Hello everyone.

I am seeking some help for my current project. It is a mint 1980 Plymouth Volare with a slant six and automatic floor console with bucket seats. I would like to swap out motor, trans and rear end for some performance. Since this is my first mopar rear wheel drive vehicle,  I have done a little research and to make this thing scream I would need a Schumaker engine mount kit for a V8,  a 360 crate motor, a TCI transmission and a 8 3/4 rear axle.  Now the problem is my pockets are extremely shallow and need some speed on a budget.

Please let me know the "most economical"(cheap) route including block, heads, trans and rear axle combination to make this thing fly. The Missus would surely appreciate you guys helping me since her purse and my money are in limbo.

Thanks. Great magazine.

How come you guys never do any projects on the Aspen/Volare cars?

you can start by going to the junk yard, pick up a wornout 360 that is not locked down you can check by removing the plugs and turning the engine with a socket and ratchet if it wont turn over dont buy it look for another. check some older mopar muscle mags they have ran some very good articals on 360s, get your self a 727 tf and an 8 3/4  gear it to your liking and away tou go!   

The above suggestions are good ones. Since you don't mention how much you have (or want) to spend on this project allow me to suggest an even more cost effective approach. Why not just build the slant 6 and have something different?

There are some nice parts out there for the slant 6 like intakes, carbs, cams and headers which would make your motor sing compared to stock. Add that to the bulletproof reliability of the slant 6 design and you would have a nice little ride going.

The bonus would be that you would have something that not everyone else at the local club or car show has.

Just a thought.

swapping a V8 k member from a Aspen/volare 76 to 80 takes only about 3 to 5 hours from both cars and is clean neat and cheap running v8 donor parts car will be cheapest for you  

find a donor car, one with the V-8, if you can look for an old cop car of taxi they had larger torshion bars up front. get poly k frame bushings for a mid to late 70's b-body from PST and go for it. I have an 88 diplomat I have totally upgraded, with new lowered rear springs, 8 1/4" rear with 3:55 gears, A500 OD trans and junk yard LA360, .060 over bore, kb pistons, eagle rods, ported magnum heads. the engine is not done yet but should put out around 425hp easy. I have a lot more you can do to.