Mopar Experts: Opinions Needed On Engine/Trans Choice

[Middle Out Media]

Hey Guys,

My buddy has a '71 Dodge Dart that is built pretty well aside from the engine/trans. We are looking to convert it to EFI, but aside from that have not made any engine decisions. If you are familiar with the A-body platform, I'd love to hear your recommendations. It currently has an LA 318 small-block with a 904 3-speed auto. A manual trans conversion isn't out of the question. We want to stick with a Mopar engine (and trans if sticking with auto). I have heard that late model Hemis are a tight fit. This car sees quite a bit of street miles and is not intended to be too radical, so the combo needs to be able to be driven anywhere and perform pretty well overall.

A few things we considered:

Gen III Hemi
360 Magnum
408ci Stroker Small-Block


Thanks in advance!

[GoodysGotaCuda]

What's the budget?

They can all meet your requirements but there are pro's and con's to all as well.

Hemi in an abody has certainly been done, it's native to EFI, seals up well and packs a healthy punch. I went from a 318/904 to a 5.7/T56 Magnum. It's truly a "go anywhere, anytime" kind of car.

[Middle Out Media]

Any kits you'd recommend for the Hemi swap in an A-body? All three options would fit in the budget in terms of the parts themselves, but a greater concern is taking on an engine swap without a fairly plug n play kit. A few days in the shop or even a week is cool, but we don't want it collecting dust on a lift for months.

[sccacuda]

Gen 3 Hemi, no discussion. Best bang for the buck. You can pick up a 2009-up 395HP truck engine for a little over 2K. Can't built an LA or Magnum to that power level for less than twice that. Bonus on drivability and mileage with the Gen 3. MS Gold plug and play for ALL the sensors, MDS, and VVT for $1200. Trans options with Mopar are 3 speed 727 or TKO/T56 manual. The only real auto options is a Chevrolet 4L60/80e. The MS can control it and adapters to the Gen 3 are available.