Small Block vs Big Block 68 Charger

[Evoking]

Hey guys,

I am at a crossroads. Trying to decide whether I should pull the trigger on a new engine/tranny for my 68. My question is a combo of fun, bang for buck and resale - not that I plan to sell any time soon.

Originally a 318 car with power steering and brakes. I bought it with a 360 that seems stock. Not sure if it was a crate motor or what. I added Wilwood discs all around.

I want more power. Though I won't be tracking it. This is a weekend Cruiser and with family. Call me crazy but it seems any B body Charger worth its salt should be a big block no? So I began looking at Indy and Blueprint. I also plan to add A/C.

So here are my options:

1) Blueprint 493 $8500, built 727 trans $1500, all other parts, installation and Vintage Air for a total of $19k. http://www.blueprintengines.com/ind...493-main/item/chrysler-493-dressed-bpc4931ctc

2) Indy Racing 500" Wedge $10,150. All the rest the same for $20,700
http://www.indyheads.com/bbengines.html

Adding a Tremec 5spd instead of built 727 would be an additional $2k total over each option.

Here are my questions...

1) Which of these two do you think is the better buy and why?

2) Do you think replacing the 360 with an engine like the above is worth $20k more than equivalent 360 car? I suppose I could stroke the 360 and add A/C for a total of $6k and be up $14k. But I suspect the BB car would be worth $14k+ more plus offer far better performance! Any other recommendations?

3) would a 4spd or 5spd help or hurt the value of a tastefully modded car like this? Yes I am building the car for ME. But I can appreciate both. Rowing the gears is great fun. But so is being able to chill/cruise with wife and kid in an auto.

 

[Zeppelin264]

Its a 318 car. Big Block time!

Cope RMVB 727, best of both worlds.

 

[PP1RT]

Mild build on a big block. Keep the automatic.

Just my little opinion on bang for the buck. Going over the top will rarely payoff if thats what your interested in. Easy to build a 500 hp big block that is reliable.

 

[69Coronetrt]

"This is a weekend Cruiser and with family"

Not with any of the combinations you posted.....

"would a 4spd or 5spd help or hurt the value of a tastefully modded car like this? Yes I am building the car for ME. But I can appreciate both. Rowing the gears is great fun. But so is being able to chill/cruise with wife and kid in an auto."

I think you really need to determine what you want this car to be and to do before you go spending a lot of money. That's a shitload of time and money to wrap up in a Saturday night DQ car that may not be that enjoyable to drive.

Remember, what ever you build for YOU will have little interest for someone else later.

 

[funknut]

If you want good power with something a bit different, you could turbo what you have and make 500+ hp with much less invested.

If cost is not a major factor, or you just want big power with a lopey cam, you will need more cubes.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Throw all the money you want at it. It only going to be worth what the next owners willing to spend.
Also the money spent does not make the car more valuable dollar for dollar.

 

[mopar 3 B]

You have been through this before. Decision time and its your dime.
To many changes have all ready been made to the car to expect a realistic return.

 

[HT413]

I don't think you'll get the full $20k investment back in AC / big block / etc, but I'd say you'll get north of half of that. Big block is a good investment, just not normally 1:1 return unless you build it yourself.

Those strokers you posted to WAY beyond a family cruiser.... but FUN! Honestly, a stockish 440 with cam and intake will be quite a bruiser.

 

[Evoking]

I don't think you'll get the full $20k investment back in AC / big block / etc, but I'd say you'll get north of half of that. Big block is a good investment, just not normally 1:1 return unless you build it yourself.

Those strokers you posted to WAY beyond a family cruiser.... but FUN! Honestly, a stockish 440 with cam and intake will be quite a bruiser.

I too was wondering whether how an old platform with so-so Wilwood brakes would handle 600 hp; and thought it could be overkill. The other toy is an Italian with 600hp - so I don't need to set speed records with the Charger! Just want to be pinned to the seat, sound good and look good! will talk to my builder and explore other options to see what they look like. the other question is wouldn't even a stock-ish 440 with cam and perhaps heads be not far off in price from the $8500 fully built and warranted Blueprint engine? Any recommendations besides Ebay?

 

[Zeppelin264]

In comparison for the price of the motors. I had the long block already, and spent roughly 4,500$ in machining, balancing and everything else on the top end, plus a carb/intake etc... I built the motor myself. So just in hard parts I'd guess you would be in it like 5,000-6,500$ before any labor to build it. I'd personally find a local builder and let them build you something.

 

[the mississippi madman]

Both would be cool but since you already have a 360 I say stroke it to a 408, fuel inj, tremec.
If you are building the car for you, do what you like and don't worry about the value. Make your car

 

[Evoking]

Both would be cool but since you already have a 360 I say stroke it to a 408, fuel inj, tremec.
If you are building the car for you, do what you like and don't worry about the value. Make your car

I am warming to the idea of stoker kit. Perhaps a 426 or 441 kit from Hughes which is $2700. I am thinking with $2k in labor I could add an aluminum head and AC and be under $10k with close to 500hp. Sure it's 100hp less but that's also a $10k savings over going with new big block!

