Mopar Muscle - May 2014.pdf

MM014

Restoration & Performance Parts for GM, Ford & Chrysler Muscle Cars:

Print Catalog: Mopar A/B/E-Body (1966-74)

Web:Challenger (2008-Present)YEARONE SpeedShop(ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE)

2014 YEARONE1-800-932-7663

Tech10 ElEctronic SquirtingInstalling three times the EFI on your car

18 Boing not BoomTaking valvespring design into the future

24 latE-modEl tEch doing it rightInstalling the right parts on the right car in a quest to make power

30 gEt rolling Can a solid roller cam improve street driving, track performance, and broaden the powerband?

38 FloorBoard Fix-upKeep your feet inside the car when you drive

FeaTures44 millEr timErEviSitEdFormer NHRA World Champ goes back to the days of Pro Stock with his new Duster

50 onE SwEEt SwapYoung Gunbuilt E-Body with a modern Hemi

54 rEalizEd potEntialDick Burkes dazzling Duster

58 chargEr vc-10Brent Farrells Viper-powered B-Body

DeparTmenTs04 oFF thE linE

42 pEntaStarS

62 hot partS

64 mopar ScEnE

66 pErFormancE clinic

78 hiddEn trEaSurES

82 way Back

Volume 27 Number 05 may 2014

3010

54

on thE covErGeoff Stunkard has been de-

scribed as up on the tires with

regard to his personality, so its

only tting that he grab the shot

of Ed Miller up on the tires at

Beaver Springs Raceway.

.com

conTenTs

Off the LineRandy Bolig, EditoR

second, I thought that there

must be a console-mounted

shifter? I looked down and to

my right, and to my surprise,

there was no shifter. What I

did see however, was a dial

with the letters P, R, D, and L

directly above it. Umm, wait

a minute; I have to turn this

dial to select the gear I want?!

Ok, I know that progress is

inevitable, but this is getting

strange.

I always thought that

knobs were installed in cars

for things like radio vol-

ume and/or tuning the sta-

tion, but having to turn a

knob in order to make a car

gothats a new one to me.

Come to think of it, most

radios are now push button

controlled, so there goes the

dial theory. I know that the

days of using linkage arms

to actually shift a transmis-

sion are long goneshifting

has been done electronically

for years, so I guess there

really is no need for a lever

to perform the shifting func-

tion. Since electronics control

everything, I guess a knob is

the new normal. That just

gives more credence to the

lack of my normalcy.

When I do somethinglike

shift a cars transmission, I

want to physically do some-

thing. I know, turning a knob

is actually doing something,

but in my narrow mind, it just

doesnt feel the same. Think

about this scenario; in twenty

years, some guy is at the

track with his car. He lines up

to the tree, and as soon as he

launches, he goes to bang

second gearoh yeah, wait

a minute. See what I mean,

turning a knob just doesnt

have the same effect.

Oh well, I guess its one of

those things that Ill have to

get used to, the shifter has

gone the way of the Dodo bird

and the 8-track. The time has

come; its the 21st Century,

so I guess Ill just get used to

dialing a gear when I want to

drive someplace, and listening

to my music on the line.

i hate to admit it,

but Im old

enough, that I have seen a

lot of automotive advance-

ments come and go over the

years. Ive seen the demise

of 8-tracks, the subsequent

rise and also demise of cas-

sette tapes, and the end of

bias-ply tiresfor daily use.

Im sure that most if not all

of you guys remember the

vent (wing) windowthat one

should have never been elim-

inated. But when I recently

had the chance to climb into

a new Chrysler press vehi-

cle, I almost got a little con-

fused. An easy task I admit,

but please read on.

The press vehicle that I

was climbing into was a new

Durango, I knew that a stick

shift would not be poking up

through the floor, so I imme-

diately reached for the area

where the shifter should be

near the steering wheel. It

didnt take long to realize that

it wasnt there. For a brief

Really, Dial-a-GeaR?

Im sure most If not all of you guys remember the vent (wIng) wIndowthat one should have never been elImInated.

4 moparmuscle.com

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Get Busy This Winter.Most of the fun of having a Mopar comes from building it. Theres no better time to build cars than winter, and theres no better place to get your parts and accessories than Summit Racing Equipment. We have the right blend of restoration, OE replacement, and performance parts plus paint and body supplies, tools, accessories, and more. So get busy building your car this winter so you can smoke its tires this summer.

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ElEctronic SquirtingInstallIng three tImes the eFI on your car

text: Mark EhlEn Photos: Mark EhlEn and MCr staff

remember when stand-alone EFI sys-

tems seemed beyond the reach of

the average car guy? Oh sure, the

computer geeks could get it to work, but

for those of us without a computer degree,

the risks just seemed to outweigh the ben-

efits. Well, now that the EFI companies

are well past their infancy, anyone who

really wants to take a bit of time to learn

about them can have a great performing

EFI system in as little as a weekend.

But what if you dont want to run a sin-

gle or pair of four-barrel throttle bodies?

What if you have (or want) a Six-Barrel

car and want to keep it that way? And

what about using a Shaker hood?

Thats the issue that Muscle Car Res-

torations came up against recently, when

the owner of a 70 Challenger wanted to

upgrade from a 383 four-barrel to a 512-

inch stroker and a Six Pack. Sure, repop

carbs are available, but EFI on a six-barrel

throttle body sounds cool.

It just so happens, that Bruce K.

Bridges, founder of F&B Performance

Engineered Products, has been work-

ing with Chrysler two-barrel throttle bod-

ies for well over a decade, and has been

building billet aluminum versions for some

time now. He has come up with a com-

plete six-barrel setup that will work with

either FASTs XFI or EZ-EFI systems. Just

like the original Six-Pack cars, you can run

around on a mild two-barrel and still have

as much as 2,300 cfm at your disposal.

Because F&B builds their throttle bod-

ies from billet aluminum instead of cast

aluminum, they can offer bore sizes of

44-50 mm, and claim that they will flow

more air than any other throttle body of

the same size. The billet construction also

allows them to build-in larger inlet areas

10 moparmuscle.com

tech

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Dash Pads Headliners

Headrest

Seat Covers

Seat Foam Seat Belts

Seat Track

Door Panel

Taillight Side Marker

Windows Cranks

Armrest Bases & Pads

Steering Wheels

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tech | ElEctronic Squirting

06 While throttle speed is ultimately controlled by the Fast software, base idle airflow is set by adjusting the throttle stops

of the outboard throttle bodies. a single Iac motor is mounted

on the front throttle body only.

05 throttle position sensor is used only on the center throttle body.

04 the complete set up with sensors and adjustable linkage in place.

