Mopar Muscle - February 2020

SMALL & MIGHTY 273LA DUST STORM FAMILY-OWNED
STEVE MAGNANTE SHARES SINCE NEW, THIS ’73 DUSTER

POWER BUILDING TIPS MAKES A WHIRLWIND OF POWER
IT’S A WRAP (REALLY)

2015 CHALLENGER STRETCHES
THE DESIGN & MOD ENVELOPE
CAN YOU DIG IT?
ABSOLUTELY
BITCHIN’
KINDIG-
BUILT
’67 CORONET R/T
IN GRAVEYARD CARZ : THIS SOUNDS GREAT!
MARK WORMAN’S SUPER-RARE INSTALLING CUSTOM
’71 ’CUDA CONVERTIBLE AUTOSOUND’S SECRETAUDIO
—CHECK OUT WHY! RADIO FOR MOPARS

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VOLUME 33 ✪ NUMBER 2 ✪ FEBRUARY 2020 CONTENTS
.COM
TECH
24 CUDA A-PILLAR
REPLACEMENT
Beyond saving, the A-pillar on this 1970
Cuda was rusted from the top down.
42 32 UPGRADE YOUR
AUDIO SYSTEM
Custom Autosound’s Secretaudio radio turns
your Mopar into a rockin’ time machine.
56 TESTING THE MOPAR

273 POWER PAK ON THE DYNO
How hot is the 273 four-barrel?
FEATURES
16 DAVE KINDIG TRANSFORMS
A 1967 DODGE CORONET
This month’s cover car is one bitchin’ ride.
42 1973 PLYMOUTH DUSTER

Son builds big power from his mom’s
50 small-block Duster.
50 IT’S A WRAP—REALLY!
24 32 56 Stephen Gordon’s 2015 Dodge Challenger
pushes the envelope just right.
DEPARTMENTS
06 RAPID TRANSIT
10 GREETINGS FROM THE GRAVE
66 MANGLED MOPARS
74 HOT PARTS
16
ON THE COVER
Dave Kindig is widely known for his show Bitchin’ Rides on the MotorTrend Network. Recently we
10
spotted this gorgeous ’67 Coronet R/T that Kindig, Kevin Schiele, and his crew had just finished,
and we immediately wanted to see more. Our Salt Lake City photo shoot at Kindig-It Design lasted
until after midnight, and all we can tell you is that this Coronet looks even better in person!
Check it out beginning on page 16.
MOPAR MUSCLE (ISSN 1056-2966) February 2020; Volume 33, Number 2. Copyright 2019 by TEN: Publishing Media, LLC.
All rights reserved. Published monthly by TEN: Publishing Media, LLC., 275 Madison Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10016.
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4 moparmuscle.com
Body Panels and Trim
866.684.5942 Follow us AUTOMETALDIRECT.COM

RAPID TRANSIT
BOB MEHLHOFF, EDITOR
AMONGST FRIENDS
We stay pretty busy going through airports and rental car counters,
dealing with flight cancelations, hotels, restaurants and much
more, to attend the various Mopar events across the country. At these events this
summer, we found unlimited amounts of Mopars that are ongoing project cars, race
cars, drivers, or restored muscle cars. On the newer side we saw many very fast
late-model Mopars that run 11 seconds or quicker and are often driven to the track
with fuel economy in the 20s. The cars that make up the Mopar hobby today are
vast, numerous, powerful, and simply awesome.
But aside from the huge list of cool Mopars is something actually more impres-
sive. That is the great people with their Mopar stories that we continually meet,
the ones who own, build, restore, modify, or drive these various Mopars. In other
words, those who thrive like we do on the Mopar hobby.
On a recent trip to the Mopar Nationals at National Trails Raceway, in Hebron,
Ohio, I ran into a very good and longtime friend, Mark Pecikonis, who put it best
when I asked him how he was doing. He replied, “We’re living the dream, Bob.”
Many years ago while still in high school I met Mark in the San Fernando Valley.
He was behind the wheel of his 383, four-speed, red 1964 Plymouth Belvedere
hardtop, and I was in my 1963 Plymouth Savoy. At the time and still today, Mark raced
his other Mopar, which was an 11-second 1963 Plymouth Fury, both at Southern
California dragstrips and, dare I say, at the San Fernando Valley street races on Saturday
nights. I even remember cruising down Van Nuys Boulevard during the 1970s in Mark’s
very fast ’63 that was on slicks. A few years later, in 1980, he brought his Plymouth
to an event put on by our sister publication (Car Craft Nationals car show) at Devonshire
Downs in Northridge, California.
Today, Mark is retired from UPS, still has his ’63, and has added a really cool
Viper to his horsepower collection. He and his wife Wendy live near Columbus, Ohio.
A month before the Mopar Nationals this summer at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, of Joel’s friend’s farms as well as many
in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, I met up with Joel and his brother Konrad Finck. Joel of his own.
and Konrad are cousins of mine, and Joel lives on a farm in southeastern South However, through all of these travels,
Dakota, where many of our family have lived for more than a century. the one thing that rings consistently
It wasn’t until a few years ago on our vacation to visit Joel and his family at their wherever we go is that it’s the people and
home that I learned Joel is still a dedicated Mopar fan. This happened by chance while their Mopar stories that make this hobby
Joel was showing us around the farm. As Joel opened the door to one of his barns that so interesting and the linkage that creates
summer afternoon, all at once all I could see was his white Hemi Challenger. With the so many friendships. We look forward to
spark of that occurrence we spent that day and the next one traveling miles through continually meeting more Mopar enthu-
cornfields checking out dozens of Mopars from the ’60s and ’70s, in neighboring farm siasts along our journey and maybe we’ll
towns as well as late-model Mopars. Everything from Hemi Road Runners, Challengers, meet you, too, at an upcoming event.
and Max Wedge Belvederes to Super Bees, Cudas, and more were found at each It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.
6 moparmuscle.com
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GREETINGS FROM THE GRAVE
BY MARK WORMAN
HELLO, BOILS AND GHOULS!

WELCOME BACK
TO THE MAGNIFICENT, MAGICAL,
MARVELOUS, MYSTICAL, AND
MIRACULOUS GRAVEYARD CARS.
I trust everyone is doing well in Mopar-
land. Things are as
busy as ever here at the Graveyard. We are knee-deep in the
events and milestones seemed to come too slowly. Of course,
now that time really matters (the second half of life, I mean),
time seems to have kicked into overdrive.
SEMA build, and time doesn’t seem to be slowing down just I have learned over my 57 years that no matter the deadline,
because we’re behind. benchmark, tragedy, or dread, everything seems much more
It’s funny—when I was a kid, time took forever to go by. tenable in the rearview mirror. Just think about it. What hurdles
Waiting for a birthday, waiting on Christmas, waiting to turn seemed insurmountable at the time do you look back at now
16 so I could drive, then 21 so I could legally drink. All of those and think weren’t so bad? Well, that’s because it’s all relative.
10 moparmuscle.com
Whatever ground your gears yesterday
(pun intended) may shift smoothly today.
We all have challenges in life.
Just because someone else’s life looks
great from where you’re sitting doesn’t
mean it is. I guess you might say
the grass isn’t greener, after all.
I quote Mr. David Brent: “Life is
a series of peaks and troughs. You never
know if you’re in a trough until you’re
crawling out, and you never know if
you’re on a peak until you’re climbing
down.” I suppose that in the end we
just have to “keep on keepin’ on,” as
Joe Dirt would say. That, or remember,
“Life’s a garden, dig it”?
One of my favorite cars going through
the shop right now is a 1971 Plymouth
’Cuda convertible. It is one of only eight
made with a 340 and a three-speed
manual transmission. Remember, the
three-speed manual was standard equip-
ment (no charge) behind the 340 and
383s in these cars. So for someone to
end up with a four-speed or a 727
automatic, they would have had to pay
extra. In fact, most people did just that.
MOPAR MUSCLE FEBRUARY 2020 11

The total number of 1971 ’Cuda con-
vertibles made was 374. Here is the
breakdown of engine and transmission
production.
BS27H1B, 340 4BBL......................... Total Production 163
3-speed manual (D13)................................................... 8
4-speed Manual D21) .................................................. 30
727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic (D34)................... 102
Canadian export (no drivetrain breakdown)................. 23
BS27N1B, 383 4BBL ........................ Total Production 159
3-speed manual (D13)................................................... 8
4-speed manual (D21)................................................. 33
727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic (D34)..................... 31
BS27R1B, 426 Hemi 2-4BBL .............. Total Production 11
4-speed nanual (D21).................................................... 2
727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic (D34)....................... 5
Canadian export (no drivetrain breakdown)................... 2
Export (no drivetrain breakdown).................................. 2
BS27V1B, 440 3-2BBL ....................... Total Production 17
4-speed manual (D21)................................................... 5
727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic (D34)..................... 12
As you can see, far fewer 1971 ’Cuda

convertibles were made with the three-
speed manual transmission. Remem-
ber, three-speed manual transmission was
not available behind the 440 3-2BBL or
Hemi cars. So, keeping in mind that the
383-4BBL was the standard engine in
the 1971 ’Cuda, let’s look at how much
it would have cost to upgrade a prize
fishy, to the wickedly cool Pistol Grip
shifter four-speed or the lightning-fast
727 TorqueFlite with a Slap-Stik shifter
located on the optional console. In fact,
since we’re here, let’s just check out some
engine/transmission upgrade costs for the
famous fish back in 1971.
1971 ’Cuda Convertible (383-4BBL standard) .......... MSRP
$3,391.00
Optional 340-4BBL (E55) 275hp.............................$44.35
Optional 440 3-2BBL (E87) 385hp ........................$253.20
Optional 426 2-4BBL (E74) 425hp ........................$883.90
Optional 4-speed manual (D21)...........................$198.10
Optional 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic (D34)$229.35
OK, here’s where costing out your

’71 Mopar muscle car gets tricky. If you
optioned for a (V-code) 440 3-2BBL
engine and a four-speed transmission,
you were forced to also purchase one
of two axle packages:
A33 Track Pack axle pkg.
(not avail. with air conditioning); .......................$137.80
Includes: Sure-Grip differential, heavy-duty 9¾-inch Dana
3.54 axle ratio, 7-blade torque drive fan, 26-inch high-
performance radiator with fan shroud.
A34 Super Track Pack axle pkg.
(not avail. with air conditioning); .......................$201.75
Includes: Sure-Grip differential, heavy-duty 9¾-inch Dana
4.10 axle ratio, 7-blade torque drive fan, 26-inch high-
performance radiator with fan shroud, power disc brakes.
12 moparmuscle.com
And 18 colors were available, includ- “Knowing what we know today about the values
ing five high-impact hues that cost extra.
By today’s prices, none of the items listed of the ’70 and ’71 ’Cuda convertibles, I’d have to
above seem like a lot of dough. We haven’t say a 1971 Hemi ’Cuda four-speed with the Super
even begun to list all of the more than 75 Track Pack axle package would have been the
Barracuda and ’Cuda options available for
1971. Note that typically the showroom investment of a lifetime—maybe two.”
brochure may have only listed about 50
available options with the remainder only
listed in the dealership’s ordering binder.
But if you were a kid in 1971, rest assured
that almost any combination of extra-cost
options would have come to a lot of money.
There you have it. However, knowing
what we know today about the values
of the ’70 and ’71 ’Cuda convertibles,
I’d have to say a 1971 Hemi ’Cuda four-
speed with the Super Track Pack axle
package would have been the investment
of a lifetime—maybe two.
Thanks for reading, everyone!
I appreciated meeting and seeing you
all at SEMA 2019.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

