For a decent corner carving, auto-crossing, fair weather driver? Suspension will be Hotchkis TVS and some sort of steering box upgrade. I know having a big block isn't "ideal", but there are plenty of members here that run them and their cars handle.

I'm getting ready to hang up the hobby/project for 4 years while I'm in England. So I'll have plenty of time to brain storm and save up money (hopefully).

Since I know the history of my current combo (I pulled the motor from a running 69 New Yorker with 60,000 miles), I was almost dead set to go with 440source heads (my stock heads are still from the leaded fuel era), maybe a 512 stroker kit (since my 45 year old motor has never been rebuilt and is ready for a refresh), Milodon road race pan, and FAST Easy EFI to replace the Eddy 750. I'm estimating this snowball would probably cost around +$7K.

Main reason, I would like to go EFI. I tried auto crossing with the carb and it would stall out sometimes, even with a baffled fuel tank, electric pump, -8 fuel lines, and return style regulator. These Easy EFI's look nice but are SPENDY!

With all of these Gen III Hemi builds going on, it has got me thinking it might be a better way to go for drive-ability and maybe(?) even cost less. But then I'll have to worry about headers, mounts, and everything else associated with it. And I just don't want any more car parts laying around afterward... as I tend to hoard everything, and this has put me over my weight allowances for moving and storage... which isn't good when you are in the military.

I plan on doing a 5-speed or T-56 conversion some day too, even though there is nothing wrong with my TCI 727 manual valve body trans with GV overdrive. I'm still pulling around 3000 RPM to keep up on the freeway (w/ 3.55 gears) getting 10 mpg and having to fill up every 125 miles or so . I really like the T-56 in my WS6, cruising 65-75mph at 1500-1800 rpm even with 3.73 gears, averaging 20 mpg.

So, what do you think? Ditch the whole 440/727 GV combo in favor for 6.1(?) and mega squirt? Or, build up what I already have? I'm pretty handy and willing to do the work myself, short of the machining.

Sorry if this has already been debated to death, I didn't want to hijack anybody's thread.

We are in the wrong hobby to save money lets get that fact straight haha!

If the 440 is already there then just run it and get as much seat time as possible. Engine swaps are cool and all but the fact is that if you are swapping, you are not driving.

I'm changing to a Gen 3 because I have wanted to swap out my 340 for years. I feel that Gen 3 is the best way to raise the power to weight ratio. Not the most cost effective method though...

Unless you absolutely hate the automatic, then just run it. If you have to have a manual you will love the 6 speed

I basically run the 440 set up you are laying out except no stroker. I run CNC ported Stealths, EZ-EFI w/ mulitport, 11:1 comp, making over 575hp. Also run GV's for some added gear selection. We autocross, road course, etc, no problem.

Here is what most don't realize when you strictly looking engine upgrades. Now you have to stop, this leads to big brake costs. Now things get hot, this leads to coolers all over the place. Then there is safety, this leads to seats, harness bars/ or cages.

That's really the reason we stuck with the 440 and the not the real cost of about $15k to go to a GENIII.

That's a great point!
Exactly what I did with my car as well. Modified and upgraded suspension, brakes, fuel and safety systems
before even touching the engine

Before you do anything, just change the carb.

The Taxi runs a QuickFuel 750 Vac Secondary with their off road floats and jet extensions. Mechanical pump, no return line, 1/2" line from the stock tank with a 1/2" pickup.

I've never had an issue at an Autocross, or a Road Course, with fuel supply, starvation, boiling, etc... The only time it will boil the carb is when it sets after a hot lap session and it doesn't get a chance to completely cool down. That's a 30 second inconvenience I can live with instead of investing in EFI.

Don't get me wrong, I love EFI, but don't throw out everything just because you need to spend a couple hundred bucks on a decent carb.

Since you are going to think on this a while, I'll offer another path.
Think of a separate car.
Yours is running and driving, I take it.
For the price of modifying this one, you can often buy a complete, sorted car.
Think Neon, Caterham, Elise, or whatever turns up when you have the cash saved and ready.
It can be road legal (easier), or a track only car, which requires a trailer and tow vehicle.

The Hemi swap isn't $15k.

I know this.

I wont comment on the way you should go. But in a few months I should be able to give an honest comparison between a stout BB and a stout GenIII in the same car with the same drivetrain.

