need another one? I have a /6 in my 85 D-150 pickemup, just under 100K original miles, runs like a swiss watch/ but a lil underpowered for me. I have another /6 on a stand right now, all freshened up/ block bored 0.020", shaved 30-thou, crank polished "standard", waiting for head to come back from machine shop. I ported it out (best "I" could, anyway, for being a novice porter), the machine shop finished it out for me, put oversize valves in, and I requested new, drop in hardened exhaust seats. I also sent the cam out, to be reground into a healthy "RV" grind.
that, and a 70-thou head shave/ and I can finish assembly. With 0.100" combined, off of head and block, and a 0.060" head gasket (only one I could find with big enough bore to seal, with a boo boo I did to it while porting-- original head gasket was 0.020" shim steel, most replacements today are around 0.040" thick) this engine was big in Aussie, back in the day and they did alot more hop ups to them over there than most here in the States did..... if the head shave shrinks the OD of that 1 valve chamber's OD enough, I might be able to get away with a more conventional Fel pro type stock head gasket replacement...... have to wait and see, once I get that head back into my hands from the machine shop.
I will "just" be just over published, "blueprinting" spec of 8.4:1 compression ratio.... which was the CR listed in every Chiltons, Motor's, Mitchell service manual for that engine, in its day..... so even with a stock NOS original shim steel HG, I'd have to have had 0.060" shaved off somewhere in order to achieve what they were "supposed to have been" in the 1st place..... my core "build up" engine is a '74.
I have found that many of the engines of the day (all brands too) were "off the mark" as far as published specs vs actual......
my goal is to retain a /6 in this truck as it was originally/ BUT with the power output of somewhere between what a 318, and what a 360 "of that day (mid 80s) that this truck "could have come with", would have had..... But I like "different", and retaining an inline 6 is different, in the sense that most would "chuck" that inline 6 for a V8 without blinking..... I was thinking that I could put some $$ into a /6 and make it better than it ever was, by not having to pay for V8 exhaust, V8 mounts, V8 trans, V8 radiator, etc.....
I just bought new wheels and tires for my 78 Plymouth Fury 2 door hardtop, over the past couple of weeks..... the tires on that car are from 2004 (I have had it since '07) and too old for me to trust. I have been trying to get someone to take me up to Mom's and drop me off, so I can bring it home for the summer. I didnt take it out at all last year, as Covid killed off all the car shows and cruise nights. I only pulled it out and started it up a handful of times, since I last had it out almost 2 years ago.
personally? I think that Monte Carlo shown above, along with Torino, Charger, Fairlane, Grand Prix, Malibu, Cutlass, my Fury, Cordoba, T Bird, etc of that day, still are the perfect size daily driver/cruiser...... and with the downsizing of the intermediates around '78 ish, was their downfall. today's cars (what is left of "cars" on the road, anyway) are all too damn small for me. that's why I'll never again be without a pickup or "real" SUV again for a daily driver..... and these "crossovers" and "wannabe" SUV's? Pfft..... Cmon.... I wish the Powers that be, would stop meddling and telling us "what kind of vehicles we want" Those rambler "Americans" were cool as well..... I haven't seen one around in quite a while.
though my wife spotted a '74-75 Hornet as we were running around yesterday......