Ok guys. I've officially restarted the project and have started tearin her apart and gettin her ready for paint. I'm basically gonna do it all. I'm pullin the slant six, trans, and 7.25 rear end out, and replacing it all with a 318, 727 tranny, and a 8.75 rear end. I've been goin over everything in my head as to what I want as a finished product and I need some advice as to gear ratios and tranny. I want to convert it to either a 4 or 5 speed manual trans, and overall want her to be a cruiser with some pep. Any suggestions as to rear end gear ratios for the 8.75? What are some models they built with this whole package? Any advice you guys have will be greatly appreciated

 

what size rear tire are you going with? what will the car be doing more of: street or strip?

sounds fun!

 

Cruiser with some Pep:

3.91 lots of pep, cruising with overdrive.

3.55 great all around gear ratio.

3.23 alot less pep, great cruising gear (with or without overdrive).

 

Another suggestion would be to upgrade the front suspension- something from a 70's dart/Duster Stronger, larger ball joints, better Idler arm, disk brakes and you get the 4.5" bolt pattern

 

I think I'm gonna go with the 3.23 rear gear. With the upgrades to the motor it should work pretty well. I'd love to find a 70s dart or duster or just an a body for a doner car. I still need the 8.75 rear and the 727 trans. I have pretty much totally stripped down to a shell now. Waiting on an engine hoist to pull the slant 6 back out. Pictures soon to come

 

Here she is. Under the knife

 

You are going to want to look for a short tail shaft housing 727. You can use a long tail shaft but it makes the driveshaft short.

 

Now where would I find one? In the smaller a-body's?

 

I had four '64 Dart GTs back in the '60s-'70s... all were originally 273, 4-speeds, and they had factory-installed Hurst shifters. (I had several Valiants and 1st gen Barracudas, too.)

If you go with a factory 4-speed, you can get a factory shifter-hump and you should be able to get pre-molded carpet for it. They also had a metal scuff plate to keep your gas-foot from wearing the carpet out. It might work with other trans, too, but I don't know what it'd take.

The 318 is one of the best engines ever, but why not go with a 360? There're plentiful, and drop right in. (Oh, maybe you already have the 318?)

Back around '74 I had a totaled AAR Cuda's 340 six pack in my Dart, and it pretty much just jumped in there!

Great project... Good luck!

 

The smaller A body's before 67 never had a 727. They will have a A904 which you could use a later A999 ? used in the late 70's same basic trans with a few up grades. YOU might be able to find a A904 from a 64/65 273 motor ? With a few upgrades would live behind a mild 318 That would enable you to keep the factory shifter

 

My short tail 727 trans came out of a winnebago...