'74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods
#690843
05/07/10 01:51 AM
05/07/10 01:51 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,782
USA
JoesMopar
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,782
USA
|
Anyone ever mess with these?
I've been wanting to find me a clean '74-'78 Imperial or New Yorker with a 440 to use as a nice cruiser. I was thinking some nice mods would be a mild, 260ish, Voodoo cam, 2 1/2 dual exhaust (with factory style outlets), MP electronic ignition and possibly swapping the intake for an aluminum Edelbrock stock style intake along with removing as many pollution and smog devices as possible. Basically, leave it stock looking, but add just a little more power to the smog 440. Not sure what rear gear came in these, but would like a 2.94-3.23 max.
Anybody ever done similar mods to these? How well does it perform? Would the power gain be noticeable without going with more compression, head swaps or bigger cam? Just curious what the basic mods I listed would benefit the big barge. Thanks
|
|
|
Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods
[Re: JoesMopar]
#690844
05/07/10 08:06 AM
05/07/10 08:06 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,862
the frozen wastes...
Pale_Roader
Swears too much
|
Swears too much
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,862
the frozen wastes...
|
Quote:
Anyone ever mess with these?
I've been wanting to find me a clean '74-'78 Imperial or New Yorker with a 440 to use as a nice cruiser. I was thinking some nice mods would be a mild, 260ish, Voodoo cam, 2 1/2 dual exhaust (with factory style outlets), MP electronic ignition and possibly swapping the intake for an aluminum Edelbrock stock style intake along with removing as many pollution and smog devices as possible. Basically, leave it stock looking, but add just a little more power to the smog 440. Not sure what rear gear came in these, but would like a 2.94-3.23 max.
Anybody ever done similar mods to these? How well does it perform? Would the power gain be noticeable without going with more compression, head swaps or bigger cam? Just curious what the basic mods I listed would benefit the big barge. Thanks
I'd say do it. There is SOOO much 'anti-performance' in these cars that just a few key, simple mods should wake it up nicely.
Make sure that exhaust is mandrel-bent all the way through, even the tips. Put an X-pipe in it if you can. Get some GOOD high-flowing mufflers (Magnaflows work really well if you like quiet and mild sounding). If you plan on doing ALL the basic bolt-on mods to the 440, go 3". Headers will REALLY wake up any 440, but not sure what fits this particular application, or even if the Hooker C-body headers fit. Hedman shorties might?
Go for the RPM intake, or the Holley Street Dominator (my low-comp 440's always like a 1" 4-hole spacer on top ov the SD, but i use Holley carbs). Dont waste your time with a non-RPM Performer or any other dual-plane. Get an open element air cleaner or modifying your stock one might even work better.
Put a Trans-Go stage 2 shift kit in the 727 (easy to do), and probably the biggest thing you can do to that barge... make SURE there is a 3.23 or lower (3.55?) gear and a Sure-Grip in the rear.
Better yet, do the above AND find a way to lose 500lbs from the thing. With cars that big and plush, its not hard. And thats without hacking, or losing basic options.
I've looked at those cars and thought the exact same thing. I like the big stuff. I'll own a 70 Imp someday. You can do a lot to a 440 without lifting the heads or rebuilding the engine. We got my buddies 73 Satellite PIG (4250lb race weight) going low 14's with only a 6-pack cam, 660 Holley vac-sec, K&N, 2 1/2" duals, stock manifolds (all 3) and a recurve. He had 2.7 gears. Ran like a dream. An RPM or SD intake, bigger/better exhaust, headers, bigger carb, and gears would have made a HUGE difference over that, and not affected driving quality one bit.
|
|
|
Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods
[Re: JoesMopar]
#690847
05/07/10 12:50 PM
05/07/10 12:50 PM
|
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,336
South-Central (Sebring), FL
Commando1
master
|
master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,336
South-Central (Sebring), FL
|
Quote:
Anyone ever mess with these?
