new with A bodies ! 225 slant six ? what have i done lol

[super77se]

ok here goes, as a faithful B body owner for most my life , i have crossed over into A body territory with my recent purchase of a 73 duster ,lemon twist yellow ,black interior and the ole reliable 225 six/ 3 speed on the floor . this thing is pretty cool and is in excellent shape for its 38 years, but , i need some help out there from those of you who have been playing with A bodies for a while and have tried and true experience with very popular 318/360 conversions. i have read so much about these swaps but i cannot get a clear picture and i have some crucial questions for those of you who would be so kind to help,now keep in mind, this is strictly a driver and this has to be cheap , function is my goal and not so much safety lol, so with that said ,here goes.... #1 - do i HAVE to have a V8 k frame? can i buy small block conversion motor mounts to use with my six k member ? #2 - will the 3 speed transmission mount bracket work with a 727/999/904 automatic ? #3 - is the transmission tunnel big enough to house the automatic without bitching it up ? now ,i have read that the torsion bars are adequate for a v-8 and obviously, i will need a radiator , a v8/auto A body driveshaft and of course headers lol.#4- is the wheelbase of the dart/duster identical ? #5- what years of interchangability do the dart/duster drivelines cover? for instance the 66-72 B body passenger car drivelines and k members /mounts all work together(LA/B/RB/HEMI respectivly) and then from 73-77 (specifically the isolated k frame) Bbodies were basically the same and WILL interchange. did the A body platform also change in 73 ? #6-will an 8 3/4 rear end out of the early A100 van series work in Abody duster? #7- are the upper and lower control arms physically the same as all the v8 Abodies? #8- is the tailshaft of the 727/904/999 specific to the Abody? i would and do appreciate all your input and suggestions. fyi the 360/a999 auto is coming out of a Bbody.any other info would be GREAT AND THANK YOU!!

[super77se]

 here she is.......

[Chryco Psycho]

Umm lets see
1] no you can use Schumacker conversion mounts
2] yes
3] yes
4] yes
5] yes , the difference in 73 was the use of the larger 4.5 " bolt pattern & single piston disc brakes & they no longer use the 8 3/4 diff
6] not sure , I do not have the width of the vans handy 
7] Yes
8]  no
teh 904 & 727 slip yolk & trans lenght are different , the 3 speed drive shaft may fit the 904/999

[super77se]

 THANKS Chryco !wow ok, awesome.looks like it will be easier than i thought. i was told that the 6 cylinder cars came standard with drum brakes all the way around and also had a 5 on 4 inch pattern,was this true with the 73 and up Abodies and/or was the 4.5 pattern for v8 cars only? and thank you for your info. if any one else has any other info, greatly appreciated

[Chryco Psycho]

to my knowledge all A bodys have the 5 on 4.5" pattern  73 & up

[super77se]

 well ,now we know, the 73 duster 6 cylinder, definatly has a 4 inch pattern when equipped with manual drum brakes all the way around. now whether or not you could order disc brakes with the 6 im not sure of and whether or not the disc brake upgrade automatically got you the 4.5 pattern along with the 8 1/4?? rear end im dont know that either. maybe someone out there does

[Chryco Psycho]

OK I learned something , you must have a 7 1/4 diff or something

[super77se]

yes the very breakable 7 1/4 , but not for long ...