Around the time of the facelifted Moonhawk's production, catalytic converters would have been mandatory. Additionally, most cars sold around that time had small-block engines (Chevy's 305 and 350 come to mind). Generally, big-block engines such as the Moonhawk's were only used in luxury vehicles as top-of-the-line options (I suppose the Moonhawk counts as a luxury car, so its immense 378 makes sense as a high-end option). Here is what I propose, either as an official update or a mod for the Moonhawk: A fully-modeled small-block V8, similar to Chevrolet's, probably a 350 CI. The Barstow's engine model would also do. Various states of tuning for all engines, illustrating how power output dropped over the years. Single exhaust for the V8's. Catalytic converters, which sap power and efficiency when equipped (especially noticeable when attached to an already-detuned late model 350).
Most common engine I've ever found in the 1974-1978 Chrysler Shock bumpered cars which were mainly Newports, New Yorkers, Gran Fury's (plymouth) and Monacos (Dodge) was the 400 big block engine. Even in the Cordoba which would be pretty similarly classed to the moonhawk as a 2 door "sporty-ish" car 400 lean burn big blocks were quite common. However, small blocks were in some of these cars so a 310-365" small block would be appropriate. Also, a larger big block, maybe a 420+" big block would be more of a "high end" option as most American cars around this period still had 440+ C.I. engines available. Cadillac even had a 500 C.I. engine if I'm not mistaken. So something around a 420+ wouldn't be innappropriate. To be clear, I don't think that small blocks were the most common for all the manufacturers at this time, though Ford and Chevy probably had a few more small blocks, but I do agree that we need one as an option for the economy model cars. Gotta get that whopping 11.6mpg going over the big block's 10.5, right? lol,
A 378 cui big-block isn't unusually large for car of the era (the 440 comes to mind). I considered giving the Moonhawk a small block for my Moonhawk engines mod, but I didn't because it's inline 6 makes more power than any small block of the era for some reason.
Okay, I guess you're right about the engines, but my point about tuning configs, catalytic converters and single exhaust still stands.
the 1974 model Monacos didn't have catalytic converters. It's slipping my mind, the last year of production for the Moonhawk, I thought it was 75, but I may be wrong. Maybe that's just for the older Moonhawks, but if so, do we really need cats for 1 model year? --- Post updated --- Or we could just get rid of that inline 6 all together... Seems like more of a 1/2 ton pickup or economy car like a dart sized car option. Not so much for the heavier 3.7k-4.5k lb cars. Edit: But I suppose the Moonhawk falls inside the mid-size cars of the time. But you're right about the power, 151hp for a stock 6 seems a bit high (for the period), that's more like a big small block, or a 2 barrel, poorly running big block.
The moonhawk should have cats modeled (it makes the power of a 70s engine with cats), and the I6 should be changed from 151(!?) HP to something like 100 HP, and a 140 HP 315 cui small block be added.
From what I remember there was a massive power cut down due to the early cats on cars, in the early 1970s I think the worst of the lot was a massive 500cu in pre-1973 (I think) that produced somewhere over 300bhp was producing something like 80 to 100bhp post-1973 with the cats on it
A lot of the "cuts" were actually due to the switch to net HP ratings. (That said, having been in a 1970 Cutlass with a 350 and automatic transmission, I do believe the net ratings may have been a little conservative. That thing moves, even though the net HP would only have been around 170.)
