Who sells the big block A body exhaust manifold?

I'm about fed up with trying to get my 4 speed car to work with headers so I'm thinking of getting the cast iron manifolds but can't seem to find any for sale. I thought they were being reproduced, anyone know where they can be found? THANX. It's a factory '69 383 'Cuda. Someone told me the C body driver's side would work, any truth to that?

They are not being reproduced as far as I know so used is the only current source. The C body drivers side is similar to to the A body manifold (they look identical in design when looking down from the top) and would probably be a better choice as it does not have the restrictive downpipe jog that the A body has. I have put one on a head in my 383 Dart and it will take a little creative work making a pipe to clear the steering column but it should work, my car is manual steering so I can't say how it would be with a power steering box, though I know that the A body manifold also has an indent cast into the # 3 tube to clear power steering that the C body does not have.

I have a set that have been ported by one of the original FAST series racers , Greg Gessler RIP , the one thing he didn't do was take out that divot before the manifolds were jet hot coated, he did address some of the restriction at the output flange. As far as the right side goes a standard 68-69 B body should be fine , it just doesn't have the long down tube so your headpipes will have to be custom , which is pretty much the case anyways as I don't think anyone makes headpipes. I had the 2.5" headpipes I have made custom, they are mandrel bent, cost me about $900 for my hybrid system with TTi tailpipes back in 06 .

The Body is said to also work but I think the steering column tube needs to be cut back flush to the firewall?

If I have the chance I'll try to post pictures of them all tonight .

Maybe you can research this part number to see if they may work for you Same seller has RH and LH

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235415102447?

I have a set of 67 383 A-Body manifolds for $1500 but you need the correct drivers side 69 manifold 729. Sold two sets of those last year for $1800 and $2000 each. The passenger side is the same all three years. The passenger sides are getting hard to find as a lot of them are cracking...

I know where a set is here in W. Md. 729 casting number on drivers side. $2000.

I've got a C body HP left side and a '69 B body HP left side and they both look like the down pipe will run right into the Z bar.

I didn't think there was a difference with the '69 left side and the '67 & '68?

I thought the left was 67 and 68-69?

This is not the HP manifold , that's the 350HP 440 and 383 -2bbl

I don't remember if my Z bar was in place at the time , but I believe it was.

This is the C body manifold I have. (pic)

If you compare it to the picture Rhino posted above it's easy to see the difference , bending a headpipe to clear the steering is the issue, I had thoughts of angle milling the head flange some to tip the manifold toward the motor .

I think it was accurate that that made the repop of sorts using that manifold , cutting off the flange and welding a pipe to send it to the rear , TTi had a 4 speed Z bar to help header clearance , I have one of those too.

Thanks for the help John, do you know if that z bar will work with the '68 B body HP manifold? I bought the Wilwood hydraulic clutch conversion kit thinking I could use it but, the instructions state the connection on the clutch pedal can be no lower than 3 " below the pivot point, there's no way to get the master cylinder high enough on the firewall to do that. I guess it's designed for an E and B body car, not an A body.

B body manifolds will fit fine. Just have to trim the steering column outer sleeve.

I used b-body hp manifolds on my 70 Duster with a 440. Just trimmed the steering column outer sleeve like R/T1968R/T said. I had no problem whatsoever. Should have more space with a low deck engine.

Automatic or 4 speed ?

I'm going to ASSuME that if the factory could have used the B body manifold they would have , cheaper than tooling up a new casting.

It looks like your steering column is already trimmed back ? I see your firewall has been adjusted for clearance of something

I didn't try dropping a B body manifold in there while I was mocking up different things because I had the A body and C body manifolds available.

Yes, I shortened it for the headers but with the headers I'm having a hard time getting all the 4 speed linkages in place.

4 speed or auto? I tried the b body manifold and the downpipe runs right into the z bar, dead center.

I'm going to guess the green car is an automatic as I see in one picture a big red cable going thru the clutch rod hole.

If that's the case with your car G340 then that would explain why Chrysler didn't use the B body manifold. The TTi Z bar just kicks the one of the bars that connects to the linkages off to one side further , I think it's the one back to the clutch fork , it doesn't change anything with the tube going between the inner fender and the bell.