03 Fuel injectors (60 lb/hr in this case) are fitted using the sup-plied fuel rails, which easily bolt to their spacer-attached

mounts. Very clean and simple.

02 Because the throttle bodies bolt pattern is smaller than the original holley carbs, a spacer (also polished billet aluminum) is

needed to provide the proper mounting pattern. It also provides

a place to attach the fuel rail mounts.

01 F&B modifies edelbrock Performer intakes for use with their throttle bodies by opening the bores from 42 to 48mm,

installing injector bungs, and adding vacuum ports for the maP

sensor. runners are also gasket matched. they will also custom

configure the manifold for specific applications.

than stock, use tapered flow paths for

maximum ram effect, and most important

in this case, they are compatible with fac-

tory air cleaners and shaker hoods.

F&B also supplies an Edelbrock Per-

former intake that has been fitted with the

proper injector bungs and vacuum ports

for the MAP sensor and etc., so you can

get a complete bolt on kit that even comes

with custom spacers so your shaker hood

will end up at the correct factory height.

You will need to upgrade your fuel system,

but well show you what you need to do

to for that as well.

So no longer are you six-barrel guys left

out of the EFI loop. Whatever your appli-

cation, contact F&B and theyll set you up

with what you need to enjoy the full rush of

six barrels with the precision of modern EFI.

Cost for Six Pack EFI: starting at $2,650

12 moparmuscle.com

800-343-9353

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12 the stock fuel tank can be used but, that will require modifi-cations. We used a rock Valley antique auto Parts tank, as they

are a direct bolt in, accept an in tank fuel pump, and make it

easy to add the required fuel return line. you can get one for

use with an inline pump if youd prefer but the internal ones are

much quieter.

11 not only is this air cleaner assembly at the correct height, it also does a pretty fair job of hiding whats underneath. If you

are not running a shaker, and youd like to show off instead, F&B

offers a smaller billet oval air cleaner to finish off the system.

10 F&B custom spacers match the air cleaner base openings, and raise the shaker scoop back to factory height.

09 In this application, the maP and air temp sensors are mounted under the air cleaner base.

08 this really nifty piece of engineering is what allows you to set the point at which the outboard bodies begin to open. Bruce calls it a progressive spring slider. the link-

age attachment-stud is held all the way to the right by an internal spring from idle to

Wot for the center throttle body. the spring is stiff enough so that it doesnt allow any

movement until the center throttle body reaches Wot. once Wot is achieved on the

center throttle body, the spring will begin to compress, allowing enough additional

cable travel to completely pull open the outer throttles. note that the stud has moved

to the left in the slot.

07 one of the really cool features of this system is the F&B designed fully adjust-

able progressive throttle linkage. the

outboard throttles can stay closed until

the center throttle has reached as much

as 35-percent of its rotation.

14 moparmuscle.com

(866) 684-5942www.autometaldirect.com MOPAR, JEEP, DODGE, HEMI, PLYMOUTH, RAM, SRT, CHRYSLER and related logos, vehicle model names andtrade dress are trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC used under license. 2013 Chrysler Group LLC

0VS/BNF4BZT*U"MM5.


15 using their in house mustang dyno, the guys at mcr set up the Fast xFI

system for maximum performance,

reliability, and drivability. If youre not

sure that you want to tackle custom

tuning, Bruce says that this setup is

also compatible with Fasts eZ-eFI

system. When the dyno stopped, we

measured 430 horsepower, and 488

lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

14 a fuel pressure regulator is required, but we took the extra step

of using a vacuum referenced unit.

this will sense when the engine needs

more pressure, so the fuel pump

doesnt have to work any harder than

it really needs to.

13 stainless steel lines with an fittings are the only

way to go. at a nominal 43

psi of fuel pressure, you

simply do not want any

chance of a leak. We

installed a 12-inch feed line

and a 38-inch return.

16 moparmuscle.com

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rock VAlley AnTique AuTo pArTS

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proToType SoluTionS group

715/235-0156

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16 alan anderson of Prototype solu-tions group made a one off emblem

for the scoop that should generate a

lot of questions at the shows. mm

www.coolmymopar.com 877.741.8324

Cut the cable and get a state of the art electronic system that your Mopar deserves. We now offer our famous PerfectFit Elite systems for 1968-1970 B-Bodys... including factory air cars! Plus... with our new and exclusive D.E.R. controls you not only get plug-n-play installation you get BACKLIT convenience for the rst time ever!

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Boing Not BoomTaking valvespring design inTo The fuTure

TexT: Randy Bolig phoTos: Comp Cams

If you could single out one particular

part of an engine that is most mis-

understood, you would likely men-

tion the camshaft. The numbers associ-

ated with camshaft design have baffled

many a car guy for years, and although

once understood, the numbers can still

cause some confusion for many. But,

what many people dont even give a sec-

ond thought to, are the valve springs.

Valve springs are one of the parts of

your engine that do require more than

just a passing glance. Unfortunately, that

rarely happens, and the wrong spring is

asked to do a job it wasnt designed to do.

Choosing the correct valve spring begins

with knowing the application intended

(rpm range, camshaft characteristics,

etc.), and selecting all of the valvetrain

components to achieve the intended goals

of the engine. It does absolutely no good

to install a cam capable of building power

to 8,000 rpm, if you do not have the cor-

rect springs. Improper selection of the

valve spring is one of the most common

causes of engine failure. Other common

causes are the incorrect installation, and

improper handling of the valve springs.

An important factor when select-

ing valve springs, is choosing the cor-

rect seat pressure, open pressure, and

spring rate for the camshaft being used.

In theory, you can gain free horsepower

just by choosing the proper springs for

your engine. But, how do you choose

the right spring?

There are many different kinds of valve

springs available, but most come in either

a single or a dual design. A single spring

18 moparmuscle.com

Tech

is just that, one spring that supports the

valve and its movement. A dual spring is

made up of two springs, one inside the

other. Choosing the right spring pressure is

paramount to insure that the valve retracts

fast enough, and that your engine doesnt

suffer from valve float. You also dont want

to use a spring with too much pressure,

and wipe out the cam.

Now, since weve mention single and

dual spring designs, we need to add

another style, the Beehive. A few years

ago, Comp Cams introduced the Beehive

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Free HeigHt: is the overall height of the

spring in an unloaded condition, like

when the spring is sitting on the work-

bench.

Compressed HeigHt: this is the over-

all height of the spring in a fully com-

pressed condition.

installed HeigHt: This is the overall

height of the spring when it is installed

on the head, and the valve is closed.

