Sorry MOPAR fans, I got sidetracked. Let’s continue with the Dodge’s use of the 318.
Dodge didn’t get a V8 until 1953. That first engine was a Hemi with 241.3 cid and only 7.1:1 compression. They called it the 241. It was improved upon for the next couple of years and very cool names like, Red Ram and Super Red Ram.
Approximately 1956, Dodge began using the 315 with the Polyspheric chamber. (Here is the link from my earlier post on the Polysheric head: http://wp.me/pKHNM-gy)
It wasn’t until 1960 that Dodge began using the 318. This was, again, the Polyspheric chamber, and it came in two versions in 1960, a 2 barrel and a 4 barrel, with 230 hp and 255 hp respectively (of course) and both a 9.0:1 compression (that pretty good compression rate). The 318 was used in the Dart Seneca, the Pioneer and the Dodge Phoenix got the larger of the two 318s.
The 318 carried on through out the ’60s with the horsepower hovering between 230 and 260. Of note during that time was where the 318 was used. I was surprised to find, such as, in 1968 the Dodge 440 Coupe used the 318 (not the 440, which even non-MOPAR peeps know about that one).
The most cars sold by Dodge was the Dart throughout the 1960’s. There were actually 3 sub-models of the Dart, the Sencea which had 3 different trim levels, the Pioneer which had 5 different trim levels and the Phoenix which was the most upscale sub-model with 4 trim levels. The engine options were either the 225 slant six or the 318.
Here are a few pics:
1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix
1960 Dodge Dart Pioneer
1960 Dodge Dart Seneca (I love the fins!!!)
At the beginning of this series I mentioned that I had 1970 Dodge Dart and that it did have the 318 with a manual transmission. There was only one version of the 318 for 1970 and it was has 230 hp and 9.0:1 compression with a bore and stroke of 3.91X3.31 in. That made for a pretty quick car, as light as it was.
Well, I bet you can guess what comes next. Yes a sharp decrease horsepower. By 1972 the 318 was reduced to 150 hp and by 1975 the drop was to 145. 1976 was the last we saw of the 318 used by Dodge. The 1976 Dodge Dart was the last year for the Dart, but it went out in a big way being offered with a Police Package Code A38. One of the options in this package was the 318 and it regained some of its muscle to the tune of 220 hp.
This concludes the series on the MOPAR 318. If you’d like to offer up an engine to see more information on drop me a comment here or email me at timsweet@cox.net.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