I fully expect my head and cam 6.1 to run better than a 440 of similar compression, with a bigger cam and aluminum heads to be fair.

I went with the new Hemi for three reasons:

1. Reliability (roller cam, efi modern accessories and o rings everywhere)
2. Parts availability (no need for many aftermarket items when I can get dealer parts that are far better.)
3. Power (without saying..these heads made it worth it. )

Just a couple of comments. They are both great. My Challenger has an EFI 496 B engine and I'm on my 3'rd DD hemi. I see what the "built" gen III hemi's can do and its impressive.

They are quite different though. A big wedge has "effortless" mid range torque and the Hemi likes to spin. Different experience. The Hemi needs more gears than the wedge. A 727 is OK behind a wedge but would not work well behind a Hemi.

Also the fuel system with EFI needs attention and improvement. With no carb bowl to cover momentary gaps in fuel delivery the system needs to be bulletproof. A sump or baffled tank with pump in tank is needed.

Whichever you pick, have fun!

The reason I swapped:
1. 0 maintanence
2. Lighter than my iron head BB
3. Would need $3K in heads to equal what a ported 6.1 head is capable of, this $ covers my short block build by itself.
4. Shock and awe lol
5. Efficiency of the Gen III is unparalleled even by a SB
6. Its time to embrace the new stuff
7. To reliably equal the power my Gen III will make with a SB or BB I would need a solid roller valvetrain with lifters in the $800+ arena as well as rockers in the $700+ range. My 6.1 is going to use STOCK rockers AND lifters.

450-500HP with 20+ MPG out of multiple GenIII Hemi builds.

450-500HP with 10+ MPG out of multiple SB/B/RB engine builds.

You do the math...

This was the determining factor for me. The GenIII Hemi is lighter, and gives a daily driver option not so easily achieved/afforded in a conventional SB/BB build.

And $15K for a GenIII Hemi swap? Buying a whole car and not selling off the extra parts? I'll be hard pressed to spend $5K CDN on my setup...

I agree with Kevin ..... I too run a quickfuel carb and love it!
I built a healthy 451" that loves to rev, with all the aluminum bolt ons . What does a 6.1 new Gen Hemi weight? I don't think they are a lightweight? I have a OD transmission and get 17 MPG on the hwy cruising. I kind of like the " K.I.S.S. method? the new stuff is great but relies too much on electronics IMO . I'm no electronics engineer so that turns me off somewhat. I like simple and being able to fix most things easily . Another negative for me is around here emissions " police" require all the smog parts and to meet the standards emission wise of the new stuff. Not so with the old. I don't make the rules.... just have to live by them....

A BB is hard to beat for power and reliability at a reasonable RPM. The Gen III seems to be a little more of an endurance race engine in its design IMO. My BB got about 13MPG with a FAST EZ Efi TB setup. And that I was not happy with. If a guy is starting from scratch and wants a 600hp+ pump gas engine, I would still go Gen III.

either one will be fun. same as the sb vs bb, either one can provide the results. I wanted to do a 5.7 hemi in my duster twice now. and I just cant go through with it. the first time I decided against it because I was able to set it up with a bb for pennies on the dollar compared to a hemi swap. 6.1 wasn't an option at that time. I looked at it like this, a stock hp383 was rated close enough to a stock 5.7, the only gain to me was efi. which could be big, but im not afraid of a carb. dollar for dollar the value of it just wasnt there.
my car was setup like a pro-touring kind of build, I would not consider manual steering with 245s on the front. there was no borgeson box at that time. I don't want an aftermarket k frame.
the other problem at that time was the efi. looking at other guys swaps that were up and running, they had more into getting the thing to just run, than I had in my whole drivetrain.
the car has been set up for a few years now and I wanted to change things up a little. either build a fresh bb or hemi swap. I picked up a new truck hemi from a friend, and started looking at hemi builds again. looked at my car some more, and once again decided its just not worth it. id need a new quick time bell, new flywheel, new headers, new steering box, new radiator, do something with my k frame since no swap mounts will work on it, new fuel system, im just going to build a fresh bb. maybe one day ill find another car and start fresh with that hemi.
im running a mild 400, t56, and ford 8.8, I have taken it on some road trips and got 19-20 mpg with a holley 750.