Coronet Gets Engine Transplant

Dropping in the "newer-ish" 1973 engine. 

The Team Coronautski/Bunch of Idiots team is prepping for the mid April return of the Dodge Coronet to Lemons  racing at Carolina Motorsports Park. Over these last few weekends before the race, and much like the Avengers, the team assembled and began working a new 2024 Three Step Plan. This Super-Atomic-Fast-Easy (SAFE) plan is the result of years of experience that boils down to one thing: Your car WILL go faster with an Engine that works! Here's the SAFE 3-step plan: 

    Step 1: remove old Dodge engine!

    Step 2: build new Dodge engine with refurbished 1973 block!

    Step 3: install new Dodge engine!

Ye Older Engine Pre-Removal

Sounds very straightforward doesn't it? Well, at that level, it is! However, once you start disassembling various old parts that may or may not be original AND 50 years old, things get interesting. Luckily the team is made up of various engineers and auto-shop pros, so by combining that with all the previous engine replacements the same guys have done on this car, they pretty much are experts on 318 Dodge engine swaps. 

Favorite tool? Auto lift for the win!

If I was going to be a stickler for being precise, I might point out that the exhaust manifolds had about 4 different types of fasteners holding them on, but hey, if it works, don't fix it! 

Maybe your engine has a long serial number on it, so you have to decode the numbers to determine when it was built. This refurbished Dodge engine just has the date: 10/22/73!

Pro Tip: A painter's roller tray makes a handy platform to pre-soak your camshaft valve lifters in oil. If you want to do the math, 8 cylinders, 2 valves (intake and exhaust) per cylinder.

Rebuilding an engine, let's get some connecting rods and pistons in there. 

If you plan to drive fast, you need to be able to stop. 
Old and new brake rotor. 

The Coronet has been themed as a Russian "Coronautski". Instead of an American "Super Bee" the team prefers the Russia "Super KGB" graphics from Brian Nixon.