Dodge – Plymouth 318 V8 Engine

Chrysler first produced the 318 V8 in 1957 to be used in Plymouth automobiles. Most notably it was used in the 1957 Plymouth Fury during the car’s second year of production. The 318 was then used in Dodge automobiles in late 1959 for the 1960 model year. This engine remained in Chrysler’s lineup all the way until 2003 when it was finally phased out of the Dodge pickup truck line.
Chrysler really wanted to make a big impression for the 1957 Fury so they equipped the 318 with 2 X 4 barrel carburetors which gave the motor an impressive 290 horsepower. This same engine was used in the 1958 Fury as well but unfortunately this was the most horsepower the Plymouth 318 would ever see and its power was cut in 1959. This was most likely due to the fact that Chrysler released the 350 V8 and the 361 V8 as its main powerhouses to be used in the Dodge and Plymouth lines for 1958.

The 318 V8 did make to Hollywood on two big occasions. As most people already know, it was the engine used in the car in the popular movie Christine in which an evil Plymouth Fury goes on a killing spree. Another interesting fact about the Dodge 318 is that it was the engine of choice to be used in any of the 68 or 69 Dodge Chargers that were to be jumped on the popular series The Dukes of Hazzard. Stunt coordinators preferred the 318 for the General Lees that were jumped because they were much lighter than the Dodge 440 or 383 and therefore made the car easier to balance for any high flying stunts.

Engine Specifications