1963 Dodge 440 / 2008 Dodge VIper custom build. The VIper Bee

[NCC1968]

I've wanted one of these B bodies forever. I found a 42K mile 63 model 440 and got a decent deal. I could do the "normal" bigblock, HEMI, MaxWedge.....ect, but wanted something diff.......a challenge.


I decide to go modern tech and only one choice made sense - the Viper.


I purchased a 6K mile wrecked 08 and am bringing the cars together.

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I found this one about 5 hrs from me so decide to trust the guy with the condition and agreed to $8750. I went and hauled it home on a trailer.

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I pulled the grill and hood to get the engine and trans out in one go.....barely fits.

Sold to a guy for his 57 Plymouth project...........ran and shifted great....just needed carb due to leaking shaft.

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They meet for the first time...........

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$16,500 off ebay and about $2000 shipping. A three wheeled non roller........

This how you ship Fla to SoCal w/o blocking the trailer....jacknife trick.........

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6733 miles............both front wheels bent bad, front suspension toasted .....most stuff forward of engine busted...steering rack bent......but....the good stuff works.

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After some inspections and checking everything out....ready to fire and move. I used a moto lift and plywood....like moving a train.....running about 1o seconds at a time sans cooling.

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The 8.4 (510cid) is $25K from the dealer.............an engine and trans on ebay....like ten grand.

I got a low miles engine, a dual clutch 6 speed....and all the other parts I'm using for not a lot more. I've sold the 63 motor/trans and the Viper IRS......making some back.

 

[5.7 hemi]

Hell yes!!!! I will be watching this thread!!

 

[NCC1968]

Photobucket crap vid.............

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Start chopping...............learn the construction of both cars as I go

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30 yrs working on every kind of machine.....................I end up doing my own project w/o a shop, but a tent in the back yard. It was cheaper to buy the tent....and prob one ore two more.....than to rent a shop.....plus security here :-D

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Too wide and too much hassle

I have another idea:

Keep my 8.75 and go 4 link

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That was the poly 318 I pulled......they did a decent job under the hood to make it easier to sell.......


Compare...out with the old....in with the new (sorta)

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Mind you...........I am not staying stock. I got headers, no cats and will do a few other things. The computer on this is a real bitch....so limited mods. If I had the older Viper I could spend more and get crazy, but approx 700 HP will be fine for a driver...yes - I will drive it often.

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Stay tuned.................

 

[1962polara]

This is gonna be epic! :headbang:

 

[NCC1968]

This is gonna be epic! :headbang:

Geared 4.10 Sure-Grip and using M/T 29x18x15 tires it will be...something.......

 

[NCC1968]

A bit about geometry.

The Viper is a very low car and has a long front end....though not a long car.

The Polara is much higher....even when lowered ....and 21 inches more wheelbase.

To use the Viper floorpan I had to put it inside of the Polara really. This means the front wheels would be off the ground at Polara height or the front of the car would be too low.

To solve this I did the obvious....I'm using a custom front suspension that is a modern version of the K front but with coilovers instead of torsion bars. With my engine so high up I probably will not have a clearance problem pan to steering - we shall see when we get that far.

The engine needs to be mounted far back enough to maintain some balance front to rear. The V10 is 9 inches longer than a slant 6....LOOONG. In my short-ish engine bay this means bye-bye firewall. The engine needs to be set just behind the front axle ...or no more than with the front plugs about there. This is debatable......optional.....results vary.

With my engine set between these two it worked out well....my seats ended up not too far more rear than stock. I may even be able to retain rear seat usage...we shall see.

Vipers have sidepipes....this is not going to work in my car......unless there were some crazy mods. Since my torsion bars are gone....as well as the mounts (cuz I just them out) I have room for pipes....real pipes. This brings a new problem as the Viper trans is up INSIDE the tunnel....so the headers (from a Challenger Drag Pak) would be about half into the floorpan. This means modding the front floor frames a bit and mounting the engine high enough in the car, but low compared to the Viper floorpan. The only problem that it may cause is the short shifter to have clearance problems....we shall see - and that is not so much to deal with really.

The distance from the engine mounts to the firewall, shifter and seat could have been a problem, but since I'm using the floopan and making a firewall...it ends up working. You will see later how I have the correct height inside the car for the dash to fit and be in the right spot on the tunnel......tying the interior pars together.

While I am using the floorpan...I am not using the upper section that was the dash structures and the upper firewall. This means I have to mount the steering wheel and brake booster differently....more custom.

Since the two cars have different sized windshields, but close...and a very different curve....there will be dash mods. This is fine b/c I have to recover it due to airbag deployment. The dash sits several inches forward of stock.....you will understands with pics later.

