Like many projects, this one was going to be a basic, low budget engine swap. Of course, plans like that rarely stay on track... Over the next several months I rebuilt the 440 with a few goodies, along with the 727 trans. Then, tucked them into a corner of the shop for safe keeping. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of this process. In fact, a number of processes such as rebuilding a sure-grip and setting up the 3:55 gear set aren’t documented here.
This will be a street, not a strip car. It'll likely never see track time. And, while some of the work on this project had to be done, other choices were, of course, optional. You may want or need to do some of the same work on your project so I hope the pictures and text are helpful on some level. Reading about and seeing others' work is how I get ideas. But I don't claim to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination. After seeing my work you may well decide how you don't want to do something or think of a much better way to do it - and that's a good thing... Enjoy!
This will be a street, not a strip car. It'll likely never see track time. And, while some of the work on this project had to be done, other choices were, of course, optional. You may want or need to do some of the same work on your project so I hope the pictures and text are helpful on some level. Reading about and seeing others' work is how I get ideas. But I don't claim to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination. After seeing my work you may well decide how you don't want to do something or think of a much better way to do it - and that's a good thing... Enjoy!
Introduction
In 2002 I picked up a 1970 Plymouth Duster for $750 out of the Nickel Trader. It had a Slant 6 that ran well, the front end was worn out, and the brakes were scary, but seemed like a good starting point for a respectable daily driver. It didn’t take long before those plans would change: Transplant a '68 440, 727, and 8.75" rear from a basket case Satellite I had picked up months earlier from a kid. So, I pulled the entire drive train from the Satellite then parted out what was left, which wasn't much but cancerous sheetmetal that had seen much better days.
In 2002 I picked up a 1970 Plymouth Duster for $750 out of the Nickel Trader. It had a Slant 6 that ran well, the front end was worn out, and the brakes were scary, but seemed like a good starting point for a respectable daily driver. It didn’t take long before those plans would change: Transplant a '68 440, 727, and 8.75" rear from a basket case Satellite I had picked up months earlier from a kid. So, I pulled the entire drive train from the Satellite then parted out what was left, which wasn't much but cancerous sheetmetal that had seen much better days.
Phase 2 - Forced Induction
A particularly cold night during the winter of 2012 caught me unprepared, resulting in a cracked engine block. If this engine was coming out, I was not going to leave it alone...
A particularly cold night during the winter of 2012 caught me unprepared, resulting in a cracked engine block. If this engine was coming out, I was not going to leave it alone...
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Site updated: April 2013
