Hello all......I've been away from this forum for a while.....been playing with the FWD mopars for a bit after I sold my 83 Ram. Anyway, I have the ability to pick up a 71 Duster with a 198 in it for a song. Been tossing the idea around of the usual V8 swap (I have a 360 kicking around collecting dust) but......after flipping through some old Hot Rod mags, I am considering the hyperpack setup instead.....maybe even triple webers... .....what kind of HP numbers and 1/4 mile times can I expect out of a properly built 198? I know the 225 is easier to play with, but this engine is already there and runs real nice already. The car has a 904, so stall converter would be in the works.....and it has the 7 1/4" rear end. If I increase the performance of the 198, should I swap in an 8 1/4" or 8 3/4" or will the 7 1/4" be able to take it? There used to be a couple of companies out there that offered sure grip units and better gears for them, but if it won't take it I'll just swap it out rather than waste my time and money......opinions?

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"That thing gotta HEMI in it??"

It is pretty easy to get 200-220 HP out of a 198 with cam, carb, exhaust and head porting work. That makes for a pretty nice combo seeing that a base model Duster can weigh-in just under 3000 lbs.

As for the 7 1/4, it is not a question of if you will blow it up, it is a question of how long it will go before you do.
Truth is that the gear ratio is most likely to "tall" for a really quick car.
DD