Moordoor Aspen build
- Thread starter Jonnylightening
- Start date
Jonnylightening
Member
Hahaha i know i really should but im still young n dumb
wvdodgemirada
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't say that. With me I always make the car how I want it, then again I never plan to sell it lol. In my mind 4 doors never really bring a lot of money, so have fun with it.
Jack Meoff
Mopar Maniac
I'm always for original appearance. If it was me I'd do up the 318 and keep it stock looking. But that's me. Regardless that's a sweet ride.
Jonnylightening
Member
Thank you
ramenth
Well-Known Member
It's your car. You're the one doing the work, putting the money into, and ultimately only have to satisfy yourself.
What do you want out of it? There's some pro's and con's to the B engine you've got over the 318. It's heavy and will provide a certain amount of push in cornering. Nothing really negative over the LA, but something to take into account if you're an aggressive street driver. There's also no replacement for displacement and if you've already got the 400 built then the engine mounts are fairly inexpensive and headers... done.
On the other hand, there's a lot to be said about the LA engine, too. Wouldn't be hard to take it to 390" and make one helluva a sleeper. When you blow doors off and someone wants to know what's in it you get to tell it's a 318 with an evil grin. The LA will, of course, keep the weight off the nose, making corning a lot less of a chore over the B engine.
Whichever way you go, take a look at the rear. If it's a 7.25" in there, you're going to want to upgrade it to at least an 8.25" and build that for any serious horsepower. 8.75" B-body rears are damn near a bolt in and not too terribly expensive and ready to handle the horsepower. And while I'm not a fan of the Ford 8.8" they're cheap, widely available, and disk brake ready.
I pretty much advocate the need for suspension upgrades on all F/M/J bodies. Eliminate the rubber where you can to help put that horsepower to the ground. Swapping rears gives you a good excuse to go ahead and eliminate the rear springs and upgrade to a set of E-body HD's and with a set of B-body shock plates you can put in a rear sway bay at the same time.
Some folks on here like the polyurethane k-frame mounts. While I'm not disparaging the choice, the car is serviced better, in my opinion, with solid mounts.
Tighten everything up with a set of frame connectors.
Take a look at Firm Feel's website and explore what they have to offer. Take a look at PST and have. If you plan on going the B engine, you'll definitely want to check out engine-swaps.com
Just remember, much like building trucks, it's all a package. Horsepower and torque demand to put to the ground, so explore your options on how to best get there, weighed against your goals, and your budget.
What do you want out of it? There's some pro's and con's to the B engine you've got over the 318. It's heavy and will provide a certain amount of push in cornering. Nothing really negative over the LA, but something to take into account if you're an aggressive street driver. There's also no replacement for displacement and if you've already got the 400 built then the engine mounts are fairly inexpensive and headers... done.
On the other hand, there's a lot to be said about the LA engine, too. Wouldn't be hard to take it to 390" and make one helluva a sleeper. When you blow doors off and someone wants to know what's in it you get to tell it's a 318 with an evil grin. The LA will, of course, keep the weight off the nose, making corning a lot less of a chore over the B engine.
Whichever way you go, take a look at the rear. If it's a 7.25" in there, you're going to want to upgrade it to at least an 8.25" and build that for any serious horsepower. 8.75" B-body rears are damn near a bolt in and not too terribly expensive and ready to handle the horsepower. And while I'm not a fan of the Ford 8.8" they're cheap, widely available, and disk brake ready.
I pretty much advocate the need for suspension upgrades on all F/M/J bodies. Eliminate the rubber where you can to help put that horsepower to the ground. Swapping rears gives you a good excuse to go ahead and eliminate the rear springs and upgrade to a set of E-body HD's and with a set of B-body shock plates you can put in a rear sway bay at the same time.
Some folks on here like the polyurethane k-frame mounts. While I'm not disparaging the choice, the car is serviced better, in my opinion, with solid mounts.
Tighten everything up with a set of frame connectors.
Take a look at Firm Feel's website and explore what they have to offer. Take a look at PST and have. If you plan on going the B engine, you'll definitely want to check out engine-swaps.com
Just remember, much like building trucks, it's all a package. Horsepower and torque demand to put to the ground, so explore your options on how to best get there, weighed against your goals, and your budget.
Jonnylightening
Member
Thanks a bunch for your input. I aquired a B Body 8.75 a few months back. Id love to throw my 400 in it but its gunna need a refresh plus ill need a tranny and tq converter to go with it. I was thinkin maybe build upon the 318 for now then as money comes get all i need for the 400. As of now i hav a set of 302 heads, eddy intake, 93 mag ext manifolds (if theyll fit) and holley 600. Still need a cam, timing chain, and gaskets
ramenth
Well-Known Member
I find that a lot of guys walk into a build without a game plan.
I think the best builds are the ones where you have a clear vision of the final outcome and then make the plans on how to get there. Research, research, research. Don't be afraid to ask questions of folks who have been there before you and have discovered what works, what doesn't, and what they would do again or what they wouldn't.
Sounds like your plan is formulating. Nice.
I think the best builds are the ones where you have a clear vision of the final outcome and then make the plans on how to get there. Research, research, research. Don't be afraid to ask questions of folks who have been there before you and have discovered what works, what doesn't, and what they would do again or what they wouldn't.
Sounds like your plan is formulating. Nice.
