New paint on my 81 Slant Six Cordoba - Pictures!

[Cordoba1]

Hello fellow board users.. I just wanted to show off a little. I finally got my barn-find (only 39,900 miles!) 81 Cordoba LS running and looking great. Check out http://functionbox.org/81Doba.htm for pictures. Not officially for sale, but will entertain excessive offers!

Thanks for the tech help I received here -- and some parts, too. Helped a lot!

[Joshua Skinner]

I don't understand why you painted the car. It looked great in white.

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Joshua Skinner
car nut, telecom tech, tool using mammal
'66 Barracuda, '67 Valiant 100, '72 Dart Swinger

[1967 Dart]

Hello!

Still looking great! Paint job is excellent and the whole car looks like a new. It's easy to believe in the mileage.

Besides, in my opinion white color is more difficult to keep clean.

[Cordoba1]

The original white paint was very, VERY checked. It looked good from 10 feet only -- the corners were worn down to primer.

I was on-the-fence regarding whether to change the color or not. I like blue -- what can I say! And I'm very pleased the way it turned out.

Now if it just had more than 90HP! She's SLOW!

[stonethk]

I havent seen to many Cordobas around but that is a nice, clean looking car.

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[00spy]

I think that color blue is perfect for the car. It makes it look 100% better

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81 Dodge D150
It looked easier in the book .

[volaredon]

the 318 that year was not much better; 120HP sounds like what I remember from the Chilton manuals, etc ratings for that year. the /6 can be easily upgraded past that;

[Rob Simmons]

Very nice! I prefer the blue as well. You certainly don't see very many Cordobas, or any '81 cars, in that beautiful condition. Sweet cruiser.

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Rob
Back in the U.S. after a 6 year hiatus.

[56 Dodge]

That looks Sweet Great Job!!!

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1956 Dodge D100 Pick up
power plant 225 slant six

[wjajr]

Cordoba1:

[Cordoba1]

Okay -- So this board is a wealth of information, and thanks to the kind members here, I have it running at stock-quality and power. Now the next step is, I think, to upgrade to a Super Six.

Is there a good thread on this board that will give me, more or less, step-by-step instructions? Installing the parts isn't the question I have, but I want to buy the parts that will give me the least trouble. (For instance, the intake manifold that will directly bolt up -- and the correct carb for an unmodified 1981 S6).

Question: How important is upgrading the exhaust when converting to stock to Super Six. Keep in mind, I have no intention of modifying the engine internals.

Thanks!

[Rob Simmons]

So it begins... The slipprey slope of "just a little more power"...

Seriously though, the Super Six is a great upgrade and larger exhaust will help as well. I'll let others chime in with specifics.

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Rob
Back in the U.S. after a 6 year hiatus.

[Reed]

See this article for Super Sixing information.

Upgrading to a 2.25 inch exhaust is not absolutely necessary, but it makes a huge improvement.

I hate to say it, but part of your performance problem may be in the rear axle gear ratio on the car. I used to own an 81 Cordoba with a slant six. Very nice plush car, but an absolute dog performance wise. The rear axle ratio was 2.2! If I had a long straightaway on the highway, I could floor it and eventually get it up to 70, but that was about it. If you are serious about getting better performance, upgrading to a Super Six and larger exhaust is a great first step. If you are willing to go deeper, swapping the transmission to a wide ratio A-904T out of a mid 80s truck or van will give you a better 1st gear for acceleration, but swapping out the rear gears to a higher (numerically) ratio will be a very good way to improve performance.

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"You men eat your dinner, eat your pork and beans.
I eat more chicken than any man's ever seen. Yeah yeah!"

[Cordoba1]

I emaild Clifford Performance, inquiring about the Howell EFI setup they sell on their site. (http://www.cliffordperformance.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CP&Product_Code=45-8000&Category_Code=MY) The sales guy told me that the Howell system doesn't work well on the 225. What do you guys think... Here's what he said, exactly:

"Check this out. Get our oversized valves, springs, retainer and valve locks and take your cylinder head to a machine shop. Replace the valves using new seats and guides, install our hyd cam or mechanical cam of choice,

I have 1.6 adjustable rocker arms for you as well.

Bolt on 6=8 Headers/Intake and 500 edelbrock carb and you will add over 120% power and torque to your stock short block. With our cam, you will get 80% of the total torque, off idle and peak torque at 3,300 rpms and peak HP at 4,300 rpms.

The Howell system has problems on your slant six. I wouldn't run it.
"

[Joshua Skinner]

Buy these valves. Do not spend more money for the same or inferior parts form Clifford. If you stay with a mild cam, which you'll need to do unless you significantly increase the compression ratio, new stock valve springs and your existing retainers and locks will work fine. If you get into milling the head for increased compression you'll either need to get shorter pushrods or convert to a mechanical lifter cam and valve gear.

Clifford will likely sell you too much cam for the rest of your combination and if they repeat their past performance they will also sell you the wrong hydraulic lifters.

Clifford's 1.6:1 rockers are only for mechanical lifter cams. Your '81 should have a hydraulic lifter cam.

I would use the factory Super Six intake, carb and linkage. I would use the oversize valves and port the head. I would take a long hard look at the exhaust system. I would also change the axle ratio to 2.93/2.94 or numerically higher if you're at all serious about acceleration.

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Joshua Skinner
car nut, telecom tech, tool using mammal
'66 Barracuda, '67 Valiant 100, '72 Dart Swinger