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leaning towards getting an Abody with /6
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Author:  crossfire383 [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 10:14 am ]
Post subject:  leaning towards getting an Abody with /6
Hello all,

I have had my eye on a few A bodies lately and would like some advice on them being they all have slant 6 motors.

I have been reading a lot an learning some cool things about the 6. I have always been a v8 guy. When I was younger my first inclination would have been to pull the 6 and throw in a v8. After doing my homework I found the slant six had a lot of positives.

I see a lot of conversations about going fast. I just want a nice cruiser that's maybe a lil better than stock. I would like to know what type simple upgrades would to just make it a nice every day driver. I usually make sure cooling is upgraded and ingnition as well on my other cars. The car will be used around town, going to work a few days out of the week, and the ocassional drive up to los angeles from San Diego. Wouldn't mind putting header on to let it breath better and upgrading intake if need be but with all the choices I'm still not sure whats right.

Not looking to mill heads or anything like that right now. I might buy a separate motor in the future and make a go fast but not right now. Just want a nice happy running 6

Thanks all

Great site. It really says something when other mopar forums tell you to come here for information.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 10:29 am ]
Post subject: 
Welcome here. Best answer to your question hinges on how you want to spend money. Do you want to spend more money on the car and less money (and time) on upgrades? Or do you want to spend less money to buy a project/builder/basket-case and spend lots of money and time building it up?
Author:  Reed [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 10:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: leaning towards getting an Abody with /6
Quote:
I have had my eye on a few A bodies lately and would like some advice on them being they all have slant 6 motors.

***

I just want a nice cruiser that's maybe a lil better than stock. I would like to know what type simple upgrades would to just make it a nice every day driver. I usually make sure cooling is upgraded and ingnition as well on my other cars. The car will be used around town, going to work a few days out of the week, and the ocassional drive up to los angeles from San Diego. Wouldn't mind putting header on to let it breath better and upgrading intake if need be but with all the choices I'm still not sure whats right.

Not looking to mill heads or anything like that right now. I might buy a separate motor in the future and make a go fast but not right now. Just want a nice happy running 6
Sounds like you want a nice cruiser.

Upgrading to electronic ignition if the car doesn't have it is an excellent first step. I would go directly to an HEI system if the car doesn't already have factory electronic ignition. The cooling system can be left stock if it is functioning well. No need to get a high volume water pump or a fancy radiator.

If the car has a single chamber master cylinder and front drum brakes, then those should be upgraded to at least a dual chamber master cylinder and front disc brakes. This is a safety issue.

Otherwise, if all you want is a nice cruiser with no internal changes, then my advice would be a Super Six two barrel upgrade, Dutra dual exhaust (two inch pipes off the manifolds into a 2 1/4 inch single pipe system before the muffler and 2 inch after the muffler). If you are driving on California freeways and if the transmission is an automatic transmission, I would check if the transmission has part-throttle kick down and add it if it doesn't. The last thing I would do is spend the time to recurve the distributor timing advance curve.
Author:  crossfire383 [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:35 am ]
Post subject: 
I'm done with basket cases lol. Don't have the space or as much time as I use to. I don't mind turning the wench though.

I was thinking. When I was a teenager I had a 92 jetta that was 100 hp lol. It did was good for what it was. 145 hp in a light Abody should be just fine.

The one internal upgrade would probably a nice cam. Nothing radical but a nice upgrade from stock. IF that's possible.

I keep reading the 6 has a lot of torque. To me torque is what makes a car fun to drive not trying to go 100 mph. Don't get me wrong fast is fun too but torque puts a smile on my face.

Thanks for the immediate responses. Its exactly what I needed
Author:  Reed [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:41 am ]
Post subject: 
If you want torque then increasing the dynamic compression ratio is more beneficial than a cam swap. The stock cam used in the slant, especially the 72-80 mechanical lifter cam, is actually pretty decent for a street car. Increasing compression really wakes the motor up.
Author:  crossfire383 [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:59 am ]
Post subject: 
I see. Are the cams that came in the 69s a whole lot different than the ones you mentioned?

Well the head will be something on down the road. Like I stated before I will by a separate engine for all that down the road. I might even buy a head on the side and do some work on it for later use.

What about the rear end. Can the gearing be changed or would I need to step up a bigger rear end to make changes like that?

I wouldn't mind making a swap like that. A mod like that would be good to already have already if i do decide on down the line to sup up the engine.
Author:  Reed [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 12:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
The 69 cam is a bit milder, but still performs well with compression increases.

In 69 an A body would have had a dual chamber master cylinder and could have come with disc brakes form the factory or front drum brakes and could have had a 7 1/4 rear axle or an 8 3/4 rear axle. The 7 1/4 is notoriously weak and is often swapped out for a larger rear axle when it fails. If the rear axle in your car is currently fine, then a fluid change and regular maintenance (ie. don't ever think about it) should help it last a little longer.

Changing the rear axle is a complicated question. Usually, upgrading the front brakes to disc brakes requires changing the wheel bolt pattern. This also usually means changing the rear axle to get a bolt pattern that matches the upgraded front disc brakes. In the past, when parts for old A bodies were cheap and plentiful, this meant swapping to a later 7 1/4, or an 8 1/4, or getting an 8 3/4 and updating the axle shafts in the 8 3/4. These days A body rear axles are getting very expensive and hard to find. Many people have started swapping in Ford rear axles instead of Mopar rear axles.

If I were you, I would get whatever car you are looking at, then spend some time driving it stock and making it operate as well as possible in stock form, then evaluating what needs to be improved.
Author:  crossfire383 [ Tue Dec 29, 2015 1:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
THanks for the very helpful info. Very much appreciated.
Author:  Dart270 [ Thu Dec 31, 2015 6:58 am ]
Post subject: 
Welcome to the site! I agree it is a good idea to get a car and commune with it a little before deciding how far to go, how much to spend, and what driving characteristics you want. Tons of ways to go on the engine and drivetrain buildup, as well as other key aspects of the car like tires, wheels, suspension, and brakes.

All the best,

Lou
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