Some "Dime Rockets" for the 4TH!

Dwight Southerland · 07-05-2011, 08:31 AM

Todd - The 318 2-bbl is rated at 185 in Stock, 230 in SS in 1969. Look at the bottom of the engine column that has one asterisk (*) to see the power rating factor.
When NHRA defactored this engine back in '05, they hit every engine in every year from 1967 thru 1982. Because there are so many years this engine combination was produced, it would behoove somebody interested in racing it to research all the specs for every year and the bodies you can use. Slight advantages may be found in all those intake manifolds and carburetors. I will tell you that the cylinder head selection is basically the same for all years and that I could not find any camshaft advantages.
If you already have a '69 Dart, it probably has as much potential as any other combination. You didn't say which body style you have, but a GT hardtop has a weight break of 16.01 and will make it an O-P-Q car, which would be able to get away from the more populated 15 and 16 lb classes. I also think the engine will be more capable of producing competitive torque than hp, which would favor the heavier combo.

07-05-2011, 08:31 AM	#11
Dwight Southerland VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Arkansas - In the middle of everything. Posts: 1,999 Likes: 64 Liked 772 Times in 192 Posts	Re: Some "Dime Rockets" for the 4TH! Todd - The 318 2-bbl is rated at 185 in Stock, 230 in SS in 1969. Look at the bottom of the engine column that has one asterisk (*) to see the power rating factor. When NHRA defactored this engine back in '05, they hit every engine in every year from 1967 thru 1982. Because there are so many years this engine combination was produced, it would behoove somebody interested in racing it to research all the specs for every year and the bodies you can use. Slight advantages may be found in all those intake manifolds and carburetors. I will tell you that the cylinder head selection is basically the same for all years and that I could not find any camshaft advantages. If you already have a '69 Dart, it probably has as much potential as any other combination. You didn't say which body style you have, but a GT hardtop has a weight break of 16.01 and will make it an O-P-Q car, which would be able to get away from the more populated 15 and 16 lb classes. I also think the engine will be more capable of producing competitive torque than hp, which would favor the heavier combo.