340 in a 65 Belvedere II?

Hey there guys,

I know that not many guys on here are mopar guys, but was wondering for those who are familiar with mopars what do you think of putting a 340 into a 65 belvedere II? I want the car to be a reliable street car and be able to make high 12 quarter mile passes every once in a while at the track. How serious would the 340 have to be in order to achieve a range like this? can it get the job done mildly, or will the engine need to be modded out wildly? I understand its a small block in a big car, but i dont want to be getting spanked by douchebags in hondas....tell me what you guys think  

The 340 will fit easy enough.  If you don't already have a 340 handy, consider a 360.  360s are cheap, plentiful, and respond to all of the same modifications.  You haven't mentioned what your budget is.  Assuming that you don't have a bunch of cash to spend, nitrous can be your best friend.  You will need a sure grip rear end, a decent cam, headers, any good 750 cfm carb, and (guessing that it's an automatic transmission) go with about a 2200 rpm stall converter.  If your budget allows, go with Edelbrock heads.  If not, you can go with a pair of magnum swirl port heads.  As far as making it a great cruiser, an A518 overdrive transmission (with a manual lockup controller) would give you much better highway manners without negatively effecting drag strip performance.  If you post specifics about the car, budget, and parts that you already have, I will be glad to give you any help I can.
Best of luck.  Keep us posted.  

I gotta ask the obvious question - why not just go with a dirt cheap 383 ? cheap to build / loves to rev / and the added displacement will help - -  I have driven many 340 cars and unless it is an A-body it is not all that great IMO - even 340 E-bodies are nowhere near "quick" - - -  

If you're worried about weight go with aluminum heads, intake, rad, and wp...    the 383 can make great power and still be docile enough for a reliable cruiser.