sooo,i bought this..kicks tire,and no,it doesnt have a hemi

Duke5A

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You know, we never did ask what what your budget is for this project. You've got to factor in chassis upgrades and drive line as well. Are we looking at fast & reliable or more towards the Roadkill end of things?

and Oldiron440 brought up an interesting point. A gen3 Hemi block will hold a 1,000 HP. SB is good for 500 and BB 700. What's your power goal? Track car or more street? Looking for a specific quarter time?
 

Oldiron440

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There is a popular alternative to the Chinese turbo and that is a turbo off a diesel turbo like the Cummins or power stroke. Generally they are to big but they work and are cheap. Then buy good a wastgate and the plumbing and your ready to go. Hotrod did a thing, actually it was Roadkill where thay did it to a 5.0 mustang motor. I think I posted a video of it here before so I won't again but it was impressive.
I think it would be possible to make over 500 hp cheaply but your going to be up against the limit of the block.
It would work for awhile.
 

Duke5A

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There is a popular alternative to the Chinese turbo and that is a turbo off a diesel turbo like the Cummins or power stroke. Generally they are to big but they work and are cheap. Then buy good a wastgate and the plumbing and your ready to go. Hotrod did a thing, actually it was Roadkill where thay did it to a 5.0 mustang motor. I think I posted a video of it here before so I won't again but it was impressive.
I think it would be possible to make over 500 hp cheaply but your going to be up against the limit of the block.
It would work for awhile.

The Rotson! I loved that series. Too bad it's all behind a paywall now.

Car consisted of a 5.0 from a Fox body Mustang. Factory forged pistons they regapped the rings in. Thing was an absolute animal.
 

Oldiron440

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550 hp 600+ lbs of torque!
They use a junkyard turbo and made 18 lbs of boost.
 

beatersRus

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i think ill stick to my original plan,which was to use the 318 magnum with a bigger cam and the 500 overdrive trans with the 373 rear.
all the rest of that can wait.

ill research the boosted big blocks,
as i think that may be where i would like to be on the next go around with this car.
thanks for the help.
all thats left is cam choices vertor choices and getting things done.
ill be stripping the parts car this weekend so shout out if you need something.
 

XfbodyX

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I did read you have a plan for now but something to maybe consider.

I know not mentioned, but nitrous with a progressive controller can come on easy/soft just like a spinner can and maybe a $600 buy in if you pic parts right will net you 300ft lbs of added tq. Oddly alot of nitrous kits say 100 150hp shot but fail to mention the tq increase.
Stock motors can live on a 150-200 shot for a long time using a controller with the benefit of all the stock features when just wanting to drive.

Obviously if your wanting 10 big smile runs a day, not the best option.

Your project is dam cool though.
 

beatersRus

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ty sir..
i am wondering,do they make Any kind of fiberglass for these cars?
as in hoods.

and yes to the omni guy,that one is cracked and ive been looking for another one.
 

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Some might say I have a plethora of parts in my garage (well, all but the parts I actually need …).

When I got my ’86 Fifth Ave, I started to look at what I wanted to do with that car.
First thought was 4-bbl, camshaft and so forth for the original 318.
A few weeks labor, a 360 was on the brain with a few more parts added to the mix.
About a month later, it was a built 340 (even had a 340 in the garage at the time).
About 2 months after that, was a stroked 360 (410 ci or so) with even more money projected.

I then had to think what my purpose for the car was, what is my goal, did I have any parts already in garage and how much money to spend.

I can’t remember that far back (when decision was made on which direction as what I had to work with), but currently, in my garage, is a ’84 318 police engine, ’79 360, ’84 360, ’70 V-code 440 (from my ’70 300/H), 440 motorhome engine (which was bought for its transmission), a NOS 440 short block (now sold) and two (2) NOS 400 short blocks with about a dozen transmissions of various types.

