Hello! I am completely new in the mopar world as i just got a 1964 Polara 426 with a 4 Speed.
The car runs Good and pulls strong but i feel like it could use some more power.

I have been on different sites the last few days trying to source parts for a good street setup, even considered getting a built 440 for it even though its really expensive, and 540hp does seem a bit Overkill for what im going to use it for.

I was wondering if someone could help me by providing a good recipe to get somewhere above 400 streetable horses while keeping the costs down as much as possible.

Say i have a budget of 5000 dollars, and this also includes shipping to Sweden, but the cheaper the better.

Im thinking headers, intake, upgraded ignition, new carb and a hotter cam should take me closer to my goal, just need help with what works Good together. Do i need aftermarket heads?
Also going to swap out the current like 3.08 gears for 4.10s.

Thank you in advance, and i apologize for any bad English.

 

O -

Welcome!

While you're certainly on the right track with your thinking, the first thing you have to do is determine the overall health of the engine.
Things like compression tests and visual inspections for leaks etc would be the first step.

Short list AFTER the health of the motor has been established - IN MY OPINION:

Carb 750 cfm - your choice of make/model (Holley/Proform, etc would be my choice)
Dual plane intake, like an Edelbrock Performer.
Hydraulic Cam in the neighborhood of 280 duration / 480 lift (keep it under 300 duration/500 lift to maintain vacuum). Look at Comp Cam offerings.
Headers with 1 7/8" primaries and a 2.5" to 3" exhaust.
Think more about the rear gear ratio if you plan on a lot of highway driving or gas costs are a concern. 3.23 - 3.55 might be more practical.

In the power range your thinking aftermarket heads won't really buy you much.
Just do a good clean up and valve job on the stock heads.

And besides the health of the engine, the health of rest of the car has to be taken into consideration.
Spending $5K on the motor and having a rusted sub-frame doesn't really workout well.

We can be a little more specific when we get more information.

Archer

 

Thank you for your answer!

I might be able to borrow equipment to do a leak-down test this weekend, otherwise the engine is leak free, starts up easy and runs really good. Even in stock form and with highway gears this Wedge really packs a punch.

Carb wise i have looked a bit at a Quick-Fuel Brawler 750, would that be a good choice?
Performer intake is also what i have looked most at.
Would this camshaft kit do the trick? Comp Camps K21-237-4
Headers wise i cant seem to find a set of headers with 1 7/8 primaries that fit the 64 polara, i can only find with 1 3/4 primaries. Hedman Street Headers 78030
As for ignition i have looked at a MSD Pro-Billet unit with a Blaster 2 coil, maybe with a 6AL box, but i dont know if thats really neccesary for my setup.

As for the rear gear ratio, i only drive this car around town so except for a 18 mile journey from my house to the town, so i think i could live with 4.10 gears. But i will think about it.

The car is is in good shape, there is some rust around the windshield frame, but i will take care of that in the winter season.

 

O -

Cam wise - good choice.
Brawler is a good vac-secondary cam, and generally a good choice for street use.
Can't help ya much with the headers as that has to be body specific. You could get away with 1 3/4" primaries, but 1 7/8" is pretty std for that engine config.
Everybody goes nuts with MSD ignitions, well, except me. For what you're doing a simpler Mopar Chrome box electronic conversion kit (ECU, distributor and harness) will perform just as well, and save you headaches and money.
With 4.10, you'll be hold around 3000 rpm at 60 mph and about 3400 at 70. That's not terrible (and will be in the engine's power band), but not great either - long term. That has to be your call. I recently switched from 3.23s to 3.90s, and while the difference is noticeable, it does limit highway speeds.

Archer

 

Just to add to what has already been mentioned.
Align honing the main bearing bore and decking the block and torque plate honing the block are some process that would definitely help. You may wish to add some oiling clearance(0.0025 < 0.003) by installing undersize bearings or precision crankshaft grinding.The valve seats can be done multi-angle with a single cutter for precision. Piston rings from "Total Seal " would give a much better seal and low drag. Some times reducing friction is as good as any other mods. A precision machined low friction stock engine can produce amazing results