Pro-touring Plymouth Volare *340 to boosted 225 slant!*

[brodie_83]

Hey all, another winter has come around and I'm bored as heck not being able to work on my REAL vehicle, so I decided to start on this Volare kit I picked up at a Mopar car show $40...unknowing that they re-released it soon after

 

Anyway, my plans for this thing is to build up the 340 from an AMT '71 Duster with an aftermarket intake manifold, an EFI setup and possibly turbocharged. Then I'll have to figure out suspension (since there literally isn't any) and lower it, bigger wheels/tires, a few body mods to clean up the front of the car (I prefer the earlier front ends, but I'll make due). Should be a fun project!

 

So far I have asembled the 340 engine, but am in search of a  different intake manifold that will work with this engine before I can go any further on this part. If anyone knows of something that may work, please let me know. Not a whole lot of stuff for the small block Mopar world. I found that the fuel injected hi-rise manifold from an AMT '70 Chevelle SS was close, but the sides are a bit too tall for the 340 heads. Looks cool as hell though!

 

Also have to find some aftermarket valve covers that will work with this engine as well...the stockers are pretty lame.

 

 

Edited February 26, 2017 by brodie_83

[426-Hemi]

Brodie thats some intake on that 340! Whats that off of?

Better valve covers for the 340? your not going to find much aftermarket for Mopar small blocks! I know of the '71 Plymouth Duster Street Machine ones (They look just like the Mopar Performance small block ones that are all black, with polished aluminum fins..... And then I've seen cast resin valve covers to look like cast aluminum M/T valve covers too, BUT those, you have to be careful. They make both big block and small block M/T versions! The big block versions will have angled inside corners, the small block version are straight no angles at all! -I know of no others small block ones!

[brodie_83]

Thanks! The intake is from an AMT 1970 Chevelle SS from the optional parts. I might just try to modify it to fit...it looks great on the 340! 

I'll have to look into those valve covers from the street machine kit...or maybe just make my own.

[426-Hemi]

-I'm going to be molding a few of my own for the small blocks in the near future.... (I just got to get my shop cleaned up to get it all started first!)

[brodie_83]

Ah, excellent news! The 340 from the Duster kit is one of the best engines Ive ever seen...so detailed and precise! It needs to have an aftermarket parts following, dangit!

[Tom Geiger]

Looks like a good start.  Be careful with the relationship between the transmission and the hump in the interior bucket.  Note that the interior has no pedals so steal those from the Duster as well. The chassis is simple but can be made to look convincing with some work.  I used the kit rear and springs, but cut out the driveshaft and added my own.  The front end is non-existent though. It does have the torsion bars, and unfortunate that there isn't a better chassis with these.

[64Comet404]

The only other set of custom 340 valve covers I have found are the Moroso units which come in the MPC 1980's Dodge Daytona FWD kits.

Brodie thats some intake on that 340! Whats that off of?

Better valve covers for the 340? your not going to find much aftermarket for Mopar small blocks! I know of the '71 Plymouth Duster Street Machine ones (They look just like the Mopar Performance small block ones that are all black, with polished aluminum fins..... And then I've seen cast resin valve covers to look like cast aluminum M/T valve covers too, BUT those, you have to be careful. They make both big block and small block M/T versions! The big block versions will have angled inside corners, the small block version are straight no angles at all! -I know of no others small block ones!

[426-Hemi]

Ah, excellent news! The 340 from the Duster kit is one of the best engines Ive ever seen...so detailed and precise! It needs to have an aftermarket parts following, dangit!

How many ya want? I have had that engine molded for over a year now! PM me if your serious!

[426-Hemi]

The only other set of custom 340 valve covers I have found are the Moroso units which come in the MPC 1980's Dodge Daytona FWD kits.

 

Those Moroso valve covers aren't right and sadly I have several brand new sets of them and I'm not impressed with those at all! They have nothing to recognize them as "Mopar" or "Chrysler" valve covers....... As much as like the MPC kits back then thats one item I won't give good reviews for, as its a pretty "generic" looking part. 

[brodie_83]

Okay, change of plans. I am not happy with anything I have come up with for the 340, so I'm doing a boosted 225 slant six! I have already started to scratch-make an Aussiespeed "Hurricane" intake manifold for it out of styrene sheeting. So far so good! I justdont know how in the hell I am going to cut out the runners...scribing with a hobby knife just feels kinda sloppy to me...

Btw, this build will be on and off (dont have as much time as I once did), so bear with me...

[brodie_83]

 

Edited February 26, 2017 by brodie_83

[Foxer]

Now I'm watching ... at a slant 

[1930fordpickup]

Very interesting take on this now. I like the switch to the slant as the whole thing is now different. What about a nascar chassis for a little better detail as a pro-touring car. Though it may not be 100% correct it is closer than what you have now. 

[stavanzer]

Wow! Me and the Grandson Like this!

