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[brotherGood]

Well, since i've been talked out of the Hemi for a long while, now my thoughts are on either building up the 318 i have, or buying/building a 340, or 360. I would prefer to keep as much as i can (transmission, radiator, brake booster..etc).  and being on a budget, and having the  dip remain a daily driver, what would be the best selection for me in everyone elses' opinion.
I personally would like to put a 340 in it, only because ive seen a lot of 360 swaps, but not many 340's.

[Dippy.org]

[270SE]

340/360 isn't much different in the actual swap. If you could get a solid 340 block to rebuild due to the 318 crank and oil pan being able to be reused. The 360 would be easier to find a running motor. You could also build up a different 318. Any one would make a decent daily driver motor.

[Ice Cold]

Find a 70-74 X block

[cbodymoparfan]

If you wanna be different, go with a 273. You may still be able to squeeze 300 hp out of it. THAT would be different!

[Erics5th]

Good luck finding a 340.  Fantastic motors, but if somebody has one for sale, they know what they are worth. I'd stick with a 360.

[DobaMark]

Unless you're doing a resto of an original car, save the cash the 340 would cost and go 360 (unless you get a smoking deal on a 340).
It will cost the same to rebuild a 318 as a 360 and the 360 will perform better given the same mods, so I say skip the 318 unless you want more MPGs.
Sure, a "X" block would be nice, but unless you're building an extreme engine, a normal 360 will be fine.
The less the basic core costs, the more you can devote to machine work which is the difference between an OK engine and a good one.
Just my opinions.

[8D5 Gran Fury]

I'm w/Doba- 360 is the least expensive to find that makes the most torque. I've got a 340, but I scored a roller-cammed 360 ('90 version from a van) w/ 62+K on the odo for about $120 from the P-A-P. Tore it down, it was clean and low miles, so should be an easy build for the G/F. They are out there

[270SE]

Good luck finding a 340.  Fantastic motors, but if somebody has one for sale, they know what they are worth. I'd stick with a 360.

A '72-3 block isn't too hard to find. Good running motor is not cheap though. But there are deals around from time to time on the '72-3s.

You could do a 273 as cheap as a 318. For 300hp it could be a cheap option. (fairly close stock, some modern stuff would get it there)

A 340 will usually run about what a 360 block will. And some 340s are cheaper than 360s, but they get cash on sale and go fast. And anything before '71 probably isn't going to happen cheap without serious damage.

But as 8D5 mentioned, you could get yourself a roller cam 360. The heads are killer and they have roller cams.

Prices will vary based on where you are and when you get it. Look as long and hard as you can and pull the trigger on the best deal as soon as it comes up. Your next chance may be better, but it may be 6 months+ down the line.

[Ice Cold]

A X block, and stock parts make 496hp. Add some $ and it's over 600hp
I was gonna use a 13:1 propane cop 318, then I was gonna use the 400. After Herb, the X block is the way to go.
It's works out after you bore a X block out .030, it's a 340 block w/ .10 more meat.
Since it's stamped 318, just hope the seller thinks it's just a old 318.

[lsm360]

The 340 has the cool factor, but "There's no replacement for displacement", and as others have mentioned, too much cost getting a 340. Just tell everyone it is a 340 and dress it as one (air cleaner pie tin, etc.). Who's gonna know 

[270SE]

A X block, and stock parts make 496hp. Add some $ and it's over 600hp
I was gonna use a 13:1 propane cop 318, then I was gonna use the 400. After Herb, the X block is the way to go.
It's works out after you bore a X block out .030, it's a 340 block w/ .10 more meat.
Since it's stamped 318, just hope the seller thinks it's just a old 318.

No stock motor at all bored .01 over becomes a 340. The 340 is 4.04. That's .13 over for a 318, .04 over for a 360. A lot of the street race blocks had 3.90 bores.

.13 over is not unreasonable on some 318s, but most that can do it only go to .09 over and leave even more room for cleanup later. They seem to be fairly random but it's generally some kind of truck. The old Poly 318 blocks can go that  far too.

If you wanted to do something funky you can take a 273, 318, or 340 block, turn down a 360 crank, and use low compression flat top pistons far down in the hole. The 273 wouldn't be as easy to do that to.

A 273 can run Magnum heads, 1.88/1.60 340/360 heads, but nothing more without notching the bores.

On any car a 340 could be stock I can tell in about 1/2 a second if it's a 340 or not. On these cars it takes a little longer for me. (transverse bars aren't as easy to check the cast #s by the freeze plugs)

Roller cam 360s have roller cams. Earlier 360s usually really can go .08 over like nothing (so they can go to 340 bores and then have room for cleanup), 340s can run .04 over 360 pistons with 360 cranks as 367 strokers. With a 4" crank, an early 360 or a 340 can easily be a 416. A 3.313 destroker 360 with .04 overbore is a 340. Most 340s aren't that displacement anymore. (driven hard and left to rust) '73 340s have 360 heads. '72 360s have 340 heads. '74 360 HPs were actually good. '78/9 Little Red Express motors are different from normal '78/9 360s, they are better.

'64-8 273s had adjustable rockers and solid cams. The stock rockers can pay for the motor. '64-5 273s had high compression closed chamber heads. '66-69 273s can had the standard intake bolt pattern. The 273s are fairly close in stock power to that 318. Some '66s were the best they made with over 1 net HP/" stock. '64-7 273s had forged cranks. '64-'69 273-2s had close to the same compression as equivalent era 318s. '65-7 273-4s had 10.5:1 and enough cam to run on pump gas, the 904 behind them was beefed up even if the 7-1/4" wasn't.

[Ice Cold]

The X block has the same cylinder core than a 340. This means when you build a .30 over 360 you have 4.030 bore,for more cylinder wall than a stock 340 [4.040]
I believe Herb knows

He got me sold on a X block like he got me sold on Baldwin. Then I save sooo much work over putting in a 400. The X block will drop in, in an afternoon.

[270SE]

I'm still simply curious on the X block. There was an old race motor that went by the X block that had 318 mains, 318 mounts, and most went up to around 4.04 and stayed there. After a .03 cleanup and they still have plenty of room to go bigger. Everyone with one of those that's aware of the bore size knows what it is. Those that might have one but aren't aware of the motor aren't selling those either. I don't know the exact vintage but they are around the W2s' first run. They're kind of like 340-6 heads. There's a good potential for someone to have something like that and not know what it is, but it doesn't generally happen. If you could find one (they were rare then and are rarer now) then it would absolutely be a good choice. But 340s are fairly available, 360s are fairly common, 273s hide but go for dirt, and 318s are all over and go for dirt.

Even a 340 has room to go to 4.08 plus a little more sometimes. Those '70-4 or so 360s also have the ability to go to 4.08. Whether they really have 340 jackets, they are generally safe to go .08 over.

[moparmuscle88]

360 would be cheap, and the TBI roller motors like 8D5 said are the best ones to get for cheap power.  with the right gears it will be a huge difference

[8D5 Gran Fury]

Nice torque curve/power band, not too radical a build, a dual-purpose performance car I can drive...roller 360 will do the trick for me with the G/F