How much is too much?
 

This is my 71 Charger, as of now its sitting under a shed until I a. find a shop to work on it in, and b. decide on how i want to build it.
https://moparforums.com/forums/pictu...pictureid=1769

It has a 318 with an automatic tyranny. drum breaks all the way around. It had a vinyl top. Needs a new grill and some serous rust removal. You could pass more current through glass than the wires that are in it. Needless to say its going to be a lot of work. What I would like some input in is ideas on how to set it up. I know I want a manual transmission, with a pistol grip:D. However I don't know what motor I should run. Big block, small block? I would like to put some wider tires in the back. The big question is how much horsepower am I going to need to smoke the tires and make the car be taken seriously. I want to be able to have fun but not drive in total fear. What are some ideas of a good set up? Thanks!

thats kind of a broad question..with the right tire diameter. and low enough gears you can drop the clutch get a slant six to smoke the tires.....theres nothing wrong with a healthy 318.. but then again a big block can be less expensive to horsepower per cubic inch.

Big block, 8 3/4 or D60 rear w/spool and 4.10 and some 28x12.5 tires. Paint it flat or satin black, mount some .50 chain guns on the hood and go to the track.


Ok, ok, ok.... maybe you don't need that last upgrade but the rest would be cool.

You should just pull the motor/tranny and sell that now if you can and find yourself a 440 since you want the power. That will be the easiest and cheapest way to go. I'm not up to date on manual trannies but I'm sure that there are a few out there (maybe go aftermarket and get a 5 spd). you'll need a 8 3/4 or D60 rear axle and with a spool and 4.10 gears and a set of 28x12.5 tires in teh back, you'll be able to smoke them, take off hard off the line and still have a good top end. The first two are going to depend a lot on how much you build up the motor though.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Pulling the motor doesn't sound like a bad idea. It doesn't run anyhow. If I take it out I could get started beefing up the chassis and doing body work. My funds are tight at the moment but if anybody has a big block they might want to sell let me know. I can't do anything right at the moment unfortunately. I really need to find a place I can work on this thing. Just spread it all out. Keep the Ideas coming in please.

my first car before i even got my drivers liscence was a 72 charger. by 18 i had saved up enough $ to build a 440. i did a simple rebuild and just added headers intake and cam. 295/50/15 bfgs are in the back with 3.23 gears. i can lite up the tires all day and you don't want to punch it driving at 60 mph in the rain cause it'll come around on you real quick. i've found that when rebuilding a engine it costs about the same whether small or big block. my 2 cents "there's no replacement for displacement"

I think a lot of it depends on how you want the motor built. If you are jsut rebuilding it to get some extra power, then yes, I would say the costs are about the same. A big question that Joe will have to answer is how much power does he want. He may have an easier time getting the power he wants from a big block. But with a small block, manual trans, and the right gear ratio and tire size, he could do the same thing.

This statement is very, very true.