Coil Bind: This is the difference

between installed height and solid

height. The rule of thumb is that

the maximum valve lift should never

exceed the coil bind, minus 10 per-

cent, or a minimum of .050 inch.

open HeigHt: the overall height of an

installed spring, when the valve is in

the fully open position.

seat/Closed pressure: the specified load

on a spring, when the valve is in a fully

closed position, measured in pounds

per square inch.

nose/open pressure: the specified load,

measured in pounds per square inch,

on a spring when the valve is in the

fully open position. Note: the spring

should be replaced if the pressure is

less than 10-percent of the advertised

open pressure.

spring rate: (not to be confused with

Spring Rating). The amount of weight

required to compress the spring one

inch, rated in pounds per square inch.

spring rating: specifies amount of load

when the valve is fully closed (Seat

Pressure) and fully open (Nose Pres-

sure). This may be a range or a spe-

cific number. Example: 80/160.

STuff You gotta know

02 dual springs are highly recommended when building

higher revving engines with

medium to high-lift cam-

shafts, and/or whenever

high-ratio rocker arms are

used. like the single spring

with a damper, they reduce

harmonic vibrations in the

valvetrain components. This

reduces valvetrain wear

and/or component failure.

dual springs increase safety

in the event of a broken valve

spring. They also offer even

higher spring-pressures,

which eliminates valve float

at high rpm, while reducing

coil bind issues in high lift

applications.

01 single springs can be used in higher revving

engines, using a perfor-

mance camshaft with higher

lifts, and/or whenever high-

ratio rocker arms are used.

Just be sure that the spring

is designed for the applica-

tion being used. The benefits

of a single spring with a

damper are that the damper

reduces harmonic vibrations

in the valvetrain compo-

nents. This in turn reduces

valvetrain wear and/or com-

ponent failure. having the

damper also offers

increased safety in the event

of a broken valve spring, as

well as increased spring

pressures, to eliminate valve

float at high rpm, while

reducing coil bind issues in

high lift applications.

03 Beehive springs offer an assortment of benefits over stock-style cylindrical springs, including reduced valve spring mass, faster valve

acceleration, increased valvetrain rigidity, and reduced valvetrain compo-

nent stress among other benefits. Beehive springs are shaped like cylin-

ders at the bottom and gradually taper and get smaller towards the top.

These springs dont require the extreme seat pressures needed with

standard style valve springs. With lower seat pressures, valve train com-

ponentsespecially the pushrods, rockers, and lifters, are less stressed

while performing the same work. effectively Beehive springs can increase

the engines upper rpm range over stock cylindrical springs.

20 moparmuscle.com

spring, which was designed to deliver

increased valvetrain stability, and be

much lighter. This was achieved by utiliz-

ing less spring pressure with better valve

control. It also reduced the weight of both

the spring and retainer. Comp says that

the unique Beehive shape handles valve-

train stress more efficiently, which elimi-

nates damaging harmonics, and increases

high rpm horsepower and durability. The

wire used to make the spring was not

round, but rather ovate. This oval/multi-

arc shape places the maximum surface

area of the wire at the point of highest

stress to handle valve train stress more

efficiently and allow better heat dissipa-

tion for longer life. Because of the design,

the valvetrain can handle more rpm, and

more aggressive cam profiles. The Bee-

hive spring wasand still isan amazing

breakthrough in design, but would you

believe that Comp Cams has even one-

upped themselves?

At the 2013 SEMA show, they intro-

duced what they are calling the Coni-

cal spring. This newly-designed spring

is expected to become the new standard

in high performance valve spring design.

This new spring-design utilizes round

wire, and features a diameter and progres-

sive pitch-driven natural frequency. Were

told that this design increases the valve-

trains rpm limit, and reduces resonance

concerns by decreasing dynamic spring

oscillations. The result is longer spring

life, and the ability to run more aggressive

camshafts.

We asked Bradley Brown, an engineer

at Comp Cams, why these springs will

be better than traditional springs, and he

told us, The Conical springs give all the

advantages that we have seen with Bee-

hive springs, but add the next level of

spring design. With Beehive springs, we

were able to deliver smaller top coil and

retainer mass, but still retain the simi-

lar main spring characteristics as a stan-

dard cylindrical spring. With the Conical

spring, we have a smaller diameter at the

top of the spring, and a tapering diameter

all the way down the spring. This allows

us to reduce the mass of not only the

top, dead coils and retainer, but also the

upper active coils of the spring. Its worth

noting that as you travel from the bot-

tom of the spring to the top, coil motion

increases, which also increases the accel-

eration of each coil as you move up. This

added acceleration works just like you

would think. If we can reduce the springs

mass in the area of the component with

the highest accelerations, then we can

Tech | BoINg Not Boom

07 as the graph shows, since the design of the Conical spring effectively reduces

spring oscillation over standard dual

spring design, it is subject to less stress,

thereby increasing the life of the spring.

This reduced stress also allows the use

of more aggressive cam profiles for a

given amount of spring pressure.

06 The closer a coil is to the retainer, the farther it has to travel for each lift

event, which increases its effective mass.

This increases the force and rate

required to maintain control of that coil

for a given path or acceleration. This

becomes a problem at high rpm, when the

spring cannot control itself much less the

rest of the valvetrain. By reducing the

diameter, you also consequently reduce

the effective mass of each coil as you get

closer to the top of the spring. This in turn

gives better control over the spring coils

themselves, and the valvetrain overall.

04 new to the game is Comps newly-designed, cone shaped

Conical spring. Comps Conical

valve springs utilize round wire,

and feature a diameter-driven

and progressive pitch-driven

natural frequency. This design

increases the valvetrains rpm

limit, while reducing resonance

concerns and dynamic spring

oscillations. The result is longer

spring life, and the ability to run

more aggressive camshafts. The

constantly decreasing diameter

of the spring from bottom to top

reduces active mass, thereby

decreasing applied dynamic valvetrain forces. This translates into an increased life

span for all valvetrain components. The design lowers horsepower losses, and nets

more power as well. The conical design accomplishes damping without wear, heat, and

friction, or risks such as flat dampers from interference contact.

05 evolution of the valvespring.

22 moparmuscle.com

increase the stability of the system. With

the conical spring, we have not only

reduced the mass of the upper part of the

spring and increased dynamic stability,

but we have also designed in a very pro-

gressive pitch profile, that when matched

with the changing diameter profile, cre-

ates a natural frequency profile that is

very progressive. This means the conical

springs are very hard to make resonate.

That helps greatly, because if we can keep

the spring from resonating, we can utilize

higher engines speeds. One of the greatest

features is that with new material and pro-

cessing advancements, we have been able

to add quality features, and increase the

rate of the spring.

All that technical stuff sounds good,

but to the general enthusiast, are they

really necessary? I mean, traditional valve

springs have been around for a long time,

so why reinvent the wheel? We were told

that testing has proven that the coni-

cal springs do many things well. First, by

reducing the active mass of the spring,

like stated before, higher engine rpm are

achievable with existing combinations.

