Ballpark estimate for the cost to do a 5.7 Hemi swap in a '70 Charger

[icetech]

Don’t you love how the YouTube guys make it seem so easy, especially when they get their parts for free


For what it’s worth, I put a lunati flat tappet cam in my 440 a year ago, I haven’t had any troubles. The car is as close to a daily driver as you can with current gas prices. 15 mpg, plenty of power to have fun with, but not too much it can cruise around city like everyone else. Sure it isn’t a rocket ship, but like a few said, keep it simple.

have you looked into this, pricy but it’ll get a 518 behind your big block
92457 / Ultra-Bell Big Block Chrysler to TF727 or A518

Roadkill and Roadkill garage were the worst with that.... "Here's our budget build... with our $5000 gearstar trans and a $3000 GV OD.." And our blueprint engine... this whole build somehow came in at $2500.....

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Roadkill and Roadkill garage were the worst with that.... "Here's our budget build... with our $5000 gearstar trans and a $3000 GV OD.." And our blueprint engine... this whole build somehow came in at $2500.....

The original roadkill and roadkill garage was not. When motortrend took them off YouTube they started making them push the products they wanted.

Sorry @Kern Dog if I started the slippery slope to thread derailment, was not my intention. I am probably in the same boat as you, modern engine swaps with all their benefits are interesting, but then you start pricing things out and the interest fades away imo

 

[padam]

I too would love to get my hands on a modern hemi.

I was thinking of getting a clapped out Charger RT with a 5.7, strip it out and hot rod it some.

 

[Phantomx]

Anyone recall the duster that Tony Angelo wanted to hemi swap for cheap? He couldn’t believe how much it cost to do it compared to LS swap parts. I guess Chrysler did a good job at marketing the hemi as something special since everyone thinks they’re worth a ton of money. Let’s be real, the 5.7 is the modern day equivalent to a 383 2 barrel and the v6 is the 318. If it came standard with a v8 it was a 5.7, there are literally millions of these things around but people think they’re special. It’s no wonder people want to LS swap everything. It would’ve been nice if chrysler had embraced the aftermarket like GM did, this stuff would be more popular and cheaper.

Travis..

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Anyone recall the duster that Tony Angelo wanted to hemi swap for cheap? He couldn’t believe how much it cost to do it compared to LS swap parts. I guess Chrysler did a good job at marketing the hemi as something special since everyone thinks they’re worth a ton of money. Let’s be real, the 5.7 is the modern day equivalent to a 383 2 barrel and the v6 is the 318. If it came standard with a v8 it was a 5.7, there are literally millions of these things around but people think they’re special. It’s no wonder people want to LS swap everything. It would’ve been nice if chrysler had embraced the aftermarket like GM did, this stuff would be more popular and cheaper.

Travis..

I’ve looked into LS swapping my Datsun 280zx, it’s not near as bad as gen 3 hemi, but it’s no cake walk either.

 

[padam]

 

[Phantomx]

Yeah the LS isn’t pretty, but neither is a modern hemi really. Let’s face it, if you wanted to LS swap it, between fb marketplace and pick-n-pull you could have it running before Christmas for less than Greg payed for the car. This is why I say to add overdrive and work with what you have in the engine compartment. And maybe a gear swap too since you’d have overdrive to tame it.
Travis..

 

[padam]

Yeah, just hear it too much, “Bro, you should LS swap it.”

Below is the stuff that gets us all steppin and fetchin. That and I see some sweet gen 3s at the track that really haul ***.

 

[Billccm]

Whomever can come up with the recipe to do a modern Hemi swap at a reasonable price could be successful as a business.

There's three 1968-69 B body guys in my area with 5.7 hemi swapped cars and none of them will discuss the cost involved. This guy told me that 50 grand is probably realistic.......

 

[icetech]

Yeah, just hear it too much, “Bro, you should LS swap it.”

Below is the stuff that gets us all steppin and fetchin. That and I see some sweet gen 3s at the track that really haul ***.

View attachment 1764363

And that proves why you hear it so much though.. you can do a junkyard LS with turbos for under 5-6k and make 700+ hp... instead of 19k. Just sayin... i

 

[Phantomx]

I would also like to say, the 5.9 mag/od would be a good combo too. The old 300hp mag crate motor was just a stock truck engine with a carb intake. Stick a reasonable cam in it and your in the mid 300s for power and have the desired bolt-in trans option. These are also pretty easy to find in the junkyards still. I’m a huge fan of 360s though.
Travis..

 

[padam]

I would also like to say, the 5.9 mag/od would be a good combo too. The old 300hp mag crate motor was just a stock truck engine with a carb intake. Stick a reasonable cam in it and your in the mid 300s for power and have the desired bolt-in trans option. These are also pretty easy to find in the junkyards still. I’m a huge fan of 360s though.
Travis..

