i have a 1969 dodge dart. it has a 318 v8. i was wondering if this is a good engine to build power with or should i buy a crate engine. if it is a good engine to build power with what should i do to it.

 

How much can you spend? The easy way is to go crate engine, no running back and forth for parts, dealing with shyster machine shops etc.

 

right now iam on a pretty limited budget so which ever would be cheaper. i would like to make about 400 hp

 

Mopar Muscle did an article on a 318 build up that netted over 400 hp. It involved worked 360 heads and .030 pistons with enough of a dome to make some decent compression.
You are ahead of the game as far as having a forged crank in your block but lack a sufficently strong rod. The cast crank 318's got the 340/360 rod with a pressed pin. Rather than waste money on reuilding stock rods price out a set of replacment aftermarket pieces.
Since you say you are on a budget be warned that you'll be spending a minumum of $3,000.

 

sweet thanks

 

welcome to the site

 

I would suggest trying to find a 360 or a 340. If your car runs you would probably be able to find a 360 for just a couple hundred dollars and you can build it while you still drive your stock 318 around town.

I am doing just that with my charger and it was a great decision. I can still drive it around and its not stuck in the garage til the motor is finished

 

i would like to keep the original engine

 

thats understandable, but your going to spend more money building a 318 to 400hp than a 360. But like it was said, It IS possible, just expensive.

 

yeah i realize that but iam not expecting to get the car and then in a month have all the work done that i want done

 

You can make decent power out of a 318 and still have it very streetable but when you shoot for 400+hp natural aspiration with no NOS you will lose some of your reliabilty and streetabilty. As to how much you lose depends on just what you do to make that power. I would say keep your 318, do intake manifold, new carb, headers, high flow exhaust and see how you like the power of the engine then.

 

Where can I find a 360 then to put into my '74 SWINGER because I too am aiming for 400hp. Any ideas on where I can get a MOPAR 360 to drop into my dart?

 

hmmm, 400hp.. interesting stuff
(Btw: do you guys quote at the crank hp or at the wheel hp?)

 

i just bought 73 swinger with p\s ac p\b stock 318 2bbl with 70k miles. i have a set of milled 360 heads (new valve job) edelbrock 4bbl intake and 600cfm carb. if i put this stuff on this 318 anybody have a good cam suggestion?

 

if it were me go 318. i dont like the 360.. cast crank, forged crank or nothing. this is what i did 1967 273 heads ported and polished, 360 j head valves. 10.0:1 trw forged pistons 292/480 cam performer rpm intake. 750 cfm carter thermal quad (adapter plate needed) backed by a 727 and a 2400 stall. and 3.91's in the back i was eating b and rb B and E bodies on the street with a gutted c-body well they got me till i hit 3200 then i was waving to them (c-ya)

 

I have a d200 with a 318 weighs about 5000lbs, i was thinking about going with a twin turbo 318, any suggestions or ideas on making this work?

 

It was a stik shift before they swaped it with a 318 so im not sure were the motor comes from or if its a hemi. If anyone can help me out on how to tell wat kind of motor i got.