Here is what $5000 buys you.

[Kern Dog]

I remember reading about pumping up lifters. In all the engine builds that I have done, I only did this once....and the cam went flat. It may have been UNrelated.

[Kern Dog]

Currently, I am at an impasse with this project.
I could keep going and get the car running and driving but to do so means dipping into the savings account. I need a transmission, cooler and cooler lines, a drive shaft and some type of transmission kickdown system. I can get by with the column shift linkage for now.
Here is the thing.....
Before I even bought this car, I brainstormed how I can get this car built by using "hand-me-down" parts from the red car. It is a great way to fix up two cars while saving some cash. Jigsaw already has the gauges, headlight harness, radiator, fan, water pump housing and a few other bits from Ginger the red car. Jigsaw is also going to get the original bucket seats, rear seat, floor shift column, shift linkage and carpet from Ginger.
One part of the parts-sharing plan was to do a Tremec 5 speed swap into Ginger then use all of the automatic trans stuff in Jigsaw. I didn't intend to jump right into this car until I had completed the 5 speed swap. The Silver Sport kit hasn't even been ordered yet. I planned to pay for it with the sale of a '65 Dart that I painted awhile back. I have had the title for well over a year but have totally dragged my feet on putting it up for sale.
I plan to list the Dart on ebay within the next few days. When it sells, I'll move ahead with the 5 speed setup. Maybe I'll start a new thread to show the steps of the conversion.

[XH29N0G]

Of course.  Only need to look as far as https://youtu.be/7Mk1nykjnYA, to know these sorts of things are important.  

did you have to pump up the lifters before you installed them?

Are you serious ? all you do is soak them in oil first ?

The dart is nice.  Wish I had that myself. 

[Kern Dog]

Thank you, NOG !
The Dart is now on ebay so hopefully it will sell soon. I've sold 10 cars on ebay and only a few sold on the first attempt. I have a fair reserve on it so maybe I'll do okay on it. I have the money for the 5 speed swap but I like spending newfound money on car stuff. Digging into savings is something I try to avoid unless it is something costing only a few hundred dollars. This Tremec kit will be around $6500 so I really prefer to use the Dart sale to fund it.
One idea that I have had.....I could install the 383 with any of the 727 transmissions I have up the hil just to get the engine in the car and positioned right. This would allow me to run the headers and exhaust system, plumb the engine fuel system, install the radiator, water pump and fan, power steering and alternator....then when I have the 727 out of the red car, I could swap transmissions and install the parts I need here. The down side is that I'd be installing a transmission twice. Not really a problem though since I'm off work and really like this stuff.

[nvrbdn]

The Dart looks awesome!!! Good luck on the sale. That would be a fun car to cruise!!!

[ACUDANUT]

KD, This Tremec kit will be around $6500 ?  Why not just go with the 727 ?

[XH29N0G]

KD - I like the 5 speed I have, but there are things I would like better with shifting.  If you can find someone close to you who has one you can drive a bit, you might get some ideas about what to look for and modify.  I swapped the centering springs in my shifter for what I like and also shortened the shifter handle.  There are still things I would consider with shifter and clutch pedal travel that I have seen on some other more modern cars.  From what I read, I believe you have a better handle on these sorts of things than I do, so you may have them already sorted.  Just thought I would pitch in my  in case it helped with planning and implementing.

[Kern Dog]

KD, This Tremec kit will be around $6500 ?  Why not just go with the 727 ?

Jigsaw is going to stay an automatic.
I have owned the red car since March 2000. It had a 318 and 904 when I bought it, I converted it to the 440 & 727. The transmission I have works fine. I just think I'll enjoy the car more with a manual trans and overdrive. I had a Gear Vendors overdrive for a couple of years and even though the OD was only .78, it was nice to see the rpms drop and have less noise at 75 mph.

[Kern Dog]

KD - I like the 5 speed I have, but there are things I would like better with shifting.  If you can find someone close to you who has one you can drive a bit, you might get some ideas about what to look for and modify.  I swapped the centering springs in my shifter for what I like and also shortened the shifter handle.  There are still things I would consider with shifter and clutch pedal travel that I have seen on some other more modern cars.  From what I read, I believe you have a better handle on these sorts of things than I do, so you may have them already sorted.  Just thought I would pitch in my  in case it helped with planning and implementing.

