Chevy Crate Engine

[IowaCharger69]

Wow, attitude for wanting to keep more of these cars on the road instead of filling up junkyards. Are you serious? 

[Daytona R/T SE]

Quoted from IowaCharger69 before the edit: 

"Go buy a chevy? Attitude because I want to see more of these cars on the road? Are you serious?

Go buy another crate HEMI, or have some shop build you another 10k motor from the block up. AWESOME! You are so rich and cool.

I love my charger enough that it wouldn't matter how much effort it would take to get it on the road. Money on the other hand doesn't come so freely to me. So I might have to buy a 1000$ basket case, throw some Bondo in it, and make that 305 sitting the corner of my garage work. It must be nice to trailer your cars around and ship em off to body shops for someone else to restore. I do the work myself with whatever means I have. If that means running around in a 1000$ Frankenstein so be it. At least I/he/whomever has to has kept another one of these cars from landing in a junk yard. Besides, what better power plant for the Hazzard jump cars we see every year.

When you start listing the things you would have to change you do so to prove your point of how difficult and unrealistic it is to make the swap I laugh. Anyone that has ever built any kind of rod, rat or not, fully expects that stuff. Shit, I have already done that stuff to my car and its got a 400 in it.

I guess I am just too used to buying cars that need work. I guess I haven't so pretentious that I am willing to pass up any opportunity to have a running Charger.

Dude, to answer your question, putting a small block in your Charger sounds awesome. Go to one swap meet and get everything you need to do it for 500$ a bit more if you have to buy a welder. Make it work and drive the hell out of it. Enjoy it."

End quote.



My thoughts:

If I were that piss-poor broke I don't think I'd be screwing around wasting what little money I had on these old cars. I'd be cruising around in a ten year old neon, working two jobs and going to night school trying to make something out of myself.

I'm not rich, I do all of my own work (Except paint) I started screwing around with these cars when they were just 10 year old "Gas Hogs" that nobody wanted.

I love my Chargers enough not to f%&k them up by slapping a shitbox 305 into them just to get them "On the road"

[bull]

Are you serious?

Yes.

Here's one that looks like it would be a good fit for you: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,49717.0.html

[IowaCharger69]

Are you serious?

Yes.

Here's one that looks like it would be a good fit for you: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,49717.0.html

I know that there is a "new" thread about that car, but it was on these forums about a year ago. Way to be fresh and original.

[G-man]

If you cant afford a 1000 bux for an engine, you definatelly can not afford to even have a Charger. I just paid out 500 bux for 2 mirrors and seat belts. No im not rich but in debt and own no house. Do 2 weeks of work, dont spend a cent and there is your 1000 dollars. If thats too complicated, sell the charger rather then stick a chev in it. Doing that is as idiotic as turning down a 1 milion dollar job cause ur 'happy' where u are earning 30k. Sure u might be happy to stick a 305 in it to get it on the road... but seriously, you need to see someone.

[Daytona R/T SE]

I really think you need a time out, kid. 

[bull]

How was communtity college by the way?

What's a communtity college?

[Back N Black]

Man! you guys are harsh.

[Steve P.]

Take it easy now guys.. Dropping a Chevy motor into a Charger is better than wrapping it around a tree.  It may not be the popular thing to do, but it is his car. He asked for opinions. Going after someone any deeper than that is bunk.   By the way, I put a Chevy 350 into a Dodge D-50 once. Pulled a 4 banger and 4-speed out and put in a 350/350 automatic. That little truck screwed and most people had no idea what hit them when they got smoked by a little D-50.  I had the truck and drive train all for free. I did some fab work for motor mounts. Cost me nothing. Then had the exhaust all bent up to take both pipes out the back on the right. That cost me a few hundred bucks... That's all I had in the car and I sold it for $1600.00 on X-mas morning after beeeeeeeating the crap out of it.  Ask VegasMike about it some time.. Hehehe...

That said, my opinion is to stick with a mopar engine in your Charger. You can find sooooo many good deals on drive trains now it isn't funny.. Check Craigslist in your area. I find many good deals on there. Check here. Let people here know what you need.....  Where there is a will, ....................

[NYCMille]

Totally agree with Steve. Good luck man.

[BB1]

You are a retard BH.

[bull]

The gist of it is this, if you're that worried about every penny it's kind of silly to be messing with classic cars in the first place. In the grand scheme of things you're not going to save that much are you? It's going to cost at least $700 for the 350 plus God knows how much for the headaches of screwing around with fabrication on motor mounts, exhaust, etc., vs. maybe $2k for a drop in Mopar engine without your "inside connection" (I can get a rebuilt and warrantied Dodge 383 right now for $1,800) Like I said, if you're so broke that $1,300 is going to scuttle the whole project you might as well bag it.

[ChargersETC..ETC..]

