Hemi Conversion.."to be or not to be"

[TeeScott]

Gents, I have been tapping into your advice and recommendations for the past ~3 years since I bought my "95%" original 73 rally 340 auto challenger. Since it had been mostly sitting for the 14 years before I bought it, I have spent a lot of time/effort with expected stuff like brakes, suspension, accessories, bushings, exhaust, etc... & it now drives & stops nice, runs pretty fine and is a very reliable cruiser. But,.... the engine is showing some of its age,(leaks, lifter ticks, and some inconsistent compression readings, etc..) & i just recently dropped it off with the "great" staff at the Finer Details Shop in Indianapolis for some investigation/assessment type work followed by various potential upgrades (wiring, HVAC, engine mods) that my budget will allow.
So,...My quandary is centered around my old-school hot-rodder inclinations on trying to keep it close to a legacy "day2" type car VERSUS, taking the plunge for a Gen3 Hemi conversion. Opinions? I Believe the costs for what I have envisioned to "improve" the car into a solid "legacy" day-2 state is maybe 15-20% less than what it would take for a HEMI conversion to a crate 345 using my 727 trans.(which I can afford.)
I realize that a 1973 340 rally auto car will not likely ever have the same value/collectability as a 70-71 R/T no matter how much time/money I expend to keep it that way. My goal is to have a fun-to-drive, reliable, fairly comfortable E-body cruiser that my wife and I can enjoy(she has rarely desired to go on cruises with me in my hot rods due to lack of A/C and odd smells, etc..). The power of the current 340 (mostly stock with a "possible?" cam upgrade by the PO, long-tube headers, and a 650 Edel. AVS-2 on an old LD4B intake) is sufficient to be in the "fun" category, but is not exciting. (my last car was a 74 duster with a 414 cu.in. stroked 360 that dynoed at 440+ HP and 490+ft.-lb. ...& was exciting)

THX for your thoughts and opinions,
-TeeScott

 

[heminut]

I put a Gen 3 5.7 hemi in my 70 Cuda back in 2008 and haven't looked back! It was a stock 2004 Ram engine and I put a 6.1 cam in it and have an Edelbrock 1405 on a 5.7 Hemi crate motor intake with an MSD Hemi6 controller for the coils. I used the TTI headers and motor mount adapters with a small block TF 727 behind it. It was a relatively easy swap and probably puts out about 400 HP, and is fun to drive.

 

[Katfish]

I went from a 340 to 5.7, and without doubt it's the best thing ever.
But you need to be honest with yourself, do you plan to really drive the car?
Or will it be used 2 or 3 times a month to go to a local show.
The Gen3 swap will definitely cost more, I kept track of every penny, the little things add up. My only regret is not doing it sooner, car is an absolute joy to drive.
Also, if you do plan to drive the car, an overdrive transmission really helps.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

The 73 340 was a poor engine at best , all the good parts were gone , steel crank , good heads & cam all gone .
The obvious choice is a 412 stroker using the block , externally it will still look stock / numbers matching depending on heads used , easy to upgrade with A/C.
There are far better carbs than the Eddy junk but your call .
Sliding a Gen 3 - 354 / 5.7 is a great choice but more expensive for sure

 

[Xcudame]

The 340 can definitely be made to run well. If it's the numbers matching engine, I would stick with it and make a stroker motor out of it and run a nice Thermoquad or Holley Street Demon.

If it's not the original engine, than GEN III hemi is probably the way to go. I wouldn't go the 5.7 route though. After driving my son's 6.4 Scat Pack Challenger, I'd go with that engine. More money of course!

 

[heminut]

There are far better carbs than the Eddy junk but your call .

I'll take the "Eddy junk" over a leakin assed Holley any day!