I was a boat mechanic before I was forced into retirement for medical reasons. Very many marine engines were Chrysler "225s" (hp) were the reliable 318 cid engines. For power I loved the 350 hp Chrysler 440 cid... many large cruisers powered by twins. It was a great place to work, I might add.

In those happy days my ride was a '68 Plymouth Road Runner (first year issue) 383 / 335 hp

A fabulous car for the open road.

Hmmm... Kind of like me...

Last time I had my beast out fo a run... 383 CID with a 4 BBL. 727 Automatic trans... This thing got lot of power and grunt. It would be a good challenge for the Cummins... LOL

Oh, YEAH! :D

Chrysler made some runners, I had a 57 Plymouth with a 230 that ran above 22 mpg most of the time, a 67 Chrysler with a 383 3 speed that did 18 or better and lasted about 411k before I gave it away, a 60 Dodge pickup with a 318 4 speed 3/4 ton did 14 mpg the first 150k and the next 100k did about 12 and used oil 1 or 2 qts per tankful, a 74 Dodge with 383 auto 220k and the seats looked late model, a 69 Chrysler auto did 19 mpg and broke the converter at 320k.Put more parts on then and they run more miles.keydl

I personally think Dodge/chryslers greatest engines where the slant 6 225 CID and the 318/360 Engines...Seems like those engine would go on for ever and never die if taken care of properly. Then the 727 Trans was another that could take a beating...

You forgot to mention the 340. I had a 1969 Dodge dart GTS that I built about 12 years ago. I had the 340 get treated by **** Landy (God rest his soul) with a full blue printing, balancing, and head porting. The end result was good for 450ish HP. I had to sell it to get my truck in 1999. I miss that car.

You forgot to mention the 340. I had a 1969 Dodge dart GTS that I built about 12 years ago. I had the 340 get treated by **** Landy (God rest his soul) with a full blue printing, balancing, and head porting. The end result was good for 450ish HP. I had to sell it to get my truck in 1999. I miss that car.

Hmmm... I guess you caught me with my pants down... LOL Well I get that posted in the forum... Yeah mine is balanced , blue printed, but no porting though... But It a quick old car... I've gotten the speedo up to 140 or so in the middle of Nevada desert... 8|

I've got one of those chargers,a 73' SE with all the goodies,need to get that thing under cover.HATE the 400ci engine though,what a POS.

I've got one of those chargers,a 73' SE with all the goodies,need to get that thing under cover. HATE the 400ci engine though,what a POS.

Maybe that's why the 400 CID in my 73 bit the bullet and then a 383 CID jump in its place! LOL Then it got married to 727 Transmisiion to make move quick! :wow

Yeppers,mines all original so I'm not going to swap it,going to try and find some nut who thinks they are collector cars I had a 69 Coronet 440 with a 440 and a A833 in it,man I miss that car `

Kind of like me...I'm going to have to give up my 1973 Dodge Charger soon... I just don't have the money to spend on getting the beast back in working order. Basically needs to be completely tore down and re-assembled. The engine and transmission need a bit of tuning but still in good shape... :thumbsup Then my Mom has a 1976 Dodge Magnum XE. This car was built for only 2 years and the quit the production on it. It got a killer 318 with a 2 BBL holly carb. Great gas mileage. Like 18-20 MPG when we parked it 10-12 years ago. It been kept in the garage all this time and just sits there... Once in awhile I steal a battery and get it fired up and roll it for a few miles and park it again for a long slumber... But the interior is like factory fresh yet! :wow In either case... I've got enough to take care of between both 1996 Dodge RAM gasser and my 2002 Dodge Cummins... Both of these truck get better MPGs than the old cars... B)

Nothing wrong with the 400's.....when they blow you put a 440 crank in it and get a 451. The 451 is mathmatically the best motor you can build with the bore vs stroke vs rod ratio all in the sweet spot. Of course I have a thing for 318's.

