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1971 Dodge Demon : 426 Hemi / 833 4-Speed

36K views 114 replies 13 participants last post by  mopar65pa 
#1 ·
Awww yeah  ;D

One of the A-Bodies i'm buying from Tony is getting the Elephant treatment  :eek:  Priced the Engine Block and other parts, i can build a 426 Hemi from the ground up for ALOT Less than the Crate Engine costs.

So once i pay the rest of what i owe Tony for the Dusters and Parts i'm saving up for the Engine Block (the most expensive part) and i'll build myself a radical engine for the '71 Duster.  Right around 8k total if my math is correct.  3k for the Engine Block (Stock Bore 4.25") or for an additional $100 i can get the other Block with a 4.50" Bore (i'm gonna spend the extra $100  :p )

Stay tuned guys, as i cram "The Legend" in an A-Body  8)

IF you want pics, you're gonna have to bug tony, he has the car still  :p  And if you want pics of the engine, open the Mopar Performance Catalog and drool over that  ;D
 
#52 ·
Well the guy sold the engine to someone else instead (told him i'd have the money by today, apparently that wasn't good enough so he sold it last night) so i'm back to my original plan of buying it 1 piece at a time.


So as soon as i pay tony (hey tony, check your messages..i'll have the full amount for you  ;D ) i'll place an order at the dealership for the Engine Block ($3,000  :eek: The Dealership had the best price, can you beleive that?!) , and then once my wallet is out of the Intensive Care Unit i'll order the Heads...followed by the pistons..

Welp, there goes several years worth of any extra cash and splurging on projects  :p
 
#53 ·
That stinks.  :'(

Hey you never know maybe one will com along complete at a better price.  ;)
 
#54 ·
mopar65pa said:
Hey you never know maybe one will com along complete at a better price. ;)
That would be awesome, but i've got a better chance of winning the Powerball lottery than finding a complete new mopar perf 426 for less than 4,500 :p Aren't those odds somewhere in the billions? :-\ And seeing as i just missed a near complete mopar perf 426...well... :p

I'll keep my eye out until i have the cash saved up for the block, if by then i don't find something i'll order the engine block.
 
#55 ·
ChrisKD said:
That would be awesome, but i've got a better chance of winning the Powerball lottery than finding a complete new mopar perf 426 for less than 4,500 :p Aren't those odds somewhere in the billions? :-\ And seeing as i just missed a near complete mopar perf 426...well... :p

I'll keep my eye out until i have the cash saved up for the block, if by then i don't find something i'll order the engine block.
You never know man. It could happen. ;D
 
#57 ·
Leeann said:
Oh, man - that really sucks :-\
And i was serious when i told him i'd have the cash by today, i called in a few favors from some family members and was going to borrow the remaining amount i needed from them to pay for the engine.

To be honest, i don't think the guy sold the engine. I think he either changed his mind about selling it, or he's bluffing and will try calling back in a week or so to attempt to sell it for more under the guise of "higher offers from other buyers." Which i would still be ok with paying more, if he would willingly admit he couldn't let it go for the price he had originally mentioned.

But if it turns out i'm right, and he's just beating around the bush instead of saying it outright...well that kind of crap pisses me off and i will tell him where he can put that engine (i may lose out on the deal of a lifetime, but i'm not about to play games with someone)
 
#58 ·
ChrisKD said:
And i was serious when i told him i'd have the cash by today, i called in a few favors from some family members and was going to borrow the remaining amount i needed from them to pay for the engine.

To be honest, i don't think the guy sold the engine. I think he either changed his mind about selling it, or he's bluffing and will try calling back in a week or so to attempt to sell it for more under the guise of "higher offers from other buyers." Which i would still be ok with paying more, if he would willingly admit he couldn't let it go for the price he had originally mentioned.

