'74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods

Posted By: JoesMopar

'74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 05:51 AM

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

Posted By: Pale_Roader

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 12:06 PM

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.

Posted By: JoesMopar

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 01:27 PM

Cool, thanks for the info. It would be cool to have one of those that still looked original, but pulled nicely when you got on it. Now I just need to find a clean one...

I'd like to find one like in this ad...

Attached picture 5968857-1977_20Chrysler_20NewYorker_20Braugham1_1_.jpg

Attached picture 5968857-1977_20Chrysler_20NewYorker_20Braugham1_1_.jpg

Posted By: QuickDodge

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 01:57 PM

It might be a good plan to put a 518 transmission in a car like this. An overdrive transmission would allow lower rear gears which would improve performance AND still have the ability to cruise at a moderate to low RPM on the highway.

These cars are very nice riding highway cruisers. There are some aftermarket suspension parts available now to improve the handling.

If fuel mileage is a concern swapping in a smaller engine is an option. Many 5,000+ pound trucks have been built with a 360 under the hood. A stock magnum 360 has a little bit more horsepower than some of the later 1970's 440's.

Posted By: Commando1

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 04:50 PM

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.

Posted By: JF_Moparts

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 08:09 PM

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

Posted By: Commando1

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 08:27 PM

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.

Posted By: MTSI

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 08:30 PM

I had a 1974 New Yorker Brougham with a 440. I miss that car. Minnesota was tough on her. You can find em though.

Posted By: SattyNoCar

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 09:28 PM

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.

Posted By: PowerWagonDude

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/07/10 10:55 PM

years ago I bought my wife a 74 New Yorker wagon. What a sled. When the single muffler rotted and fell off on the freeway it ran alot better. It sounded pretty cool too.

Posted By: 62maxwgn

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/08/10 12:13 AM

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..

Attached picture 5969831-Imperial.jpg

Posted By: 69L78Nova

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/08/10 05:00 AM

Quote:

but the thought of hitting 110mph with all those rubber isolated suspension parts gives me the chills.

Ive hit 140+ in my Fury, with stock suspension

Posted By: Commando1

Re: '74-'78 Imperial/New Yorker mods - 05/08/10 12:03 PM

Quote:

Ive hit 140+ in my Fury, with stock suspension

Except that your 78 Fury is a B-body. No comparison to the wallowing whales.