What I finally settled on, for my daily driven cars, was a pair of stroked 400 big blocks. An A727 (or A518, not decided yet) for the ’86 Fifth Ave. The other 400 will be mated behind a 5 (or 6) speed standard for my ’77 wagon. I highly prefer manual transmissions – but leaving the Fifth Ave an auto so wife can drive it.

Currently, I’m still in part procurement mode (and gathering more $$$ mode).
So far, the stroker kits, stealth heads, coated custom pistons, aluminum water pump housings, intakes, and tons of other parts are in garage and ready for assembly. I also made a decision not to go into debt for this, so getting parts as I can afford 'em.
BudW
 

beatersRus

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sounds like you are way farther along than i am.
still trying to figure out what cam to go with and youve got everything already on the table lol.

i discovered that the bb motor the guy wanted to trade me is leaking water from the head gasket area on d side....apparently he was running it on alky and it got hot...
so im going to skip that joy and search elsewhere for the elusive bb combo.
which further puts me in 318magnum mode for now,to get the car up and running.

btw,i really like that you have a volare station wagon.
bitd,when i was a youngun,i used to ride the highways down in raleigh nc,
and change peoples tires and gas them up for small fees.
usually whatever they felt like giving.
my wheels of choice?
a 77 aspen wagon that i built a nice 318 up for and cruised everywheres,
loaded with tools and spares and gas cans.
some really good memories w that car.
 

Oldiron440

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My Fbody was a 440 car the day I bought it but it had a /6 in it. I have two 440s for it the first is/was a low compression stock stroke 440 the other is the 500" 440 with a 12.5 compression ratio.
My Volare was bought to be a home for a 440....nothing else.
 

beatersRus

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We'll need a photo of the front header panel to confirm, but there's a good chance this car is an LS. LeBaron's answer to a Mirada CMX. All the sport looking bits, but as you've found, it could be had with any engine offered. Firm Feel is the place to go to improve the car's handling. Poly bushings on the sway bar, another, but smaller bar on the back and some good KYB shocks will all work well. As for brakes, find yourself a '79 Cordoba with the 11.875" rotors, grab the caliper mount, swap it on to this car and with new rotors you'll have bigger front brakes. If you really want to up the brakes look for an `up to' 97 B100 van with an 8¼" rear axle, and grab the backing plates and some of the internal hardware bits and you can have 11" drums on the rear. Just watch that the right rear doesn't lock up early. You've already got 15" wheels, so just one size up on the first number, one size down on the second number and you've got a nice improvement in the footprints.
i found a big block 79 cordoba for sale,im thinking about buying it and parting it into my lebaron.
many thanks for the information you provided.
will the rear axle from the cordoba fit the lebaron?
 

BudW

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The last big block (B/C-body or pickup) was built in mid-May ’78. No ’79 cars were made with big blocks, but a couple of pickups were made. If it is a '79 with a big block, someone installed it, after built.

The mirrors have a different door mounting sloop than F or M-body’s use. They will bolt on fine, but top of mirror will look odd (not level) and cable length might be too short or too long. Good to sell on FBBO (or elsewhere).

The spindles are the same as FMJ’s. Be sure to get the caliper bracket to spindle bolts – which are longer. Keeping the wheels might be a good idea.

If the Cordoba has 11” rear drum brakes (possible, but doubtful), getting the complete brake assy would be good (mainly for the backing plate, which requires axle removal). If nothing else, a pair of 11” backing plates sell well.

The 400 (no 440’s were factory installed into Cordoba’s) kickdown linkage (1-piece design) won’t work in an FMJ (it hits the firewall at WOT), so you might have to go cable or find an older 3-piece design. Keep the old kickdown linkage parts together, for you might be able to sell it for more than a cable setup might cost ya.

Keep all the pulleys, brackets and transmission (and its brackets) for reuse. There is a good chance the radiator will fit, if you transfer your existing radiator brackets to the Cordoba one (they are soldered on).
The throttle cable might even fit, without issue (4-bbls are longer than 2-bbls are).

Not much else will interchange between the Cordoba and your Lebaron.
BudW
 
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