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[brotherGood]

Hello, I have an '86 dip. police package, it is my first diplomat and i was wondering a few things on it. First, i was wondering how i could locate things like its original color, shipping location..things like that. Also, i was wondering if there was a budget way to get around 300 hp, so far i have added true duals, and thats pretty much it. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Dippy.org]

[Ark]

Cheapest way to get to that range is to just build a mild 360 and drop it in. Getting that with a 318 requires a new intake/carb setup, camshaft, head work, etc. A 360 can make that kind of power with little more than external bolt-on modifications. In the end it's usually cheaper, faster, and easier to set up a 360 on an engine stand and swap it in over a weekend.

[brotherGood]

Well, in regards to swapping motors, i honestly didnt want to go that route, but if i did, i would probably try and shoe horn a 440 into it, if it would fit, because i can get a 440 and 727 for under 1000 bucks regularly on craigslist and i have a buddy who would get it going, and i would just have to worry about a new rear-end. I had planned on at least getting a new intake and carb of somesort, and saving the cam work and all that mess for when i have another vehicle to drive.

[DobaMark]

Color is on the fender tag:
https://www.dippy.org/info/dipvins.html
though the pics of the fender tag are really upside down.
Once you have the code, then go to someplace like
http://www.paintscratch.com/
to translate the code to a color name.  If the code is 999, then it is a custom paint job and you'd have to find a build sheet inside the car for the exact color.
As for the original point of sale, there's really nothing that tells that.  On my first 1988 Plymouth police car, luckily it had the build sheet to identify the custom color (a special silver for the Ohio Highway Patrol) and the ship to dealer for the state of Ohio.
Carfax will list vehicle history but won't go back far enough to show your original title for a 1986.

[patrickgrossman]

Hello, I have an '86 dip. police package, it is my first diplomat and i was wondering a few things on it. First, i was wondering how i could locate things like its original color, shipping location..things like that. Also, i was wondering if there was a budget way to get around 300 hp, so far i have added true duals, and thats pretty much it. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

is it a 2bbl or 4bbl motor?

cheap way to get ~300 HP: 4bbl intake & carb, cam in the [email protected]@.050 range with as short of advertised duration as you can get  (say, a lunati voodoo 60400 or 401 for a flat tappet), headers, and magnum heads off of a 90's dodge truck/van

if you get the heads from the junkyard, get the roller cam/lifters/lifter retainers (dogbones and spider), and pushrods, it'll all retrofit into an '86 block,  and get the cam reground by bullet cams (www.bulletcams.com) with their HR259/316 lobe for both intake and exhaust.  get springs from hughes (part number #1110) and their retainers, or retainers off of some 2.2L/2.5L chrylser motors in the junkyard.

[brotherGood]

@DobaMark--thanks for that, i looked it up this morning and saw that it was originally white. We originally thought that, but i wanted to make sure before i painted it.

@patrickgrossman--it is a 4bbl. How close do you think i could get with a good intake/carb setup? Im sure i cant get around 100 hp from that, but how much do you think i can.

also, im finding it hard to believe that the chrysler numbers that rated the hp and all that are right. Is anyone else thinking the same thing, or is it just me.

[Mike]

You're not going to get 100HP just from changing the intake and carb especially when it's already a 4 bbl.

[Charger440RT]

The best thing you can do is cam/intake/springs/carb/ignition/exhaust swap. That would put some downtime on your car though, and if you don't have a 2nd car to drive it will be aggravating. In the meantime, something you can do that will make a small difference (not a 300HP difference) is chuck the factory exhaust and install a Y-pipe with a free flowing muffler and install the MP electronic ignition along with the carb and intake. This will get you CLOSER, not close, to your goal.  The cam/springs should get you much closer when you get a free weekend to dedicate to working on getting dirty.

[brotherGood]

Yeah, i know im not going to get 100 hp from the intake/carb, but i didnt know what i could expect from those and where that would get me in relation to my ultimate goal of 300 hp. As i said, all i have done is gotten a set of dual exhaust on it, from the manifold back.

[Ark]

Yeah, i know im not going to get 100 hp from the intake/carb, but i didnt know what i could expect from those and where that would get me in relation to my ultimate goal of 300 hp. As i said, all i have done is gotten a set of dual exhaust on it, from the manifold back.

From experience, a 4bbl carb, electronic ignition, aluminum intake, long tube headers and dual exhaust will get you somewhere in the mid 16's in the 1/4. With everything running right you might expect around 210-225 peak horsepower. Lean burn, stock manifolds and tri-cats do an incredible job of strangling a 318.

[Ice Cold]

"The heads are where the power is."
That's what Herb McCandless kept on saying.

[Charger440RT]

"The heads are where the power is."

That's also where the $$$ is

[brotherGood]

Well, through various sites ive seen that on a 318, the 360 heads are a plus, and that a new cam, intake, and carb, that it will be up at least past 250. Regardless, being on a budget, what would be the best cam, head, intake, headers, and carb choices that i can make.
Thanks for everyones replies, its the first time ive actually gotten to build a car up, so im kinda uneducated on the subject.

[Charger440RT]

Those 360 heads are good IMO, but they aren't good for a high HP build. They're open chamber heads and don't have much room for machine work and you won't have a decent CR without going with a domed piston. There are better heads out there that will not only allow for a higher CR but will outflow the stock 360 heads right out of the box.

Even so, I'm still debating using my stock 360 heads or going aftermarket. I don't know alot of what's available aftermarket other than I have seen builds using non-factory heads making some impressive power. I'm cheap, so I will probably try and re-use my stock 360 heads unless a bargain comes along I can't refuse. I'm doing a 390 stroker next summer and my goal will be 400HP. I'll let you know when I get there and how it feels. 

[brotherGood]

thats fine, I appreciate it. I honestly wont touch the motor much until next summer anyway, simply because of ohio winters, and i dont have another vehicle that i can bury..haha. Im just kinda getting my ducks in a row so to speak for next spring, because hopefully by then i can get working on the body work that needs done, and get it into paint.