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TWITTER.COM/GYC_MARK
BITCHIN’
BY JOHN MACHAQUEIRO ✪ PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUTHOR

f you are into cars and haven’t Kindig-it Design is a business whose top It is a bitchin’ “problem” for any business
I
heard of Dave Kindig and his show priority is doing high-quality builds for to have.
Bitchin’ Rides on the Motor Trend their customers. They just happen to have Customer satisfaction is what brought
Network, then you must live under a a TV show too. That mind-set is evident Vinnie Massaro back to Kindig-it Design
rock. The show has been on TV for when you see the astounding craftsman- for an over-the-top build. He had work
a number of years and has been a ship in every vehicle that rolls out of the done at the shop previously on a 2013
favorite with gearheads for a good reason. shop. Dave Kindig’s dedication to his Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSSR
The cars that roll out of his shop are as customer base and the quality of the Challenger and was so satisfied that there
the title implies: bitchin’! That cannot be work are what has allowed him to now was no doubt in his mind as to who he
said for all shops that have a show on TV. pick and choose which projects he wants would get to tackle his next car.
When we visited, it was emphati- to take in. If you cut a deal with him on When we spoke to Vinnie, he cut to
cally pointed out that, first and foremost, a build, the waiting list is a few years out. the chase by pointing out that he is a
16 moparmuscle.com
CORONET LOOKING FOR THE ULTIM
ATE CUSTOM MOPAR,
VINNIE MASSARO HAD DA
VE KINDIG
TRANSFORM HIS 1967 D
CORONET R/T INTO A BIT ODGE
CHIN’ RIDE
hardcore Mopar guy. This raised the

question: Why choose a ’67 Coronet?
We were expecting to hear how that was
his first car, or perhaps it was just his
favorite. We were somewhat surprised
by his decision to have the boxy B-body
customized, and even more so by his
motivation, which was a departure from
the mind-set of most car owners.
He told us, “Everyone does a ’Cuda,
Challenger, or Charger. I wanted to
give Dave something that wasn’t that
BITCHIN’ CORONET
mainstream to begin with. It’s not that I had

some love affair with the Coronet, but I told
him when he did it, you have to dig deep
into everything that you do because I want
people to look at the car and say, ‘What
the hell is this?’ And then be able to walk
around it and pick up all the stuff that was
done to it. I am a Mopar guy, so anything
that would be done to it I would not be
particularly upset with, but I wanted to test
Dave’s limits to see what he could do with
a car that most people think of as a brick.”
Vinnie had some very simple criteria that
he was looking for on his build. He wanted
it to be Hemi powered, have a manual
gearbox, have some big skins at the back,
and be blue. Beyond that, Dave Kindig
was free to do what he does best.
Doing his thing meant that a donor car
was needed. Finding a suitable candidate
was the first hurdle they faced because old
Mopars rust, and starting with a rusty pile
would impact the budget at the onset.
Purists might want to skip the next sen-
tence. The car they settled on was an actual
numbers-matching ’67 Coronet R/T with
a four-speed. It was in really nice condition
and the perfect starting point. Taking
Vinnie’s basic criteria, Dave set pen to paper
and came up with a rendering of what he
envisioned would bring the Coronet into
this century. He wanted to take some
styling cues from the current Challenger
Hellcat and incorporate them with what
he planned to change on the car—and fix
a few things he felt the factory got wrong
with the design.
Once the donor car rolled into the shop,
it was quickly disassembled and sent off for
an acid dip. Their hunch paid off because
18 moparmuscle.com
BITCHIN’ CORONET
when they got the bare body back, it

proved to be as solid as they hoped. From
there the cutting saws came out. The com-
plete underside was eliminated and the
remaining structure dropped onto an Art
Morrison frame. This setup was a plug-
and-play option that borrows heavily from
the Corvette C6 suspension parts bin at the
front, and was ready to go at the back to which was shaped from a number of cus- flush-mounted gas cap rounded out the body
accommodate the over-the-top tires. After tom bent pieces and stitched into one unit, modifications.
some careful measurements, alignment, was shaped over a wire mesh assembly as After all the metal work was done, paint
and trimming, the remaining body and new a guide. application was the next step. Vinnie wanted
frame were welded together, which again Perhaps the most ambitious and innova- the car to be blue and was particularly
made the car a unibody design. tive aspect of this build to set it apart from enamored with a shade of blue that he saw
Once they were able to get the Coronet the herd was Dave’s vision for the head- on a Ferrari. Dave reached deep into his bag
to the roller stage, Dave had his crew start lights: There wouldn’t be any! That piece of of tricks. Utilizing his partnership with the
on the next stage of the build: the roof chop. magic was entrusted to the in-house engi- folks at AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes, he
This was the one area of the original design neer, Will Lockwood. Dave’s idea was to created one of his Modern Classikk one-off
that he didn’t like because the roof sloped create a single thin LED light bar insert that colors called Deep Veridian to truly set the
to the rear. would function as both high and low beam. Coronet apart. In the application process,
Dave explains, “I stared at that car for In low-beam mode, the outer edges would five coats of color and six coats of clear were
a long time, and that heading up hill was light up, while in high-beam the full light laid down to achieve the desired look.
just messing with me. That chop fixed my bar would be lit up. The other key element After the body was sealed in its new skin,
problem.” of this assembly was the grille, which was it was handed over to JS Custom Interiors
His goal was to level the roof by doing fabricated from a solid piece of billet alumi- for the next contribution to the build.
a pie cut at the lower part of the C-pillar, num. That task was handed off to Califor- As with the exterior, Dave had a clear idea
which would then allow the existing front nia-based EVOD Industries. This particular of what he was looking for in the interior.
windshield frame to be cut and angled back, element was also designed to hold the LED That involved taking many of the styling
while keeping the stock front and rear glass turn signal assemblies and, once mounted elements found on the original interior and
and only requiring new side glass to be on the Coronet, actually added a Charger putting a tastefully mild twist on them.
made. This was a tedious task for his guys flavor to the car. Let’s start with the dashboard. 3D-printed
to pull off because there were many ways The rear of the Coronet underwent by the folks at Stratasys in Minnesota, it
to get it wrong but only one way to get it a fair amount of transforming. Stylistically retains the retro feel but houses a cluster of
right. The result is subtle and only noticeable it followed the design philosophy that was one-off Dakota Digital gauges and Vintage
if a stock Coronet is placed next to it. executed on the front end. Part of that Air controls. It was painted and also partially
Not as subtle was the plan for the front included a full rear-mounted roll pan and wrapped in a shade of leather called Dol-
clip. The challenge that Dave faced was the deletion of the stock rear bumper in phin, which was also used on the one-piece
to infuse enough modern elements and favor of a smaller thin chrome unit. Also headliner. An Iditit steering column and a
custom features to set the car apart. replaced were both white metal quarter leather-wrapped Billet Specialties Formula
Starting with the existing R/T hood, his extensions. Crafted from numerous pieces D shaped steering wheel were also fitted in
vision was to invert the original design. of sheet steel, the replacement pieces were place. The stock theme continued with the
This served a dual purpose. First, it added welded in place to eliminate the quarter front seats. Using the original set that came
a custom feature. Second, it also allowed seams at the rear edge, and also to accom- with the car, JS modified them and also
enough underhood clearance for the large modate the new rear taillight assembly. wrapped them in leather. One major devia-
scoop coming from the blower. That aspect of the build was a carryover tion was the rear seating arrangement.
Crafting this component of the build of the front billet grille theme. EVOD did As a result of the massive wheel tubs,
was handed off to fabricator Chris Elmer. the same stylistic treatment by milling a the Coronet was given a rear seat delete,
His starting point was a foam buck that he visually similar billet light bar assembly. making it a two-seater. They also created
used to define the shape and contours on Again using LED technology, the rear driving a custom-built leather wrapped console that
the raised section of the hood. Also on his light would run the full length of the rear neatly houses the in-house designed shifter
plate was the factory underside bracing that trunk lid section, with sequential turn sig- and most of the controls for the interior. All
needed to be modified, and the fabrication nals at both outer edges, and for the braking the remaining surfaces were either painted
of an opening to accommodate a 3D-printed application the entire unit would light up. or covered in Dolphin leather, while the
hoodscoop. Just like the roof chop, this was Integrated into the rear pan was also carpet (a Mercedes velour called Ash)
an equally slow and labor-intensive process a set of exhaust tips. Designed and assem- finished off the tasteful interior.
that required a great deal of skill. The result bled by the guys at the shop, these add Of the few requests that Vinnie had
was clearly a ’67 R/T–flavored piece of metal a modern design touch that was also on the build, under the hood he wanted
that looked right at home. inspired by the current Challenger. it kept clean. Anything and everything that
As with the hood, the lower front of the Also on the list was the removal of could be hidden needed to be hidden. That
car was also reworked, yet this work drew the door handles. For that application, was accomplished with the fabrication of
inspiration from the current Challenger. a set of Kindig-it Design patented Square a smooth firewall and inner fender covers.
The heavy chrome bumper was ditched in Style Chrome Smooth Door Handles was In between those was a real-deal, modern
favor of a slimmer piece that only hinted at installed. The handles have become a Kin- Hemi. Going in, the plan was to buy a low-
some chrome, while the lower front valance, dig-it Design signature item. A quarter-panel mileage mill from a wrecked Hellcat and
20 moparmuscle.com
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BITCHIN’ CORONET
FAST FACTS
1967 DODGE CORONET
CAR OWNER: Vinnie Massaro • Boston, MA
ENGINE
TYPE: Gen 3 6.2L Hemi
BORE X STROKE (IN.): 4.09 x 3.58
BLOCK: Cast-iron
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Forged steel crank,
forged connecting rods
CYLINDER HEADS: Gen 3 aluminum heads, 54.3mm
use it as the powerplant. That didn’t quite stainless intake valves, 42mm exhaust valves
work out, so the next step was to start with PISTONS: Forged aluminum
a fresh Hellcat long-block and drop a Whip- COMPRESSION: 9.5:1
ple 2.9L twin-screw supercharger on top.
INDUCTION: Whipple 2.9L supercharger running
Part of that blower installation also involved 10 pounds of boost, Holley Dominator fuel injection,
the fabrication of a custom scoop, with both Whipple 102mm throttle body, Whipple injectors,
sprayed in Deep Veridian, while the rest of air-to-water intercooler, K&N cone air cleaner,
the block was painted the same Dolphin Vaporworks fuel pump (vaporworx.com)
color as the interior. Beyond the Whipple, EXHAUST: Ultimate Headers 1 7/8-inch headers,
there wasn’t much deviation from a stock custom stainless 3-inch pipes, Borla Crate mufflers,
custom-built exhaust tips, Zoomie exhaust cutouts
Hellcat assembly, except for the addition of with One-Touch module
a set of valve covers from The Crank Shop,
IGNITION: Holley Dominator ECU, stock crank trigger,
and pulleys custom built by Kindig-it Design.
On the dyno the Hemi produced a healthy
Holley coil, custom Taylor Cable plug wires,
NGK spark plugs BODY
770 horses and 750 lb-ft of torque at 6,100 SHEETMETAL: 1967 Coronet RT (modified)
COOLING: Ron Davis custom-made aluminum radiator
rpm. A Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed was with dual electric fans MODIFICATIONS: Unibody cutout and fitted to
the bridge to deliver those ponies to the an Art Morrison chassis, channeled and cus-
FUEL TANK: Rick’s Tanks 16-gallon stainless fuel tank tom-built floor and tubs, modified stock steel
Strange Engineering 9-inch, and fulfilled
Vinnie’s request for a manual gearbox, while DRIVETRAIN hood with 3D-printed scoop, one-off lower
valance, custom rear roll pan, stretched rear
the exhaust recipe consisted of a set of 1 TRANSMISSION: Tremec T56 Magnum, QuickTime wheel openings, custom-built full belly pans,
bellhousing, Kindig-it Design patented Square Chrome
7/8-inch headers from Ultimate Headers Smooth Door Handles, custom gas cap flush-
mated to a pair of custom 3-inch stainless CLUTCH DISK: RX1000 Solid Hub twin disk mounted into quarter-panel, 1½-inch front
pipes, and Borla crate mufflers. For the full- PRESSURE PLATE: RAM Competition chop, front window laid back 2 degrees, LED
surround headlight, LED front sequential sig-
on exhaust sound experience, the flip of a SHIFTER: Kindig-it Design custom built nal markers, EVOD Industries CNC-machined
switch opens up the Zoomie exhaust cutouts. 3-piece taillight grille housing a full-width
DRIVESHAFT: QA1 carbon fiber
The last key element, one that was a LED light and sequential turn signals and
“make it or break it” deal, was the choice REAREND: Strange Engineering 9-inch marker lights fitted into CNC’d and chromed
housings, silvered bumper, 1-piece front
of rolling stock. From the outset, much of the RING-AND-PINION: Strange Engineering 3.55:1 glass, 1-piece custom windshield trim,
car was planned around using big skins at AXLES: Strange Engineering 31-spline 3D-printed windshield flange, custom-built
the rear. Early in the fabrication process, the and chrome-plated roof rail trim, sculpted
24x15 rear and 20x8.5 front wheel sizes CHASSIS engine bay and firewall, constant radius
hood hinges, Corvette hood latches
had already been etched in stone. Much like FRAME: Art Morrison custom Max G Sport steel frame,
the various one-off pieces on the car, these 118-inch wheelbase INTERIOR
wheels were custom designed by Dave and TRACK: 71 inches front, 75 inches rear DASHBOARD: Custom designed by Kindig-it
machined by Billet Specialties. Pirelli PZero Design and 3D printed by Stratasys,
FRONT SUSPENSION: Art Morrison, based on a C6 wrapped in leather.
tires were also chosen early on as the rub- Corvette; C6 Corvette front spindles; JRi 450 rate
ber of choice: 405/25R24s for the rear and 2.5x9 springs; JRi shocks; 1¼-inch sway bar; INSTRUMENTATION: Custom one-off Dakota
235/35R20s up front. While the rubber is polyurethane bushings Digital gauges
decidedly modern, Dave had the guys at REAR SUSPENSION: Art Morrison 4-link with a Panhard WIRING: American Autowire builder 19 kit;
Tredwear redline all four tires for that retro bar, JRi 2.5x9 220 rate springs, JRi shocks, ¾-inch wiring performed by Kindig-it Design
sway bar, Johnny Joints polyurethane bushings STEERING WHEEL: Billet Specialties Formula D
late-’60s look.
Back when Vinnie embarked on this proj- STEERING: Detroit Speed rack-and-pinion 14-inch wheel double-wrapped in leather
ect, he’d given Dave some basic requests for FRONT BRAKES: Wilwood 6-piston calipers and SEATS: Stock modified front, rear seat delete
what he was looking for, but left everything 12-inch rotors HEADLINER MATERIAL: One-piece leather
else up to his discretion, to the point that he REAR BRAKES: Wilwood 4-piston calipers and 12-inch headliner (Dolphin)
didn’t want to see the car until it was fin- rotors with internal E-brake UPHOLSTERY MATERIAL: Leather (Dolphin)
ished. Not all car owners dropping serious
coin for a custom build are as trusting, but WHEELS & TIRES CARPET MATERIAL: Mercedes velour
(called Ash)
to Vinnie’s credit, he had full confidence in WHEELS: 20x8.5 Kindig-it Design Rally style wheels
what Kindig-it Design would be able to pull by Billet Specialties in front; 24x15 Kindig-it Design STEERING: Ididit tilt steering column
Rally style wheels by Billet Specialties in rear
together. He recalls, “It was just stunning. UPHOLSTERED BY: JS Custom Interiors,
TIRES: Pirelli PZero 235/35R20 redlined by Tredwear Salt Lake City, UT
Seeing it in person was just incredible, and
in front; Pirelli PZero 405/25R24 redlined by
the reaction I had when I first saw it was Tredwear in rear AIR CONDITIONING: Vintage Air
what I was hoping for.”
22 moparmuscle.com
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TECH
BY MARK EHLEN • PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK EHLEN AND MUSCLE CAR RESTORATIONS
CUDA A-PILLAR
REPLACEMENT
HOW TO REPLACE AN A-PILLAR ON A 1970 CUDA
RUSTED FROM THE TOP DOWN
Ever hear the term “a 20 footer”? It refers to

