Howdy,

I've got a little dilemma and want to see what you all would choose.

I have an A-body, bare shell on a rotisserie with practically no drivetrain parts. Whatever engine I choose, I'll have to buy all the associated parts for it (radiator, K-frame, brakes, rear end etc.)

Or it's a wash whether I go with a small block or a big block when it comes to parts.

The car will be a street/strip car that can at least do 12s while also being a semi-daily driver.

I am considering a four-speed, likely a Passon 4-speed overdrive.

What engine would YOU pick for it?

I can rebuild a 440 for it for probably $4500 to $5000. I'd lean towards a mild build with a lot of torque, basically a stock 440 Magnum rebuild with headers, carb and intake upgrades (Around 420hp, 500ft/lb torque.)

I could also get a 5.9 Magnum for the car. By switching the heads, intake, cam and adding a carb, it'd likely be around a 400hp, 435ft/lb torque RPM motor for $2500 or so dollars. Cheaper than the 440, but also somewhat less performance.

Or I could build a 408 Magnum with a 5.9 core. Similar power output to the 440 at a slightly higher RPM... but I'd imagine a full build including new heads (Magnum heads likely cracked) would cost around $6500.

For the hell of it, I could also rebuild a 383 Magnum or a 400, similar in performance to the 5.9 or maybe more for around the same cost as the 440... but slightly better gas mileage (so I'm not constantly stopping for gas all the time.)

What would YOU do?

I'd a fuel injected 5.7.

Starting from scratch? Probably a stroked 400 big block. Stroker kits are cheap these days and the low deck allows more clearance for steering, headers, etc. A small block could deliver equal performance but would likely cost quite a bit more.

A 360 turned into a mild 408 with stock Edelbrock heads, decent cam, converter, and 3:55 gears can go low 12's in an a-body and still be mellow enough to drive around town with. More $$$ than a stock 360 rebuild, but not crazy money either.

5.9 block is set up for a roller lifters and cam which is a plus over an older big block.

440. This was a junkyard motor...still has NOT been rebuilt.

I put a 440 (550 Horse) in my Valiant and went low 11s with little traction. spent about $5000 with e heads and new carb. drivetrain is going to cost you though. Use ported iron heads and put the money into the drivetrain. I ran mid 12s with iron heads and B Body HP exhaust. That motor cost a little over $3000

id just do a small block, or a new hemi and not have to worry about cooling issues, if you cant run 11's or 12's with a small block in an a body you need to find a new motor builder

Jim, could you give me some specs on that engine? Is it a late 70s 440? Cast crank? 452 heads? What power/ET?

When I calculated about $4500-$5000 for a mild 440 build above, I assumed cleaned up, ported 452 heads.

The 408 builds I have looked into would likely require aftermarket heads (meaning $$$$) due to the crack issue with stock Magnum heads and the fact that you'd have to get the Magnum heads machined for LA-style intakes anyway.

Why not just build a 408 LA block?

400 block/offset ground 440 steel crank/MW ex manifolds. 470 cubes. see Andys' 451 manifesto in the archives

Around here, it's easier to find a 5.9 plus you get the advantage of roller.

I put a 440 in my 67 Dart when in a similar situation, because I wanted a BB Dart. That's all there was to it for me, but to each his own. Many ways to get to 12 seconds in a Dart..

There is no replacement for displacement. Put in the biggest motor you can afford. If you have a core, work with it. $5k will get you a long way with either. I like big blocks, mostly because I went from a 318 to a 572 hemi. If it were mine, I would build another hemi, but the availability of blocks makes it hard to do now. Tim

Well, you don't tell us what flavor of A body it is and it seems most assume it's 67 and up.

Which if that is so makes a swap easier. The early A bodies are much tighter in the engine compartment. If it's a later A body I'd go Gen III hemi, which you didn't ask about. If it's gotta be a SB or BB only, then it kinda depends on if you want a nose heavy ride or a more balanced, aluminum headed small block of however large you can build it would be my choice.

If it's gotta be a BB, then a poked and stroked 400, the B block fits easier than the RB.

If it is, indeed, an early A body, then an aluminum headed SB is the easiest to fit in there and is a more balanced package if you care to turn at speed.

1970 stock 440 out of a wrecked New Yorker (replaced the cam with a stock 440 Magnum unit in the late 1990s and did rebuild the heads a few years ago). Backed by an 18-spline four speed and 3.23 Sure Grip 8-3/4. We've never put the car on the track so I have no idea what 1/4 mile times would be. It FEELS quite a bit faster than my 340/auto GTS. Both cars are convertibles.

I pulled the motor out of the Fresno Pick-A-Part in 1994. It was still running well when we pulled it out of Jeff's Dart last year so that he could try to work on the body finally. The short block appears to have never been apart.

Correct!

I thought about a 5.7 Hemi, and I'm not opposed to it, but it seems like the swap's a lot of money for 360 Magnum level performance.

Although the fuel economy and other things are also a plus to be considered.

I built a 400 pump gas stroker motor(511 C.I which ended up becoming a 518 C.I. later ) with a six pak for my 1971 Duster, it was low compression and ran on CA pump swill with no problems when I dyno tested it. Bigger C.I. is better, more torque, mine made 644 Ft lbs at 4500 RPM originally at 511 C.I. More torque equals running the motor slower so you end up with better gas mileage, if you can control your right foot I never tried to figure out the gas mileage as it was not my dailey driver, I had other vechicles that got excellent fuel mileage around town That rascal sure was fun to drive, it went 9.993 at 134.63 MPH with the full exhaust on to the rear bumpers and the air cleaner on with me in it weighing 3450 Lbs. I'm building another street car now, it is a 1966 Dodge Coronet Deluxe two door sedan with a pump gas 464 C.I. 440 motor with a NP833 O.D. tranny with a Dana 60 with 3:55 rear gears for cross country driving, maybe next year I will go terrorize some of the local car show guys who think they have fast cars becuase they paid a lot of money for someone else to build there cars for them

I'd go Gen III Hemi. I picked up a 2008 6.1L with NAG1 trans, all accessories, computer and wiring harness out of a Magnum for $4,000 off Ebay. If you don't mind messing with the wiring, you get EFI, a good charging alternator, power steering, and A/C. I also got the OD trans, but the trans computer part is still a sticking point. A manual overdrive trans should make the conversion easier?
I also see the new crate 6.4L Hemi engines for $7500?

I basically got something like this, but with lower miles:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2007-07-Dodge-Charger-6-1L-Hemi-SRT8-Engine-Auto-Transmission-108K-OEM-LKQNW-/272049647319?hash=item3f576c2ed7:g:JNsAAOSwpDdVBDCd&vxp=mtr

Like this place (may even be the same?) they have make an offer, when I offered $4,000 I didn't think they would accept the offer, but they did?

I stabbed a low compression 440 in mine that someone gave me for doing yard work. Now I just picked up another for 100 bucks. Must be a sign for me. Car feels nose heavy compared to the 273...but when you stand on it...Lets say I can deal with a nose heavy car.

big block 400 anyday