Secondly, the potential is there for enthu-

siasts to run more aggressive camshaft

profiles with current parts. We hear that

some folks have also seen longer spring

life, because all of these dynamic gains

also translate in the spring being more

stable, which helps the spring last lon-

ger. The dynamic loads are also reduced

so longer life of the rest of the valvetrain

parts is also achieved. To quote Bradley,

If you want to go faster or farther, you

need these parts. mm

Its worth Not-INg that as you travel from the Bottom of the sprINg to the top, coIl motIoN IN-creases, whIch also INcreases the acceleratIoN of each coIl as you move up. Bradley BrowN

If theres one thing the readers of this

magazine want, its more power

under the hood of their car. No mat-

ter how its achieved, the quest for more

power has taken many daily drivers and

relegated them to only making the occa-

sional trip around the fair grounds. A

worst case scenario sees the quest leading

to the eventual sale of a persons hot rod,

because the fun inevitably goes away.

So, in order for us to help you guys stay

on track with making more power, and not

getting in over your heads with big modifi-

cations that get costly and become daunt-

ing tasks, every now and then we need to

slow down, and show you guys a simple

but effective way to increase power.

To keep it simple, an engine is noth-

ing more than an elaborate air pump.

The more air that goes in, the more air

that will get pushed out. For that reason,

cold air kits for late-model Mopars have

really been a popular upgrade for many

enthusiasts.

Cold air kits come in many shapes and

sizes, but they all market themselves as

getting cooler and denser air into your

engine. When your car was built, it was

designed with sufficient airflow for the

stock application, but how many of us

leave things stock? Most will want to

increase the performance of their vehi-

cle, and installing a cold air intake is one

way to do it. Simply by name, a cold air

kit should lower the temperature of the

incoming air, thereby increasing power.

DoIng It RightInsTAllIng The rIghT pArTs on The rIghT cAr In A quesT To mAke poWerTexT & phoTos: Randy Bolig

24 moparmuscle.com

tech

The first thing we did is make a cou-

ple pulls with the factory air cleaner

assembly in place. We ended up with

342 horsepower at 5,700 rpm. All

pulls were made with the hood

closed, and a high speed fan feeding

air to the front of the car to help sim-

ulate the car moving.

For that reason, a cold air kit should rely

on an air supply that is taken from some-

where outside of the engine compartment.

Lets face it, is just having an open-ele-

ment air cleaner near the engine really

getting cooler air into the engine? Although

the factory air cleaner assembly does

actually get air from outside of the engine

compartment via ducting, the efficiency of

the incoming air is severely hampered by

the design of the assembly.

Ideally, cold air intakes should also

01 With the baseline complete, we removed the factory air cleaner assembly. Dur-ing our baseline test, a new oe paper filter was installed the factory assembly for

our testing.

02 The JlT kit comes with this surround that encloses the air filter and separates it from the engine compartment. The hole at the bottom is where the factory air

cleaner got its cool air.

tech | DoIng It RIght

reduce fuel consumption, since they intro-

duce a higher amount of cooler air into

the engine. This means that burning of

fuel is more efficient. Finally, a cold air

intake will usually cause your car to be

louder, as the new incoming air is not

restricted or run through a factory silencer.

This new sound causes most people to

push the gas to the floor as they enjoy lis-

tening to the sound, and that can affect

gas mileage.

When we decided to try a cold air

intake, and see how it affects a real world,

daily driven car, we found that some do

simply have an open element air cleaner

positioned in the engine compartment.

Not feeling that was a truly beneficial way

to do it, we found JLT True Cold Air. The

first thing we noticed about the JLT kit

is the housing that surrounds the air fil-

ter. The factory air cleaner assembly got

its incoming air from an opening that fed

the air from outside the engine compart-

ment into the air cleaner, and the JLT kit

05 The JlT kit offers you a choice with regard to air filters. If youre wonder-

ing, should I choose a paper or cotton

filter? according to JlT, paper filter

design has improved drastically over

the last few years, so you are not sac-

rificing performance with either

choice, the decision comes down to

would you rather throw away the filter

or clean it when the time comes.

04 painted to match the car, the inlet tube is connected to the throttle body

elbow.

03 The instructions say that its eas-ier to install the air cleaner as a com-

plete assembly. We read the instruc-

tions after we were finished. Thats

why were installing the soft elbow at

the throttle body in this image.

uses that opening to also get air to its air

filter. But, the kicker is, the JLT kit has a

surround around the air filter that keeps

the engine heat from entering the air fil-

ter. That seemed like a great idea, so we

ordered one.

When we placed our order, JLT wanted

know what color the car was, because

they are capable of color-matching the

intake tube to your factory color. That was

an added bonus that we really liked. Any-

way, we ordered the air cleaner assembly,

and decided to add one more item to our

shopping list, an oil separator.

With late-model vehicles, the process

of venting crankcase pressure sends that

pressure back through your intake. If that

pressure is going back into your intake,

this also means that oil vapors can also be

brought into the intake. If youre running

a blower, this can coat your blower rotors,

intercooler fins and even dilute your gas,

lowering its octane level. This happens

on all engines, and is even worse when

08 not only did we install the JlT cold air kit, but we also opted to install one

of their oil separator kits. Venting

crankcase pressure lets that pres-

sure back through your intake. If that

pressure is going back into your

intake, this also means that oil vapors

can also be brought into the intake.

The oil separator eliminates this issue.

06 plug in the pcV per the instruc-tions.

07 now reinstall the IAT (Inlet Air Temperature) sensor that you

removed from the factory air cleaner

assembly.

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tech | DoIng It RIght

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that engine is supercharged, as crankcase

pressures are increased.

To combat this, JLT has developed an

oil separator that is milled from billet alu-

minum. It has a knurled tank-base for

easy removal, so draining the spent oil is

easy. Inside is a metal-mesh filter element.

This element collects the vapors allowing

them to drop into the tank. This keeps the

oil vapors out of your engine.

OK, so lets get to it. The install of

both parts took less than an hour, and

is accomplished with a few simple

hand tools. MM

11 We did our testing with the hood closed, and a high-velocity fan blowing at the front of the car to simulate movement, as if the car was driving. You cant correctly test a

cold-air kit with the hood open, as youll get false results. We were hoping to gain more

than 212 horsepower and 9 lb-ft of torque, but this was with a stock engine. Add a per-

formance tune or other upgrade and the results will be exponential.

09 The separator mounts to the cylin-der head with a supplied bolt, and the

plumbing is as simple as running two

hoses, one to the intake, right behind the

throttle body

10 and the other goes to the pcV valve under the throttle bodydone.

