The "Drag Dart" package was a factory / dealer add-in, so, rather than try to fuel its 11:1 CR, I'm rebuilding to the "S" Commando package version with its "only" 10.5:1 CR aluminum pistons.
I have some twisty East Texas roads picked out where I'd love to take it with the driver's window down and enjoy the drive -- and its high rpm "Fish Song" from that resonator-tuned exhaust. -- one more time. (...a "bucket list" item...) '-)
Then it will go to one of my kids -- after I've shown selected grandkids what a 1960's "muscle / pony" car set up for road racing could do...
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BTW, Two items I "DE-ordered" from the "S" package were the Goodyear "Blue Streak" bias-ply racing tires and the factory tach.
I couldn't see spending $1250 for very fast-wearing rubber -- on a $3400 car! So, as soon as I could, I hung Michelin Radials on it -- and had better cornering than the Blue Streaks I drove on other "Pure 'S'" cars.
And the factory "S" package tach was mounted 'way down at lower left of the dash -- an "eyeballs in/eyeballs out" disaster! So I hung my Stewart Warner "front & center" and was quite happy with it...
I'm now over the 3/4 century mark -- so much for "childhood" remarks... '-)
Hey, did it come with fiberglass fenders and hood?
I can understand keeping it stock, I made sure everything on my Vette matched the tank sticker although I didn’t go as far as marking the parts with chalk as they did during the build.
The big joke about matching numbers is that if you deck the block, you wipe out the numbers, at least on a Chevy so with a punch set, you could put any number you wanted.
The biggest change I made was using a pertronix sensor instead of points and capacitor. Those bias ply tires are horrible but for concours, you gotta have em. The difference between bias ply and radials is like night and day and they’re way cheaper. I assume with a moniker like TEXnMA that maybe they have high octane fuel where you’re at unless the ma means you’re now in Mass. Here in California we get 91 octane on a good day and it requires retarding the distributor which affects power and especially, throttle response. 10.5 pistons should be fine if you use the right cam to control the cylinder pressure. Is it a four speed or a Torgueflight?
One thing I really love about Mopars is the torsion bar suspension, turn a bolt and you have instant front ride level adjustment.
With Chrysler’s gear reduction starter, you could have diesel compression and it would crank over fast.
Are the pistons flat tops with eyes for valve clearance or are they domed pistons?
What kind of cam are you going for? I don’t remember how you adjust an A motor’s valves but the stock setup in a B motor was lame and it is well worth it to get the adjustable rocker arms. Are you going with a roller cam? If you’re going for big lift, I would get adjustable rockers with a roller tip so it doesn’t put a lot of sideways strain on the valve itself.