Change the cam or leave it alone?

[bluefury361]

Somewhere along the line, and recently, the focus on our C bodys changed from the beautiful, smooth, quiet highway cars that they were meant to be.... to big carb's, headers, high lift cams, big tires and aftermarket wheels.
It occurs to me that if changing things around, going fast, quick, and making a lot of smoke and noise is importan then a smaller, more nimble car would be the wise choice..... I'm pleased to see the influx of younger folks, but the direction away from historical significance disturbs me a bit. JMHO.

 

[commando1]

Somewhere along the line, and recently, the focus on our C bodys changed from the beautiful, smooth, quiet highway cars that they were meant to be.... to big carb's, headers, high lift cams, big tires and aftermarket wheels.
It occurs to me that if changing things around, going fast, quick, and making a lot of smoke and noise is importan then a smaller, more nimble car would be the wise choice..... I'm pleased to see the influx of younger folks, but the direction away from historical significance disturbs me a bit. JMHO.

I find it more than just a bit disturbing...

If people lump C's in with A, B, & E's on their purpose and place, then they are merely Mopar people at best instead of C-body people. There's a difference.

 

[70_NPORT]

the ways I sees it this is because the cost of smaller A, B and ESPECIALLY E body cars have long since skyrocketed past the abilty of average joe shmoe working shmucks to own or restore. They are strictly in the realm of the "collector" crowd....EVEN a rust bucket E body small block auto car will set you back a plenty...better have deep pockets. So whats left? You gotit..C body cars...since they are and always have been looked down upon by the rest of the mopar diapsora...the are percieved as undesirable. The secret is however..."larger" doesnt always mean "lesser"...Shhhhh.

 

[jct]

the ways I sees it this is because the cost of smaller A, B and ESPECIALLY E body cars have long since skyrocketed past the abilty of average joe shmoe working shmucks to own or restore. They are strictly in the realm of the "collector" crowd....EVEN a rust bucket E body small block auto car will set you back a plenty...better have deep pockets. So whats left? You gotit..C body cars...since they are and always have been looked down upon by the rest of the mopar diapsora...the are percieved as undesirable. The secret is however..."larger" doesnt always mean "lesser"...Shhhhh.

if that's the case maybe just maybe we'll get more reproductions parts for our cars

heres the cam i'm gonna run when ever i get around to my rebuild in a few years

Mopar Performance Hydraulic Camshaft - P5155590

 

[bluefury361]

if that's the case maybe just maybe we'll get more reproductions parts for our cars

Most of the mechanical parts are available. Cosmetic stuff would be mostly Chinese, What ever happened to "restoring" original parts.....? Lots of good used and NOS stuff still out there.
The lack of cheap repop stuff is what separates the C body guys from the chevy guys.

 

[bluefury361]

the way I see this is because the cost of smaller A, B and ESPECIALLY E body cars have long since skyrocketed past the abilty of average joe shmoe working shmucks to own or restore. QUOTE]

True about the B & E bodys Gary, But they are boring anyways. A body's are still pretty plentiful at reasonable prices. And a 440 will slip into most any of them.

 

[65Fury440]

I had a C body as an 18 year old that I never had enough money to do what I wanted to do. Now I'm 50 and still don't have the money to do it, but dammit, I have enough to make me happy.
My particular car, could have went to the junkyard, it isn't smooth or sleek, it's obnoxious and unrefined.
I have the utmost respect for the blue blood C body purists, you guys know your stuff.My car would be much less without the input of this forum.
The stock cruisers are great, but the hot rod crowd have their place too,

 

[jct]

the ways I sees it this is because the cost of smaller A, B and ESPECIALLY E body cars have long since skyrocketed past the abilty of average joe shmoe working shmucks to own or restore. They are strictly in the realm of the "collector" crowd....EVEN a rust bucket E body small block auto car will set you back a plenty...better have deep pockets. So whats left? You gotit..C body cars...since they are and always have been looked down upon by the rest of the mopar diapsora...the are percieved as undesirable. The secret is however..."larger" doesnt always mean "lesser"...Shhhhh.

Most of the mechanical parts are available. Cosmetic stuff would be mostly Chinese, What ever happened to "restoring" original parts.....? Lots of good used and NOS stuff still out there.
The lack of cheap repop stuff is what separates the C body guys from the chevy guys.

some of the door weather seals that are not getting repopped... i got lucky the other day and bought new ones but it was missing the lil rubber bits that seal the rest of it up on the the door...

and somebody is making an all carbon fiber the mustang body
VWVortex.com - MAGStang GT500R: Your $250k Fastback Mustang?

 

[70_NPORT]

I have the utmost respect for the blue blood C body purists, you guys know your stuff.My car would be much less without the input of this forum. The stock cruisers are great, but the hot rod crowd have their place too,

Yup. Agreed. When the prices for Hemi Chargers come back down Im gonna buy me one tho.

 

[tallhair]

If people lump C's in with A, B, & E's on their purpose and place, then they are merely Mopar people at best instead of C-body people old men with hats. There's a difference.

....