Service Performed in The

Official TOOls

www.eastwood.com

Tech cenTer

www.directlift.com

Official auTO lifT

www.millerwelds.com

Official Welding equipmenT

28 moparmuscle.com

Get RollingCan a solid roller Cam improve street driving, traCk performanCe, and broaden the power band?text & photos: Dan Foley

If one thing truly leads to another, you

can say the head and exhaust swap

we performed on the Balls of Fury

(Charlie and Chad Pirchios 64 Sport Fury)

in the August 13 issue (Two Bolt-ons

Bring 81 Horsepower) led us to this cam

swap. We felt we were leaving a bunch

of power on the table with the hydrau-

lic flat tappet cam profile that was in the

440, ergo, we put in a call to Comp Cams

thinking we could harness that power with

one of their modern, solid roller designs.

Weve learned from years of previous

cam swap testing (flat tappet to roller with

the same duration but roughly .100-inch

more valve lift) has always meant a stron-

ger running engine with a smoother idle,

more low-end, mid-range, and top-end

power. Thats close to what we were

going for this time. We wanted more peak

torque at a lower rpm for bottom-end

grunt, and gains in peak horsepower at a

higher rpm for a broader power-band and

top-end charge.

When choosing a cam, its better to

make a conservative choice for your com-

binations intended purpose. Just remem-

ber: the stick with the most lift with the

same duration will make for a more

a previous head and exhaust test (august 13 issue) on this 64 sport fury leads us to

swap out the cam. switching to a cam with more lift would mean more air flowing

through the new edelbrock heads and tti 3-inch exhaust to produce more power. we

would ditch the outdated hydraulic stick for a modern solid street-roller with more

valve lift (solid .570/.576 vs. hydraulic .474/.474-inch) while having close to the same

duration (solid 242/248 at .050-inch vs. hydraulic 238/238 at .050-inch). we did retain

the same lobe separation angle (110 degrees). this type of cam swap will liven up most

any engine with increased grunt throughout the engines rpm scale.

30 moparmuscle.com

Tech

Tech | Get RollInG

responsive engine, thus making for a nice

street driver. Choose one from the catalog

that is recommended to match your com-

bination (engine size, compression ratio,

heads, induction, exhaust, gear ratio, con-

verter stall, vehicle weight, rpm range,

etc.) or call one of the cam companies

they have experts on their help lines. If

you look-up the cam involved in this swap,

youll notice its only a middle choice of

the street-roller type, yet it makes a lot of

power over the old, outdated flat-tappet

cam profiles that have been around over

30 years. Never choose a race-type cam

for your street driver, or youll have a ride

with terrible drivability and efficiency.

Technology advancements in cam-

shaft/valvetrain design and durability have

come a long way in recent years. We took

advantage of this and put it to use in a

typical street-type 440 to have even bet-

ter drivability and efficiency. Besides gains

in drivability and power, a side benefit can

be improved fuel mileage. We didnt mea-

sure it, but we used less fuel driving to

the dyno and the strip. Maybe we stum-

bled on the perfect cam for our combina-

tion. Read along and see the cam instal-

lation and how we made out on the dyno

and dragstrip.

01 theres a dramatic visual difference between the solid (left) and the hydraulic cam (right). both are designed for street use.

the solid sticks steeper ramps will provide faster and addi-

tional valve lift (roughly .100-inch) during a similar duration

period (valve begins to open then close). this faster valve action

will maximize air velocity going through the ports to help create

quicker throttle response, more low-end torque, with improved

low, mid-range power and top-end charge.

03 the new timing set would be installed by lining-up the timing marks (zero-to-

zero) the same as the hydraulic stick. the

solid stick uses a 3-bolt cam gear com-

pared to the 1-bolt hydraulic cam. we

used arp bolts for clearance fitment with

Comps rollerized cam button. modern

performance cams and timing sets are

manufactured with such high precision

we felt confident not to take the time to

degree the cam, plus we wanted to see

how well this type of cam swap would

perform for the average gearhead.

02 the new stick was lightly coated with Comps cam and installation lube (part number 153).we were extra careful not to

nick the cam bearings while removing the old and installing the

new bumpstick. seen is the Camshaft installation handle (pn

5311) weve been using for over 15 years in all of our cam swaps

and installations. this tool helps save time, pinched fingers and

nicked cam bearings.

04 the hydraulic lifter typically shows valve float with power dropping off at

high rpm (over 6,000 rpm). thats ok if

you dont want to spin your 440 at high

rpm or periodically set the valve lash.

with the solid roller lifter, theres virtu-

ally no valve float to drop off power at

high rpm. also, the new roller lifters were

cleaned-up, and then submerged in a cof-

fee can full of Comps 15w50 muscle Car

and street rod oil to lube their needle

bearings.

05 this type of swap requires also changing the valve springs. the new

springs are set with 148 pounds at

1.900-inch seat load, and 456 pounds

at 1.250-inch open load pressure, and

were teamed with a lightweight tool-

steel retainer for less weight at the

valve tip for a faster revving engine

and less chance of valve float

(bounce). Comps extreme energy and

magnum series solid street-roller

cams use valve springs with reduced

spring pressure for less valvetrain

wear and valve lash change.

32 moparmuscle.com

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Tech | Get RollInG

06 for this swap, we would also need to replace the stock,

non-adjustable rockers, and

upgrade to adjustable units. we

chose Comps pro magnum

rocker arms. be sure to

assemble the rocker arm shaft

assembly with the oiling holes

facing down when mounting to

the head. the entire valve train

assembly (shafts, rockers,

pushrod ends, valvesprings and

tips) were all coated with

Comps valve train assembly

spraythats the red stuff all

over the white plastic.

07 switching from a hydraulic to a solid roller cam will also require different length pushrods,

so be sure to measure pushrod length for

proper rocker arm geometry. notice the adjust-

ing screw on the left is showing a thread or two

on the bottom and top for proper lubrication to

the pushrod and valve tip. with too short of a

pushrod, the oiling hole will be exposed. for this

build-up along with other rb motors with edel-

brock performer rpm heads, weve used Comp

hi-tech pushrods (9.200-inch length) with the

Comp pro magnum rockers.

08 Usually at full lift theres not any coil bind when using the recommended springs. its still good to be sure theres a minimum of .060-inch between the middle

coils at full-lift. its also important to break-in new springs. never initially run an

engine at high rpm. limit rpm to 1,500-2,000 until it reaches normal operating tem-

perature. shut off the engine and allow the springs to cool to room temperature.

this helps eliminate early breakage, and prolongs spring life. we rotated the engine

over dozens of times while assembling the valvetrain and setting the valve lash.

