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P code 400 cars. Let's see your car

Fm3 Dart

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The P code 400 4 barrel was the top engine for 75-78 2 door B bodies.
Pretty rare engine. Seems like most 400 4 barrel cars got the N code engine.

Lets discuss the P code option and show off some P code Mopars.
 
Agreed: Mine was a 400, 4 bbl, single exhaust. Dual exhaust got the smaller gas tank. Not sure why they offered the single exhaust. I finally did find a good muffler guy to bend tailpipes that didn't rattle around the bigger tank though. Mine had one Challenger exhaust tip from the factory which looked strange, The P-cars had dual Challenger exhaust tips. This photo is after I added the dual exhaust.

photo 4.JPG
 
The P code 400 4 barrel was the top engine for 75-78 2 door B bodies.
Pretty rare engine. Seems like most 400 4 barrel cars got the N code engine.

Lets discuss the P code option and show off some P code Mopars.
75 Runner, labeled for export too! It's a project.

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9-14-2009 motor 2.JPG
 
The P code 400 4 barrel was the top engine for 75-78 2 door B bodies.
Pretty rare engine. Seems like most 400 4 barrel cars got the N code engine.

Lets discuss the P code option and show off some P code Mopars.
78 Cordoba, leather, buckets, T-tops, towing package. When I first got it covered in road tar, then bfore and after getting rear-ended at 45 MPH.

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The P code 400 4 barrel was the top engine for 75-78 2 door B bodies.
Pretty rare engine. Seems like most 400 4 barrel cars got the N code engine.

Lets discuss the P code option and show off some P code Mopars.
72 SE Charger, buckets, console and a 4 speed pistol grip. Sold this many many years ago to buy the 75 Runner above.

1972 charger.JPG
 
I saved this P code Magnum from a slow death. I actually rescued it so the original owner family could get it back, which they did. I was somewhat rough on the edges, but ran pretty good. Had the original owners' decided to not buy it, I'd been happy to keep it.

Rosno Magnum.jpg
 
I saved this P code Magnum from a slow death. I actually rescued it so the original owner family could get it back, which they did. I was somewhat rough on the edges, but ran pretty good. Had the original owners' decided to not buy it, I'd been happy to keep it.

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Back in a 1978 magazine, there was a road test of a 400 Magnum, and they lamented about the slow acceleration. But they had a N code 400, and I think the 2.45 gears.
Now had they tested a P code car, with 3.23's, it would have been a lot quicker. Performance wasn't dead yet, you just had to order the good stuff
 
Is that a P code car? Looks like an N code engine
What? What on earth makes you think is an N code? If the HP pie plate wasn't still there it'd look the same if it was M, N or P in those pictures.
 
What? What on earth makes you think is an N code? If the HP pie plate wasn't still there it'd look the same if it was M, N or P in those pictures.
P code engines did not use a black single snorkel air cleaner. N codes did
 
What? What on earth makes you think is an N code? If the HP pie plate wasn't still there it'd look the same if it was M, N or P in those pictures.
It states it on the vin.
 
Back in a 1978 magazine, there was a road test of a 400 Magnum, and they lamented about the slow acceleration. But they had a N code 400, and I think the 2.45 gears.
Now had they tested a P code car, with 3.23's, it would have been a lot quicker. Performance wasn't dead yet, you just had to order the good stuff

As a younger person who was under 10 years old when these cars came out. Could someone school me on what was different between the N code and P code cars.
 
P code engines did not use a black single snorkel air cleaner. N codes did
That is true up until 74. 75 was a change to that (C-bodies might have got the dual snorkel for another year, but I've never had one so I can't say for sure). And as a car labeled for export normal rules do not apply,
 
As a younger person who was under 10 years old when these cars came out. Could someone school me on what was different between the N code and P code cars.
Lets start with this... The P code is the engine desiginator in the VIN. They were usually marketed and sold as the HP (High Performance) just like any HP 360, 440 etc. They didn't call them High Output, because the bare engine on an engine dyno was (depending on the year) nearly the same. The difference in performance happened else ware down stream.

Both P and N are 4BBL 400. for 75 through 78 the P code got better bearings, a better timing chain, different emissions. Depending on the source you read 75 still got the famed 383 Roadrunner cam that was used in HP 400 and HP 383 prior to that. Cams were all the same for 76 and up. HP motors (not only P) were given more performance buy a factory change to the shift pressures/point in the trans (automatic of course) and a steeper geared rear end. Horse power ratings were measured at the wheel, so gear ration made a noticeable difference. Dual exhaust was part of the package but that went away, but could be and was often added. The same can be said for a Sure-Grip differential. Other ancillary options (towing package, HD cooling, Max A/C, etc) could be ordered with HP motors at a better price than with a "normal" motor. There are a very few options that were not normally available with out an HP; high speed A/C cut out, wide open throttle kick-down block, maybe a few others but those are the ones I know of. And those were usually on Police vehicles anyway.

There weren't too many people buying HP cars the way the did in the late 60's and early 70's, with just options for going fast. This era was saddled with government intervention so a HP car was a way to gain back some of what the government had taken away. Plus the nice things like A/C, fluffy interiors, better suspension, brakes, etc. all to make your commute easier were often added to the HP under the hood making it hard to tell if it was the engine option or something else that added things on the assembly line.

If you knew how to check the option list you could build a non-HP car that would perform as good or better than a HP version.

So in all reality there wasn't too much different when looking at components, but added all together as a package the difference was there.
 
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