74 Challenger driver

[femtnmax]

I've been slowly buying parts for the last 3 years.  Car was 318, auto, 2.73 gears, dark green metallic, with a cheap plum crazy repaint.  Rear quarters are rusted, as is above rear window. 
Plan is to install 360 (not stroker), 4 speed, 3.23 sure grip in 742 case.  Dynosim suggests engine should produce about 450 hp @ 6000, and 470 tq @ 4500 rpm; which is close to the old 440 specs.    I used to have a 68 GTX and later a 340 Duster, so I'm thinking the  360 could be the best of both worlds.
Started the body work.  I'm removing all the purple, and leaving the factory paint if its in good condition.  I'll be adding torque boxes and weld in sub frame connectors.
Wife likes panther pink, I'm leaning toward alpine white cause I remember watching VP at the old drive-ins back in the 70's.  It's not a fancy build, but should be a good runner when its done.   Last summer a friend drove his 66 GTO from here in Montana to his home in Palmer Alaska.  I thought of driving the challenger up the alcan highway. Would be a great road trip, just wouldn't go 100 mph everywhere like I did in the 340 Duster.

[426HEMI]

Hey Phil,

Looks good to this point!  Sounds like a plan for sure. Going to put a 360 in mine for now also.  Gordon

[Chlngrcrzy]

Great looking project you have there. Keep us informed, as i would like to see how the white looks, as well as how you build your 360, as i am undecided on my paint and engine combo. 

[wagesofsin]

appears you've got a solid builder there.

cant wait to see the white, thats what im goin with as well. do you have a rallye hood?

gonna flat black the hood? i am.

john

[femtnmax]

Here's a couple of progress pics.  Getting the base metal ready so the rolling chassis can go to the paint shop.
Engine build is 360 LA block bored 0.03 over.  KB flat top pistons, Edel magnum cyl heads, Edel rpm air gap dual plane intake, Hooker super comp headers, Lunati Voodoo custom cam with lobes int/exh VH44/VH45 for 271/279 duration, 226/234 at 0.05, .559/.547 lift using 1.7/1.6 rocker ratio.  The cam cost $200 including S&H, and was at the door in about 1 week.  Using thermoquad carb from a 360 cop car.
The pushrod guide holes in the heads have to be modified to fit the newer magnum head to older (shorter lifter height) flat tappet block.  Using a magnum roller cam block avoids all this.  The heads have smaller (58cc??) combustion chambers, but when you unshroud the valves, the chamber volume grows to 64cc if I remember right.  I'll look for my notes, not finding them right off hand.  I'm widening the pushrod guide pinch in the intake ports, and will be fitting brass tubes as I have seen done in a couple articles.  I've made molds of the ports, and will share the info when I get back to work on the engine.  I squared and decked the block for pistons at or a little above the deck for quench clearance under 0.040 inch. I''l have more info when I find my notes.  Tagged, bagged, and built shelves for all the parts.
Rough measurements showed a stock 340 air cleaner should fit under the R/T hood I will be using.

[wagesofsin]

way to go, keep us posted.   

[70shaker6pk]

Looking good!!!!

[hezzel]

  Keep up the good work

[macsdaddy]

Was your car an automatic to start?  Are you doing a 4 speed?  If so did you fab that hump or purchase it somewhere.  Lookin good

[femtnmax]

Was your car an automatic to start?  Are you doing a 4 speed?  If so did you fab that hump or purchase it somewhere.  Lookin good

Car was auto.  I bought the hump.  Fit real well with only minor tweeking.  But who was the supplier???   It's been a couple of years.  Price was $160 with shipping according to my notes, but I didn't record the manufacturer.  Back by the shifter, at lower left corner, the hump had the correct small contours to fit the floor ribbing, so look for that.  Maybe do a search in this forum for who makes the best fitting shifter hump.
When you cut the floor out, your cutting out a large forward piece, and a smaller aft piece, leaving the floor intact over the rear trany cross member.  I even drilled extra holes in the floor skin so I could add spot welds between the skin and cross member.  The cross member should be boxed-in with the U-shaped cross member below, and the floor skin above.  Makes for the strongest cross section that will also resist lengthwise deflection/bending.
For the downside, I bought torque box plates (Roseville Dodge)and subframe connectors (US car tool) that are welded to the underside of the unibody.  They all fit like CRAP.   Lots of modifying to the front plates, some changes required to the rear plates, and the connectors fit so poor I'm making my own connectors.
Looks like on my 74 they changed the front floor, just behind the rear trany cross member so the frame connectors don't fit their at all.  At the rear torque box plates, the 74 has additional bracing for the forward leaf spring perch that will require mods to the rear torque box plate.  Sorry to ramble, hope this helps.

[macsdaddy]

thats great info thanks much!

[boydsdodge]

Your not alone on the frame connectors. I have a 71 Challenger and they don't fit my car either.
As my friend said "these things really suck where did get this s#%t?"

[femtnmax]

I've decided to build my own frame connectors, thru the floor.   I'm not worried about rear seat floorboard issues, there's not much for back seat leg room anyhow.  Here's the initial layout and my helper hard at work.   She thought there'd be 20 minutes of wiping down something and her part of the resto would be done

[340Challman]

Hey femtnmax, is your Wife using that angle grinder to strip that fender?

[femtnmax]

Hey femtnmax, is your Wife using that angle grinder to strip that fender?

It's a 60 grit pad velcros to the flexible backing attachment.  The grinder has multiple speed settings from slow to fast.  Its a Makita 9227C sander/buffer I found on the autobodystore website.