Drivetrains

[Lucky13]

Well, as everybody know I'm a huge Mopar fan, but I also do enjoy any other good ol' iron, Mopar or not...
Being the '331, '354, '392, '413 and '426 are my fave pieces, can't beat a nice clean Flathead or a '348/'409 either.....a straight 8 leaves a nice sound as well! 8)
Anyhoo, how did the drivetrain compare between the GM/Ford/Mopar back in the day, don't care much for the modern stuff, from the engine to rear end? How easy were/are they to work on, modernize/plueprint, to get that last horsey out, which rear axle could take the most punishment etc...?

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

423? I am not sure about that. Maybe a 413. As far as rearends that could take a beating. The Dana 60 was the king with the Ford 9" running a close second. GM's rearends could not handle anywhere near what these two could on the street. Now for pure racing, the Dana 60 would run circles around the Ford 9". As far as servicing and upgrading them. They all had there ups and downs. The street Hemi's (426) biggest problem was not enough oil. The oil pan only held four quarts without filter. By the time the engine started making horsepower at about five thousand rpms the pan was emty. Racers remedied this by installing a larger pan. Usually an eight quart pan. Chevrolet's big blocks usually had a five to six quart pan (without filter) on them, and for the street, this was for the most part adequate. Fords, if I'm not mistaken pretty much followed Chevy in this regard.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I was always a Mopar fan. Owned a 69 GTX 440 commando, 375 HP 12 bolt Dana, 1/4 cam. It was a high 13 second car. Loud, mean, I drove my parents nuts with it. Also had a 70 Cuda. 340 4 barrel, puke/ piss green. I'll try to find pics.

Raced the GTX a little. A V8 Vega with a 396 and a 426 Vette were the only ones to really beat me. I took on Chevelle 396s, GTOs and 442s - ate them for lunch.

Kept breaking motor mounts - eventually wrapped chain around them - problem solved.

My Cuda was stock, even had A/C. Took on a stock 351 Mustang, beat him by a car length.

Boy those were the days!

 

[GrauGeist]

The Chevy drivetrains were the best for swapping components, especially from '56 through the early-mid 70's...

You could take a 153 L-4 and bolt it up to a turbo400 trans, for example or take a 454 and bolt it up to a M22. The engine mounts and trans mounts were all interchangable and so on.

When I had my '68 Chevelle, I removed the stock 283 and stabbed a GM 702 V-12 in there for the heck of it. It was as long as a straight-6 (L-6 like the 195, 250, etc), as wide as a big block and bolted right up to the TH350. It was a blast to fool around with and really caught alot of attention at our hangout, but I eventually removed it and put the intended engine in there (a wicked 502 big block) and the rest is history

 

[Lucky13]

Great stuff guys! Keep it coming! Btw, Dana 60, why that name?
Love those Hemi heads for the flatheads! 8)

 

[Lucky13]

Me want! 8)