[espo]

I like the idea of the Slant Six. Anyone can use a V-8. With the 6 you could use a Turbo or even go with a belt driven Super Charger be it a Roots or Centrifugal type.    

[brodie_83]

Very interesting take on this now. I like the switch to the slant as the whole thing is now different. What about a nascar chassis for a little better detail as a pro-touring car. Though it may not be 100% correct it is closer than what you have now. 

Thanks all! Yeah I have a '77 Dodge D100 with a slant six and I love that beastly engine! Also, the chassis will stay Volare, but I plan on doing a lot of modifying to it to make it a bit more "up-to-date" including coilovers, 4-link rear, and adding my own fron suspension components. Will take a while, but hoping the results will be worth it!

[disabled modeler]

Sounds very cool Brodie....its nice to see someone else wanting to use the straight 6cyl engines too.  Not every car/truck is a muscle car powered one.

[1930fordpickup]

Thanks all! Yeah I have a '77 Dodge D100 with a slant six and I love that beastly engine! Also, the chassis will stay Volare, but I plan on doing a lot of modifying to it to make it a bit more "up-to-date" including coilovers, 4-link rear, and adding my own fron suspension components. Will take a while, but hoping the results will be worth it!

The old slant six is a great engine. They run forever as long as you change the oil. Keeping the Chassis will be worth the trouble. It will just be work in a different place on the model. 

[426-Hemi]

Brodie,

NICE work BUT you do know that the "Aussie Speed" intake you're making is actually for a Aussie Mopar Hemi 6 right? Look at the flange where it would bolt onto the 1:1.... The flange is straight up and down vertical, if it was to bolt to a slant 6, that same flange would be angled 30 degrees....

Thats what your trying for, right?

Then you have this:

That long runner intake is GREAT on a Slant 6!!! AND its straight from the factory too! NOT an aftermarket part, and to that you can bolt a S.C.o.T.'s belt driven Supercharger to it, and top it with a 4 Barrel carburetor, thats a lot of Go like hell for a Slant 6.... BUT.....Then you could do this:

Both. Supercharged, as well as Turbocharged......

[AthOz]

I will throw a (sort of) spanner in the works here... with a suggestion

You could build a log style intake manifold. Something like this, with slightly longer runners to clear the exhaust. The example is for a Toyota 2JZ engine

 

[brodie_83]

Brodie,

NICE work BUT you do know that the "Aussie Speed" intake you're making is actually for a Aussie Mopar Hemi 6 right? Look at the flange where it would bolt onto the 1:1.... The flange is straight up and down vertical, if it was to bolt to a slant 6, that same flange would be angled 30 degrees....

Thats what your trying for, right?

Then you have this:

That long runner intake is GREAT on a Slant 6!!! AND its straight from the factory too! NOT an aftermarket part, and to that you can bolt a S.C.o.T.'s belt driven Supercharger to it, and top it with a 4 Barrel carburetor, thats a lot of Go like hell for a Slant 6.... BUT.....Then you could do this:

Both. Supercharged, as well as Turbocharged......

actually, the Hurricane intake IS for the 225 slant six. Trust me...I plan on getting one for my truck, as the Hyper Pak ones are impossible to find and VERY expensive if you do find them. Do some research...the Aussiespeed intakes are an amazing piece!

[brodie_83]

I will throw a (sort of) spanner in the works here... with a suggestion

You could build a log style intake manifold. Something like this, with slightly longer runners to clear the exhaust. The example is for a Toyota 2JZ engine

 

Thanks for the idea, and I have thought abot it, but I would rather go the direction I'm taking now. I know someone who has a fuel injection intake sort of like this for his supercharged slant six...makes 500 ponies!

[426-Hemi]

actually, the Hurricane intake IS for the 225 slant six. Trust me...I plan on getting one for my truck, as the Hyper Pak ones are impossible to find and VERY expensive if you do find them. Do some research...the Aussiespeed intakes are an amazing piece!

Yeah the Hurricane, YES, BUT what you were showing was from Aussie Speed, The Hurricane was either A stock, or made aftermarket by Offenhauser, Clifford, Kustom Bits,  Aussie Speed I believe only makes parts for the Aussie Mopar Hemi 6, not the Slant 6's.... I didn't think Aussie Speed made Slant 6 parts!? -That musta changed as last I knew they were only doing Hemi 6 aftermarket parts!

[brodie_83]

Nope, I talked to Mark Monopoli (owner of Aussiespeed) a few times and he said whenever I am ready to make a purchase, he would hook me up with all the slant six parts I need. They even came out with new intake manifolds that are supercharger READY!

 

A link to their slant six store... http://www.aussiespeedshop.com/product-category/slant-6-chrysler/

 

[426-Hemi]

Thats GREAT to hear........... last I knew they were only making intakes like those for the Aussie Hemi 6's..... Gonna be costly shipping from Australia!!!! BUT be worth it for a Slant 6 to make it just a tad stronger!!!! You know, you might want to make the Cam in that engine just a tad hotter too.....