If I ever manage to finish my wife's brand-X car, I want to re-restore my 57. The next go round will make it back into a daily driver. The real problem with the car is it's a Flattie six, and I want A/C. Those two don't go together. Of course, the interstate is also a pain in the car.

I'm thinking 5.7 hemi with the A-500 tranny I have laying on the shop floor. Imperial services makes the pushbutton conversion to work the tranny from the stock shifter.

Where is a good place to start research on the new hemi to figure out how to fit it into the car. The way I see it, a bone stock 5.7 makes a new Ram scoot along quite well. A new Ram is at least 6K pounds, and my 57 is 3400 pounds with a 600 pound Flattie under the hood. A stock 5.7 with no changes will really wake the car up. A cam and good exhaust will make the car great.

What's the cheap route? Buy a junked Ram and use aftermarket electronics? Buy a carbed crate motor?

Any sites that I should read up? I've looked at the Challenger and Charger sites, and they don't really address where I'm going for obvious reasons. This shouldn't be much different than a Hemi in a B body, but I'm sure I'm on my own for headers and oil pan clearance.

Thoughts?

You didn't say what year the 5.7 you have is.
Research? Here and any place where guys have done it and wrote the story. Get as many different sources as you can.
Cheap and a full computerized drivetrain swap is not as mutually exclusive as it once was.
Do research first and create a favorites folder for the sites that you find. give it at least a month to see all the options. Get catalogs from the places that support this, and make sure to get the factory manuals when you get the swap material. Figure out what your best donor will be.
It might be a basic truck, or an earlier Hemi due to less to connect and that is interactive, or you may want a loaded later model and get all the stuff installed too. Remember that the cluster is a computer too, so this can be a major point.

I'd try to find a complete donor, if possible. Little stuff can add up too fast. Don't forget cars too. Here's one for 6500
http://www.erepairables.com/vehicle_information/1678433/2006_chrysler_300c.html
Keep looking and remember that you can sell off what you don't need to bring the price down.

Oil pan and headers are going to be something that you will have the research, and you may get lucky and find someone who has already done this to guide you. That's why research at the start is important. The other stuff (mounts, wiring, cooling, brakes) have to be considered too.

Measure the current vehicle and see if it's close to a jeep, dakota, early truck or something that has been done a lot. The details are the time consumers, so if there is a good swap story, keep all the details in mind.
Share what you have learned with others. Discussing it at a higher level will get the same in return!
There are some good engine swap books out there that won't have your exact combo, but will remind you of those pesky details! Using any and every source (some with a grain of salt) will make you more informed and better able to handle the stuff that there is no set answer to fixing.

http://www.thehemi.com/newhemiswap.php

http://newhemiswap.com/

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_0905_hemi_engine_swap_guide/index.html

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tech/0803phr_57l_hemi_engine_build/index.html

http://engine-swaps.com/

look over on for B bodies only.com lots of modern hemi stuff there and on for A bodies only .com..ur smart considering staying stock,,a complete donor with engine wiring and computer would be easy,, but rememebr ull need a high pressure fuel pump ,,and possibily a return for the injection,,,carn intake are out there and getting cheaper,,, after market electronics are getting a little cheaper,,but,, if u break down no dealership can fix the after market stuff,,

you stay stock,,,and keep the OBD2 u can go to any mopar dealer ship to trouble shoot,,,just my 2 cents,,,,

I don't have a motor yet. I'm still in the planning stages, as I have to finish the wife's Camar...er...project first.

Imperial Services can modify the 57-58 shifter, but it will not have park. That is correct. I will have to continue using a parking brake like I do now. I'm converting to a newer 8 3/4 rear, so the parking brake will move to the axle anyway.

Thanks for all the tips and links. I've got a lot of reading to do. My plan was to find the best year car or truck for this project, and try to find a totaled one to get complete.

From reading Forward Look.net and around here, I don't think anyone has done this swap yet, so I'm on my own. Maybe by the time I get started someone else will have done it.