318 is it worth it?

[macsdaddy]

Hi, I am in the early planning stages of a resto on my 73.  It is a numbers car but the block on the 318 is cracked.  I have done some reading on the site that leads me to belive its probably best to crate the 318 and start fresh.  Without being too far over the top is it realistic to repair this motor and build it up  to get as much HP as I can afford? or is the block going to cause a problem down the line?  If you want to see a picture of the crack look in the Newb posts, I have one posted there.

[71chally416]

Coat it with some heavy grease and stick it in the corner. If you sell it you can throw it in with the car in case you have to deal with some anal buyer who thinks a 1 of 5,000,000 318's (probably more than that) is special because of a number stamped on it, even if it's cracked. Investing money in a 36YO block is very unwise.

[mikerallye]

I pulled a good running original 318 from my 73 challenger and it still sits in the corner of my barn waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting.....    Sell it for scrap, the price is up now.   

[Chryco Psycho]

no Question , don`t waste $$ on a cracked block , it will cost the same to build virtually any engine , + or Minus changing from small block to big block so build what you want & keep the #s block for if or when you sell the car down the road

[Challenger6pak]

I would just store the engine in the corner somewhere. You only have 1 original block.

[Super Blue 72]

  I agree with everyone.  Stash it in the corner so if one day you want to sell it, you can include it with the sale.  If you plan on just keeping the car and enjoying it, the #'s matching thing isn't going to do much for you any way in terms of value of the car since you aren't selling it.  Not to be a downer  but a #'s matching '73 Challenger with a 318 isn't going to fetch you much more $$$ than a non-#'s matching '73 Challenger with a 318, IMO.  A little more, but not much more. 

Like 71chally416, go with a 360.  It'll bolt in with out mods (as opposed to a big block) and are easier to find that a 340 (and costs much less).  You can find 318s pretty easily for low cost but while you're at it might as well increase the cubes to have some more fun.  Costs will be about the same to do the mods to a 318 vs. 360 but you'll have more cubes on your side.    Have fun! 

[macsdaddy]

Thanks for all of the input, I was thinking that was going to be the way to go.  I was thinking that a (not so rare) car built to have a little more fun would fetch more if and when the time came to sell.  Oh and sorry for the typo above, the car is a 74

[macsdaddy]

So, is the Small Block to Big Block a huge ordeal or a simple matter of new brackets?

[Super Blue 72]

So, is the Small Block to Big Block a huge ordeal or a simple matter of new brackets?

Since it's a '74 the 360 makes even more sense as they came with 360's that year! 

sb to bb:  Help me out here guys....

motor mounts
bb engine (duh...)
bb tranny (727 bb)
radiator
possible torsion bars/rear leafs depending on your driving style
wiring to distributor (sb dist in rear, bb in front)
tires, wider tires.... 

[macsdaddy]

I was planning on a nicer suspension all around anyway, probably should go to all disks instead of front only?  I read in another swap post that I will possibly need to look at a different rearend also?  Power steering too?  I am sure there is tons pof other stuff too.   I am not looking to do a street racer but the ability to smoke em when its needed would be nice.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Since it's a '74 the 360 makes even more sense as they came with 360's that year! 

sb to bb:  Help me out here guys....

motor mounts
bb engine (duh...)
bb tranny (727 bb)
radiator
possible torsion bars/rear leafs depending on your driving style
wiring to distributor (sb dist in rear, bb in front)
tires, wider tires.... 

You did well.     A different drive shaft too if we are switching from a 904 to a 727.



   Mike

[Bills70]

Since it's a '74 the 360 makes even more sense as they came with 360's that year! 

sb to bb:  Help me out here guys....

motor mounts
bb engine (duh...)
bb tranny (727 bb)
radiator
possible torsion bars/rear leafs depending on your driving style
wiring to distributor (sb dist in rear, bb in front)
tires, wider tires.... 

Doesn't he need a different "k" frame too? I think the BB "k" frames are different from the small block ones aren't they?? or is that just the 6 cyclinder ones?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Doesn't he need a different "k" frame too? I think the BB "k" frames are different from the small block ones aren't they?? or is that just the 6 cyclinder ones?

...It's the 6 cylinder and Hemi K-frames that are different.

[hemiken]

...It's the 6 cylinder and Hemi K-frames that are different.

MEK is totally correct

[MEK-Dangerfield]

MEK is totally correct

That doesn't happen often, does it??