I am starting my research on a possible crate engine to replace the stock 318 in my 67 Fury. There are alot of places offering Hemi monsters, race engines and alot of stuff I can't afford. I am thinking about a 340 or a 360, not a tire burning, 1/4 mile runnin engine. I'd like something that can get up and go but not break the bank. Does anyone have any suggestions on companies that might offer something like that? Any help is appreciated to get me going in the right direction.

 

Mopar Perf used to sell 360 shortblocks (complete, pre Magnum) for $1200 a couple years back. Drop a set of Magnum heads on and run; can't hardly (correctly) rebuild a shortblock for that.

 

what makes a crate engine so good? aside from a warrenty, cant u rebuild a motor and spend way less and get more power, then again I do have 5 GRAND into my 360 and its not done yet..... hmmm

 

I had to buy a new engine for my wifes car. it was either that or scrap the car it would have been a shame. so i decided to get a crate engine to save on time and some costs. The best deal I found was from wermoparonline.com. its a mopar parts / oem site. guy who took my order was quick and knew what he was selling. I'd recommend them for anyone that needs to or wants to go this route.

 

Yep, I spent $8000 on my 360. But that isn't bad for a 500 hp 410 ci engine. A comparable crate would have cost me $12,000-$14,000.

 

Holy cow! It's been some time since I looked up a Mopar crate motor. Back in the day, you could get a 360ci motor (~360-390hp/400+lb/ft) that had everything minus carb and headers for around $4,500-$5,000. Now that same motor is almost $10,000!

Look at BluePrint Engines. I know they have a 360 storked to a 408 that produces ~375hp/~450lb/ft for around $5,500 or so (If you shop around, you might get one cheaper). Those are some pretty reasonable numbers that you can probably build up from depending on add-ons.

Another thing you might want to do is just as an engine builder/engine shop how much it would cost to rebuild your 318 and throw in some performance parts.

 

Would a 5.9 EFI Swap fit the bill? You dont seem to want anything crazy. A computer compatible cam, and good exhaust might surprise you. Dont be afraid of technology. There is a certain WOW factor to an ol'skool ride with new tech! These swaps are getting pretty common. You might even be able to go with a newer OD tranny, but might need a tranny tunnel mod. Still, lots to think about.

 

If you want power don't rebuild that 318 as a 360 junkyard motor will cost the same to rebuild and will have more grunt. What you want is torque in a c-body and cubic inches is the best way. I went to a local rebuilder and got an 040 over bore on my 400 with shaved heads and flat top pistons, for $2,300. Tha's a long block with stock rebuilt heads. Ask around and get refferences. A good shop owner will give out all the info you could want. Talk to past costumers. Good luck, let us know how it went.If you are down on money a used 360 is still a better deal than a used 318.
Look for 70's era motor homes of the van front type, many have good motors and a good torque cam. They were almost always low milage motors as many were just used on week ends for the most part.
Of course that is just my opinion and we all know what an opinion is worth.