I think the C body is going to be your best bet , unless you want to spend money on Rhinos manifolds, but the engine will be better off in the car to figure out that headpipe routing.

Have it angle milled for outlet to tuck more to block then remove the outlet, weld in a 2-1/2” pipe with a flange. Accurate made one like that a few years back, worked nice. Might need a shield over factory starter.

I just sold my Accurate manifold for $1000 last year as I was never going to use it. Not sure if I have a picture of it available... Edit:: found a picture...

Mike you can make that with what you already have...

I wish someone had a pic with that manifold in relation to where it would dump out at the Z BAR! This is the main problem, it may fit an automatic car but what about a 4 speed car?

I don't know if any of these photos will be of help or show what you need? This is my friend's M-Code 440 Dart that I have a lot of photos of but not exactly of what you may need? I'll include what I also have of the passenger's side exhaust manifold. Photo 4788 deliberately over exposed to show more down there.

Mike

Some more of the driver's side and the right/passenger's side.

Hope this helps?
Mike

A search came up with this page, it has a fair amount of pics and some info.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160804054936/http://www.bigblockdart.com/techpages/HPman.shtml

Another pic of the Accurate manifold for the drivers side.
It's shown at the bottom of that page.

Which one(s) of these Is an original big block OEM exhaust manifold for the driver's side?

They all are. The top one is the 017 M-Code 440 manifold, can't tell which year the middle picture is due to the angle but it is a 383 A-Body manifold, the bottom one is the 729 68-69 383 manifold.

I had that manifold on my 4-speed 69 GTS 383 and the bell crank cleared just fine.

Middle one appears to not have the #3 pipe indent so that would make it the 67 ?

If you're thinking of making it from your C body manifold you can position that pipe where every you'd want it to clear

I had the same problem, went to a set of schumacher creative services headers that way to avoid the $$$ money hounds ! PS or not 4 speed or auto ........... hello brother Frank

If you are doing a street machine no problem, but if you want a restoration then you have to buy the right parts. I have had quite a few big block A-Body's with hacked exhaust systems, no thanks!

I snapped a couple pics of my modded manifold

Thanks for all the replies and pics. All the manifolds I tried dump right into the Z bar so I decided to go with the Wilwood/McLeod hydraulic clutch conversion. Not a direct bolt in kit, had to make a 35 degree firewall adapter to get the rod to line up with the clutch pedal attachment point. Looks like I'll be using the headers after all. The seller of the kit claimed I would have to cut up my firewall to get the master cylinder to line up with the pedal. I told them I wasn't hacking up my firewall, plus there was no way to mount it where it needed to be as it would run into either the brake master cylinder or the steering column mount at the firewall. They said they were actually made for Ford & Chevy vehicles and they weren't familiar with the kit installed on a Mopar A body and really couldn't give any recommendations on how to get it to work. I'll get a pic tomorrow on how I got it to line up.

Here's the hydraulic throwout bearing being used. Need to add this, the directions say to have the bell attached to the engine and feed the trans with the throwout bearing with the hoses hooked to it through the hole in the bell. Well, they obviously have never tried this as the hydraulic throwout bearing with the hoses attached are bigger than the bell bearing retainer hole and will NOT go together like that. I had to remove the bell from the engine and angle it one way then another to get it to wiggle through, with the hoses OFF the throwout bearing.. So in reality, you have to have the bell hooked to the trans, then hook the hoses up and place them through the side of the bell to get it right. This would be a total PITA if done under the car.

Only difference in the 370 bellhousing to the 372 they used in the big block A-Body's was the hole for the clutch rod spring was missing on the 370 as far as I can tell...

There's a pair of BB manifolds listed in the A body for sale section.

Thanx but I took care of the whole problem with the Hydraulic clutch conversion kit. Now I can use the headers with my 4 speed and no worries about any of the clutch linkage being in the way.

What version of headers are those?

They're Hedman headers, Big Block Dart recommended. I had them ceramic coated.

Getting it all buttoned up.