Comps crank tool socket (pn 4799) made it easy, plus it incorporates a knurled

retaining nut that can sandwich and hold a degree wheel in place. the valve lash

calls for settings of .016-inch intake and .018-inch exhaust. we rotated the wedge

enough times to re-check the lash at each valve about five times. Yes, were nuts!

34 moparmuscle.com

09 whenever considering the use of a high-lift camshaft (over .500-

inch lift), be sure your engine has

pistons with valve reliefs. stock pis-

tons without valve reliefs would have

hit and bent the valves on this type

of cam swap.

Price tag

Part PN Cost

Comp Cams street roller

pN 23-701-9 $332.97

Comp Cams timiNg set

pN 3125 $72.97

arp Bolts pN 244-1001 $5.13

Comp Cams roller ButtoN

pN 204 $22.97

Comp Cams roller lifter

pN 866-16 $534.97

Comp Cams oil pN 1595-12 $89.97

Comp Cams valve spriNgs

pN 953-16 $129.97

Comp Cams retaiNer

pN 732-16 $291.97

Comps pro magNum roCker arms

pN 1621-16 $679.97

Comp Cams pushrods

pN 7922-16 $154.97

milodoN BroNze distriButor drive

pN 21525 $124.97

neveR InItIally Run an enGIne at hIGh Rpm. lImIt Rpm to 1,500-2,000 untIl It Reaches noR-mal opeRatInG tempeRatuRe.

Higher friction pads that stop faster Perform under heat and load British made eco friendly pad materials Sport slotted rotors to match Cost less than manufacturer parts FMVSS approved, TV approved

Available locally from Pep Boys and online frommost premium vendors.www.ebcbrakes.com

MORE STOPPING POWER ...

Tech | Get RollInG

Dyno anD DRagsTRip ResulTsMoDS HP TQ 60-FT e.T. / MPH

Exhaust

stoCk 212 inCh

298/5500 327/4400 1.85 12.93/103.01

tti 3-inCh 328/5700 385/4400 1.78 12.60/106.14

EdElbrock heads 379/5900 436/4400 1.71 12.07/111.42

comp solid roller

408/6000 469/4400 1.73 11.78/114.57

11 tune time performances new lakewood, new Jersey, location was

a 45-minute pleasure ride to dyno

test the new cam. with these torque

(33 lb-ft) and horsepower (29 rear

12 to keep things consistent, our drag test at atco raceway was on the

same 15x7 cop car wheels mounted

with nitto 275/60 drag radials (same

size as the bfg drag radials). with

the added torque, we couldnt mash

the go pedal as quickly without wheel

spin, resulting in slightly slower

60-foot times (1.73 to 1.71), when com-

pared to testing the edelbrock heads

10 when changing over to a roller cam, it is the necessary

to use a bronze cam/distribu-

tor gear for the oil pump

shaft. we used the milodon

bronze distributor gear/shaft

assembly. be sure to check

for wear after a few thousand

miles. we routinely replace

after 5,000-miles. hopefully,

soon, someone will offer a

composite-type gear that will

last for many more miles.

36 moparmuscle.com

Mike Burroughs

Unlimited Champion 6.8336 et @ 213.944 avg

Tom Bailey Sick Seconds

6 seconds, 8 Champions

5 days 5 tracks 1200 miles

8 class champions runGear Vendors Overdrives

Eddie Miller

Chisolm/StasiakJon Wischman

Call 800-999-9555 for information or visit www.gearvendors.com

UNDER/OVERDRIVEGEAR VENDORS

Rick Prospero

Curt Johnson

Mike Roy

OVERDRIVE

If you want overdrive - run the only overdrive that will handle abuse and racing.

wheel) gains, we feel going with a

roller stick is the way to go. we

couldnt wait to get to the track to

see how low the e.t.s would go.

and tti exhaust. the fury scooted

down the 1320 with a much-improved

elapsed time of 11.78 at 114.57 mph.

the previous best was a 12.07 at

111.42 mph. after running 11s with

gains of three tenths and three mph,

Charlie and Chad couldnt be happier

and more proud of their pride and

joy. Yes, this cam swap was well

worth it! mm

souRces

atCo raCeway

856/768-2167

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ComP Cams

800/999-0853

www.CompCams.Com

milodoN

805/577-7540

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tuNe time PerformaNCe

732/349-7800

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mopar muscle may 2014 37

Floorboard Fix-UpHelping keep your feet inside tHe car wHen you drive

text: Randy Bolig pHotos: Bill ChandleR

last month, we showed you

an E-Body that had its

torsion bar crossmem-

ber and front floors completely hacked.

We couldnt understand the reasoning for

the extent of the hacking, but it was done

nonetheless. So, we replaced the cross-

member, and now its time to tackle the

floor. We had thought about repairing

the floors with some old road signs and

beer cans that we have collected over the

years, but decided that this car deserved

better. So, proper metal it is. We all know

about AMD, and the metal that they have

been producing, so it was an easy choice

where to get what we needed. The AMD

metal has OE-style coverage like the orig-

inal piece in the carminus the big

cut-outs made by someone. It mates to

all surrounding OE panels and pieces

with OE dimensions. It even comes with

a proper flange on the side to correctly

fit with 70-style rocker panels. It also

includes bucket seat, emergency brake

cable and speedometer cable brackets.

What more could you ask for?

Now all we have to do is get to work.

38 moparmuscle.com

Tech

Ok, lets try that again. Now all we have

to do is stand back, and watch the guys

at the Installation Center get to work.

That sounds better.

Costs for Full Challenger floor (front),

PN 400-1570: $499.95

01 last month, we took the time to cut the hacked floor out of the way so we could replace the torsion bar crossmember. now we need to install the new floor.

02 when we replaced the crossmember, we only removed as much floor material as we needed; this helped the body retain some rigidity and support. now we need

to remove the rest of the floor.

03 once the floor is completely removed, you need to make sure that

the surrounding areas are ready to

accept the new floor. this means clean-

ing and straightening yhe edges of the

existing factory floor.

04 once you have the surrounding surfaces cleaned and ready, drop the

new panel in place to make sure the fit-

ment is good.

Tech | Floorboard Fix-Up

06 where ever welding will occur, the e-coating on any new parts must be

removed before welding.

05 after the floor was properly fitted, go

underneath and outline

where all frame rails

and crossmembers

make contact. once you

have that done, remove

the floor so you can

drill holes where your

spot welds will attach

the floor to the frame.

07 i know it looks counter-productive after cleaning off the e-coat, but by

spraying on a weld-through primer,

you can add a layer of protection to the

freshly cleaned areas, and still weld the

new panel in place.

08 in goes the new floor for the last time.

