318 factory quick

[Mixup7071]

20 years ago my father in law gave me some old car magazines one was called CARS or HIGH PERFORMANCE CARS, magazine wanted to drag race a new car from each company, the year of the magazines were either 72 73 or 74 they got a 351 mustang 350 camaro and a 318 duster, they wanted a 340 but no dealership would let them use one, they drag race them and the duster beat them both, the writer's were trying get find reasons why the other cars lost not giving the 318 it's due, now I can't remember the gearing on the cars or what transmission was and I can't find that magazine now

[chargerdon]

I learned to drive with a 60 Dart 318/3sp torqueflite.   No PS, no PB and no pollution controls.   Thing is most kids learned to drive back then in their dads "family" full sized car.   Also, most of the family full sized cars had the "Base" v8 engine and automatic.  The Dart with its 318/3 sp torqueflite easily outperformed the Chevys with their 283's and 2speed slush pumps or the Ford Galaxie with its 289 and automatic.   It was a good performing automobile with a nice interior and advanced styling.   So yep...the 318 was a great engine. 

[xx88man]

I feel like the 318 often gets a bad rap.... mine is great! Yes I sometimes wish it was a 440 but it's not a real dog either 

[RUNCHARGER]

No, they're not. They run pretty good, an A-body with them is pretty zippy. It's just they were overshadowed by all the other great performance engines Chrysler built at that time. The 318 did exactly what it was designed to do, run for miles and miles without giving an ounce of trouble while getting good fuel mileage. You couldn't give them away back in the day because no one needed one, they just kept running and running.

[autoxcuda]

Cars Magazine are really cool. Lots of cool mopars.

[jimynick]

check out Uncle Tony's Garage on YouTube. He's got a few vids about 318s and he's been able to make a few of them really get up and go. 

[HP2]

Mustang and Camaro had gotten pretty big and heavy by then. Not surprised a 318 Duster could beat em, especially if it was a stripped down model.  Now, a 318 Challenger might have been a slightly different story. Stock 318 mopar heads really don't well at upper rpm limits and you can feel them pinching off power as you get up around 5k on the rpm dial.  By comparison, the stock Ford and Chevy heads will outperform the 318 in that range.

[7E-Bodies]

Had many 318 E bodies. The one in the 71 Challenger convertible had a 3 speed manual and would scream. The other two I had, not so much. All in all though, I love the 318.