 

[69roadr]

Just put a 440 blown motor in it and call it a day

 

[Sweet5ltr]

Hey guys,

I am at a crossroads. Trying to decide whether I should pull the trigger on a new engine/tranny for my 68. My question is a combo of fun, bang for buck and resale - not that I plan to sell any time soon.

Originally a 318 car with power steering and brakes. I bought it with a 360 that seems stock. Not sure if it was a crate motor or what. I added Wilwood discs all around.

I want more power. Though I won't be tracking it. This is a weekend Cruiser and with family. Call me crazy but it seems any B body Charger worth its salt should be a big block no? So I began looking at Indy and Blueprint. I also plan to add A/C.

So here are my options:

1) Blueprint 493 $8500, built 727 trans $1500, all other parts, installation and Vintage Air for a total of $19k. http://www.blueprintengines.com/ind...493-main/item/chrysler-493-dressed-bpc4931ctc

2) Indy Racing 500" Wedge $10,150. All the rest the same for $20,700
http://www.indyheads.com/bbengines.html

Adding a Tremec 5spd instead of built 727 would be an additional $2k total over each option.

Here are my questions...

1) Which of these two do you think is the better buy and why?

2) Do you think replacing the 360 with an engine like the above is worth $20k more than equivalent 360 car? I suppose I could stroke the 360 and add A/C for a total of $6k and be up $14k. But I suspect the BB car would be worth $14k+ more plus offer far better performance! Any other recommendations?

3) would a 4spd or 5spd help or hurt the value of a tastefully modded car like this? Yes I am building the car for ME. But I can appreciate both. Rowing the gears is great fun. But so is being able to chill/cruise with wife and kid in an auto.

Love that you're going over your options. Have you considered a GEN III Hemi? SRT-8 donor 6.1 + Arrington Hemi stroker short block @ 426ci (F/I) or 440ci (N/A) would make IMHO a far better power plant than any above. Run a SB 727 trans with adapter. Honestly, unless I went to a 400 low-deck after my turbo build, that is the route I would have went personally. Very easy to have a high return on investment by going to a GEN III Hemi over the others above.

 

[Lionized]

I am warming to the idea of stoker kit. Perhaps a 426 or 441 kit from Hughes which is $2700. I am thinking with $2k in labor I could add an aluminum head and AC and be under $10k with close to 500hp. Sure it's 100hp less but that's also a $10k savings over going with new big block!

...don't forget a supercharger.

 

[Evoking]

Love that you're going over your options. Have you considered a GEN III Hemi? SRT-8 donor 6.1 + Arrington Hemi stroker short block @ 426ci (F/I) or 440ci (N/A) would make IMHO a far better power plant than any above. Run a SB 727 trans with adapter. Honestly, unless I went to a 400 low-deck after my turbo build, that is the route I would have went personally. Very easy to have a high return on investment by going to a GEN III Hemi over the others above.

I love this idea. However, all of the Gen III conversions I have seen are with the modern tranny - which requires all sorts of hacking to the tunnel. I also thought there was a ton of electronics to sort. I wanted something more straightforward. Has anyone bolted the Gen III to a 727? Also is there a straightforward solution to electronics? Lastly, I wonder if a Gen III Hemi would feel like a conflict in character. Meaning no more mean lopey sound!

 

[BeeKool]

Money pit!
Although a gorgeous one.

 

[Bruzilla]

"This is a weekend Cruiser and with family"

Not with any of the combinations you posted.....

I don't know that I would agree with that. I can't speak for everyone, but I damn sure like the panache a big block brings to a car. I love taking my car out for some mundane grocery run and having every human with an extra X chromosome, and many without, looking at my car and thinking how lucky I am. I also like having folks come up and asking "Does it really have a 440 in it?" and opening the hood to show it off and quickly drawing a crowd who knows little about engines but will make the effort to run across the parking lot to see what really exists under the hood of a muscle car.

My view is cruising is a lot more than opening the car up at a strip. It's also being able to lay a nice strip of rubber when the police aren't looking. It's about making the doofus in the 2015 Camaro next to you regret his buying choices. It's about knowing you've got the baddest ride out there in most places. This is why I always put 440s in my cars even though they'll never see a strip.

 

[beanhead]

Nothing cooler than a big block muscle car. These days anything can make horsepower out of dollars but IMO it's hard to beat the caché of a big block mopar..for me it's not always the end hp number but how you get there...good example there's a guy around that procharged a new challenger, I'm sure it's fast but no one cares....sometimes I can't get away from people wanting to compliment my needs-paint-no-carpet hunk o' steel...

 

[6290988]

Check this company out also. Or find an old 440 engine on Craigslist. Get a local engine/machine shop to do the lower. Buy the parts and bolt together.


Prices aren't bad and the company has been around for a long time.
http://www.cmengines.com/Engines/Dy...erformanceCrateEngines/tabid/117/Default.aspx