But if it turns out i'm right, and he's just beating around the bush instead of saying it outright...well that kind of crap pisses me off and i will tell him where he can put that engine (i may lose out on the deal of a lifetime, but i'm not about to play games with someone)
Or you can just tell him flat out I'll give you $3500 now since you jerked me around! :mad:
 
#59 ·
mopar65pa said:
Or you can just tell him flat out I'll give you $3500 now since you jerked me around! :mad:
Kinda what i had in mind too.

The reason i think he's screwing around on the deal and didn't really sell it... He has a certain "air" about him, and he called me at the garage to tell me someone bought the engine. I'm finding that a bit odd, considering his previous "deals" for that engine. First he was supposedly trading the Engine for a '69 Superbee, then that deal didn't go through and he was supposedly trading it for 2 Vettes, then i told him i'd have the money in hand (by today) for him to turn around and say he sold it.

What do you think the chances are that he'll call back next week saying the current deal with the buyer fell through ::) :p
 
#60 ·
ChrisKD said:
What do you think the chances are that he'll call back next week saying the current deal with the buyer fell through ::) :p
90% ;D
 
#61 ·
Well I got back a little while ago from dropping off the 71 demon/duster to Chris.  ;D

I picked up a gas tank for the crew cab and an air cleaner lid for the Charger he had.  ;D

I'm holding the 340 ransom till I get the rest of the money though.  :p
 
#62 ·
mopar65pa said:
Well I got back a little while ago from dropping off the 71 demon/duster to Chris. ;D

I picked up a gas tank for the crew cab and an air cleaner lid for the Charger he had. ;D

I'm holding the 340 ransom till I get the rest of the money though. :p
Hey there's a car i don't recognize parked outside :p

Yep. $300 to go and there'll be a 340 sitting on the garage floor. Or $350 if you include that 273 4BBL Intake. I plan on hauling out a Gigantor Load of junk early next week. Junk prices are way up ($3.10 a pound for Copper & Brass, 50 cents a pound for Aluminum, $11 a Hundred for Steel).

And i've got...err 100 - 150 Pounds of copper, 30 - 40 pounds of Brass (and counting, i'm still cleaning the garage), 300 - 400 Pounds of Aluminum, a literal 18-wheeler load of Tin/Cast, and Dumptruck loads of Steel.

I will be hauling out for ages at this rate, but my wallet sure won't be complaining, and neither will the '71 Demon when it has a shiny new 426 Mopar Perf Block sitting in it ;D

Oh yeah..pics would be nice, wouldn't they? :p









 
#63 ·
{cool}

At those prices I guess I'd better get a load of scrap together.  ;D
 
#64 ·
mopar65pa said:
{cool}

At those prices I guess I'd better get a load of scrap together. ;D
Now you're talking ;D

And on the topic of the Demon, I think i know the best way to fit the Elephant under the hood and work on it too...Chop the Core Support Off, Cut off the Inner Fenderwells and remove the hood... What's that leave?

Shock Towers, Frame Rails, K-Frame and a Firewall. Ease of maintence, and then i'd make everything Removeable 8) Wanna yank an exhaust manifold or starter without a problem, unbolt the fender and fenderwell and it's a straight shot ;D Kinda like Mad Max's Tilt Front Clip on his '71 Demon, only without the tilt front clip :p

Also Considering a Coil Sprung/Strut Front Suspension for the car :eek: Can you say "Suweeet" ;D
 
#65 ·
Chris, when I did the Demon's tilt, I had to make extra extra certain the front frame section didn't collapse even a milimeter before i got the roll cage poking through and doiong the job of the inner fenders.  Without the inner fenders there's nothing substantial to support the front frame.  Just sayin'  ;)
- Sam
 
#66 ·
ChrisKD said:
Now you're talking ;D

And on the topic of the Demon, I think i know the best way to fit the Elephant under the hood and work on it too...Chop the Core Support Off, Cut off the Inner Fenderwells and remove the hood... What's that leave?