Uh, yah >>>
Original smogulated 440's are ripe for a build.
Worked MH heads, Etreme cam, KB pistons, blah, blah, blah...
Swap out your 2.71's for 3.55's. Unbelievable wake up call for lugging 4700 lbs around.
Currently working on the logistics of swapping in a 5 speed Tremec. Ain't gonna be easy... 
OH!. One more important thing I almost forgot. The suspension won't take a 110 mph+ as-is. Too much orifice puckering sway that will stop your heart.
|
|
|
Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods
[Re: Commando1]
#690848
05/07/10 04:09 PM
05/07/10 04:09 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,164
Los Angeles, CA
JF_Moparts
super stock
|
super stock
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,164
Los Angeles, CA
|
Quote:
Currently working on the logistics of swapping in a 5 speed Tremec. Ain't gonna be easy...
OH!. One more important thing I almost forgot. The suspension won't take a 110 mph+ as-is. Too much orifice puckering sway that will stop your heart.
Yeah, I've never driven one of those, but the thought of hitting 110mph with all those rubber isolated suspension parts gives me the chills.
Jim
|
|
|
Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods
[Re: JF_Moparts]
#690849
05/07/10 04:27 PM
05/07/10 04:27 PM
|
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,336
South-Central (Sebring), FL
Commando1
master
|
master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,336
South-Central (Sebring), FL
|
Quote:
Yeah, I've never driven one of those, but the thought of hitting 110mph with all those rubber isolated suspension parts gives me the chills. Jim
I actully dreaded when that day would come. 
Any correlation between your steering wheel and and your tires is absolutely coincidental. That suspension today would put them out of business with lawsuits.
|
|
|
Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods
[Re: MTSI]
#690851
05/07/10 05:28 PM
05/07/10 05:28 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,826
Between Houston & Galveston TX
SattyNoCar
Smarter than no class Flappergass by a mile
|
Smarter than no class Flappergass by a mile
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,826
Between Houston & Galveston TX
|
I had a '77 (its 440 is in my wagon). Aside from engine, suspension mods, another thing to look at is weight. These things had the thick tar paper like stuff for sound deadener, and if it got at all wet, it was even heavier. I'm sure there are 'modern' sound deadeners that are lighter. On my '77, I pulled all this stuff out, and put the carpet back by itself, and my car literally sat almost a 1/2" higher.
As an aside, I parted mine out ONLY because it had been in a major wreck at some point in its life and it wasn't fixed correctly. The car looked straight, but, the wheel base was about 3/4" shorter on the drivers side, and the frame was badly tweeked. I still managed to drive it to Washington state and back before gutting it.
John
The dream is dead, long live the dream.......😥
|
|
|
Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods
[Re: JoesMopar]
#690853
05/07/10 08:13 PM
05/07/10 08:13 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,436
Blair County,PA
62maxwgn
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,436
Blair County,PA
|
Quote:
Anyone ever mess with these?
I've been wanting to find me a clean '74-'78 Imperial or New Yorker with a 440 to use as a nice cruiser. I was thinking some nice mods would be a mild, 260ish, Voodoo cam, 2 1/2 dual exhaust (with factory style outlets), MP electronic ignition and possibly swapping the intake for an aluminum Edelbrock stock style intake along with removing as many pollution and smog devices as possible. Basically, leave it stock looking, but add just a little more power to the smog 440. Not sure what rear gear came in these, but would like a 2.94-3.23 max.
Anybody ever done similar mods to these? How well does it perform? Would the power gain be noticeable without going with more compression, head swaps or bigger cam? Just curious what the basic mods I listed would benefit the big barge. Thanks
Went through the same thing 20yrs. ago with my 75 Imperial.To really make it work with a decent cam change,you're going to have to get the compression up,roughly 8.5 won't make it in a 5K lb car,believe me I know..
|
|
|
|
|