SoUrceS

Auto MetAl Direct

866/591-8309

www.autometaldirect.com

AMD instAllAtion center

706/348-6653

www.amdinstallation.com

09 Before any welding starts, the new panel must be properly clamped. if you

dont completely clamp a new panel in

place, it could shift or warp, and when

that happens, you have just ruined

your work.

10 start welding from the center out.

11 with the front floor in place, it

looks like well need

to replace the rear

pan next. MM

www.jbaheaders.comA PerTronix Performance Brand (909) 599-5955

JBA equipped Rockstar Challenger

by LDRSHIP Designs

For off-road/racing use only, not to be used on

emission-controlled vehicles.

50-state legal, per the manufacturers application guide

How to be in Pentastar Send images of your ride, along with all the information about your ride, and well make you a STAR. Remember to include ALL your information, even where youre from. Send your digital images (at least 300 dpi) and information to [email protected]; or snail mail your print images and info to Mopar Muscle Magazine C/O PentaSTARS, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619. Send us a good quality front shot (think feature shot) and an interior and engine bay shot.

PentaStarS

Hemified T/AWho: Tom Bush

Where: Mauston, Wisconsin

What: 70 Dodge Challenger hardtop

Toms T/A-inspired Challenger (built by

LCars Automotive in Cameron, Wiscon-

sin) uses not a 340 Six Pack for power,

but an Andy Weber-built 528-inch Hemi,

based on an Indy Cylinder Head Legend

Maxx aluminum block and their 426-1RA

heads. Also going in: a Callies crankshaft,

Oliver rods and CP 13.5:1 pis-

tons, and a Comp Cams solid-

roller camshaft. It breathes in

through an Indy intake and

an AED 1150/Max Dominator,

and breathes out through tti

headers and Aero/Supertrapp

mufflers.

It sits on an Art Morrison

chassis, with a modified TKO

five-speed, and a 4.10 geared

Dana 60 with Moser axles and

a Detroit Locker differential.

Inside, theres plenty of cus-

tom work, including custom carbon fiber

door/side panels, Recaro buckets, and a

custom dash filled with AutoMeter gauges.

Outside, the shaved E-Body wears Sik-

kens two-stage black paint, and Hoosier

Drag Radial-shod Minilite wheels fill the

fenderwells. MM

ResToRed RARiTyWho: Tom Finocchio

Where: Horsham, Pennsylvania

What: 70 Plymouth Road Runner con-

vertible

Tom sent along some pictures of his 70

Plymouth Road Runner convertible, which

he restored to stock condition after acquir-

ing it as a project-ready basket case.

Its a real Vitamin C Orange/383/

four-speed convertible, with a white

interior and top. A very rare car (total

70 RR droptops: 824) in a very rare

color combo.

The two years that he spent

restoring it included an entire winter

welding on new steel in his spare time,

and finding a correct-date-coded 1970

383 to replace the original engine.

Per Tom, the restored Road Runner

runs like a top, and gets lots of looks

whenever he takes it out.

42 moparmuscle.com

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Miller TiMe

RevisitedFormer NHrA World CHAmp goes bACk to tHe dAys oF pro stoCk WitH His NeW duster

text & pHotos: Geoff Stunkard

44 moparmuscle.com

ed Millers name might not

be familiar to more recent

Mopar converts, but he

was one of the truly dom-

inant drivers from the

1960s era Plymouth

camp. After all, Miller and car part-

ner Kip Gunther won the very first

NHRA Super Stock World Champi-

onship in 1967, as well as several

other class and event titles. Ed also

made waves in the long-defunct

NASCAR drag racing series, and

the rival AHRA sanction. As a result

of that success, he was among a

handful of drivers to get a factory

acid-dipped 70 A-Body in 1970,

the first year of NHRA Pro Stock. Ed

made the trip to pick up two cars

that year, one that would be his

own, and the one Bill Stiles ended

up with.

Though Pro Stock was new for

1970, Ed actually had a bit of an

advantage, due to running in the

AHRAs Pro Super Stock class, and

the NHRAs Division 1 Super Stock

circuit the previous seasons. He ran

the Duster for a couple of seasons,

but circumstances and changes in

his factory sponsorship finally made

him hang up his Pro

credentials in

late 1971 for

his speed

shop busi-

ness and

IHRA sports-

man racing.

As the

nostalgia

movement

blossomed,

Ed returned

to the driv-

ers seat in

another 65 Plymouth, but

his Duster had likely been his most

visible car, and he decided to go

ahead and recreate a version for the

21st century. The first Duster was

a great car when I finally finished

it, Ed recalls. I wanted something

I could bring to races and shows,

and maybe do some bracket and

exhibition racing with.

Now, for purists, a suitable goal

might have been to build a circa-

correct 1970 vehicle. Ed, having

lived through those days person-

ally, decided it would be better to

mopaR muscle may 2014 45

Miller TiMerevisiTed

46 moparmuscle.com

Fast Facts70 Duster moDernizeD Pro stock recreationCar Owner: Ed Miller, Chesapeake, Virginia

moPar Powerengine: For Ed, whose racing was done almost exclusively with Hemi power from 1965 on, there was no real decision about how the spark plugs would go into the heads. Years of experience led him to build a 7,000-rpm red line aluminum block package with massaged aluminum Mopar heads and a Super Stock-era cross ram that hosts a pair of 770-cfm Holleys that Ed reworked for the combination. MSD, Optima, Mopar and Champion juice it, with Hookers sending the sound out; Barry Grant fuel pumps push race-grade go-fast to the carbs, with a Charlies oil pan keepin it all slick with seven quarts from Quaker State.

transmission: Ed also built a race-level 727 Flite, with a Griner valve body, CSR blanket and Mopar 9-inch converter to go behind that 700-plus horsepower. A Hurst Quarter Stick allows slap-and-go shifts at speed.

Differential: The Moser setup is bullet proof, and selected for ease of gear ratio pumpkin swaps. A 4.71 ring is presently in the car for quarter-mile passes.

HorsePower anD Performance: about 700 horsepower, that has run a best of 9.29 at 140 so far in quarter-mile

sure griPsusPension: Ed chose several adjustable suspension aids, including QA1 shocks, a four-link, and a front rack-and-pinion with A-arms. In addition to getting the car down track straighter, a lot of weight was also removed.

Brakes: Big discs up front are balanced with heavy duty rear drums.

wHeels: Modern is what we consider the Monocoque rims, with Moroso drag rubber up front and ubiquitous 14x32 M/T slicks in the rear.

HigH imPactBoDy: Prep included numerous fiberglass pan-els; the rest is OEM sheet metal.

