Feedback on my combo.

[Gunner1]

She's my first 440 and my retirement car. It is mostly for cruise nights and once in a while a blast down our local 1/8th mile strip.
1963 Polara H/t No Power acc. I believe it is a 3.23 in the 8 3/4 open. Block is a .030 76 motor home block with an uncut deck. Forged 2355 Flat tops with valve reliefs. I only looked thru the spark plug hole to verify and appear to be about .020 down the hole. Now parts I've bought. Isky 292 Mega cam. Same specs as Mopar 509 cam. Heads are CNC ported Stealths Up graded with 11 degree locks, keepers and dual spring package with 80cc chambers. Fel Pro .039 head gaskets. Performer RPM which I will deep port with a Holley 750 DP. Headers will be 1 7/8 . MSD Billet with 6AL2 box. This is a 98% street car and not going to get caged. I have split leafs with CalTrac bars on stock shocks so far. I'm on a fixed income so I cant throw money at it like I use to. And now I have to pay people 190 an hour to do what I use to charge 50 to do my self. Such is life in LA.

 

[Dodge 330]

She's my first 440 and my retirement car. It is mostly for cruise nights and once in a while a blast down our local 1/8th mile strip.
1963 Polara H/t No Power acc. I believe it is a 3.23 in the 8 3/4 open. Block is a .030 76 motor home block with an uncut deck. Forged 2355 Flat tops with valve reliefs. I only looked thru the spark plug hole to verify and appear to be about .020 down the hole. Now parts I've bought. Isky 292 Mega cam. Same specs as Mopar 509 cam. Heads are CNC ported Stealths Up graded with 11 degree locks, keepers and dual spring package with 80cc chambers. Fel Pro .039 head gaskets. Performer RPM which I will deep port with a Holley 750 DP. Headers will be 1 7/8 . MSD Billet with 6AL2 box. This is a 98% street car and not going to get caged. I have split leafs with CalTrac bars on stock shocks so far. I'm on a fixed income so I cant throw money at it like I use to. And now I have to pay people 190 an hour to do what I use to charge 50 to do my self. Such is life in LA.

View attachment 1362993

Very cool! Would recommend getting some adjustable shocks. The Calverts 9 positions work pretty well on the back along with some CE 3 position adjustable up front. Shocks make a WORLD of difference.

 

[RemCharger]

Should be pretty strong! Might be able to get the whole 660' in first gear! My 383 with short tires would just click into 3rd at the stripe around 100mph. In the quarter obviously

 

[dvw]

With the low compression and 3.23 gear you might be better off with a smaller cam. Now if it gets a gear? I'd probally still think of running the 509 in early. It looks like you are on the right path to fun.
Doug

 

[GrabberOrange69]

Love the car!

Im a big fan of compression in a closed chamber, quench situation. When you have the heads off, I recommend doing the math and attempt to achieve 10 to 1, maybe up to 10.5 to 1 with head milling and gaskets.

Heres a link to some thin, high quality gaskets from Cometic: RB head gaskets

Rule of thumb at 440 cubes is 40HP for every point of compression.

 

[Gunner1]

With the low compression and 3.23 gear you might be better off with a smaller cam. Now if it gets a gear? I'd probally still think of running the 509 in early. It looks like you are on the right path to fun.
Doug

3.91 and a locker are in the plans for later. It has a 3000 stall in it right now.

 

[Gunner1]

Love the car!

Im a big fan of compression in a closed chamber, quench situation. When you have the heads off, I recommend doing the math and attempt to achieve 10 to 1, maybe up to 10.5 to 1 with head milling and gaskets.

Heres a link to some thin, high quality gaskets from Cometic: RB head gaskets

Rule of thumb at 440 cubes is 40HP for every point of compression.

The Wallace Racing calc says it should be about 10 to 10.2 depending on how far down the hole my pistons end up. I agree on quench. My small block 400 chev's I shot for a 0 to .007 positive with a .039 gasket and a 64 cc head. Ive run as tight as .028 on motors with really good rods. Makes for a real active chamber. The 440 threw me as they almost never have quench. I'm slowly trying to absorb all i can.

 

[66Satellite47]

If you want a cruiser not a drag car, the 3.23 or a 3.55 is a good gear choice. A 3.91 may be bit much on the freeway. If just around town 3.91 would be pretty good. Even my 4.10's are fine accept at 65-70 MPH on the highway.

 

[fourgearsavoy]

I ran a 509 in a 78 smogger 440 with a 4 speed and a 355 rear. I got it down to 12.20's and it was a very fun car to drive to the track and make a few passes. I used a Torker II and a 3310 vac secondary Holley. Your combo may even be faster with the better heads.
Good luck and have fun.

Gus

 

[biomedtechguy]

If you drive on the highway, don't go beyond 3.55 or stay at 3.23 and get power to both tires. That open rear gear is killing your 1/8th mile times.

 

[ckessel]

It would be a good idea to do the usual structure upgrades to stop the upcoming body twist when accelerating. Frame connectors, torque boxes etc.

 

[Gunner1]

It would be a good idea to do the usual structure upgrades to stop the upcoming body twist when accelerating. Frame connectors, torque boxes etc.

LOL I forgot the frame connectors. Have to see if there is enough floor left to weld them to. She's a crusty rusty old lady. But I think she still has a few dances left in her. I may decide to just put in a flat sheet metal floor and race car this thing. Finding, buying and shipping floor pans in is expensive, then the labor to do the swap. Not worth is on a car with rust in the A pillars and window frames.

 

[Dodge 330]

LOL I forgot the frame connectors. Have to see if there is enough floor left to weld them to. She's a crusty rusty old lady. But I think she still has a few dances left in her. I may decide to just put in a flat sheet metal floor and race car this thing. Finding, buying and shipping floor pans in is expensive, then the labor to do the swap. Not worth is on a car with rust in the A pillars and window frames.

Not too tough if you do 2x2 square tubing, cut open the front of the rear framerail and slip it in a bit before welding in place. Both the rear frame and the torsion bar crossmember are much thicker than floorpans and should be easy to get good metal to weld to. If not, I would re-think putting that much power in the car before it's structurally sound.

 

[Budnicks]

Cool combo sounds like it fits your needs, objective

have fun, enjoy it
that's what it's all about

 

[Runcharger]

1/8 mile? I think your combo sounds pretty good with the convertor, heads, cam and medium compression. If it was mine I would buy another center section with 4.56 or 4.88. That way you aren't compromising highway driving with the 3.23 or the 1/8 mile dig with the strip gears.

 

[Gunner1]

1/8 mile? I think your combo sounds pretty good with the convertor, heads, cam and medium compression. If it was mine I would buy another center section with 4.56 or 4.88. That way you aren't compromising highway driving with the 3.23 or the 1/8 mile dig with the strip gears.

Problem is I now live in a senior community with no garages. And no place to work on stuff. Everything is gonna be a compromise.

 

[66Satellite47]

No garage for a car like that, wow. CalTracs with no structural improvements??

 

[Gunner1]

Not yet. We are a gated community with roving security. We've had only 2 car thefts in the 15 years I've been here. Now bicycles and potted plants, those are fair game.

 

[biomedtechguy]

bicycles and potted plants, those are fair game.

Pot plants??

 

[ckessel]

Old Hippies. Have some neighbors like that.