hi i have a 73' dodge dart my grand father gave me,its an automatic, and wanted to...

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Efrain S

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...know if i could drop a 440? or a 426 hemi, also wanted to know if i could convert to manuel,this is the first caar im working on so i dont know much about them,but i know i want as much juice out of this car as possible.also it has a standard 318.
 
You can drop in whatever you want. It's really just a question of how much work you want to do. An engine swap will be a pain, but doable. Converting from auto to manual will be slightly more difficult - you'd probably be best to find a manual parts car to work with.

A 318 is a good engine. Decent power and mileage. A 440 will have plenty of power and absymal mileage. Your choice.
 
I think that Darts are much better matched with small blocks then big blocks. A big engine like a 440 will make it more top heavy and you'll need to make more changes to the engine compartment. A 426 Hemi would be lots of fun but a mega gas hog (same as the 440), and do you have $13,000 to spend on one (that's how much a Hemi crate engine costs).

If it were mine, I'd go with a healthy Chrysler 340 or 360 small block. The car will be better balanced, handle better, and 340-360ci is plenty for a car that size. You can all kinds of power levels out of Chrysler small blocks to suite your needs.

If you decide against an engine swap, you can also beef up the car a little with the 318. If it's stock, the car probably has high gears in it now (like 2.91's or so). You can install lower rear end gears for quicker acceleration, but don't go too low otherwise it will rev high at higher speeds (3.23's - 3.55's would be a good choice). Maybe go with headers and a free-flowing dual exhaust system too. You can swap the exhaust to a 340 or 360 later if you change engines (I'm almost positive that 318's have the same bolt pattern as 340's and 360's).

Hope that helps! Good man for driving a classic Mopar! Make sure to put aluminum wheels and a go-wing on it!
 
Yes, you can put either large motor in it (although it wasn't available from stock after '69). The tranny won't bolt up, though.
Converting to a floor shift manual tranny will require a clutch pedal installation and all of the linkage that goes with it. I would stick with an automatic for ease of installation and the fact that the back end will pass the front end in the blink of an eye with the 4 speed manual.
A friend of mine owned a '69 340 Duster and I must tell you that it was a nasty affair when there was ANY moisture in the air. The back tires break loose waaay too easy. Your big block is gonna be pretty nose heavy, too.
With all of the advancements they are coming out with today, I would recommend sticking to a 340/360 small block with a turbo or nitrous set-up and a few other mods to get it quick on the street or the track. BB Mopar parts are also expensive and much harder to find that Ford or Chevy and so is the knowlegde to match them up. That's my humble opinion. Invest in a few magazine subscriptions to find the latest in small & big block Mopar development and decide for yourself. Have fun & be safe!!
 
as observed above this does work but is messy and expensive

you will need the 440, a new transmission, a new rear axle (8 3/4), new torsion bars and possibly better brakes. You will likey need to use subframe connectors to tie the unibody together

They you have the messy details like wiring etc.

If this is your first build I would encourage you to get some experience by tweaking the 318 you have - if you find you can't get want you want go for a 360 crate motor
 
Don't put a big block in, way too heavy and all kinds of trouble to fit. Get some headers and a good carb and intake manifold, like Edelbrock. Dual exhaust, street performance type of camshaft. You can make that 318 plenty fast with just easy things like that.

Also, get some KYB shock absorbers and if your car doesn't have disk brakes in front, find a 73 or newer Dart that does and just swap parts.

If you want to lower the front, all you have to do is turn some bolts under the lower control arms, but not too much, and make sure the alignment is good. Go to a junk yard and get some 15 inch wheels cheap, even just steel 15 inch will be better than those 14 inchers.

Put polyurethane suspension bushings in. Energy Suspension or some other good brand, will make it handle much better and safer.

Get a subscription to Mopar Action magazine. The best tech advice you can find is in there.
 
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