a car that looks OK from across
the street or from about 20 feet
away but has obvious flaws up close. They make great drivers because
there’s little concern about getting caught in bad weather and they don’t
need to be parked at the far end of any lot. They probably won’t be
seen at any worthwhile show, and they certainly wouldn’t trophy any-
way, but they are a lot of fun to own and drive because they can be treated like a daily driver.
This month’s car was not one of those. This Cuda was maybe a 40-foot car. It only looked good
in a small, low-resolution photo. It had been “restored” some years ago and was showing rust for the
second time. Of course it’s rare, but not in any way that one might think. It’s an example of a car that
has mostly rusted from the top down instead of from the bottom up.
When it showed up at Muscle Car Restorations (MCR), there were signs of issues with the roof and
A-pillars, but it was not until it came back from being chemically stripped that the full extent of the
damage could be seen. Damage to the front edge of the roof with rust damage down both sides meant
that it had to come off. This, in turn, revealed damage to the A-pillar sections under the roof. In fact,
the A-pillar was damaged all the way down to the cowl.
While this sort of repair isn’t common, MCR has seen it before. MCR called on Auto Metal Direct to help
out with obtaining parts. What is a bit uncommon with this repair is having to go as many as three layers
deep to get to the part that needs to replaced.
A repair like this may seem a little daunting at first, but by taking plenty of photos and notes as
you venture in, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding your way back to a completed repair.
24 moparmuscle.com
TECH | CUDA A-PILLAR REPLACEMENT
Here you can see that part of the top of the A-pillar is under
the roof frame, which is under the roof skin. The bottom of
the A-pillar is under two layers of cowl. Some of these other
layers will need to be repaired as well because they are
removed to gain access to the ends of the old A-pillar.
Look for more on that later.
What a mess! There was so much mud on this roof that even
chemical stripping didn’t remove it all.
The top section of the A-pillar is removed.
Removing that section simply makes it easier to grind out

the spot welds and makes it easier to remove the edges of
Before any work like this begins, Muscle Car Restorations the part from the bottom side support. Fortunately, the bottom
solidly braces the car’s structure. Can you imagine the part of the A-pillar was still in solid condition. This greatly
problems that would arise if that corner of the roof were simplified the repair since the entire pillar did not need to
to move out of place during the repair? be removed.
26 moparmuscle.com
MoPower to You.
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Improvements over stock: A356-T61 aluminum castings;
enhanced intake ports; CNC Street Ported runners; stronger
rocker arm shaft bosses; and 3/8" pushrod clearance.
There’s also standard features like bronze alloy guides,
ductile iron seats, 11/32" stainless valves, PAC Racing
springs, steel locks, and chromoly or titanium retainers.
PowerPort 190 heads fit all non-emissions, LA and
Magnum 318-360 engines. That’s right, Magnum owners
can now—bonus!—use LA parts on their builds
using these heads. What a great time to be a
small block Mopar owner!
Dyno Results Airflow Results
PowerPort 190 PowerPort 190
Lift Value Intake Flow CFM Exhaust Flow CFM

.100" 66 54
.200" 134 121
.300" 200 181
.400" 248 213
.500" 281 231
Test Engine: 10.92:1 compression 365 c.i.d. LA-series engine with Trick Flow PowerPort 190 .600" 293 237
cylinder heads (TFS-61417802-C00), custom hydraulic roller camshaft (230°/236° duration @ .050";
.577"/.572" lift; 110° lobe separation), Trick Flow roller lifters (TFS-21400010), Trick Flow Track .700" 301 240
Heat® intake manifold (TFS-61400111), Trick Flow by Quick Fuel Technology Track Heat 750 cfm
carburetor (TFS-20750R), Trick Flow billet aluminum carburetor spacer (TFS-2141501B), Hooker Tests conducted at 28" of water (pressure).
Super Competition headers with 13⁄4" primaries, 3" dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. Bore size: 4.000"; exhaust with 17⁄8" pipe.
Your Recipe for Small Block Mopar Performance!

New heads are just one component of the horsepower recipe. To make it complete,
you’re going to need some more ingredients.
Track Heat® Intake Manifold
Hot on the heels of the PowerPort 190 heads is this single plane Track Heat
intake manifold. Perfect for all 273-360 Mopar LA V8 engines making peak power
in the 3,000-7,000 RPM range, the manifold features a one-piece spider-type COMING
design with extended high-flow runners and a raised plenum floor to significantly SOON!
increase horsepower and torque.
Retro-Fit Hydraulic Roller Lifters
These affordable retro-fit roller lifters permit roller camshaft conversions to be
made to engines originally equipped with hydraulic flat tappet cams. The lifters are
manufactured to factory tolerances for an exact fit and to provide precise oil control
to keep your engine running smoothly.
Track Max® Harmonic Dampers
Put Trick Flow’s advanced engineering to work for you with a Track Max
harmonic damper. Engineered for safety and power, these SFI 18.1 rated, carbon
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Some parts are not legal for use in California or other states with similar laws/regulations.
2002MPTF Please check your state and/or local laws/regulations.
To gain access to the upper end of the A-pillar, this part has
to be removed first. Since it also rusted, MCR will fabricate With the new A-pillar top in position, MCR can then place the
a new part to replace this section of the roof frame. new fabricated frame part over the top of it. This completes
the upper end repair.
The top of the A-pillar can now be removed. The good

sections are left in place to aid in positioning the new part.
There is a lot of damage on the lower end also that is buried
under both the lower and upper cowl pieces. A section of the
upper cowl will need to be replaced as well.
With the damaged portion of the upper cowl removed, MCR

The new AMD part is sectioned onto a good section of the old now has access to the lower cowl that still covers the bottom
to avoid needing to remove a good section of the roof frame. of the A-pillar.
28 moparmuscle.com
The last part to be welded in is a section of a new AMD upper

cowl that will replace the damaged section that was removed
to gain access to the lower part of the A-pillar.
The end of the lower cowl is removed to gain final access
to the lower part of the A-pillar. This part is good, so it will
be reused.
The remainder of the A-pillar can now be removed from the

top of the door post.
MCR will use spot welds wherever possible to retain the

original factory look.
With the new lower end of the A-pillar clamped in place, Where plug welding is necessary, following up with a single-
the end of the lower cowl can now be replaced. sided spot weld also produces the correct factory look.
30 moparmuscle.com
SOURCES
AUTO METAL DIRECT
866-591-8309
AUTOMETALDIRECT.COM
MUSCLE CAR
RESTORATIONS
715-834-2223
MUSCLECARRESTORATIONS.COM
Visit YEARONE.com and

enter code HSM19
All the layers are back in place and ready for the
next steps. Note the short stitch weld at the end to save 20% on applicable items.
of the cowl. That is factory. For details please call
1-800-932-7663
Sale Ends
December 31, 2019
*some restrictions apply
LIMITED TIME OFFER

* some restrictions apply
cannot combine offers
Online Only
D TIME OFFER!
LIMITE
YEARONE
17" ALU
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WHEEL KITS
(Online Only - Lower 48 states)
Wheels are Discount Exempt
Wheel Kits include center caps and lug nuts
Get yours
Today!
1-800-932-7663
Restoration & Performance
Parts for Chrysler, GM, &
Ford Muscle Cars
Here is the finished repair—decades of multilayered rust damage erased in just a
few hours. We know the job looked complicated, but broken down into its individual Chrysler Catalog
components it becomes very manageable. We plan to show the roof skin installation Mopar A/B/E-Body (1966-74)
at a later date, hopefully soon. (ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE)
© 2019 YEARONE MM019

