[1984Rampage]

Ok, So Im thinking of picking up an 83 dodge shelby charger for sale locally for cheap. I know these have the weak 107 h.p. High output 2.2 carbed engines. What are the usual good somewhat cheap modifications to give the car a little or a lot more power? Also what are some realistic 1/4 mile goals? Im also thinking of completely gutting the car...

Whata re your thoughts?

 

[detobias]

use Google; there are oodles of threads AND web pages devoted to hopping up the NA motors

if you gut the car carefully you can always add back some or all if you dont like it ; my mostly gutted 86 omni is pretty loud and uncomfortable; I understand now why Marcus and others are so against gutting the L's for speed ..

 

[turbokid]

The 83 cars aren't turbo cars but they aren't slugs. The drivetrain hooked up to an exhaust and some port work really open up the car and they handle awesome

 

[DaytonaTurbo87]

Try driving it first, my old 83 Shelby 2.2 HO car was a blast to drive. I loved it. Handled great and I could lay down a little rubber. I know a guy who bought one of these cars new back in the day, he told me after some careful tuning of tire pressure and plug gap he managed to run a 15.4 or a 15.6 in the quarter with his, bone stock otherwise.

You won't gain much by gutting the car, these cars do not have heavy interior materials. Biggest thing hampering these cars is head flow or lack thereof. I would start by putting on an exhaust header, then start thinking about changing over to a different intake system and finding a spare cylinder head and send it out to a trusted cylinder head specialist for rebuilding and a 3 angle valve job.

 

[vntned]

After a lot of messing with these NA cars Ive concluded that you can make these cars quick but comfortable and enjoyable go away before that is achieved!

Right now my brother in laws '83.5 SC has a MP767 cam, Hooker LTH, dual Weber 40mm carbs, and a 2.5'' exhaust. The car hasnt been on a track since it was stock(it ran 17.0 in the 1/4), but I imagine it would run low 16s now easily.

My '84 GLH has a fully ported 782 head with +4mm valves, MP 767 cam and a Weber 32/36 carb, and stock exhaust manifold with a 2.25'' catback. The trans no longer has a 3.87 FD, I swapped a 3.56FD trans for better gas mileage.

We went from a 2nd gear roll the other day and we stayed side by side all the way through second and third gear.

He gets 15mpg with his twin carbs and I think my GLH is getting in the lower 20s. His car has solid mounts so the header doesnt hit the K-member, so everything vibrates and rattles like crazy. My GLH has MP mounts and doesnt rattle any more than a stock Omni!

Id say put a new Weber DFEV 32/36 carb, a decent exhaust, some good seats and enjoy driving it. These cars arent gonna be "FAST" w/o boost or juice!

 

[The Pope]

I don't know about them not being fast. Koffels Place was running 13.4 in the early 80s with a auto trans and side drafts. Today you can go a long ways. I would consider a big valve head, the conical Beehive springs with PTs and a big cam. F4-F5 cam for a roller. You have to be able to get some RPM out of the NA. Todays lifters and spring will let you rev up. Other nice things from turbo cars, aluminum flywheel and cheap T2/T3 clutch, under drive pulley and porting things like the oil pump feed and water pump housing. Light weight rods with light weight KB pistons and a steel crank. For a carb look at the 350 CFM Demon. Lots of good stuff out there now. You will have to spend a few bucks but I don't think 13s are unfair with a 5 speed today. I've seen stripped GLHs years ago with a 767 cam run 14 flat. Sure turbos will make the big power but the NA can be done. I also see people spend a ton of money on a turbo, then not be able to run 13s. The carb is a bit easier to make power for a lot of people.

 

[TURISMO2.2L]

I Agree. I've gone too far with my 84 turismo to turn back now. i had it rebuilt not too long ago on a 130K eng. 20over JE pistons, melling high volume oil pump, mild.430cam hooker header, 2.25 pipe to a flow tech muffler, removed air pump and stock air box, K&N pan filter, jetted the holley carb., stock a525 5spd, underdrive pulley, mopar computer and my car is a lot faster now then it was stock. i am yet to take it to the track. I'm waiting to get the carb adapter plate to be made for the B&M supercharger and to get another G-head off to the shop for some port/polish, IMSA big valves, .460 purple cam&valve springs. everything going in this head is mopar, except the valve guides and freeze plugs of course. I have faith in my turismo even though it's carb'd. it takes a good 5min to warm up but its a wild ride when it's warm. my friend has a 89 celic gt(auto) an i leave him a couple car lengths behind. another friend of mine has an 01 cummins with a chip an i keep up with him like it's nothin. this is my first car also. I'm only 21 and i purchased it in 2006 for 900bucks. i say go for it. dont forget to go as wild as hell on it as you can, its carbed.

