50 Chrysler slant six swap, anyone done it

[J.R.]

I have a chopped 50 Chrysler with a 251, I also have a pretty healthy collection of slant six engines and vintage & rare speed parts. Plan is to take the stock rebuilt 251 out, sell it and drop in the rebuilt 225/OD 4 speed that was in my truck before I sold it. Also thinking about installing one of the fully ported big valve race heads and one of the Isky .505 lift cams that are sitting on the shelf. Might also use the triple side draft Weber intake.

 

I am a welder/fabricator by trade and swapped a slant into a 48 chevy aerosedan so that part is no problem, Im just looking for any pics or info from anyone that has already swapped a "long engine" for a slant.

 

 

 

 

[55 Fargo]

Hey JR, can't help you with any pics, but interested in what you are planning to do here, will be following along with this build.

When you start all, this, or even right now, start a build thread, and keep us posted, with your progress.

Looks like that leanin 6 can already pack a whallop, any ideas how many ponies and twist it has. 

You souped up flattie guys might get a lickin with this combo.

Good Luck with your build..

[Plymouthy Adams]

/6 in the early 70's was turning 170+ in the quarter...some 4 decades later I would think they could a lot more..

[J.R.]

As is it is a kinda mild rebuild with about 9000 miles on it.

225 punched 60 over, 10/10 on the mains and rods, stock size valves, gasket matched ports, offy 4bbl, clifford headers, 268 cam, HEI ignition, GM one wire alt.

Not sure on the HP but it reved upto 6500 no problem. The stock hei ignition unit was the only thing holding it back from going higher.

I might have a build thread going on here already, not sure.

[J.R.]

I spent 13 years tracking down the very first Hilborn unit made for a slant and found it sitting on a garage floor along with 2 old SCCA race engines and a pile of other parts including a Joe Hunt mag.

One of the engines was the same one that was in a 65 Alfa that was run at SIR in Seattle, my dad was on the team that ran it. One of the guys on my dads team knew one of the guys on the Dragmaster team, they did some tradeing and ended up with the Hilborn unit. After talking to Carol at Hilborn it turns out that this is actually their prototype and was originally sold to Keith Black in 1966 when he was building a slant powered hydroplane. They built 12 injection units and sold them from 1968 to 1972. This one looks and mounts nothing like the other 11 units sold. The production units bolt to the head just like a stock intake where as this one needs an adapter.

Plans are to eventually clone the Dragmaster Dart Six rail and shoot for the mid 9's on alcohol.

I think I have also tracked down the original engine from the rail in St. George, UT where it was used for land speed racing by Wilford Day and later he turned it into a table in his livingroom. Im working on contacting his relatives.

[furby714]

Nice !!!! U car looks bitchn

Also heard u might sell the rebuilt engine in the car if so let me know might go good in my 49 plymouth really love ur ride

[jcmiller]

See http://www.cascadepacificplymouth.org/510westphalswap.html

 

Bob visits this forum every once in a while.

[fstfish66]

thanks for  stuffing that leaning tower of  power in to the  chevy,,lol love that you are doing a hipo slant in the  chrysler,,very  kool

[51cambridge]

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYi16sG here's mine. I didn't build it.

[fstfish66]

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYi16sG here's mine. I didn't build it.

pretty  kool

[51cambridge]

Not real powerful,but alot of fun.

[J.R.]

I'm shooting for something like this but with a VERY nasty slant six. I have more than enough rare slant goodies to make it happen. That red is almost the same color I'm planning for my 50.

 

Edited December 7, 2015 by J.R.

[J.R.]

https://www.facebook.com/EverythingLow/videos/905712792869667/

 

Can't find the youtube link to this video but here it is on the book of faces.

Edited December 7, 2015 by J.R.

[55 Fargo]

Here ya go JR, this is the slant 6 for you,

 

[J.R.]

Future plans are to clone the Dragmaster Dart Six rail using the original Hilborn injection unit off it (took me 13 years to find it). I also tracked down the original engine from the rail but I am still waiting to hear from the owner. Plan will be to shoot for the mid 9's in the 1/4. It was running mid 10's in 1964 so I figure with cam and transmission technology now days there is no reason why it couldn't hit the mid 9's.

 

Already talked to Dode Martin one of the builders, just waiting for a call from Steve Layton, the driver.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2015 by J.R.

[55 Fargo]

Look forward to this build JR, keep us updated with progress and pics....leanin tower opower oh yah 

[dpollo]

I put a 225 in a Canadian 50 Plymouth.  The radiator was moved to the front of the yoke and I used a rear sump pan. The firewall needed some reworking.  (big hammer)

I shifted the T-Flite with the column shifter by reconfiguring the bottom lever so it curved up and over the column and pulled or pushed from the opposite side and connected to a bell crank mounted to the transmission. Used a Hydrive quadrant indicator

with the gear positions added.

 

It was a good swap, very reliable  but not really a ball of fire for power.  You will need some of your speed equipment. I found that a 3.23-1 rear axle ratio worked well.  An accessory trans cooler was adequate .

 

A friend  (now deceased)  chopped his 49 Chrysler  club coupe 4 inches.  Like yours, it looks great.  Sorry,  no pictures at present.

[J.R.]

Good info, thanks!

 

After I knock out the metal work on the body I will be upgrading the slant I had in my 69 D100 before I sold it to my buddy. It's already rebuilt and runs awesome with under 5000 miles. 60 over, 10/10 rods and mains, mild port on the head, offy 4bbl, headers and a crappy clifford 268 cam. Plan is to clean it, sand it, repaint it, throw on one of the big valve fully ported SCCA race heads, slam in an old Isky 505A cam (or get a regrind that's bigger) and run the triple Weber side draft set up I have under the bench. That with a rebuilt overdrive 4 speed and 3.55 sure grip should do the trick. I am planning on running the seats and console out of a early-mid 60's Thunderbird (curved back seat) so shifter placement wont be and issue.

 

[J.R.]

Been a while, quick catch up....

 

Decided to subframe the chopped 50 with an 88 S10 clip then stopped talking to the chopped 50 for a bit, bought a 73 bug, sold the bug, bought a pretty much stock non running 50 Windsor Newport, put a 66 slant 6 twist linkage carb on it 5 mins after we unloaded it and it fired right up. Adjusted the valves, re built the brakes and traded it for an 81ram swb with a slant 6 and od 4 speed. This truck is now my daily driver. In this time I also swapped the t350 for a 700r4 in my 79 g10 van and installed rear disk brakes and spent some time in the shithole known as Port Arthur Texas welding on a fuel barge.

 I am now back on talking to the chopped 50 again and pulled the body off the frame and started prepping it for the 4 link and hydraulic suspension (front, back and pancake. Not building a hopper).

 The body had to come off so I could replace the flattened body mounts so the body would be at the right height so the front sheetmetal would line up so I can build a new core support so I can mount the radiator so I can mount the engine and notch the firewall. It's all easier than it sounds but things like work and remodeling the back yard so we can sell the house and move to Arizona in 5 years are getting in the way... 

[J.R.]

Trying to add more picturesbut the upload limit isn't letting me and photobucket shooting themselves in the foot kind of screwed everything up...

[dpollo]

I ran a 225 automatic in a 50 Plymouth for years.  It needed the rear sump pan .  No ball of fire for power but was very reliable and economical as a to and from work driver.