I'm building a 1940 Dodge Sedan. What would you do to make it a cool hot rod?

Question

I'm not restoring it, just building it to be mean, fast, and loud.

Answer 1

oh, the perfect question. right now I am restoring a 1962 Dodge Dart 330. If I had a 1940 Dodge Sedan, I would:
build a 1968-1970 440 engine, putting out about 550 to 600 horse, I say these years because they were the best time to get a strong solid block, the later years had thinner cylinder walls, and a few of this time were actully forged blocks, as opposed to cast, and they had a higher nickle content, but I would take it . 40 over, put in a forged crank, port and polished heads, h-beam rods, a good set of pistons, dual quads on a medium high-rise, 8 quart pan, mate it to a 66-70 727 torqueflite, with a 2000 stall and beefed up internals, with a reverse pattern valve body, custom aluminum drive shaft to a narrowed 70 8.3/4 with a spool and 4.10 gears, run close fit headers to borla stainless exhaust, and have a cut-out just beond the headers exit (this is a plate that bolts to a open hole on the exhaust, when you open it, it allows you to run wide open headers, sans muffler), i would lower it about 3 inches, do a mini tub to fit some 10 or 12 mickey thompson tires, convo-pro rims, 68-70 disc brake conversion, then i would suicide the doors, chop the top about 2 inches, chrome plate everything i could, and paint the car like a copper or bronze color, and add the interior out of a new chrysler 300 or something like that.

Answer 2

1955 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan. I got it in 1977 when I was 15 and it was a one owner with 38000 miles on it. 250 6 with three on the tree. Paid $550 with money from yard work and working for a baker from 4am to 7 am before school. That was fun! You know I traded that car a few years later for a 1970 Plymouth GTX 440 which I used to street drag. I won a 69 Chevelle in a pink slip race with that car. It was totaled by a friend who spent 4 months in the hospital from that wreck. The Chevelle was traded for a 67 Plymouth ragtop with a 383, which was later traded sometime later for a BMW 2002 autocross racer. There was also a 66 Mustang fastback, a 66 Barracuda and a 71 Challenger in there somewhere too. I owned four cars at the same time when I was 20 years old. If I had all these cars today I could sell them and retire wealthy! Once I went European, I never went back to Detroit. I'm 44 and have owned 36 cars by last count, American and European. Not one Japanese car ever. Today I drive a BMW M5 and the wife has a MB ML55. My favorite of all time would easily be the 89 BMW 325ix, which was performance modified, turbo and lowered. I regret selling it more than any other car and I had it longer than any other as well.

Answer 3

well first off don't commit sacrilege by putting a Chevy engine in a dodge go with the 426 hemi try this place summitracing.com or check out a mopar event at the local drag strip for more ideas

Answer 4

Here are some Mopar Engine choices for you. Don't commit a sin and put a chevy engine in a Dodge.

http://www.mopartsracing.com/parts/blocks.html


I would go with the 528 Hemi!!!

Answer 5

i would start with an LS series small block chevy engine (7 preferibly if the wallet allowed it) simply because theyre the best V8s made, then make it yours. Build a custom car to make it custom to you, not what a bunch of people on the internet want it to be.

and you should be proud of that car. very few cars came out between 39 and 45 due to the war.

Answer 6

CHOP THE TOP DOWN ABOUT 6 TO 8 INCHES CUSTOM PAINT WHEELS AND TIRES CAN THE CHYSLER ENGINE AND TRAN INSTALL CHEVY BIG BLOCK 427 TURBO350 TRANS CUSTOM LEATHER INTERIOR DIGITAL DASH KICK A_ _ STEREO JUST DONT SLAM IT TO THE GROUND KEEP IT REAL

Answer 7

Set it on fire.