Paint: While pearl and orange were done at Affordable Auto Body by Brett Parker, the rec-reated graphics and lettering was completed by Rick Hart.

interior: A fiberglass dash was filled with Auto Meter gauges, while Ed picked a pair of polyethylene seats covered in orange and black.

sPecial tHanks: Crew chief Sharron Miller, car chief Charlie Robbins, crew men Glen Smith, Dana Byrum and Jon Wise; special thanks Bob and Chris Yates, Matt Heilman.

use some modern technology if he was

actually going to pilot this thing down

track at 125+ mph. While old school is

cool, safety and consistency are the keys

to success in the modern day, so he took

advantage of some of what has happened

over the last 40 years. After all, Ed has

never really stopped.

The body itself was a clean roller

bought back in 2004, for this purpose.

Eds background in both racing and per-

formance equipment made this a long-

term home project that took six years

of spare time to finish. The body was

stripped clean, and reconstructed with

fiberglass parts replacing just about any

removable part hood, deck, doors, fend-

ers, bumpers and dash. One important

aspect of the overall appearance was put-

ting the right paint on it; Bret Parker

sprayed the white pearl down, then Rick

Hart came back and did the graphics and

lettering. Its a good match for the origi-

nal scheme.

As you can see, Ed called his car Hemi

Duster back in the day, so it was an ele-

phant lung that ended up between the

front frame rails. Miller pulled some his

old speed secrets, choosing a cross ram to

allow for good hood clearance under the

Six Pack scoop. With a Keith Black 426

block and a massaged stroker crankshaft

in the bottom end. Next were big pop

13.0:1 CP pistons, Groden rods, a Racer

Brown roller cam of unspecified measure-

ment (maybe Ed will tell you if you decide

you want him to build you the same com-

bination), followed up with Crane and fac-

tory valve gear, in the aluminum Mopar

heads ported by Glenn Smith. Ed also

rebuilt the 727, using a 3,800 stall con-

verter to get the engine breathing before

launch. A 4.71 gear in a Moser housing is

there for easy swaps.

The biggest change from the old days,

however, was to the suspension. Again,

Ed had lived through it, and decided a

rack-and-pinion for torsion bars and a

four-link in place of leaf springs would

[The original dusTer] was preTTy well-builT, so unless iT goT ToTally desTroyed, i Think iT is sTill ouT There in a barn soMeplace. ed Miller

enGine: ed miller raced Hemis all of his

life, so the recreation houses an all-new

beast built around a keith black block.

mopaR muscle may 2014 47

help the fresh package bite hard and

go straight. QA1 shocks and adjustable

front coil-overs aid in the dial-up, and

static weight on the spindles was greatly

reduced with Monocoque wheels on all for

corners. A 12-point cage was installed just

in case, while Ed added the gizmos to go

bracket racing into the customized interior.

Its all business, but hey, youre only in it

for no more than 10 seconds, right?

Now completed, we shot the Duster

during the incredible once-a-year car festi-

val in Henderson, North Carolina, last fall,

and got our action images at the Beaver

Springs Nostalgia Nationals recently. The

car has been a labor of love in the truest

sense, and the past several months were

spent getting it dialed up, now running

times down in the nine-second range. On

balance, while some may think he should

have gone more old school on a car like

this, we have to say that anybody with

credentials like Eds can do whatever they

want. Its Miller time again... mm

interior: its a race car, but did the

dash make you take a second look?

oriGinal: Heres a shot of ed in his 65

car at pomona.

newS: Favored to win!

Miller TiMerevisiTed

48 moparmuscle.com

One Sweet Swap

In the past, weve brought you sto-

ries of an all-Mopar engine swap

thats a match made in heaven, in

the eyes of many: The modern Hemi

engine into a muscle-era Plymouth

or Dodge.

Mike Abramsons 74 Challenger is

another E-Body thats now graced with a 5.7

Hemi under its hood. Whats different about

this swap is that it wasnt done by a long-

time Mopar builder, but by a Young Gun.

Mikewho finished high school in

2013accomplished this with the help of

his father, whod owned the Challenger for

years with the intent of restoring it some-

day. But it was Mike who got the proj-

ect rolling. We started putting it together

before my freshman year of high school,

he recalls. But, to put it in the condition

its in now, with all the modern improve-

ments, that started at the beginning of

my senior year of high school. Thats also

when I took a major part in putting this

thing together.

First things firstthat last-year E-Body

needed to have nearly four decades worth

of rust and rot removed. We had it on a

rotisserie, and we cut out all the rust and

the questionable patches, and replaced

them with new metal, and then we went

from there, says Mike. The 74 grille and

taillights also made a one-way trip off of the

Challenger, to be replaced by a 1970 grille/

Young gunBuilt E-BodY witH A ModErn HEMi

tExt: Scott roSS PHotos: randy Bolig

50 moparmuscle.com

Sitting Pretty: Bought long ago by

his father, this E-Body became Mike

Abramsons project, which he restored

while adding modern Hemi power and 70

Challenger styling.

FaSt FactS74 DoDge ChallengerOwned by: Michael Abramson, Merrick, New York

Mopar powerengine: The V-8 that E-Body fans could only dream about in 1974: a 5.7 Hemi from an 09 Challenger R/T. A custom aluminum cold-air intake, plus 2-inch Flowmaster mufflers are the only non-factory items on this Hemi.

TransMission: Tremec six-speed man-ual, with Pistol Grip shifter, is also from an 09 Challenger R/T.

rear: Another 09 Challenger R/T gave up its rear end for this E-Body, which was narrowed five inches, fitted to a custom-made cradle/subframe, and filled with custom axle shafts from The Driveshaft Shop and OEM 2.73:1 rear gears.

sure gripsuspension: (Front) Magnum Forces chassis hardware replaced the stock E-Body front suspension (Rear) No leaf springs here, but a modified/narrowed 09 Challenger independent rear sus-pension instead.

Brakes: Wilwood front discs combine with stock 09 Challenger R/T rear discs for Hemi-quality stopping power.

wheels/Tires: Big Coys rims (18x8 inches front, 20x9 inches rear) wear huge Toyo Proxes tires (225/40R18 front, 295/30ZR20 rear)

high iMpaCTpainT/BoDy: Original 1974 E-Body (with 70 Challenger sheetmetal, grille, bum-pers and lights) restored by Aimes Col-lision in Freeport, New York, before the two-stage Sassy Grass Green went on.

inTerior: Restored original 74 Chal-lenger, thanks to Legendary (seat covers and headliner) and YearOne (carpets). Sound system is by Pioneer and Hertz, courtesy of Avenue Sound, Freeport, NY. Custom six-speed shifter boot is by Das Boot.

taillight combo come reassembly time.)

Instead of a drop-in engine swap like

an LA, B/RB or 426 Hemi, Mike chose to

go the modern route. We know somebody

engine: Whats better than a salvage-

yard find? How

Documents

Mopar Muscle - May 2014.pdf