need to make power! on a tight budget :(

[68chargerboy]

well heres my problem all the kids around here drive rice burners and say that my car is slow.  it has a 440 in it and i want to make it ridiculously fast before i even try raceing these kids.  the big problem is all these kids parents r loaded and there cars are stupid fast.  so i f u can please help me out with some pointers and such on what to do/get for my car.  im only 18 and im a mechanic so i dont make too much money since i have to pay for college too
       thanks in advance,
                                Zach

P.S. not to sound like a mooch lol but if people have cheap parts please let me know

[2Gunz]

Well...........

The words fast and cheap dont really belong in the same sentence when talking about cars.

But heres some ideas.....

Lose as much weight as you can.

Tires that hook

Get somebody who knows what they are doing to tune it.

Headers

New intake and cam



Define "cheap"

Dollar for dollar I would say that a supercharger is the way to go.

Or a stroker kit.

[Charger74]

What he said above.  I really good tune up will help.  Also, you may want to consider a stall converter, plus some nice gears, depending on your driving habits, go for 3.91 - 4.10 if just a weekend burner, 3.55 if more of a daily driver.

[Blown70]

One:  I hope you are NOT street racing!! 

Second:  Headders, Cam, intake and Carb

THIRD:To me do a stroker kit first.  to me this would be the best BANG for your buck.  (yes, me Mr. put a supercharger on it just said that)
most good superchargers will cost 3-4,000 and then you may have to upgrade some other systems cooling, tranny, rear.  If your not carefull you would findout how much your stock 440 block can handle.

Last, as above CHEAP is usually going along with broken parts soon,  Get GOOD PARTS, 

Also, as above, tires that hook will make a huge difference

BTW agree with the above also, Gear ratio can make a huge difference in your car. 

[Musicman]

You need to start by defining the term "Tight Budget"

[Rolling_Thunder]

Been there - - -   Define a tight budget...    I mean your average engine rebuild costs around $3000 without anything really trick so...    it all really depends on your budget.

[68chargerboy]

well a tight budget is under 1k and i dont want to do an engine rebulid since this 440 only has 700 miles on it

[Musicman]

700 miles... Original, Rebuilt What's the story behind this engine

[Rolling_Thunder]

well a tight budget is under 1k and i dont want to do an engine rebulid since this 440 only has 700 miles on it

4.10 sure grip and drag radials ?   

[Musicman]

So let's see... You want to make the car rediculously fast, but you don't want to touch the engine 

Paint it Red... Everybody knows that Red cars go faster than the other color cars   

Sorry, just having a bit of fun     The door was open 

[68chargerboy]

haha i meant i didnt want to tuch it by putting in a stroker kit lol.  and the story behind the motor is it was rebuilt a couple years ago but it was a shitty build with a small ass cam

[G-man]

A Stroker kit will be the cheapest.

Supercharging then intercooling then etc etc will add up to a lot more $ then stroker. To rebuild the 440 with like 650 horsepower (out of the 440ci) Will cost more then stroking it out to 512ci.

If your charger is slow and you have to have ur ego... well, do 550HP at the rear wheels with a stroker kit and im sure you will win.

After u prove urself u can go back to a 440ci and chuck all that out.

Far as I see, waste of money if its only for that reason. Let them pay for your upgrade then 

[gers1968rt]

<sup>hi,
   as most of you probably know i am building a 500Ci stroker for my street/strip car.  i currently have a brand new weiand tunnel ram with brand new Holley 650 double pumpers will milled off choke horns.  now do you guys think i should use my tunnel ran setup or go with the single plane intake with a 4500 Holley 750 cfm.  if it matters i will have hopefully a 4.10 gear, 2800 stall, e performer heads, and a 528 lift cam.   thanks alot i really appreciate all of your ideas thus far.

             Zach</sup>

So, what if any of this did you do? If you are going with the engine you have, then a cam, single plane intake, the 750 carb, headers,convertor above 3200, and gears 3.91 or better 4.10 with a suregrip of course. All of this won't fit on a tight budget, but never the less. gerry

[68chargerboy]

<sup>hi,
   as most of you probably know i am building a 500Ci stroker for my street/strip car.  i currently have a brand new weiand tunnel ram with brand new Holley 650 double pumpers will milled off choke horns.  now do you guys think i should use my tunnel ran setup or go with the single plane intake with a 4500 Holley 750 cfm.  if it matters i will have hopefully a 4.10 gear, 2800 stall, e performer heads, and a 528 lift cam.   thanks alot i really appreciate all of your ideas thus far.