A few years back, I drove a 69 Coronet R/T with the Keisler 5 speed. I drove it easy out of respect for the owner so I don't really know how it is going to feel under hard throttle use, cornering and road course driving. Forum member Derwud had a '70 with a 5 speed and he LOVES it. These Tremecs have a short throw to them. He suggested a ball for a knob but I am tempted to go with a Pistol Grip. These transmissions have the shifter coming up through the same spot as a stock 4 speed. The kit has the hydraulic clutch setup so it should feel more like a modern car and less clunky/notchy or stiff as an original one does.  That Coronet was mechanical linkage and it actually seemed okay.
I converted a 76 Camaro to a 4 speed in 1996. The car was MUCH more fun with the manual trans. I did the same to a '74 Duster in 2009. The Duster had the 833 regular and later an 833 OD trans. Those were tough transmissions but not really smooth operating for me. The OD 833 was crappy for a high performance car.

[XH29N0G]

I would be interested to see if there is a difference between the older clutch and hydraulic one.  I am still using the old z bar and clutch. 

Also wonder if there is a difference between bench and bucket seats in the ergonomics of shifting.  (Wow, never thought I would use a word I almost exclusively associate with computers with these cars.)

Don't get me wrong.  I really like mine. I like it better than the original 3 speed manual, than the OD 4 speed I replaced it with, and than any automatic I have driven.  I just find it a little more difficult to shift than some of the european transmissions I have shifted.  But there, I am not sitting up like a truck driver looking out over the hood. 

Do the buckets sit you down lower than the bench?  You have one in one car and the other in t'other, right?

I like this thread and really like the dart.  When new, my XH was bought to replace a red, 1960 valliant. 

[Kern Dog]

The car featured in this thread is the wrecked XH that came with a bench seat. I will keep the bench for awhile but do eventually plan to swap in the original bucket seats from my red car, Ginger. "Jigsaw" was a 383 727 and I plan to keep it that way. It will be column shifted until I swap to buckets later on.
Ginger has Dodge Neon SRT4 bucket seats that sit lower than the stock bucket seats. I'm 5'10" so I'm not too tall or too short. I've driven newer cars with manual transmissions that have internal rail actuation as well as front wheel drive cable operated shifters. The RWD internal rails are smooth and give decent feel. The external linkage transmissions of the classics have a heavier, more mechanical feel to them. Not necessarily a bad thing but not as smooth to row as a newer car. FWD cars with cable shifted setups feel soggy and vague by comparison, almost the opposite of a Muncie or 833 and closer to the feel of a video game.

[Kern Dog]

On December 2nd, I ordered the Tremec 5 speed kit for "Ginger".
All of the automatic transmission stuff will be pulled, cleaned and used in Jigsaw. This saves a LOT of cash!
This trans was rebuilt in 2006 but has less than 8000 miles on it. Deep pan, shift kit and it operates well. I have an 11" converter in it that was built in 2014, a B & M flexplate and a transmission crossmember modified to use the spool type mount. Cooler lines, aftermarket external cooler and the Bouchillon cable kickdown kit.

[Kern Dog]

The 727 is out of the red car. It looks dirty but will clean up. I painted it black in 2006 when I first installed it. The paint didn't stick well.
The input shaft seal is still good, no sign of leaks there.

[Kern Dog]

Since the Tremec swap is done in Ginger, I am ready to get back to work on this car, Jigsaw.
The 383 has been on the engine stand completed since October. They look so nice when they are clean!

[ACUDANUT]

Great motor. 

[Kern Dog]

The factory service manual shows how IF you put the "converter drive plate" in the position where that small drilled hole is at 12:00 and the converter drain plug is at 6:00, the bolt patterns of the converter and drive plate line up.

[Kern Dog]

The engine and trans are IN !
I was by myself but was still able to get them in with the hood in place.

[Kern Dog]

The bell housing seems to be real close to the trans tunnel. The red car has more room with a thicker manual trans bell....

[Kern Dog]

I mentioned in the Tremec swap thread how the crossmember and mount I had in Ginger with the 727 sat lower than the cube shaped mount that I had set aside for this car.

[ACUDANUT]

 You Had zero help. Damn

[Kern Dog]

If the cube shaped mount is correct, I'm fine with that. The higher the transmission sits, the closer the headers will be to the body, helping ground clearance.

With the engine and trans in place, I can now move ahead with all sorts of things.

[CDN72SE]

Nice job getting the engine in there Kern Dog.

[70 sublime]

You got the engine in the car with the hood still on the car ??

That is usually the first thing I have to take off for an engine swap

[Kern Dog]

The cherry picker was attached directly to the engine lift plate. This makes for a compact setup.   

[hemi-hampton]

The factory service manual shows how IF you put the "converter drive plate" in the position where that small drilled hole is at 12:00 and the converter drain plug is at 6:00, the bolt patterns of the converter and drive plate line up.

I hope the trans is Stock because that stock Converter Drive Plate or Flex Plate will not hold up to any high performance driving, they like to break & snap off around the Bolts. That's why I had a thick solid race Flex Plate but my Motor & Trans was Built. LEON.