Shock Towers, Frame Rails, K-Frame and a Firewall. Ease of maintence, and then i'd make everything Removeable 8) Wanna yank an exhaust manifold or starter without a problem, unbolt the fender and fenderwell and it's a straight shot ;D Kinda like Mad Max's Tilt Front Clip on his '71 Demon, only without the tilt front clip :p

Also Considering a Coil Sprung/Strut Front Suspension for the car :eek: Can you say "Suweeet" ;D
{cool}
 
#67 ·
Mad Max said:
Chris, when I did the Demon's tilt, I had to make extra extra certain the front frame section didn't collapse even a milimeter before i got the roll cage poking through and doiong the job of the inner fenders. Without the inner fenders there's nothing substantial to support the front frame. Just sayin' ;)
- Sam
Kinda figured i might run into something like that, My first car (the '73 340 Dart Sport) broke the subframe on both sides right at the control arm mounts.

My thoughts on the Structural Areas of this car is something along these lines :

Removeable Fenderwells and Core Support (but reinforced too ;) )
Reinforced Front Frame Rails (particularly from the Shock Tower and back)
Crossmember at the Front of the Rails
Linked Front and Rear Frames, with an Additional Crossmember behind the transmission.

For the Wells and Core i was thinking maybe span the mounts for the rear of the fenderwells across a bit more of the firewall, and mount the front of the fenderwells and core support to the front crossmember.

I'm no good with describing what i'm thinking though :p I'd love to hear any of your thoughts on the structure, ect since you've done a similar project before. Oh and do you have any twisting issues with your Demon? My '74 Duster like to twist when i wail into it, and that's just a 340.

Or as Tony and i were laughing about today, regarding the amount of twisting the Demon is gonna do. "Yeah, i'll hit the throttle and hear a BOOM....woops there went the side windows." and he replied. "Yeah and there'll be nice wrinkles right here" (pointing to the roof/quarter panel area) "And your rear window will be laying on the road" :p
 
#68 ·
ChrisKD said:
Or as Tony and i were laughing about today, regarding the amount of twisting the Demon is gonna do. "Yeah, i'll hit the throttle and hear a BOOM....woops there went the side windows." and he replied. "Yeah and there'll be nice wrinkles right here" (pointing to the roof/quarter panel area) "And your rear window will be laying on the road" :p
{yes} {gloating}
 
#69 ·
ChrisKD said:
Kinda figured i might run into something like that, My first car (the '73 340 Dart Sport) broke the subframe on both sides right at the control arm mounts.

My thoughts on the Structural Areas of this car is something along these lines :

Removeable Fenderwells and Core Support (but reinforced too ;) )
Reinforced Front Frame Rails (particularly from the Shock Tower and back)
Crossmember at the Front of the Rails
Linked Front and Rear Frames, with an Additional Crossmember behind the transmission.

For the Wells and Core i was thinking maybe span the mounts for the rear of the fenderwells across a bit more of the firewall, and mount the front of the fenderwells and core support to the front crossmember.

I'm no good with describing what i'm thinking though :p I'd love to hear any of your thoughts on the structure, ect since you've done a similar project before. Oh and do you have any twisting issues with your Demon? My '74 Duster like to twist when i wail into it, and that's just a 340.

Or as Tony and i were laughing about today, regarding the amount of twisting the Demon is gonna do. "Yeah, i'll hit the throttle and hear a BOOM....woops there went the side windows." and he replied. "Yeah and there'll be nice wrinkles right here" (pointing to the roof/quarter panel area) "And your rear window will be laying on the road" :p
I haven't seen too much twist in As. In Es it is downright awful.
 
#70 ·
I've been building the "Dream List" on my laptop to build a Hemi, you know "Window Shopping" for the best deals.

Indy Heads sells a Cast Iron Hemi Block for $2,800 ($200 cheaper than the Mopar Perf Block at the Dealership). Not sure which one to go with though, sure it may be $200 cheaper, but is it reliable?