TECH
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS HOLLEY
UPGRADING YOUR
AUDIO SYSTEM
CUSTOM AUTOSOUND’S SECRETAUDIO RADIO TURNS
YOUR MOPAR INTO A ROCKIN’ TIME MACHINE
Music and the golden age

of car culture are so
tightly interwoven
that it’s difficult to separate them. Regard-
As we get older, it is less likely that the hits
of our generation are played on the radio. In
many cases even if there’s an oldies station
where you live, your classic Mopar’s factory
Secretaudio radio with Stealth Sound
Technology (SST-V) paired with their kick
panel speakers.
The SST-V is a 200-watt AM/FM radio
less of your age, when you hear that spe- radio may not be able to pick it up. Our Dart that includes a USB flash drive for playing
cial song you immediately recollect the days still has the AM radio that was installed in MP3/WMA audio files, an iPod control, and
when free time was plenty, responsibili- 1967, and although the single dash-mounted a CD control, plus it is Bluetooth ready.
ties were few, gas was cheap, and music speaker is long gone, someone added a pair It features a radio frequency (RF) remote
was good. The song may conjure up mem- of cheap 6x9-inch speakers under the pack- control to operate the hideaway radio. The
ories of cruising the local strip, pairing up age tray. We added an FM converter to work hidden design provides exceptional audio
and ripping through a few gears out on the with the AM radio, but the patched-together quality while leaving the dash uncut and
unopened section of the new highway, a audio system is a colossal mess. the original radio visible.
brisk fall drive home from your first job with The improvements in audio technology When a Custom Autosound audio sys-
the windows down and the heater on, or have mirrored the advancements in the tem is installed, the vehicle’s mono speaker
fogging up those windows with that special automotive industry, so to bring our Dart’s (if equipped) should be replaced with a
someone at the drive-in. Regardless of what sound system into the 21st century, we pair of Custom Autosound DVC speakers or
decade the memories were made in, those contacted Custom Autosound Manufacturing, a pair of dual speakers. Custom Autosound
solid-gold tunes emanating from the speak- the originator and innovator of audio prod- provides a pair of kick panels with Cus-
ers (or speaker) provided the soundtrack of ucts for classic cars, trucks, and street rods. tom Autosound 4x6-inch two-way speak-
your youth. The Custom Autosound reps suggested their ers (PN KNW-KMOP-64-76) with a max
32 moparmuscle.com
TECH | UPGRADING YOUR AUDIO SYSTEM
Custom Autosound’s SST-V is a 200-

The current setup consists of the With the rear seat removed from the
watt AM/FM radio that includes a USB
factory AM radio that is fairly useless. Dart, we gained entrance to the area
port or playing back MP3/WMA audio
The FM converter helps to pick up a few located under the package tray. There
files stored on a thumb drive, as well
more stations, but the speakers in the are a pair of brackets just under the
as iPod and CD connections. Plus, it is
package tray barely operate, so the package tray that will be employed to
Bluetooth ready. The Secretaudio radio
entire audio system needs an update. support our radio.
hideaway design allowed us to keep
the factory radio look with the updated
sound technology of a modern audio
system.
To remove the old speakers, we had

Custom Autosound offers a pair of kick to pull the package tray liner. Each
panels with 4x6-inch two-way speakers speaker was held in place with four
able to handle power of 100 watts RMS fasteners. As quickly as the fasteners
per pair. The speakers have a poly injec- were removed, we had the speakers
tion woofer cone and a rubber sur- out of the Dart.
round, and each comes with a tweeter
speaker. The kick panels are a direct-fit
replacement for the factory panels.
We pulled the back seat for better

access to the trunk. We decided to
install the Secretaudio radio in the trunk
of the Dart. We looked at installing the
radio under the passenger front seat
or under the dash, but neither location The Kicker speakers were installed into
provided enough space, which could the factory location of the package tray.
limit airflow across the radio. The speakers fit into the factory cut-
outs, and the hardware secured the
speakers. We did not have to rework the
The recommended location to install the
metal in any way to install the speakers.
Secretaudio radio/tuner/amplifier was under
Custom Autosound offers 6x9-inch the dash or under one of the front seats. In
speakers, but we already had a new pair our case, under the dash area was a touch remove the old 6x9-inch speakers and all the
from Kicker to replace the cheap speak- crowded due to a recent addition of a new related speaker wiring. Gaining access to the
ers mounted in the package tray. The
speakers provide 150 watts RMS, and
ignition system, and space under the seat speakers and the package tray support area
have a 1/2-inch Polyetherimide balanced was limited too. We were concerned about required us to remove the back seat. To pull
dome tweeter with Polypropylene mid- a problem with limited airflow around the the back seat upright, we detached the pas-
woofer cone material. The speakers radio. However, the area under the package senger-side armrest and support, to allow the
have a 4-ohm impedance. tray inside the trunk looked like a great spot seat back to slip out of place. We removed the
for the installation. We could fabricate two damaged package tray liner to expose each
handling power of 100 watts RMS per support brackets to span the old speaker secured in place with four fasten-
pair. Each speaker has a poly injection distance between the two factory frame ers. We quickly plucked both of the speakers
woofer cone and a rubber surround, and braces located just below the package tray. out of the Dart, and they were thrown in the
each comes with a tweeter speaker. While To provide electricity to the factory trash. To eliminate the speaker wiring, we had
Custom Autosound offers 6x9-inch speak- components in the trunk, Mopar routed to remove the rocker panel trim, the chrome
ers, we already had a new pair of Kicker wires to the trunk via a channel run down at the base of the B-pillar (extended to the
speakers to replace the cheap speakers each rocker panel, which were hidden rear wheel tub), and the kick panel so that we
mounted in the package tray. After review- by the carpet or rubber floor covering. could pull back the carpet to gain access to
ing the data about each pair of speakers, We determined we could use these same the wires in the channel. We disconnected the
we concluded that the Kicker speakers wire channels to route the tuner’s wiring speaker wires at the factory radio and elected
would work well with the Custom Auto- from the back to the front of the vehicle not to reuse them. The FM converter was also
sound speakers, so we will, for now, to tie the audio system together. removed at this time. Attached to the con-
stick with the Kicker speakers. Before the installation started, we had to verter was a switched 12-volt wire that we
34 moparmuscle.com
The Boss Chaos
Exxtreme 4x6-inch
speakers mounted
into the kick panels
came prewired to ease
the installation. The
speaker wire length
Both rear speakers fit well and look like should be sufficient
a factory installation. Each speaker had for most installations,
a short wire harness with the proper but in our case (radio
terminal ends to attach to the speaker trunk mounted), the
terminals. Just under the package tray wiring was too short.
area are the two factory brackets that We extended each
we used to install the Secretaudio radio. wire to reach the trunk.
The Custom Autosound kick panel

(right) has the same dimensions as the
factory panel (left). With the exception
of the bulge for the speaker and the
texture of the lower portion of the panel,
the panels were identical.
Just like the factory kick panel, there

is a notch in the lower portion of the
Custom Autosound kick panel that
accepts the factory clip. The notch
allows for some adjustability to line
up the rocker panel sill molding.
cut, and it would be used as the hideaway

radio’s switched source.
The new Kicker 6x9-inch speakers were
installed in the package tray support and
secured with new hardware. The installa-
tion did not require any fabrication; we did,
however, discard the plastic speaker covers
because they would be in the way when
the new package tray liner was installed.
Since we wanted to mount the hideaway
radio in the trunk, we had to fabricate
two simple brackets to span the distance
between the factory braces in the trunk.
To make the brackets, we picked up a
4-foot section of 1/2x1/2x1/8-inch steel
angle stock from our local hardware store.
We cut the angle stock into two 22-inch-
long brackets. In each bracket, we drilled
two holes to match the mounting points
of the radio and two holes to mount the
brackets to the bracing in the trunk. In
one of the two brackets, we added two
more holes to mount the RF receiver unit
(for the remote control).
With the radio and RF receiver fas-
tened on the brackets, we maneuvered
We mounted the Commander under the

dash in the same location where the FM
converter had once been. We used the
12-volt wire previously run to the con-
verter to power the Commander. We ran
The factory antenna cable was discon- the supplied cable from the Commander
nected from the AM radio and rerouted to the radio via the driver-side rocker
behind the kick panel and through the panel wire channel.
rocker panel wire channel. We ended up
needing an extension cable to reach the The Secretaudio Commander could be
trunk-mounted radio. mounted via a U-shaped bracket that
would suspend it under the dash lip, or
it could be attached flush to a surface
with the mounting plate and bezel. The
Commander would be used to control
the trunk-mounted radio, so it had to be
mounted within reach of the driver.
secured. The speaker wires were run from

We routed the speaker wires down the
the panels to the radio utilizing the wire
driver-side rocker panel and installed
channels on each side of the vehicle. Each the kick panel. Just like on the passen-
pair of wires was spliced (shrink wrap butt ger side, the panel fit perfectly, and both
Once the speaker wires and antenna connectors) to the radio harness, and the factory screws secured the panel.
wire were run to the trunk, we installed same splicing procedure was used with the Although the driver- and passenger-side
the passenger-side Custom Autosound rear speakers. With the eight speaker wires kick panel speakers stick farther out
kick panel. The two factory screws held than the factory panels, the underdash
(four speakers), the 12-volt wire, and the
the panel in place. vent doors can be opened and function
ground wire connected to the radio harness, properly.
we plugged the 12-Pin Molex harness con-
the assembly into the trunk. Each brace in nector into the radio. Lastly, the RF connec-
the trunk had one factory hole that we were tor from the radio was plugged into the RF to the radio. We routed the iPod and USB
able to drop a bolt through. We aligned the receiver unit. cables lengthwise down each bracket and
rearmost radio bracket with the bolts from We still needed to connect the cables for around the driver-side wheel tub, and slipped
the braces, and then secured the bracket the radio antenna, iPod, USB, and Secre- the cables into the factory wiring harness
with washers and nuts. The other bracket’s taudio radio Commander. While the cables hold-downs in the trunk. Each cable was
two holes required us to screw in a pair of that come with the hideaway radio are suffi- exposed just before the trunk lock striker,
self-tapping screws to secure the bracket to ciently long for most applications, our trunk- which provided easy access. We zip-tied all
the braces. mounted installation required us to pick the speaker wires and the cables to the fabri-
With the radio secured in the trunk, we up five cables to extend the length of each cated radio brackets. We did our best to hide
focused on installing the Secretaudio Com- cable from the radio to their corresponding all of the wiring, which offered the look of a
mander, the front speakers, and the wiring. component. The first cable was for the vehi- professional installation.
The previous mounting position of the FM cle’s radio antenna. We added a 15-foot We did not install a CD changer, nor did
converter provided a great spot to mount the extension cable to reach the radio. For the we have a satellite radio subscription, so
Commander. We elected to use the supplied iPod, we used a 10-foot eight-pin mini-DIN those two cables from the radio were zip-tied
bracket mount rather than the flush mount male-to-female (M-F) Serial RS232 cable out of place. The other wires we did not use
bracket (also included). The bracket mount to provide extra length. To connect the iPod (aux in, line out rear, line out front, and sub-
was setup to be installed with two fasteners, to the RS232 cable, we used an eight-pin woofer) were tied out of the way as well.
but we did not want to drill a second hole mini-DIN to a 30-pin iPod cable. The USB With the wiring complete, we installed the
into our dash, so we drilled a single hole in extension cable we used was a 10-foot new Classic Industries package tray liner with
the center of the bracket. We were able to USB-to-USB cable. The last cable we speaker cutouts (PN MA111101), and then
utilize the same bolt that had held the FM needed was for the Commander. The cable reinstalled the rear seat and the armrest.
converter in place. we selected was an eight-pin (large) DIN It was time to test the radio. With the igni-
For the radio, we needed a switched M-F extension cable. tion key in the on position, we depressed
12-volt source and a ground. The previ- The antenna and Commander cables the on button on the Commander (or the RF
ously cut switched wire to the FM converter were run from the dash area to the radio remote control). The blue alphanumeric liq-
was spliced to the hideaway radio’s 12-volt through the passenger-side wire channel. All uid crystal display (LCD) illuminated. We
wire that had been run from the trunk to the the wiring from the front of the Dart to the followed the instructions to program up to
dash via the rocker panel wire channel. The trunk was now run, so we secured the kick 18 FM and 12 AM stations. The radio sta-
ground wire was run to the fuel tank send- panels, installed the chrome carpet strips, tions played clearly on all four speakers. The
ing unit ground bolt located in the trunk. and installed the rocker panel covers. antenna worked as it should, and the recep-
The kick panels with the 4x6-inch speak- We took our time routing the two cables tion of each station was vibrant and crisp.
ers were loosely slipped into place but not through the trunk and across the brackets While listening to an FM station, we used
36 moparmuscle.com
The parallel factory
brackets under the
package tray provided
a great mounting point
for our home-engi-
neered brackets.
The installation looks
clean, and each of the
radio brackets will
provide a framework
for the routing of
the cables.
The mounting brackets we fabricated

