Red63440
Well-Known Member
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A cam swap would help! A 484 274 hydraulic Purple Stripe will give you some lope at idle! If it's a 2bbl engine it might have the open chamber low compression heads! If you want to get into it a little deeper I'd change to a pair of 516 casting heads That will boost your comp. but still use low lead gas! Also get an alum. 4 bbl intake dual plane style!At 70 I am way beyond wanting to race, just want to cruise now. Probably shouldn't even be concerned but the kid in me needs to tinker but not go crazy. Dad, A big 500 CFM Holley 2 barrel may also work but I would think that the intake wouldn't flow well at all even if you reworked it so another option may be a Lokar throttle linkage system.
Did this last year. Exactly the same thing. I ultimately built a 426 wedge and put that in but I woke up the 361 in the mean time.
I wanted it to look original so I put on a year correct 383 4bbl intake and a ‘63 AFB, still fit the factory air cleaner that way. Swapped out the cam for a magnum / roadrunner (valve springs too of course). These can all be had from Rock Auto for dirt cheap. New timing chain while I was at it. This all helped quite a bit. I bent up a new downshift bracket that did the job and wasn’t too ugly.
As I said I changed direction after that. I have the carb and intake and bracket kicking around if you’re interested.
Nate, with what you did to it how much do you think you gained?
The 64 361 was/is 9.0 compression and was the lowest horsepower 361 at 265 with the two barrel intake and carb. Dual exhaust was installed with Flow Masters and the gear ratio was increased to 3.55 open rear end. A factory or aluminum 383 intake with a small 4 barrel would look fine, the interesting part is that the PO sent me the original air cleaner which has dual round snorkels instead of the normal single snorkel. I have found a set of factory 361 valve covers and there is also an electronic ignition system with the orange box installed.
I just turned 74 yo ( had a mild stroke a few years ago ) so at 70yo, you're just a kid. What I can't do myself, anymore, I farm out with the understanding that I know what's going into it. (440 backed by a 727 ) I've added an MSD ' plug and play ' billet distributor, a Quick Fuel"Brawler" 750 carb, electric fan behind a BeCool radiator... and had a local shop with a lot of experience redo the rear suspension with 440-Hemi springs ( 6-drv, 7pass) new front spring mounts, etc. and Cal Tracs. It also has 3" exhaust front-to-back, with Granatelli electric cutouts. Regardless how many Challengers, Mustangs, Camaros at a cruise night, still wakes everyone up ! Keep playing...At 70 I am way beyond wanting to race, just want to cruise now. Probably shouldn't even be concerned but the kid in me needs to tinker but not go crazy. Dad, A big 500 CFM Holley 2 barrel may also work but I would think that the intake wouldn't flow well at all even if you reworked it so another option may be a Lokar throttle linkage system.