Found a Complete Comp Cams Stud Mount Rocker Assembly (all 16 Rockers, Stud Mount "shafts", ect) for $850, that's about $2,000 cheaper than buying all the Mopar Perf Rockers, Shafts, Pedestals, ect  :eek:

Then again for a huge price tag (5k), Indy Heads sells a complete Top End (Heads, Valvetrain, Intake, Valve Covers, Gaskets, Pan ect)  I just have to figure out which is the better deal.. buying the parts individually, or as a complete package.

2 Mopar Perf Heads (Assembled, Pair) is $2,500 and change.
Comp Cams Rocker Setup : $850
Dual Inline 4BBL Intake : $450
Valve Covers (pair) : $300
and then i'd still have to find the small oddball parts (Spark Plug Tubes, Gaskets, Valve Cover Studs, ect)

It looks like the price would work out to be about the same by the time you figure everything up, and in the end it saves from doing the run-around for that one part you forgot to buy  :p
 
#71 ·
ChrisKD said:
I've been building the "Dream List" on my laptop to build a Hemi, you know "Window Shopping" for the best deals.

Indy Heads sells a Cast Iron Hemi Block for $2,800 ($200 cheaper than the Mopar Perf Block at the Dealership). Not sure which one to go with though, sure it may be $200 cheaper, but is it reliable?

Found a Complete Comp Cams Stud Mount Rocker Assembly (all 16 Rockers, Stud Mount "shafts", ect) for $850, that's about $2,000 cheaper than buying all the Mopar Perf Rockers, Shafts, Pedestals, ect :eek:

Then again for a huge price tag (5k), Indy Heads sells a complete Top End (Heads, Valvetrain, Intake, Valve Covers, Gaskets, Pan ect) I just have to figure out which is the better deal.. buying the parts individually, or as a complete package.

2 Mopar Perf Heads (Assembled, Pair) is $2,500 and change.
Comp Cams Rocker Setup : $850
Dual Inline 4BBL Intake : $450
Valve Covers (pair) : $300
and then i'd still have to find the small oddball parts (Spark Plug Tubes, Gaskets, Valve Cover Studs, ect)

It looks like the price would work out to be about the same by the time you figure everything up, and in the end it saves from doing the run-around for that one part you forgot to buy :p
good luck with that. Too rich for my blood. :p
 
#72 ·
mopar65pa said:
good luck with that. Too rich for my blood. :p
To be honest, it's too rich for mine too :p But i've always wanted a Hemi in a Duster/Demon ;D The engine will be worth more than the car around it :p
 
#73 ·
ChrisKD said:
To be honest, it's too rich for mine too :p But i've always wanted a Hemi in a Duster/Demon ;D The engine will be worth more than the car around it :p
That's about right. ;D
 
#74 ·
Another mod i'll be doing to the Demon, just undecided which to do.

I've got 2 Glass (Pop Out / Removeable Glass style) Sunroofs, and of course one in the '71 Duster too. And a Spare Roof (cut off at the Quarters and Wiper Cowl) with the Factory Moonroof.  Debating which one to use in the Demon.

Factory Moonroof, or a Glass Sunroof.
 
#75 ·
ChrisKD said:
Another mod i'll be doing to the Demon, just undecided which to do.

I've got 2 Glass (Pop Out / Removeable Glass style) Sunroofs, and of course one in the '71 Duster too. And a Spare Roof (cut off at the Quarters and Wiper Cowl) with the Factory Moonroof. Debating which one to use in the Demon.

Factory Moonroof, or a Glass Sunroof.
Don't the factory ones tend to rust things out? I know the "Doba" I had never sealed right. BUT I think they ran tubes for the water it collected out the rear quarters.
 
#76 ·
mopar65pa said:
Don't the factory ones tend to rust things out? I know the "Doba" I had never sealed right. BUT I think they ran tubes for the water it collected out the rear quarters.
Yeah they've got rubber hoses that run from the Moonroof, across the headliner (behind it obviously) and partway down the Quarter Panel, water still builds up inside the body though :-\ If i was to install the Moonroof, i'd run the tubes all the way through and out of the body underneath, and then seal everything.
 
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