 

[bluefury361]

some of the door weather seals that are not getting repopped... i got lucky the other day and bought new ones but it was missing the lil rubber bits that seal the rest of it up on the the door...

My experience with NOS weather strips is that 45-50 year old rubber shrinks.......! I've found that, with a little patience, one can locate some sort or weather strip that will replace the original and function well.

 

[Ripinator]

The car is a 66 Plymouth Sport Fury with a 1979 440, very low miles. The owner put a .477 lift comp cam in the engine. I am adding a new 4bbl and aluminum intake. I was wondering, since I have some of it apart, would a .484 lift cam make any noticeable difference, felt or real, in performance to be worth changing out the 477? It has a .323 sure grip with dual exhaust but no headers yet. They are on the list. For now, it is the cam profile I am interested in. Thanks everyone.

Throw a cam in there that makes it cackle. . .

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Throw a cam in there that makes it cackle. . .

There you go, we must be brothers some how, drivability pffffffttt who cares.

 

[Speed_Kills96]

The car is a 66 Plymouth Sport Fury with a 1979 440, very low miles. The owner put a .477 lift comp cam in the engine. I am adding a new 4bbl and aluminum intake. I was wondering, since I have some of it apart, would a .484 lift cam make any noticeable difference, felt or real, in performance to be worth changing out the 477? It has a .323 sure grip with dual exhaust but no headers yet. They are on the list. For now, it is the cam profile I am interested in. Thanks everyone.

Whats the overlap for this cam? Youve got to find out what that is before anything happens... If you have too much overlap you lose low end performance but when you step on it it will really go, and overlap determines where the power band is. Also if you change the lift you also have to check the valvetrain geometry, since putting a larger lift cam opens the valves further, you.must make sure the valves do not collide with the pistons. Depending on the overlap, lift and duration will determine what kind of performance you have.

 

[300rag]

....

Just remember, if you didn't have the custom title, you too would be and old man with a hat.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Whats the overlap for this cam? Youve got to find out what that is before anything happens... If you have too much overlap you lose low end performance but when you step on it it will really go, and overlap determines where the power band is. Also if you change the lift you also have to check the valvetrain geometry, since putting a larger lift cam opens the valves further, you.must make sure the valves do not collide with the pistons. Depending on the overlap, lift and duration will determine what kind of performance you have.

Duration is what will cause vavle to piston interference. Open the intake too early it may hit the piston on its way back down. Hold the exhaust valve open too long and the piston will smack it shut for you at tdc, max lift only happens when piston is well down in the bore. Yes more overlap will cause torque and horsepower to be at higher rpm, it allows the engine to keep making power at high rpms which is more air & more fuel = more power. Any of the cams he listed will have no interference issues with stock type pistons.

 

[Landyacht]

Somewhere along the line, and recently, the focus on our C bodys changed from the beautiful, smooth, quiet highway cars that they were meant to be.... to big carb's, headers, high lift cams, big tires and aftermarket wheels.
It occurs to me that if changing things around, going fast, quick, and making a lot of smoke and noise is importan then a smaller, more nimble car would be the wise choice..... I'm pleased to see the influx of younger folks, but the direction away from historical significance disturbs me a bit. JMHO.

C bodies are relatively cheap and easy to get a hold of compared to some of the lighter mopars. You will end up paying a mint for a an old challenger or cuda in halfway decent shape especially in places like Michigan where the salt likes to eat up these old cars. If you want to build a hot rod sometimes the C body is your best option and they really don't weigh that much more than a modern day charger or challenger.

 

[Landyacht]

COMP Cams - Performance Camshafts, Lifters, Valve Springs, Rocker Arms

The car is a 66 Plymouth Sport Fury with a 1979 440, very low miles. The owner put a .477 lift comp cam in the engine. I am adding a new 4bbl and aluminum intake. I was wondering, since I have some of it apart, would a .484 lift cam make any noticeable difference, felt or real, in performance to be worth changing out the 477? It has a .323 sure grip with dual exhaust but no headers yet. They are on the list. For now, it is the cam profile I am interested in. Thanks everyone.

Go to Comps website. They will give you all the information you need on what cam you need for your particular application. Cams are designed to be application specific. If you use the wrong cam with your particular combination it will cause a decrease in performance.

 

[Landyacht]

I find it more than just a bit disturbing...

If people lump C's in with A, B, & E's on their purpose and place, then they are merely Mopar people at best instead of C-body people. There's a difference.

I never considered myself a C body person. I purchased My 73 Newport about 17 years ago for $800 .It was a beater with a torn interior and rusted out fenders and wasn't worth restoring to original condition. It would have eventually made its way to the scrap yard if somebody else got there hands on it.

 

[moper]

My first C body used NOS... It had 175hp plate on it. With a 4bbl, and a camshaft. It would cruise at 130mph without the plate. Also beat a new 5.0L Mustang from a stop to over 100mph (the Fox body one...) while carrying 3 other guys and to this day is the most fun car I've ever built or owned. That includes my '71 Cuda 340 ragtop and my 70 Cuda 440+6.
If you don't like how I build my cars - don't buy one from me. Build yours the way you want it.