were 1/2x1/2x1/8-inch steel angle stock
from our local hardware store. We cut
the angle stock into two 22-inch-long
brackets drilled four strategically placed
holes in one bracket and six holes into
the other. Four holes would mount the
brackets to the Dart, four holes would
mount the radio to the brackets, and
two holes were for the RF antenna.
To mount the radio/bracket assembly,

we were able to fish a bolt through each
factory bracket under the package tray.
We slipped the assembly over the bolts
and threaded a nut onto each bolt
(green arrow). The only holes we had
to add to the Dart were in the brackets
closer to the back seat. To mount our
engineered brackets, we used two
self-tapping screws (blue arrow).
the Commander to dial in the levels of bass

and treble, the balance, and the fader to
provide the best sound quality and symme-
try of all four speakers. We could have used
the Commander to provide five different
equalizer levels with predetermined base
and treble curves if we had not wanted to
dial in our own levels.
To the respective connectors in the trunk,
we plugged in our iPod Nano (nine differ-
ent iPods are supported by the Secretaudio
unit) and a USB thumb drive, both packed
with songs in the MP3 format. By depress-
ing the Mode button on the Commander or

the RF remote control, we were able to switch switching between modes was smooth and able to keep the look of our dash-mounted
between the FM stations, AM stations, iPod, flawless. radio, yet have the technology and sound
or USB. With the iPod Mode selected, we What’s more, only the modes that are quality of a modern vehicle. The instal-
used the Commander to control the iPod in a available are shown on the Commander. lation of the radio was straightforward,
very similar fashion to how we would manip- For example, whenever we plugged in the the instructions were detailed and clearly
ulate it if it had been in our hands. We were USB thumb drive but elected not to use the written, and the wiring harness wires all
able to use the Commander to select playl- iPod (did not plug it in), we saw modes for matched the color codes of the instruc-
ists, specific artists, and particular or random AM, FM, USB, and Aux displayed on the tions and were labeled with stickers affixed
songs. Switching to the USB mode, we could Commander from which to select; the iPod to each wire. The quality molded kick pan-
play songs in order, select different folders to and satellite radio modes were not shown, els with the speakers installed fit perfectly
listen to specific songs, or shuffle the songs. simplifying the display. in place of the factory kick panels. The kick
Regardless of the mode we selected with The Secretaudio radio hideaway design panel speakers coupled with the larger rear
the Commander or the RF remote control, pleased us beyond expectations. We were speakers provided an unbelievable sound
quality that must be heard and felt in
person to appreciate. With our USB thumb
drive loaded up with our favorite songs,
we twisted the ignition key, made a few
clicks of the RF remote, and found our-
selves cruising back in time while appreci-
ating the tunes, which never sounded this
good in our youth.
We mounted the RF antenna and

connected the pigtail cable to the radio.
Each cable is clearly labeled, so while
there are plenty of cables and wire
harnesses, it is fairly easy to wire the
entire audio system.
The cables that come with the hide-

away radio are of sufficient length for
most applications, but our trunk-
mounted installation required extension
cables. These included the previously
mentioned 15-foot antenna cable, a
10-foot eight-pin mini-DIN Serial RS232
cable for the iPod, an eight-pin mini-
DIN to a 30-pin iPod cable, a 10-foot
USB to USB cable, and an eight-pin
(large) DIN male-to-female extension
cable for the Commander.
A view from the trunk
provides no indica-
tion of the Custom
Autosound Secretau-
dio radio with Stealth
Sound Technology
(SST-V) because it is
hidden out of sight.
The work to hide all
the cables and wires
resulted in a profes-
sional look, and with
the cables out of the
way, the radio won’t
get damaged when
something gets
stored in the trunk
With the RF antenna cable connected,
we had a handful of additional cables to
run and attach to the radio. We methodi-
cally routed each cable throughout the
Dart’s interior and trunk, taking time to
keep the wires/cables hidden from sight
if possible.
MODERN MOPAR
POWER STEERING
1962–1972 MOPAR
The fabricated brackets provided a lat-
Available for most applications
tice for us to zip-tie the cables neatly
out of the way. We did our best to hide • Bolt in Installation
the cables from the Dart’s interior into
the trunk, around the inner wheel tub, • No Cutting and No Welding Required
and across the trunk bracket. The pas-
senger-side front and rear speaker wires • Quick 14:1 Ratio with Firm Modern Feel
were run across the frontmost bracket.
• 20 Pounds Lighter than Stock Power Box
• Smallest Power Box Available
• Extra Clearance for Motor Swaps / Exhaust
Size Comparison
Stock Power (left) vs.
Borgeson Power Box
With all the cables and the harness
connected, we kept the routing
organized. If, in the future, we want
to add another component, such as Part # 800126
a CD player, or if a problem should
arise, we could quickly track down MSRP $629.00
the needed cable/wire.
SI
N C E 1914
Visit us at...www.borgeson.com
Pleased with the installation, we
installed the new Classic Industries Borgeson Universal Co.
package tray liner with speaker 9 Krieger Drive
cut outs (PN MA111101), and then
reinstalled the rear seat and armrest.
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
860•482•8283
We routed the USB and iPod cables

around the parameter of the trunk.
The cables terminate at the trunk striker Just for fun, we checked to see how
in the middle of the rear of the trunk. many amps the new audio system
The handheld RF remote control is the would draw during operation. With
Our USB drive and iPod (several iPod
answer for the button pushing while our Snap-On amp clamp, we noted a
versions are supported by Custom
driving. There is an on/off button and maximum of 7.2 amps with the volume
Autosound) are connected to their
four buttons to operate: mute, mode, at about 80 percent. The sound quality
respective cables. When the USB
volume, and track. The remote is easy to even at that high volume was outstand-
drive and iPod are not in use, we can
operate, and it sits nicely on the console ing, but sadly (and here we are show-
disconnect them and hide the cables
ashtray cover when we aren’t using it. ing our age), it was just too loud.
under the trunk mat.
With the Commander powered, we were

able to manipulate the 10 pushbuttons,
the up/down selector, and the volume
control twist knob to move through
the various modes (AM, FM, USB,
iPod, and so on). It takes a bit of time
to remember all the options the
Commander can provide.
SOURCES
CLASSIC INDUSTRIES
714-847-6887 GENERAL INQUIRIES
The screen provides information about Custom Autosound’s Secretaudio hidden 800-854-1280, EXT. 5210, ORDERS
which mode was selected, the sound radio greatly enhanced the audio quality of
quality desired, and, in large text, the
CLASSICINDUSTRIES.COM
our Dart. We now have access to plenty of
name of the song and artist (if provided). AM/FM stations, but we much prefer listening CUSTOM AUTOSOUND MFG.
If the position and operation of the to songs from our iPod and USB thumb 800-497-0797 TECH SUPPORT
buttons are not constantly reinforced, drive. The handheld RF remote controller 714-773-1423 GENERAL INQUIRIES
adjusting them while driving can be (laying on console ashtray cover) allows
a bit of a distraction.
800-888-8637 OFFICE
easy radio adjustments while driving.
40 moparmuscle.com
MOM
FAMILY
SON BUILDS BIG POWED
’S SMALL-B LOCK
R FROM
USTER
BY SCOTTY LACHENAUER ✪ PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUTHOR

hen Glenn Radler was then quickly answered by none other it off the dealer’s lot back in 1973.
W
turned 17 years old, he than his dear ol’ mom, Doris. “On that day We won’t say there weren’t some typical
earned the right from she handed me the keys to her ’73 Gold teenage hijinks along the way, but all in
the great state of New Duster, a car she had bought new and all, Glenn exhibited a certain amount of
Jersey to hit the roads cherished over the last sixteen years,” respect for the Duster. It was a car that he
solely under his own says Glenn. had grown to love, having ridden shotgun
command. With that milestone achieved, From that day onward, the young in the front split-bench seat since he was
and that piece of paper securely placed Mopar lover would handle the gold Duster brought into this world. And it was a car
in his wallet, the question of what he with kid gloves, treating it with the same that he obviously knew well. He used that
would be driving from this point forward respect Doris had done since she drove knowledge to help keep it running as his
42 moparmuscle.com
AFFAIR
daily driver throughout his early years out American Sunroof Company for the Glenn didn’t waste much time person-
on the rough roads of Jersey. Chrysler Corporation. Along the assembly alizing his new ride. “During the next few
Although it was constructed with the line the Duster also received the Space years, I had the car hand-painted with
basic 318 powerplant under the hood, Duster Pak option, which consisted of the Tasmanian Devil logo on the trunk and
Glenn saw some potential in the A-body, a fold-down rear seat for more storage a Duster logo on the doors, and of course
as it was built with a few neat options room outback. For a young and burgeon- we did flames coming down the hood over
direct from Mother Mopar. This particular ing car aficionado, this A-body was both the functional snorkel,” says Glenn.
Duster came equipped with air condition- the perfect introduction to life on the road Aesthetics weren’t the only things that
ing under the hood, along with the new- and a stepping stone into the world of changed. The young gun started playing
for-1973 manual sunroof installed by the Mopar muscle rides. around with the small-block, tweaking it