             Zach</sup>

So, what if any of this did you do? If you are going with the engine you have, then a cam, single plane intake, the 750 carb, headers,convertor above 3200, and gears 3.91 or better 4.10 with a suregrip of course. All of this won't fit on a tight budget, but never the less. gerry

out of that setup im still piecing the motor together the last thing that i need is the sroker kit its self unfortunatley. like i said im only 18 and dont have the most money in the world. however i do have a 2500 stall converter and im brining my 3rd member in either this week or next to have 4.10's and a locker installed the next thing will be tires so hopefully with the new rear i will gain sum power. i have 3.23 so i should make a nice diffrence   and i do have a full tti exhaust headers and there h pipe kit still looking for a cheap e-cut outs for it. and i have the 750 carrb too.  but all this is on my mild 440 with a 30 over bore

[Charger74]

haha i meant i didnt want to tuch it by putting in a stroker kit lol.  and the story behind the motor is it was rebuilt a couple years ago but it was a shitty build with a small ass cam

If that is the case, I would start by putting a better cam and intake on it.  Then tune appropriately.   Also headers if you don't have them.   Firefighter can recommend a good cam for you.

[gordo1968charger]

4.10s
by knuckles are white when the hammer goes down now,chucked a 10 inch turbo action converter  on too.just for good measure.

[Lord Warlock]

Don't want to sound like a downer, but you aren't going to be beating many "rice burner" cars with the older generation 440,  you need to learn to appreciate what you have and how it stands out as a different entity than the newer more modern rides, speed isn't everything.  Things were different back when everyone was handicapped the same as you were and drove similar cars.  But it is too easy to get some of the imports into the 12s, and they can do it without spending ridiculous money like rich kids tend to do.  I love my charger, but even if I put all the bolt ons in, it still likely wouldn't keep up with the 1991 import car I drove in the 90s.  (which I still own, and will be selling at less than 7k)

The old axiom "Speed costs money son, how fast do you want to go?" holds up as well today as it did 40 years ago when I first heard it.

[500Jon]

How's about this?

Change the camshaft and lifters for a good Lunatti grind.
Put a Torker-2 manifold on with a 850 Double-pumper.

Biggest change of all, 3.55 gears or 3.91's if you are brave enough.

Once you've done this let me know the difference???

5J been street racing since the 70's loL!

[Dino]

6 years have passed so he my have outgrown trying to beat the ricers.   

[fy469rtse]

power to wait ratio, ricers have a big advantage just with their weight,
do what i do have a set of eletronic exhaust cut outs , when your next to them and their prompting you for a race ,
open em up , rev it a couple times and scare the crap out off them 

[BSB67]

power to wait ratio, ricers have a big advantage just with their weight,
do what i do have a set of eletronic exhaust cut outs , when your next to them and their prompting you for a race ,
open em up , rev it a couple times and scare the crap out off them 

The good news, he's probably out of college.  The bad news is he probably now has kids and still has no money, and more debt.   

[1974dodgecharger]

Lmao u guys 

[68chargerboy]

turbo 6.1 hemi and efi is how i ended up going 6 years later.  no kids yet 

[c00nhunterjoe]

Pictures!!

[Cooter]

Hmmmm.......

[myk]

Pictures!!

Or it didn't happen...

[HPP]

IMO, its a bottomless pit of spending by always trying to outrun the next guy. You will always run into someone who has more money to dump into it to be faster than you.

Define fast, define quick, define budget, or for that matter, define racing.  Everyone's perception of those things are all varied and how you approach them will be defined on what you are starting with and where you are trying to go.

IMO, we didn't have enough info in the very first posts to actually define good improvements. Rebuilt 440 with 700 miles on it is pretty vague. However, if yo are going 6.1 with turbos, obviously times have turned for you and budget is not  as big a concern any longer... Congrats!

[68CoronetRT]

I'll buy those 3.23's from you if you ever get them changed out!

Edit: Just realized this is a 6 year old thread....

[1974dodgecharger]

IMO, its a bottomless pit of spending by always trying to outrun the next guy. You will always run into someone who has more money to dump into it to be faster than you.

Define fast, define quick, define budget, or for that matter, define racing.  Everyone's perception of those things are all varied and how you approach them will be defined on what you are starting with and where you are trying to go.

IMO, we didn't have enough info in the very first posts to actually define good improvements. Rebuilt 440 with 700 miles on it is pretty vague. However, if yo are going 6.1 with turbos, obviously times have turned for you and budget is not  as big a concern any longer... Congrats!

yup only guys with endless money pits will be faster than you PERIOD!!!  Its not like the old days where a joe garage person can outrun a richer man on the drags.  NOW its the guy who can piece together the most expensive parts, exotic, etc. to make an engine and he will OUTWIN you every single time.  Never met a guy say, 'Yeah I spent only 1 grand on this engine and it does 10secs at the track with 800HP'