After considerable thought, I decided to put a 440 in the Scamp. I looked at all the articles, researched the good and bad aspects of having such a large engine in the bay, and well, basically daydreamed my way into convincing myself that Plymouth did the world an extreme injustice by not offering it as a stock option on the Scamp.
The real challenge was in deciding what buildup to follow. There are nearly as many opinions on how to build a 440 as there are people in the world. I don't like to put together a hodge-podge of thoughts, ideas, and vague memories from uncle so-and-so's best friends second-cousin who told me that a Ford 460 or was it a Oldsmobile 455 crank would fit perfectly and make 10 bazillion hp running on 87 octane pump gas, or slightly oily water in a pinch. I prefer to build things once and have them work properly. My research quickly led me to a retired (that's what he claims!) man of vast knowledge regarding the 440 engine. In fact, as he once pointed out "I wrote the book on it!" Really, he did! Don Dulmage wrote a book called "Old Reliable The Practical 440 Race Motor".
I was tremendously disappointed to find that the book was no longer in print, and with several thousand copies in circulation, no one wanted to get rid of their copy. Fortunately, a few emails later, and Don has been gracious enough to allow me the opportunity to pick his brain for this build. I promised not to veer from his directed course and recommendations (WHY WOULD I WANT TO?) and he offered to guide me through the building of an "Old Reliable" 440!
This is an exciting time for us and I hope it will inspire you as you watch this journey.
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