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Yeah. My short term goal is getting the motor running good and tuning and building it for max torque. That is why I got an old Edelbrock SP2P intake and I am want to try running a spreadbore Holley 4360 carb. Torque ios my friend on this vehicle.
When the time comes to install the slant I am going to get a wide ratio tranny and possibly change the rear gears or rear axle.
Thanks for the advice! I'll see if it passes before I do anything else. Once it passes, the cats are gone, the lena burn is gone, and the fun begins.
My Dad once owned an 83 Gran Fury, which is the mechanical twin of this car. I think you'll find that the 318s from that era are ALREADY tuned for darb near maximum torque, and they actually work impressively well in stock form, although your SP2P sure won't hurt anything. I don't think we ever *touched* that car mechanically- he bought it surplus from the Texas Department of Public Safety (aka highway patrol). It was a supervisor car- no copcar goodies at all, just a 2-bbl 318 with electronic engine management (the system formerly known as Lean Burn). It came with over 120k on the clock, he beat the living crap out of it for several years and sold it with well over 250k on the clock, still running and driving fine. Believe it or not, the computer system and feedback carb (the Carter version, not a Holley) never even hiccupped. I only remember two maintenance issues with that car ever. A fuel fliter clogged on him while driving through Alabama once, and then it spit a driveshaft out about a year before he sold it (the pinion nut backed off for some reason, most likely a failing pinion bearing vibrated it loose).
M-bodies take a lot of verbal abuse for their shortcomings, but the truth in my experience is that they were *damn* well assembled and a basically good, if basic and utilitarian, design.
At the same time, my grandmother owned an 83 slant-6 Diplomat. Identical car except for the engine, but as you well know an 83 slant-6 was a *pathetic* shell of its former self. The 318 car was superior in every way except looks (the slant car had much better paint and lower miles)- the 318 got better mileage by about 4 mpg and FAR more power, but a healthy older slant with a Super Six setup should be just fine. Me? I'd keep it a 318 because its just as indestructible as a slant, almost as fuel-efficient, and already there. But that's just me. A better rear ratio would help- I'll bet you've got something like a 2.45 in there from the factory, that's what Dad's car had and I think it was the norm. The 318 car already has a wide-ratio A998 which helps get it going with the stupid-low numerical rear end.
Edit: Just went chasing through the thread and saw where you wrote this:
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Also, I confirmed the car has the 7 1/4 rear axle with 2.2 gears!
That is bizarre- I've NEVER seen a 318 M-body with a 7.25. The slant sixes did, but I've never seen one under a 318 car. That's GOT to be a swap that someone did...