FAMILY AFFAIR
to his liking. Glenn says, “Improvements

to the engine meant many trips to Eng-
lishtown’s Raceway Park to run her down
the track during my summers and college
breaks. I made lifelong friends working on
her with other hot rodders throughout high
school and college.”
Glenn met his wife in the late 1990s
and soon asked for her hand in mar-
riage. “I then decided for the time being
to restore the 318 car as a “340”-labeled
Duster so we could leave our wedding in
style,” admits Glenn. So after 26 years of
faithful service to the Radler family, the
car was decommissioned from daily use
and readied for the big push. The goal:
Get the car looking great and running right
so the new couple could cruise to their
wedding riding shotgun in their revamped
Mopar.
Glenn drew up a game plan of what he
wanted. It wasn’t going to be a restoration
per se, as Glenn knew that he needed to
spice up this Mopar a bit to his liking and
add some personal touches to the A-body.
With his Mom’s blessing, Glenn drew up
a work outline and then wheeled the car
into his garage to start the transformation.
First things first. Glenn started the tear-
down by making sure to keep anything
that was worth saving, while getting his
ride down to its bare bones. Once it was
down to its metal shell, the body was sent
over to Mouse’s Wreckreation in Lanoka
Harbor, New Jersey. There it received
some metal massaging and some replace-
ment panels to get rid of the corrosion that
had formed on the body over the years.
New fenders, quarters, tail panel, and
hood were added on the exterior, while
new trunk and floor panels cleaned up the
corrosion on the inside. Once it was all
up to snuff, Mouse’s Wreckreation sprayed
the Duster in Viper Blue, accented with
white 340 stripes and a white vinyl top.
While this was happening, the pow-
ertrain and suspension were taken in
by Harry at Lacey Amoco in Forked
River, New Jersey. The original 318 was
ditched, and in its place another 318
was freshened up and given a little more
punch where it was needed.
“We cammed it up, and opened it
up a bit for better breathing,” says Glenn.
The 904 trans was rebuilt, adding a
B&M shift kit and a 2,500-stall converter
to the mix. Although the 318 doesn’t
share the same bore size as a bona fide
340, this LA engine was producing more
power than the stock LA 318 ever did.
And within a matter of time, this A-Body
would be receiving close to 100 ci more
of LA small-block power.
44 moparmuscle.com
FAMILY AFFAIR
Out back, a donor 8 1/4 Sure-Grip the stopping power, and a custom stain- bucket seats he’d sourced out of a 1974
rear out of another 1973 Duster, stuffed less exhaust system was built around a Duster. The interior seats were redone in
with 3.23 gears, was installed between set of old school Hooker Headers for the stock white vinyl by Undercover Uphol-
the rear wheels. Lastly, all the suspen- car. Glenn added a set of Year One Rallye stery in Brick, New Jersey. New white
sion was rebuilt, receiving new bushings, wheels shod in fresh Goodrich Radial T/A door panels and blue carpet were sourced
shocks, front and rear sway bars, Year tires to finish the look he was after. as well, and the original dash was cleaned
One High-Lift springs, and Mopar HD tor- The interior received a total renovation up along the way. The only other additions
sion bars up front. The original front discs as well. Glenn tore out the original split were an aftermarket steering wheel and
and rear drums were rebuilt to help with bench, and in its place he added a pair of the B&M shifter on the floor.
46 moparmuscle.com
FAMILY AFFAIR
With this setup, Glenn went ahead 750-cfm carb keeps this ride running by
and took the car to the streets. Though it supplying the ample go-juice it needs.
was a 318 at the time, they had done a The motor dynoed at over 500 hp at the
pretty good job bleeding this thing of every crank, and then easily fit right back in the
ounce of horsepower they could, both on spot vacated by the original 318. Mike
the street and on the strip (Raceway Park and Glenn then went ahead and pieced
at Englishtown). Back home, the car still together a complete new exhaust for the
made weekly rounds around town. car. It started with a pair of TTi ceramic-
And yes, the dynamic Duster accompa- coated headers, which flow into a TTi
nied Glenn and his wife on their wedding X-pipe. Spent gases then travel into a set
day, being a main part of the nuptials and of Dynomax Performance mufflers and out FAST FACTS
photos on that glorious day. through the rear turned-down pipes. 1973 PLYMOUTH DUSTER
CAR OWNER: Glenn Radler, Livingtston, NJ
Although he was smitten with the Once in, Glenn could feel the instant
rebirth of his family Duster, Glenn just power surge from this healthy small-block. ENGINE
couldn’t get the thought out of his head “The immediate feeling running through TYPE: 340ci now 416ci stroker
that he really needed a bit more power my head was, Wow this is incredible!”
BORE X STROKE (IN.): 4.070 x 4.00
under the hood. So once again he drew up he says. Out on the road, the Duster was
a plan and decided that the cubic inches an absolute beast compared to the previ- BLOCK: Stock OEM
should match the callouts on the flanks of ous powerplant. “Holding on to the wheel ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Scat 9000 rotating
his ride. So the hunt was now on; to find and hitting the throttle reminds me of the assembly (cast crank, forged aluminum
pistons, forged steel rods
a suitable 340 block to build his dream old Maxell tape ad of the guy sitting in his
motor with. chair listening to music with his hair and CYLINDER HEADS: Edelbrock RPM aluminum
heads
After some time searching, Glenn found scarf blowing back horizontally.”
what he was looking for at nearby Allaire But this Duster is more than just a per- COMPRESSION: 10.0:1
Airport in Farmingdale, New Jersey. A formance ride to the owner. It’s a machine CAMSHAFT: Edelbrock Performer RPM cam-
clean 340 block was discovered in an old that takes him on a journey through the shaft; lift 0.488 intake and 0.510 exhaust;
duration degrees at 0.050-inch lift 234 intake
hangar and quickly snatched up by Glenn past, and a reminder of his mom, Doris. and 244 exhaust.
for a complete rebuild. He sent the block “Driving the Duster is a trip down mem-
VALVETRAIN: Edelbrock, Speedmaster roller
to Mike Ruggiero Customs in Forked River, ory lane. It’s the recollections of childhood, rockers
New Jersey, for its transformation into my life’s milestones, and of course of my
INDUCTION: Edelbrock Air Gap intake, Demon
one tough street- and strip-ready small- mom. This Duster is a piece of my past 750-cfm carburetor, K&N X-Stream air cleaner
block. The men picked out several impor- and future that I will never let go of.”
OILING SYSTEM: Stock
tant pieces to this powerplant’s horsepower
puzzle, including a Scat 9000 416ci stro- EXHAUST: TTi ceramic headers, Dynamax
mufflers
ker kit to help even the score from the pre-
vious 318 days and an Edelbrock 2049 IGNITION: Proform electronic ignition
Power Package as the basis for the build. COOLING: Jegs aluminum radiator
The Scat kit took care of the bottom FUEL: Stock mechanical pump
end, stroking this Mopar small-block mill
OUTPUT: 500+ hp
out to a healthy 416 ci. The Edelbrock
kit came stuffed with almost everything ENGINE BUILT BY: Mike Ruggiero Customs
in Forked River, NJ
you would need on the top end, including
an RPM air-gap intake and RPM DRIVETRAIN
aluminum heads. A Barry Grant Demon TRANSMISSION: 904 built with B&M shift kit,
2,500-stall converter
SHIFTER: B&M
STEERING: Stock power steering
BRAKES: Stock disc front,
stock 10-inch drum rear
REAREND: 8 1/4-inch with 3.23 gears
WHEELS & TIRES

WHEELS: Stock Rallye wheels, 14x6 front
and 15x7 rear
TIRES: BFGoodrich T/A radial, 215/60/14
front and 235/60/15 rear
WHEELS & TIRES

SEATS: Stock 1974 vinyl buckets
INSTRUMENTS: Stock
WIRING: Stock
48 moparmuscle.com
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GORDON’S 2015 DODGE CHALLENGER STRETCHES
THE DESIGN AND MODIFICATION ENVELOPE,
STOPPING JUST SHORT OF THE LINE.
BY RICHARD TRUESDELL ✪ PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUTHOR

ttending this year’s LX Fest at Auto Club Speedway, one could not help but be blown
A
away by more than two thousand examples of Chrysler 2005 and newer rear-wheel-
drive performance legacy. Over the event’s 15 years, it has gone through several transi-
tions in its focus, having started out primarily as a Chrysler 300–centered event. But in
2008, with the introduction of the Dodge Challenger SRT8, all that changed. The focus
first shifted to Dodge and then specifically to the Challenger.
This year the field was dominated by all sorts of Challengers, from dead stock to modified to
barely street-legal. Of course, Dodge offers its own take in the barely street-legal category, but none
as outlandish as this 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat owned by deeply-committed Dodge enthusiast
Stephen Gordon of Bakersfield, California.
His enthusiasm is infectious, as was proven to us when we introduced ourselves as being from
Mopar Muscle. He couldn’t wait to show us all the upgrades he incorporated to his Hellcat. Like
many younger enthusiasts who have come of age in the period since the original Chrysler 300 and
Dodge Magnum were introduced in spring 2004 for the 2005 model year, Stephen grew up with
a love of cars at an early age. This included a pedal car, Mattel Hot Wheels, and a series of remote
control cars.
“My first car,” says Gordon, somewhat ironically given the origins of the LX platform, “was a used
1985 Mercedes-Benz 190 E purchased when I was around 17 years old. As anyone could imag-
ine, it had well over 100,000 miles on it when I took ownership yet I took so much pride in that
car. I kept it in pristine condition, washing and waxing it probably more than it needed to be. I’d say
the only downside to the vehicle at the time was that it didn’t have enough power for me.”
Years later, in 2012, following college and work as an outreach worker in the mental health
profession after a short stint in law enforcement, he purchased his first Mopar. “It was a
Challenger 392 Hemi, with the six-speed manual transmission,” recalls Gordon. “I actually learned
how to drive a car on a manual so there wasn’t much of a learning curve. I knew after owning my
first Challenger that I would be a Mopar guy for the rest of my days. Like my 190 E, I also kept this
particular car in pristine condition and enjoyed early-morning and late-night cruises in it. The car
was Pitch Black with Silver rally stripes going down the center. I had some ideas on how I planned
to go about personalizing my 392. I started with tinting the windows and considered adding
a ProCharger supercharger and an aftermarket exhaust.”
Gordon has a story about the 392 that led, in a way, to his later acquisition of his current
Hellcat. “I recall a time when I made a pit stop at the dry cleaners for a pickup. I remember getting
ready to exit the parking lot and observed a vehicle heading down the direction I was anticipating
traveling. I couldn’t tell the make of the vehicle at the time but noticed it was moving pretty good.
50 moparmuscle.com
RAP