 

[[email protected]]

why did you remove airpump - does it have any harmfull side.effects?

I hace an 024 1982 but i dont know much about carbs...please explain the airpump thing.

 

[DaytonaTurbo87]

Every air pump I've seen by now has always been siezed up.

 

[DaytOmni]

Turbo swap FTW! Cheap is a relative term, If your going to be sending the head out for machine work, your better off buying a used turbo drivetrain and having a blast. Just my 2 cents.

 

[24kilo]

Ok first, Remember HP=Mods x $ . That being said The first three things to change, Carb, Cam , Exhaust. Cams are Readily available, CompCam, Mopar performance,Isky. They run $175 or so Average give or take $20. Carb for a mild mod, DFEV 32/36. Don't get a Holley 5220 like some say I've been through three , They were junk from the factory and rebuilt they're worse. Go with a weber. Cam that's your choice,the MP767 is a nice mild cam,Isky's are real radical and Comps fall some where in Between. I run a Comp 131-4 it's chopy and works with my set up. Header now that a problem they run $250 or better when you find one, You can run a larger cat or drop the cat(depending on state inspections) and bigger pipe back with a free flowing muffler. Well that's a good starting place and my 2cents worth.

 

[chargincharles]

Just wanna add my pennies here....not meaning to start anything,
BUT...
WTF???
I can understand wanting more horsepower..I get that, and I am all for modifying the original motor for more power, but why does everyone want to swap turbo's into these cars?
How many 83 Shelby's are left in the first place?
And the survivors??? How many still have the original engine/trans and are still N/A?
The 83 was the only SC that WASN'T turbo if I am not mistaken, and they were the first.
Wouldn't that make this car the rarest of the rare? I can't even remember the last time I saw one...and I see A LOT of these cars.

So,
My advice- Go with 24Kilo's advice, and keep the car N/A. Don't Turbo for Turbos sake...

Again-
My Opinion Only....not trying to start a flame war, I just know how rare these are, and at the rate we are all going, no one is going to have a un-converted 83. And won't that be a shame to loss some of the rarest of our heritage.

CC.

 

[turbokid]

^ I agree
How ever 84 was also non turbo.
The non turbo ones are hard to find.
I have a buddy that bought his 83 and 1/2 Shelby charger new and he wouldn't give the car up for the world. It's the only carb'd shelby I have seen.
He has an exhaust, some light suspension work done, a little bit of head work done and a new clutch. They are great cars with out the turbo forsure

 

[The Pope]

I would build a carb 84 if I could find a clean one near by. Just for fun. Keep in mind there are more 83-1/2s than all turbo GLHs and GLHS combined, close to. So there far from rare in the SD / TD world. But as cheap as a turbo SC is to get I'm supprised some one would go through the trouble?

 

[chargincharles]

I would build a carb 84 if I could find a clean one near by. Just for fun. Keep in mind there are more 83-1/2s than all turbo GLHs and GLHS combined, close to. So there far from rare in the SD / TD world. But as cheap as a turbo SC is to get I'm supprised some one would go through the trouble?

I knew the GLH's and GLHS's were the rarest of all of these, but generally speaking, they are also the most expensive, so people are much less likely to modify one (by dropping in the SRT4 motor for instance)...whereas the the others are cheaper and then more likely to be mod-ed.
Anyway around it, any of the Shelby Chargers are rare.
I was a teenager in the 80's into performance cars, and I almost never saw one of these on the street. Add in 20+ years of road salt, and now they are exceedingly rare to say the least. The rust has even taken them out of the junkyards!
If I could afford to buy one of each and store them all for posterity I would, but that ain't gonna happen.
I am encouraged by seeing more and more of them at the Nats each year, so there is hope that people are beginning to understand how rare they are.....

Take Care,
CC.

 

[83.5nonturbo]

Ok not to sound like a dick but this car is mine that 1984rampage started this thread for.

Since having this car for a couple months, and only spending $100 on it, ive decided to just small things so i can outrun my friends cars which consist of a subaru wagon (slow cuz i beat it in my moms car which is slower than these), a 240sx, and a miata. So really ive been thinking just like if all this works (cuz i want to keep good gas mileage) a 782 head to raise compression to about 10.1:1 C/R, underdrive pulley, carb spacer(if they work) and a open pipe 2.5" exhaust, above carb air filter, pull all emissions stuff, and a performance computer... and with all that how much would it create cuz ill be happy with 130hp