I love the old 360 block myself they were a killer engine to play with and easy to work on! :thumbsup

Hi, just a note on my wifes 1960 300F. has a 413 w/cross ram manifolds.been restoring it for about 15 years. all original but the generator.(engine) its a money pit. was her fathers car,stored in the barn for 20 or so years.mice just love it.hard to make it run rite

Hi, just a note on my wifes 1960 300F. has a 413 w/cross ram manifolds.been restoring it for about 15 years. all original but the generator.(engine) its a money pit. was her fathers car,stored in the barn for 20 or so years.mice just love it.hard to make it run rite

Like what kind of problems are you having with it??? I've got a ultra-sonic box in my 73 Charger and it keep the mice out of the interior of the vehicle... The day I get started on my 73 it will be a money pit... It got so much to repair... :wow

Hi, we have 2 sonic sounders in it,one in the trunk and one inside the car but still get mice.we gutted the interior and replaced the carpeting with rug material that the Chyr. 300 club had the original manafacter re weave .cleaned many 5 gal buckets of nests and seeds ect. had the luminesint (sp) gauges rebuilt and the power brake rebuilt also. the motor was rebuilt in Spokane by Jones automotive.but finding all the vacumn leaks and dualpoints and two carbs it is tuff to make it run well.the 300 club had Coker make a run of wide white wall radial tires so we bought a set of those.but we don,t drive it much .also had trany fixed and a new stainless exhaust.

Wow! That is quite the work of love put into that rig... :thumbsup As for dual points... funny thing I put a Mallory dual point distributor in my 73 Charger for the simple reason of the stock brain box keep frying out on my and leaving my stuck somewhere... Dual point dist. really work well...Stange that the 2 boxes are not keeping the mice out... :confused: It working quite well for my car that is sitting under a tree... 8|

There were big block wedge engines in other CIDs... there were high block 413's, & 426 "wedge" engines. A marina customer had a Coranado mahogany "ski boat"... about 20' long. With a 426 wedge with (2) AFB 4bbls. My 68 Road Runner "383" was a big block / low deck engine... a great engine... there was an earlier 361 wedge big bock, low deck also (in my Mom's 64 Chrysler with push button automatic). A class mate had the same 383 in his convertible 'cuda. The later 60's 440 6 pack (3) 2bbl carbs 440 was the big block, high deck block.The 318 series was bored out to 340, 360, 383, and maybe even 400. Those walls must have been d*mn thin by then... Really could use a whole nuther heading for the "hemi" of old. A College buddy had a 354 hemi in a 'early 60'sDodge Coronete, buckets, 4 on floor. I gotta say high decks got more c inches but I'm not sold. The low decks just ran & ran... "IF" I could keep my foot outta the 4bbl that roadrunner (auto, 3.23 rear) was capable of near 20 mpg. Man I gotta get the photo albumn & see it there's anything I can scan

I found a site that details the history "first generation" of Chrysler, Dodge, Desoto hemis of the 1950's, the origin of the 300, etc. http://www.allpar.com/mopar/hemi/chrysler-hemi.html

On my wife's side of the family, we live in her Grand parent's house, the list is long for the Chrysler power plants Her gran pap was a volunteer fireman, so he always had something with a hemi, 440, 383, & always a Desoto until they quit making them. Had to get to the fire quick. I head stories of my wife's brothers leaving their bikes in the driveway that got run over. ` One of my wife's first cars was a 67 Fury station wagon with a 383 4 barrel. She used to blow the doors off of Camaro's & Mustang's. My first Dodge truck, 76, had a 225 with a converted 3 on the floor & a glass pac. I welded in patches, man what a bondo buggy. Also had an 89 Dakota with a 4 cylinder 5-speed. I also have an 86 Dodge Shelby Charger that I bought new, 2.2 turbo, 5 speed. with only 14,000 original miles, that is covered up in my back garage.When I first met my wife, her & her younger sis had Dodge Darts with slant sixes in them. They were called the Dart sisters. I always wanted a 68 dart with a 340 six-pac, 4-speed....................someday................after I win the lottery....................yeah, right............... :D Dave

you guy are bad... ` You making want to go out and find a fresh battery and fire up my Charger and take it for a ride. But I know it needs some tune up work before it will even run worth a darn... But the last time I had it out I swear that my Cummins has got that 383 CID beat though.. >