IT’S A WRAP (REALLY) Cars like Gordon’s are not built overnight.
He started personalization soon after buying
I hopped in my immediate lane with the the car, and it really hasn’t stopped, right up
other car approaching rapidly in the middle
lane. I noticed that the car was about 200 to when we viewed the car at LX Fest 15.
yards away and gaining as I was bang-
ing gears, managing to shift to Fourth. The
honest truth is I was challenging myself to
see if I could be successful in keeping the
other car at bay. Anyhow, the car matched
my speed in no time.
“With the driver looking dead at me
with a smirking grin, he then drops a gear,
accelerates hard, and leaves me like I was
standing still. It then dawned on me that
the other guy was driving a Cadillac CTS V
wagon. I soon after met the guy at a red
light. He seemed like a cool guy; he took
the time to tell me that his car came super-
charged from the factory and that it was
stock. Let’s just say he had at least 100 hp
on my naturally aspirated 392. After that
experience, I said to myself, ‘Never again.’
It was a humbling yet fun experience.”
THE HELLCAT
Gordon’s story of buying his Hellcat is
like some others. “Soon after entertain-
ing thoughts of modifications to my 392,
I heard about the Challenger and Charger
Hellcats in 2015. I ordered one in mid-
2014, which fell through, then I found and
purchased the brand new 2015 Challenger
Hellcat of my dreams, with the most-
desired six-speed in Phantom Black from
Puente Hills Dodge in California in March
2015. This was a time when the Hellcats
were in high demand and commanded
astronomical added dealer markups. After
purchasing my car, I began enjoying it
every moment I took it out for a drive but
remembering to keep in mind the break-in
requirements to be followed keeping in the
first 500 break-in miles.”
It didn’t take long for Gordon to plot
an upgrade strategy, keeping in mind that
previous encounter with the CTS V station
wagon. The route? A track-capable that still
could be easily driven on the street.
For that, he turned to MFR Engineer-
ing in Montclair, California. Gordon says,
“I remember exploring some concepts
on the web and stumbled upon a pic-
ture of a black Challenger Hellcat at a race
track in Chuckwalla, California, equipped
with a full aero kit. The car looked like it
meant business while maintaining a stealth
appearance. So I looked up the manufac-
turer of the aero kit and discovered CRZY
Engineering and a contact person, Mike
Jercan, who I later learned to be the
mastermind behind the design. This was
well before Mike started his company,
MFR Engineering.”
Gordon’s first contact let him know he
had found his man. “My first encounter
52 moparmuscle.com
IT’S A WRAP (REALLY)
and impression of Mike was great. He was It’s enjoyable to cruise while getting a great which were installed by Lonnie Bartley of
professional and motivated to answer all deal of positive attention too. The over- MPR Motorsports in Lake Elsinore, Califor-
my questions regarding the material used all time frame of the build is the same four nia. Other mods included a pinned crank,
and functionality of the aero kit. I learned years Gordon has owned the car. Bwoody CAI, a Speedlogix strut bar, a UPR
from Mike that the material in the design Gordon’s Hellcat has a chassis-mounted catch can, Injector Dynamics 1300 cc
of the kit is made from two types of met- under panel with a front splitter and injectors, a Bwoody heat exchanger, a PNR
als (5052 and 6061 T6). In addition, the rear diffuser. The design prevents turbu- Welding icebox, and a double pump Fore
material is referenced as aircraft alumi- lence under the car while keeping the car Innovations fuel system. These upgrades
num, which is lightweight, lighter than car- planted. It is track-ready due to its durabil- were installed by Gueros Performance in
bon fiber as well as more durable. I was ity—it can take a beating. Gordon’s Hell- El Monte, California.”
sold and couldn’t wait to have it installed. cat is just one of two equipped with the Gordon adds, “I definitely don’t want
I found the durability, functionality, and rear diffuser, as it’s being tweaked by MFR to forget about my custom exhaust made
aggressive look to be very appealing and Engineering (the other car is a Demon). by a company based in Azusa, Califor-
perfect for my build.” As a part of the car’s aero package, nia, called DMCFAB. The exhaust is built
Cars like Gordon’s are not built over- MFR Engineering designed and installed with 304 stainless steel, secured together
night. He started personalization soon after Gordon’s wicker bill. “My setup also con- with CNC-machined married bands. It
buying the car, and it really hasn’t stopped, sists of a number of additional modifica- was welded with a Miller 200 Syncrowave
right up to when we viewed the car at LX tions,” says Gordon. “These include a one- TIG welder, polished with Scotch Brite red
Fest 15. His objective from the start was to piece aluminum driveshaft from the Drive- pads. The components including a test
have a track-ready Challenger but was still shaft Shop, a double-disc performance pipe that mount to the stock headers, an
comfortable for driving on the street, gen- clutch by Bad Boyzz Garage, a 180-degree X-pipe, 2X IMO stainless steel resonators,
erating the requisite number of thumbs-up, thermostat, a 2.85 Metco upper pulley, 2X Gibson resonators, and a custom quad
especially from other Mopar enthusiasts. and a Heavy Duty Gate’s green belt, all of 4-inch stainless coated with high-tempera-
ture paint designed to fit inside the aero kit
nice and snug.”
Gordon’s car was remotely tuned by
Curt Dusterhoff (ah, the joys of mod-
ern computer controls), based out of Ken-
nesaw, Georgia. The numbers? How about
827 rear-wheel horsepower with 732
54 moparmuscle.com
FAST FACTS
lb-ft of wheel torque. Gordon runs his car contrast to the satin black finish. I feel it 2016 DODGE CHALLENGER HELLCATS
on E85, which gives him higher octane turned out awesome thanks to Michael.” CAR OWNER: Stephen Gordon • Bakersfield, CA
than 91 pump gas, to generate these num- ENGINE
bers. Because it’s an alcohol-based fuel, INTERIOR BUILT BY: MPR Motorsports/Guerros
Gordon notes that the cooling effect of On the inside, Gordon couldn’t leave well Performance in Lake Elsinore, CA
E85 on the air/fuel mixture offers significant enough alone. “The motivation behind
TYPE: 6.2L, 376ci supercharged V-8
increases in performance. With a new MAP, my interior stems from my vision of a
on E85, Gordon says the car feels even race-inspired cockpit,” he tells us. “It BORE X STROKE (IN.): 4.09 x 3.58
more powerful. The next trip to the dyno took a while before deciding the exact BLOCK: Factory Hellcat cast iron
will tell the full story. approach. I wanted quality bucket seats ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Factory/stock Hellcat crank
Gordon still isn’t done. Other upgrades that could accommodate my stature at with pistons forged of high-strength alloy
include tinted windows by AeroWerkz Motor- 6-foot and 215 pounds. I decided to CYLINDER HEADS: A356 aluminum, heat-treated
sport in the City of Industry, California. He go with the Recaro Profi XL bucket race
COMPRESSION: Stock
also installed KW adjustable springs that seats. The rails, seats, and harnesses
work well with the OEM adaptive system. were installed by MFR Engineering. CAMSHAFT: Forged steel with hardened
bearing surfaces
His wheels are custom HRE three-piece I have to admit, it’ll take me a little time
classic 300s with red alon bolts, matte getting used to entering and exiting the VALVETRAIN: Stock
face, and gloss lips, size 20x10 up front vehicle. However, they are extremely INDUCTION: 2.4L IHI supercharger with 2.85
and 20x11 in the rear. Tires are Nittos, comfortable on long cruises. I also wanted upper pulley
NT555RS in all four corners, 275/40/20 up to go with the best/safest in the business OILING SYSTEM: High-capacity engine oil cooler,
front and 305/35/20 in the rear, all installed when it came to my harnesses. So I chose Schaeffer synthetic oil
by ModBargains in La Habra, California the four-point Schroth Profi 2 ASM, which FUEL SYSTEM: Fore Innovations double pump
(Gordon really spreads the wealth around I believe is the only four-point harness system
the Southland, it seems.) system with an anti-submarine feature. EXHAUST: Custom by DMCFAB in Azusa, CA
My four-point cage is also a vital part of IGNITION: Stock
THE WRAP my build because it works in unison with
COOLING: PNR icebox, 180 thermostat,
And now for what caught our eye at LX my seats and harness and the rear-seat Bwoody heat exchanger
Fest. Walking up we thought the car delete, which is also constructed from
FUEL: E85
was painted a nonstock color. As Gordon aircraft-grade aluminum.”
explains, that was not the case, hence why Gordon states that two of his shops OUTPUT: 827 rwhp, 732 lb-ft of wheel torque
we titled this story “It’s a Wrap.” worked together on the interior. “I was DRIVETRAIN
Gordon says, “Following the initial mod- fortunate that MFR Engineering partnered TRANSMISSION: 6-speed TR-6060
ifications, I decided to go with a stealth- up with Ed, who is the owner of Mobile
CONVERTER: Stock
ier appearance [As if this car could ever be Weld Specialist based in Pasadena, Cal-
considered stealth—Ed.] while incorporating ifornia. With Ed and Mike’s collaborative SHIFTER: Short throw Barton shifter
an identifiable accent. I wanted an effort, my four-point cage was designed to STEERING: Stock
awesome matte black finish with an awe- spec, making my car ready to hit the track. FRONT BRAKES: Brembo 15.4-inch front
some red stripe. I decided to take my car Not to mention being able to do it in style and 13.8-inch rear
to Impressive Wrap in El Monte, California. thanks to Jose Acosta with ACD Customs ROLLBAR/CHASSIS: Chassis/4-point cage by
I can’t tell you how many people have based out of San Bernardino, California. Mobile Weld Specialist in Pasadena, CA
approached me asking if my car is painted I think Jose and his team did an amazing
matte black. I always respond with, ‘It’s a job designing my four-point cage in INTERIOR
wrap.’ My goal was to combine retro and a red camo. My carbon fiber shift knob SEATS: Recaro Profi XL
modern together. So I had my car wrapped from Speed Dawgs and my carbon fiber INSTRUMENTS: Stock
in a satin black finish with a distinct red steering wheel from Beith Performance
WIRING STOCK: Stock
stripe that many car enthusiasts on social Parts were installed by MFR Engineer-
media recognize and associate with my
Instagram username, @thee_flashcat.
ing. The short-throw Barton Shifter was
installed by Speedworx Automotive in
WHEELS & TIRES
WHEELS: HRE classic 300s, 20x10 front
Michael, the owner of Impressive Wrap, Covina, California.” and 20x11 rear
was very instrumental in my design and It’s been quite a journey, and Gordon
TIRES: Nitto NT 555RS, 275/40/20 front
even suggested that making my red stripe says he “gives thanks to God for making and 305/35/20 rear
a satin red chrome would be a perfect my dream build a reality,”

TECH
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY STEVE MAGNANTE
MOPAR’S MIGHTY
MINI WEDGE
HOW HOT IS THE 273 FOUR-BARREL?
If you ask
the average Mopar fan to identify the
first high-performance small-block
V-8 out of Highland Park, chances
are he’ll tell you it was the 1968
340. Not so fast! In 1965, three
full years before the 340 (engineer-
ing code A105) began its reign of ter-
ror on competing Brand X small-block
machinery, Chrysler released a special
high-compression, four-barrel carbu-
reted version of the 273 as an option
in non–station wagon Dodge and
Plymouth A-bodies.
Identified variously as the A861
by factory development engineers,
the Charger 273 in Dodge Darts, the
Commando 273 in Plymouth Bar-
racudas and Valiants, the 273 Four
Barrel on factory fender emblems,
and the 273 Power Pak in factory-
issued tune-up bulletins, the high-
winding mini muscle motor was
based on the all-new-for-1964 273
two-barrel LA-series small-block V-8
(engineering code A828).
Though the Power Pak 273 used
the same block, main caps, forged
crankshaft, forged rods, cylinder
heads, 1.78/1.50 inch (I/E) valves,
adjustable rocker arms, exhaust man-
ifolds, and oil pan as its plain vanilla
two-barrel sibling, Chrysler upgraded
everything else. With its 480-cfm
Carter AFB four-barrel, domed,
10.5:1 pistons, hotter 0.428-inch-lift
solid cam, chromed 10-inch air filter,
dual point distributor, and free-flowing
single exhaust system, the Power Pak
goodies bumped the two-barrel mill’s
180 horses at 4,200 rpm and 260
lb-ft at 1,600 rpm to a much more
exciting 235 hp at 5,200 rpm and
280 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm.
We have always had a soft spot for
the underdog. After decades of being
overshadowed by its larger 318, 340,
and 360 siblings, the time has come
to recognize the 273 Power Pak for
its role as Chrysler’s first high-perfor-
mance small-block. When we heard
the guys at R.A.D. Auto Machine
were about to do a stone stock
rebuild on a 1965 Barracuda Power
Pak owned by local Mopar fan Marc
Chase, we jumped on the story.
Let’s dig in and see how close
Mopar’s mini wedge came to its
factory advertised power claims.
STORY CONTINUES ON PAGE 59 ³

TECH | MOPAR’S MIGHTY MINI WEDGE
1966 D/DART:
CHRYSLER TAKES THE 273 POWER PAK A STEP FURTHER
While 426 Race and Street Hemis were grabbing headlines in the upper echelons of orga- The NHRA Stock classes ran alphabetically from A/Stock through O/Stock, with stops
nized drag racing in 1966, to spur interest in its popular Dart lineup and more accessible at each letter set at the car’s curb weight divided by advertised horsepower. For D/
stock class drag racing, Dodge built a fleet of 50 specially equipped 1966 Dart GT hardtop Stock (in 1966, the formula was adjusted from year to year), competitors had to carry
super stockers. These have come to be known as D/Darts. 10.60 to 11.29 pounds per advertised horsepower. This put the 2,946-pound, 275hp D/
All were initially built as A861 Power Pak 273 cars with A833 foru-speeds, heavy- Dart at 10.71 pounds per horsepower, right in the thick of D/Stock’s formula. (E/Stock
duty suspension, 8 3/4 rear axles, 6.95x14 black sidewall tires, and 10-inch manual drum was for vehicle packages 11.30 to 11.88 pounds per horsepower, F/Stock was for 11.89
brakes. Unlike earlier Max Wedge and Race Hemi packages, which were generally based to 12.49, and so on.)
on lightweight sedans, the D/Darts were based on the sporty, top-level Dart GT platform, Such car magazines as Car Craft (Aug. 1966) and Super Stock (May 1967) ran fea-
complete with its bisecting chrome “tiara” rooftop trim. tures on stock and race-prepared D/Darts, but the program didn’t generate Hemi-sized
Factory-built with the sacred LO23 “Super Stock” VIN code, the D/Dart transformation headlines, nor did it topple the 270-horse dual-quad 1961 283s that dominated the
included a vacuum secondary 600-cfm Holley 4160 four-barrel (mated to an iron A861 class. Support for the D/Dart program was dropped with the arrival of the restyled Dart
intake manifold via an adapter plate), Doug’s headers, a Weber clutch, Hurst shift handle for 1967, its extra-wide engine bay ripe for big-block power.
and linkage, a 4.86:1 Sure Grip differential, a Camcraft solid cam with 0.494/0.505 inch of Compared to higher-profile Max Wedge and Race Hemi programs, very little is
lift and 284 degrees of duration, and Racer Brown valve springs. Dodge rated the tweaked known about the 1966 D/Darts. Where the bolt-on modifications were performed,
273 at 275 hp and claimed a curb weight of 2,946 pounds. The quickest D/Dart was cam- and by whom, is yet unknown. We welcome any information on these cars.
paigned by Ted Spehar, who coaxed his to 12.91 at 106 mph.
Feast your eyes on this legit D/Dart

LO23 VIN tag. The “O” in the second
spot is Moparspeak for a factory-built
Super Stock package car. The D/Dart
deserves respect. To qualify as a fac-
Spotted at the 2014 Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale, this 1966 tory-built option, the NHRA required
D/Dart rolls on period-correct small-bolt Cragar S/S wheels. Cragar also marketed the construction of 50 units. Where
a special version of the S/S with center caps marked “Dart Charger.” are the other 49?
Plymouth never countered the 1966 Dodge D/Dart program,