He should be able to get close to 350, 375 with the engine in the car without too much trouble

 

[Phantomx]

He should be able to get close to 350, 375 with the engine in the car without too much trouble

Right, which is why I said throw some good heads on it and maybe a more modern cam. But, I went back and re-read Greg’s first post where he brought up the mag because it has a factory/no adapter overdrive option. Any way you cut it, the car could be made more fun/enjoyable to drive with traditional components vs spending an average Americans yearly wage to “modernize” it. Remember, Greg is retired on a fixed income now, he can’t blow all of his money on cars. He needs to be able to afford Ensure and joint supplements
Travis..

 

[OneWheelPeel]

Oil pan is rear sump. That won't work with stock based suspension.
Front end accessory drive for trucks and SUVs somehow interfere somewhere, I don't recall exactly where.
It looks like to do a swap, you either have to do some modifications yourself to make stuff fit or buy the parts that are designed to fit old cars and our limitations. I do know one guy that put an all aluminum 6.1 in a '70 Barracuda. Maybe I'll ask him what he did.
I don't blame a company for their prices if they are trying to recoup their development costs but it still stings the wallet.
Many times, I am frugal even when I have the money to spend. It is just how I have always been. When I see a situation where the cost of something seems far higher than the benefit from it, I just feel like a punch to the gut to pay the money.
I never claimed to want these old cars to behave entirely like new cars. I just thought that the newer Hemi engines would give both power and economy and do it for a price that I could justify. I like to smell some fuel and exhaust when I drive it, I like the vibrations and road feel. Most of us daily drive a tame and comfortable, quiet car. In a classic, I want to retain some of the charm of being in an old car.
I don't know what I expected to find but I sure didn't think that it would be so expensive.

I'm similar when it comes to the money, but I am now getting to where the gating factor is where I'll spend a lot more if I know it will save me a lot of time/effort. I still have a job that eats most of my time so when I can work on the car I want to get as much accomplished as possible and will spend more for that. You will probably see that come into play when I start a thread about brake upgrade ideas.

Anyone recall the duster that Tony Angelo wanted to hemi swap for cheap? He couldn’t believe how much it cost to do it compared to LS swap parts. I guess Chrysler did a good job at marketing the hemi as something special since everyone thinks they’re worth a ton of money. Let’s be real, the 5.7 is the modern day equivalent to a 383 2 barrel and the v6 is the 318. If it came standard with a v8 it was a 5.7, there are literally millions of these things around but people think they’re special. It’s no wonder people want to LS swap everything. It would’ve been nice if chrysler had embraced the aftermarket like GM did, this stuff would be more popular and cheaper.

Travis..

Funny you mention the V6. I used to have a 2010 V6 Challenger and as heavy as it was it still ran mid 15s at Sonoma Raceway, I'd imagine that motor in my Coronet would do 14s. I know it would feel wrong going V6 in a way, but if it ended up in the car magically I wouldn't complain. And that 5spd automatic is my favorite trans.


I think about engine swaps a lot for my particular case. I have a base car with no PS, PB or AC. When I first bought it I wanted to experiment with electric PS and AC because I assumed I would hate the lack of power steering, turns out I don't. But anyway with the electric options we may get to the point in engine swaps that we only really need to worry about driving the alternator and water pump. I just don't know if we are there yet.

 

[Photon440]

Those $2699.00 383=496 stroker kits from 440source sound better all the time.

 

[Phantomx]

Funny you mention the V6. I used to have a 2010 V6 Challenger and as heavy as it was it still ran mid 15s at Sonoma Raceway, I'd imagine that motor in my Coronet would do 14s. I know it would feel wrong going V6 in a way, but if it ended up in the car magically I wouldn't complain. And that 5spd automatic is my favorite trans.

Yeah, there’s at least one guy on FABO that put a 3.6 in a dart and it runs mid 13s, don’t recall which trans. The 3.6/8speed combo runs pretty damned good, though it’s really not right for this discussion.
Travis..

 

[DeltaV]

I'm considering all options for this car

1) stroked 318
2) battery electric conversion
3) slant 6 with turbo

 

[icetech]

1) stroked 318
2) battery electric conversion
3) slant 6 with turbo

turbo /6.... yes please.. that is interesting at least

 

[Belvedere408]

Wow nearly 3500$ for a front accessory kit. Doesn't even look like that much comes with it. I also wanted to do a hemi swap but I've settled on a supercharger LA engine instead.

 

[RemCharger]

Those $2699.00 383=496 stroker kits from 440source sound better all the time.

It sounds alot nicer when you say it. When my buddy said it last year, it was 4400 Canadian, shipped to his doorstep, in Canada.