GM 454 is better then a 350     but... I don't think a swap into a mopar would be quick or easy

[mally69]

And here is to your cheap heap of a chevy engine 

[Daytona R/T SE]

The gist of it is this, if you're that worried about every penny it's kind of silly to be messing with classic cars in the first place. In the grand scheme of things you're not going to save that much are you? It's going to cost at least $700 for the 350 plus God knows how much for the headaches of screwing around with fabrication on motor mounts, exhaust, etc., vs. maybe $2k for a drop in Mopar engine without your "inside connection" (I can get a rebuilt and warrantied Dodge 383 right now for $1,800) Like I said, if you're so broke that $1,300 is going to scuttle the whole project you might as well bag it.

   What he said 

[Steve P.]

Another problem with the Chebby to Mopar body is the Chebby oil pan. Chebby oil pans are mostly rear sump. That's a problem in a mopar as our cars have front steering with will colide with the Chebby rear sump.

I got away with using a Vette pan and pick up. It was STILL damn tight.

[Mopar2Ya]

I just never understood this... There are so many Mopar choices. On a GC SRT8 forum a TBSS ownered posted a '49 Dodge w/a Cheby crate...I asked how much the engine cost(figuring it was GM cheap) he stated it was $22K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can get a nice Mopar for that much. As they say, "to each to his own." 

[The70RT]

I just never understood this... There are so many Mopar choices. On a GC SRT8 forum a TBSS ownered posted a '49 Dodge w/a Cheby crate...I asked how much the engine cost(figuring it was GM cheap) he stated it was $22K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can get a nice Mopar for that much. As they say, "to each to his own." 

I think a lot of it is there is a lot more Chevy people out there and that's ALL some know about. Plus the old Fords are more plentiful so they go Chevy for size and being easier to work on in the old rods.....and of course most Chevy parts are cheaper. I am tired of seeing Chevy's in all the antique stuff myself. It seems some use a Chevy engine then the other Chevy guys razz them and say "you have a ford or a Plymouth" and then they say yeah, but it's Chevy powered 

[Ghoste]

I think some of it is myth as well.  I agree that many things Chevy are much much cheaper but in the overall build I am not so easily convinced.

[squeakfinder]

I never understood why anyone ever swaped drivetrains between makes.   

You've never driven a stock Model A have you??

Or an old Jeep CJ for that matter.

[squeakfinder]

I can see putting chevy small blocks in other brand vehicle's. But, when it comes to muscle cars 


It would be like putting a 289 ford in a first generation Camaro.

[bountyhunter]

Wow, it was just a question, never said I was gonna do it. Its nice to see everyone's personalitlies when someone asks an honest question. Thank you to everyone who had some genuine positive input, I posed the question knowing I was gonna get some flak. For the very small percentage who had something negative to say and couldn't convey their view point constructively beside calling me a retard I have nothing to say to you. I'm holding back. Okay...turn the page...I want to again just thank those who were willing to help me out, you guys have always been very helpful and I love this site.
Thanks DC, Johann

[Back N Black]

Most people who dislike the Chevy or ford, never driven one. I can tell you i like the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Impala. I have 20 plus years in the Mechanical trade and each one has its place in the muscle car era. This is my first Mopar and believe me this is not the end all be all. 

[pettyfan43]

I can see putting chevy small blocks in other brand vehicle's. But, when it comes to muscle cars 


It would be like putting a 289 ford in a first generation Camaro.

I knew a guy that had a 68 Camaro with a 426 HEmi in it!!! He had a 68-69 Charger and a truck pulled out in front of him and KILLED the Charger, He had bought the Camaro intending to build a racecar with a 454, BUT the Charger got mashed, and he had that Hemi just sitting there.......... 

[pettyfan43]

Wow, it was just a question, never said I was gonna do it. Its nice to see everyone's personalitlies when someone asks an honest question. Thank you to everyone who had some genuine positive input, I posed the question knowing I was gonna get some flak. For the very small percentage who had something negative to say and couldn't convey their view point constructively beside calling me a retard I have nothing to say to you. I'm holding back. Okay...turn the page...I want to again just thank those who were willing to help me out, you guys have always been very helpful and I love this site.
Thanks DC, Johann

You have to remember, to most of us, the thought of a brand X engine wrapped in the coolest sheet metal ever wrapped around 4 wheels in just silly.

The Charger was available with everything IN the Mopar Arsenal.

Consider this, 400 blocks are CHEAP and you can get a 440 Crank and rods VERY reasonably  and build a 451 torque monster that will absolutely pull your house around
if you can find a place to hook it, and this is NOT an overly expensive powerplant to build.

It will drop right in the car and be MILES ahead of the chubby in terms of serviceability and the shear LACK of aggravation in getting the thing in the car. Not to mention it will run rings around a 700 dollar chubby crate engine.

Also consider this, if you did cobble up all that junk to get the chubby in the car and manage to get the thing going, if you break something important, You ain't going to any parts store to buy parts to fix the thing, you are back to cobbling.

Just some food for thought.  No offense intended.