurst shifter quick ratch reverse.  We have another 318
    and will be placing into the Dart this coming Saturday Morning. 
    
     I called a few places, for a 440, or even better a 383...but no luck !
    
      The car only needs a rear bumper...seems that the chrome is dull
    in 4 places, if we can not find another, We'll paint it !
    
      We ended up lucky getting this car, I guess ? , the owner had
    the LOW moroso racing oil pan and he was speeding, hit the railroad
    track crossing in the street, blew a hole in the pan...and did not
    shut off the engine until the engine light/oil light came on...then
    he continued to try starting...that's when he called for a Tow truck,
    and my brother towed to MD Motors in SouthBridge, MA.
    
     Since the guy lost his job, and no money to fix the dart, he needed
    a car to drive his girlfriend (wife to be) around...so the deal was
    made.
    
      Any comments about Darts/Mopars...since I am only a FORD owner.
    
    /Bob
    
     

    If you should need any parts or help, give Mr Mopar Wheeler a call in 
    Marlboro at 485-9076 (BW Towing).
    
    He may even be able to find a big block, which even stock, will run just 
    fine in that light A-Body.
    
    Tell him Dave sent ya.
    
    Have fun...

    
    
    Would anyone know if a 426 HEMI would fit in a Dart/Duster body.??

    Anythin will fit any were,I had a 64dart with a 440 in it no wheel
    wells and a little of bending of the fire wall reverse headers.
    Remember,beat it to fit paint it to match,thats the Army Corp of
    egineers motto. no honstely things fit within price range.
    
    			Dave

    
>    Would anyone know if a 426 HEMI would fit in a Dart/Duster body.??


Yes, but you have to swap the K-member to the hemi version and put in the 
heavier torsion bars.

    It would be just a little nose-heavy, no?
    

    
    
     I would think that the suspension would have to be "beefed" up to
    handle the Hemi.  I am not sure however, did the darts with the 440
    engines have a heavier suspension than the V8 318 cars ???
    
     /Bob

    Bob
    
    Skip already mentioned that in .8, those old dodge's used a
    unique torsion bar front suspension. At least I liked the
    design better'n the crappy one in my '68 Cougar.
    
    Cheers Bob..
    Randy

    
    I already have right now a 440 magnum in my 73 dart sport but may add
    a 426 HEMI.  But I just wanted to know if before I invest any $$$ that
    the possibility is there.  My dart is the same style as a duster.
    
    matt

The 440 uses a DIFFERENT K-member than the 426.

The 426 K-member is unique due to the motor mounts.  You'll need 
elephant ears, otherwise.

    	426 HEMI into A-bodies:
    
    	I had a 72 duster that I dropped a MEMI into...I used the
    motor plates, as skip mentioned, and it worked great.  One
    other thing, with the HEMI you have to move the brake master
    cylinder over 1�-2 inches over to clear the valve covers.
    I also used Hooker Competition fender well headers, but the 
    car was used to run Super Gas in NHRA drag racing.

If I remember correctly, the hemi Darts used an offset bracket and 
corresponding monkey-motion linkage to relocate the booster.  I can 
remember the hassles getting the left valve cover off to set the valves in 
*many* factory hemi cars.

    
    
    Hmmm, a Hemi A-body. That ought to be a fun ride!!    8^)
    

    
     How difficult is it to move the leaf springs inboard a few inches in
    the late sixties darts? Is this a major project costing big dollars or
    something that can be accomplished with some minor fabrication and/or
    prefab kits? Is it worth the effort for 3-4 inches or would it be
    easier to move them way in and tub the rear? I would prefer to retain
    the trunk and appearance of the car as close to stock as possible.
    
     TC
    
    

All the old MoPars use the same arrangement for mounting the front and rear 
ends of the leaf spring.  A brace extends outward from the subframe and 
serves as a support for the floor and as a vertical surface to mount the 
spring hanger.  To move this brace inward would mean the subframe would 
have to move inward as well.  The front of the spring mounts *beside* not 
below the subframe.

The rear spring shackle straddles the subframe and can be relocated by 
using offset shackles.  Obviously, it can't go very far.

You may be able to gain about half an inch by redrilling the spring mount 
holes  --  there are four 3/8" holes per side --  and moving the hanger closer 
to the sub frame.  You'd also have to drill a hole in the subframe to provide 
clearance for the spring's through-bolt as in the stock configuration, it's 
up against the subframe.

To get the spring out you remove 4 3/8 X 16 nuts from the front side of the 
ear on the subframe and pull the spring and mount towards the rear.   You 
then remove the through-bolt and take the mount off the front of the spring
.

The rear of the spring is removed by either disassembling the spring 
shackle (early vehicles) or removing two 3/8 X 16 bolts (later vehicles) 
from each side and lowering the shackle mount and spring, then you can remove 
the shackle itself.


If you want to move in more than an inch, tub it.

    
     That sounds like alot of work for only half an inch. I was poking
    around under there today and noticed that the sub frame rail is flush
    with the inside wall of the stock fender well. This made me wonder if
    it would be practical to move the front spring mount directly onto the
    frame rail and use the offset rear shackle to line up the rear. This
    would yeild an additional 3-4 inches of inside clearance. It also
    appears that it would raise the rear 2 inches. I can lower the rear
    easy enough with blocks or de-arched spring, but is this going to place
    too much stress on the frame rail and pop it into the floor pan? Have
    you ever seen something like this done before and if so, what sort of
    problems did it produce?
    
    TC
    

    There is a kit available from Mopar performance to move the springs
    inboard. It requires notching the front frame rail and welding in the
    new spring mount box and drilling a hole in the rear of the frame rail
    and welding in a piece of tubing to mount the rear shackles. The kit
    contains everything needed and I believe is between $100-150. This puts
    the spring right under the frame rail and adds no height to the car.
    
    Stan
    
    

    
    I found the aforementioned MP kit in a Summit catalog for only $59
    bucks. It will be on it's way to my house in the near future.
    
    TC
    
    
    

    Yeah, wasn't sure on the price but knew it was reasonable.
    
    Stan