Next up ....really up....the tunnel is WAY higher than the rear Polara floorpan that is still intact. Once I am ready to deal with the driveshaft I will fab a connection. The Viper driveshaft is short...really short.....and since the car has IRS....the Ujoints almost do nothing as the motion is between the differential and wheels. My 8.75 will be floating on a 4 link so I will need a much longer shaft that does need Ujoint motion.

There ya have it.........no big deal....................

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Back to some pics:


After cutting off the airbags and cleaning a bit (car sat 2 yrs) I got a decent look...not bad......

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My plan all along was to use the interior....so spending $16,500 on the car was a good deal.....the seats are expensive.

Good enough....will have pro cleaned later when time to install.

The driver seat was being pressed upon by the crushed in door and the bolster has a dent. The seats have been in my living room for months now and the dent has come out some. Maybe with use and the temps up and down it will come out some more....no big deal.

The bad...they weigh a frikin ton....well....45 lbs each.

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11/26...HA!...my birthday...........

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The old and the new........

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I bought a complete front.....custom K, arms, coilovers, Viper steering rack and Wilwood brakes.

 

[NCC1968]

I know some people like Ye Olde torsion bars, but it's all gotta go...........

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How does one cool almost double the motor?

I contacted a SoCal company that makes rads for.....all kinds of custom shops and builders.
They were able to stamp me out mounts that fit stock and give me FOUR CORE cooling and the proper 2in necks.
I moved the upper to the side...where it should be. Two weeks and about $600 bucks....cheaper than the Viper plasticrap. Will get electric fans after install and measure.

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Approx final look.

I will have the strip between my stainless black, black hood (with pins), black grill with yellow lights and no hubcaps. Wheels are modded black stock steel - 14 inch wide rears. VIPER BEE decals on rear qtrs....when I find someone to make em......

Still working on it, but you get the idea.

 

[HYRDGOON]

Loving this! Thanks for doing the build thread for us to learn and enjoy

 

[NCC1968]

Strip it.......

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Some clean up.............

 

[NCC1968]

Viper T6060

Dual clutch

 

[NCC1968]

Nice FLAT pan.

Common Viper issue - broken trans mount.

 

[NCC1968]

Few wires.........and more where those came from........

 

[Burns69RT]

I know some people like Ye Olde torsion bars, but it's all gotta go...........

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How does one cool almost double the motor?

I contacted a SoCal company that makes rads for.....all kinds of custom shops and builders.
They were able to stamp me out mounts that fit stock and give me FOUR CORE cooling and the proper 2in necks.
I moved the upper to the side...where it should be. Two weeks and about $600 bucks....cheaper than the Viper plasticrap. Will get electric fans after install and measure.

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Approx final look.

I will have the strip between my stainless black, black hood (with pins), black grill with yellow lights and no hubcaps. Wheels are modded black stock steel - 14 inch wide rears. VIPER BEE decals on rear qtrs....when I find someone to make em......

Still working on it, but you get the idea.

Who did you get to make the custom viper bee decals? I want to get some custom roadrunner decals for my 70 Plymouth "Project Dead Bird"

 

[NCC1968]

Who did you get to make the custom viper bee decals? I want to get some custom roadrunner decals for my 70 Plymouth "Project Dead Bird"

Nobody....yet......

It is one of the very last things to install so no rush........let you know what I find if you like.

 

[Burns69RT]

That'd be awesome thanks! And same here know rush either. I still have to weld in my front floorboards. And pick up my 4 speed and 440

 

[super-bee_ski]

I'm watching
I am in the middle of a 63 RESTO also
Man, I must say, your Lil 63 Polara looks great!

I'm subscribing to this thread
"UP here in Edwards AFB, So Cal"

 

[NCC1968]

It's a challenge for sure. The V10 is a lot of motor for the car. I have to not only get it all together, but make it strong enough to stay together. I just got a quote on my Sure Grip

"742" Mopar 8.75" 3rd member, Nitro Nodular Iron
Housing, 4.10 Ratio, Sure Grip, 7290 Yoke
1,465.00
SHIP SHIPPING Fed EX Ground
60.00


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Got a quote on modified steel wheel.........15X14 powdercoated black and not have to find myself a stiffener for the axle housing to weld on.

 

[Budnicks]

Very cool build
I'll look forward to checking this thread out occasionally too

 

[Mopar Man 73]

This is awesome!!! I have a '63 330. Exciting to watch your build.

 

[NCC1968]

This is awesome!!! I have a '63 330. Exciting to watch your build.

You are not far...........maybe you will see it roll next year at a show.