Would I be breaking a Mopar ethics rule if I...

[Kroke]

...bought a 360 crate motor and installed it into my 72 Rallye Challenger in place of the stock 340?

I ask because my block was cracked all over after hot tanking. It wasn't the original engine in it but it was a 340. I am having a hell of a time finding a 340 at this time.

If I shouldn't put in a 360 in place of the 340, then what would be acceptable for the replacement? Should my first priority be a date coded 340 in the least? Or does year even matter?

Please give a rookie restorer some insight!

Thanks all!

[jonmandude]

It depends on your desires. Do you want a "correct" restoration or are you building a car to drive that is also a 72 Challenger?

If you are trying to restore the car correct as possible, you should look for a date coded block......good luck.

If you are trying to restore the car for your enjoyment, something to drive around on the weekends, get a crate engine. or go the "resto-mod" route and go bigger. It doesn't matter when the original engine is already gone, and even with the original it doesn't matter that much with a small block.

my two cents.

[E-Body]

I went around and around with the same battle with myself with both of my Cuda's. In the end the power, reliability and cost outweighed the "Keep it Original" idea.

Unless the entire point of the project is to be bone stock I would not think twice about a built 360 or even a more powerful setup...

NOTE: If you buy the Mopar Crate 360 I would recommend a complete teardown/checkup first. I have heard of too many problems caused by some small dumb mistakes on their part. Overall it's a good setup, just needs some better QA I think.

Good luck!

[JustACelt]

Depends on what you want out of your car. I like some of the mixed refurbishing that is occuring nowadays. Old car with a new hemi etc.. but that takes a lot of work. Engine and tranny and electronics, prolly a tailored drive shaft. With the high end of it being redoing some suspension work for better handling and stopping power but that would be optional.

[Kroke]

Well...the goal isn't to have a trophy car. It really is more for me than anyone else.

I guess to me, the whole 340 car is what makes it what it is. To put anything else in there would seem to be a shame. It would lose the whole "340-four barrel" stamp on the hood, etc. I guess that's the reason I took on the restoration for this perticular car in the first place.

I am not going completely stock on everything else. I don't mind if it doesn't have OEM parts on it as long as it looks good and performs well.

I think I just answered my own question...the more I think about it, the more it bothers me to have any other small block in the car besides the 340.

I just finished rebuilding the entire kmember/front suspension. That was a fun chore Now to update the rear axles/brakes/suspension and back to more sheet metal. I'm really starting to fall in love with my old car again putting so many hours in on it and seeing some results. It's very rewarding!

Thanks for the input guys.

[E-Body]

De-Stroke / Sleeve a 360 down to a 340.... LOL

[thegypsyfox]

The 340 is a much better performance platform than the 360. (Short stroke + wide bore + floating piston rings and other stock goodies make the 340 hard to beat. If you've got a 340 that is good except for a cracked block you could buy a new Mopar reproduction 340 block and put the good 'guts' from your old engine into it or build up a nice new 340 that would run circles around a crate 360.

[RRHemi]

If I had a small block car with a trashed original engine I would put a big block in it! that's just me!

[Rallye72]

I believe MP offers a "new" replacement 340 block for sale, you don't hear about it much.

Since the original engine is long gone then, for collectors, the value of the car is much lower and can't be replaced. You can go to the trouble of finding a correct date coded repalcement but it's still not the same. Since post 71's aren't really hot collector items anyway I'd do what makes you happy and you can afford.

Having gone thru the "keep it original" drill with my Charger there are many days I'd rather have a non # matching car so I could indulge myself a bit more. If the Challenger hadn't been announced I would have found a RR to play with.

I would recommend that you keep the car a small block as I think they handle better and, well, I just like small blocks. If you're not hung up on hemi this or hemi that and don't have an ego that requires the fastest car on the block then you should have a blast with either a crate 360 or replace the 340. Of course the other option is to go with a new crate 5.7 which I aslo think would be a hoot. MP offers a book that discusses conversions I believe.

good luck.

[RRHemi]

I agree that the 5.7 is a good idea. I like the idea of merging new engine in old car. The Mopar big block is my favorite engine ever made. Very solid and easy to work on.