No claims were made regarding the LA small-block under the but that didn’t stop Plymouth’s factory drag team, the Golden
hood, but the tubular headers, small Holley, and Max Wedge Commandos, from whipping up the Gold Fish, an ultra-trick,
air cleaner match the D/Dart featured in the Aug. 1966 issue acid-dipped 1965 273 Barracuda. Initially campaigned in
of Car Craft. The plastic brake master cylinder and Edelbrock F/Stock (12.50 to 13.99 pounds per horsepower), the Gold
Torker intake manifold are deviations from stock. Claims that Fish was quickly transformed into a match racer with Weber
D/Darts lacked heaters are incorrect. The Car Craft test car carbs and a stroked LA motor. Recently restored, the Gold
had one, and so does this example. Fish once graced the Feb. 1966 cover of Hot Rod magazine.
58 moparmuscle.com
THE ONLY BRAKES
MADE THIS WAY
Kevlar® based low abrasion, low dust, Edge chamfers for reduced chatter
high performance compound in a choice and improved pad
of different blends for every driving style contact
and vehicle
After decades of suffering the effects

of unleaded gasoline aboard a 1965
Barracuda foru-speed, the 273 Power
Pak was smoking and very tired.
R.A.D. Auto Machine bored the
3.625-inch cylinders 0.030 over to
restore their finish, bringing final
displacement to approximately 278 ci.
NUCAP® NRS® hook

finished backing plates
for superb bond
Noise shims on piston strength and zero
Unique "Brake-In™" side of pad for totally chance of pad de-bond
coating conditions silent braking
rotors fast at pad
install and seats new
The original A861 Power Pak 10.5:1
domed pistons (right) weigh 754 grams pads quicker
and are too worn for reuse. Luckily,
Egge Machine offers cast replacements
(PN L2222), which weigh 700 grams
for improved throttle response and
efficiency. Note the humplike dome GD BSD
configuration. The 273 pistons use float-
ing pins and circle-clips for pin reten-
tion. Egge also offers flattop pistons for
273 two-barrel restorations (PN L2221). USR RK
Combine your choice of these quality UK made EBC pads with our
sport rotors which arrive with “thermic black” corrosion resistant
coated finish for great looking brakes that COST less and STOP faster.
The lightest of all LA connecting rods,

the 273 forging (far) shares its 6.123-
inch center-to-center distance with the
340 rods (near) but has a much thinner
beam and cap “footprint.” R.A.D.
checked each rod for flaws before Buy ONLINE or from your favorite
resizing them and installing fresh
hardware. At 720 grams, the 273 rod performance store or order at Autozone. www.ebcbrakes.com
is 30 grams lighter than the 340.

The 273 debuted in 1964 with a 56.6-pound forged steel

crankshaft (left). Cost-cutting measures in 1967 resulted in
a change to nodular cast iron and an approximately 4-pound
weight loss. The pen highlights the wide mark left by the forg-
ing process. R.A.D. checked it for straightness, then polished
the 2.125- and 2.50-inch rod and main journals.
Though the factory 273 timing set used a “silent chain” and
fiber-covered gears, we substituted a Liberty double-row tim-
ing chain and gears (PN LT93024). The eccentric cup bolted to
the cam gear drives the mechanical fuel pump while the thin
plate on the crank snout slings oil against the crank gear.
The 273’s beefy bottom end is similar to the 1967-up LA-series

318 two-barrel engine but lacks the 1968-1973 340 block’s
thicker bulkheads and solid oil pan rails. R.A.D. left the
factory 9.60-inch deck height alone. The refreshed 3/8-inch
rod bolts tighten to 45 lb-ft and the main caps to 90 lb-ft.
While all 273s before 1968 used solid camshafts with adjust-
able rocker arms, the standard A828 two-barrel cam had
0.395/0.405 inch of lift, 16 degrees of overlap, and 240 degrees
of duration. To help the 273 take on Ford’s 225hp A-code 289
and Chevy’s 220hp L77 283, Chrysler boosted the A861 Power
Pak cam to 0.425/0.425 inch of lift, 26 degrees of overlap, With a new Melling standard-volume oil pump installed
and 248 degrees of duration. Cam Craft Performance Cams (PN M72), R.A.D. honcho Donnie Wood is ready to install
supplied our A861 clone cam. Don’t confuse the A861 Power the oil pan. We were tempted to sneak a 340 windage tray
Pak with the so-called “D/Dart” of 1966 (see sidebar). in place but didn’t want to influence the dyno data.
60 moparmuscle.com
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Fresh Cam Craft single valve springs with surge dampers

deliver 120 pounds of tension on the seat and 235 pounds
This comparison of our 1965 273 (top) and a 340/360 head at full lift (0.450 inch). Installed height is 1.670 inches. Today’s
(bottom) illustrates Chrysler’s 1968 transition from closed Cam Craft is not associated with the company that produced
to open combustion chambers. Also seen on 1967 “915” 1966 D/Dart cams (see sidebar).
and 1968 “906” big-block wedge heads, the added area helps
reduce emissions. The 273’s stock 1.78 and 1.50 I/E valves
are significantly smaller than the 340/360’s 2.02 and 1.60 units.
Though the idea of free-flowing 340 heads on a high-winding
273 is attractive, the 2.02 intake valves crash into the 273’s
small 3.625-inch bores unless shroud-inducing clearance
notches are employed.
Like the A-series 318 “polyspherical” V-8 it grew out of,

the LA-series 273 was initially conceived with solid lifters
to cut cost and simplify production. Here, the one-piece
Cam Craft lifters are inserted into the lifter bores with
a liberal coating of moly-based lubricant. Like the 1960-1980
Slant Six (which was converted to hydraulic lifters in 1981
and up), Chrysler designed the LA-series small-block with
a dormant capacity for hydraulic lifters, which replaced the
solids for 1968 and 1969.
The 273 exhaust ports (top) are smaller than 340/360 ones
and lack the fully formed “doglegs” at the port floor exits
(pen points). Extra care must be taken when choosing
exhaust manifolds and/or headers, as we’ll see in a moment.
The dial caliper

indicates the
340/360 head’s
significantly
larger 165cc
intake ports
(bottom). Typi-
cal 273 and 318
port volume is
140cc. Owners
of 1964-1965
273s, beware!
The intake man-
ifold fasteners
enter the heads
at a 48-degree Unable to source 0.010-inch-thick O.E. steel shim head gas-
angle from ver- kets, we substituted Mahle composite gaskets (PN 95-3338).
tical (seen here in top head). This was changed to vertical Their 0.047 compressed thickness (at 100 lb-ft) is 0.037 more
in 1966, and was also used on LA-series 318s, 340s, and 360s. than stock. This dropped compression approximately three-
The dressed 273 head weighs 48 pounds, 2.6 less than quarters of a point (to 9.75:1). This was our sole deviation
a comparable 340/360 casting. from stock A861 specifications.
62 moparmuscle.com
Compared to the 1968 and later 340/360
high-rise, dual-plane manifold (on the
scale), the A861 273 four-barrel unit
weighs 10.6 pounds less (38.4 pounds).
Though cast aluminum prototypes of
the A861 manifold exist, Chrysler stuck
with iron for mass production. The
limited-production 1966 D/Dart engine
retained this manifold (see sidebar),
but with the four throttle bore openings
machined away.
All 1964-1967 273s used cast steel

rocker arms with a 1.50:1 ratio and
self-locking adjustment screws.
When Chrysler released the larger 318
in 1967, hydraulic lifters with nonad-
justable, stamped steel rocker arms
(in foreground) were introduced.
They were added to the 1968-1969 273
as well. Regardless, the subtle music
of its adjustable valve gear is one
of the 273’s finer points. I/E lash
is set at 0.012/0.014 hot.
If we could change one detail, it would

be the intake manifold. Its puny runner
volume and single-plane configuration
leave room for improvement. We’ll stick
with it for our test. Builders choosing
to swap factory 340/360 or aftermarket
intake castings must remember that
273/318 port window openings are
significantly smaller (see pictures
elsewhere). The resulting mismatch
creates a flow-disturbing flange
around each port union.

The 273’s exhaust manifolds—especially
the severely pinched driver side—had us
wondering if headers would unleash some
extra power. To find out, TTi sent us a set
of early A-body headers (PN 636A). But
The original dual-point distributor the set came with a warning . . .
had been replaced by this Mopar
Performance electronic unit sometime
in the past. We left it in place.
The Power Pak substitutes the base
273’s Carter BBD two-barrel with a
Carter AFB. This one bears the part
number stamp “3853-S” and is original
to our 1965 four-speed engine. Power
Pak carburetors bear many different
numbers depending on things like TTi headers are about the best on the
model year, transmission (four-speed market for our unconventional Mopars,
or 904 Torqueflite), and whether the but we were warned to make sure our
Cleaner Air Package (CAP) was factory small 273 exhaust port windows fit
installed. properly. Sure enough, the generous
TTi flanges (which are sized for 340/360
heads) left large leak paths. We reme-
died them by welding up the bottoms
(pen shows them in photo) to match the
273 port windows. The extra exhaust
flow delivered 244.2 hp at 5,100 rpm and
283.4 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm, gains of 10.8 hp
and 6.6 lb-ft.
Sized at 480 cfm to suit the small 273ci Essentially a 1965 Chrysler 300L unit
displacement, Power Pak AFBs have with a chrome-plated housing, the A861
1.435/1.560 (primary/secondary) bore air cleaner is very efficient. After the dyno
diameters. pull with the TTi headers in place, we
installed the air cleaner and got 242.7 hp
at 4,900 rpm and 284.5 lb-ft of torque at
3,500 rpm. The garden-variety A828 273
two-barrel engine came with a fully
enclosed filter housing and a single
snorkel, all of it painted semigloss black.
SOURCES
CAM CRAFT
828-681-5183
CAMCRAFT.COM
With the refreshed A861 Power Pak 273 EGGE MACHINE

wearing its standard cast iron exhaust 800-866-3419
manifolds, R.A.D.’s Land & Sea dyno EGGE.COM
To bring the Power Pak valve covers up registered 233.4 hp at 5,000 rpm and
to snuff, they were cleaned and then 276.8 lb-ft of torque at 3,700 rpm. These
R.A.D. AUTO MACHINE
given a coat of VHT Wrinkle Plus paint. numbers are very close to Chrysler’s 413-583-4414
The blue tape masks the faux fins. advertised claims of 235 hp at 5,200 RADAUTOMACHINE.COM
The glue Chrysler used to stick them and 280 lb-ft at 4,000. Clearly our efforts
in place was still extremely strong
TTI (TUBE TECHNOLOGIES INC.)
to replicate the A861’s compression
after 55 years. Removal efforts during ratio and cam timing were spot on. 951-371-4878
restoration would have bent them. But was there more? TTIEXHAUST.COM

MANGLED
•
MOPARS
STEVE MAGNANTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUTHOR
A BIRD AND
SOME BEES
ABANDONED IN THE FOREST, A ROAD RUNNER
AND SUPER BEES ROT AWAY UNDER THE TREES
elcome to Mopar Muscle magazine’s new is—and always has been—Chrysler products. After the success
W
monthly feature, Mangled Mopars. If you’re a of Junkyard Crawl and Bashed Bowties, Mopar Muscle editor
regular reader of our sister publications Car Craft Bob Mehlhoff and I figured the Mopar community would also
and Chevy High Performance, you might already appreciate our brand of junkyard scrounging. Thus, Mangled
know of similar monthly stories, Car Craft’s Mopars was born.
Junkyard Crawl and Chevy High Performance’s Let’s kick things off by examining some tragic B-body
Bashed Bowties. Like those stories, Mangled Mopars will focus on muscle found in the wilds of New Hampshire and Georgia.
abandoned, forgotten, and abused muscle cars and special interest It’s sad to remember that each of these cars was once brand new,
vehicles discovered all over the country, and feature them in print. sitting pretty in the driveway of its first owner. Time isn’t always
Your author and tour guide through all of these articles is yours kind to our beloved Mopars. Let’s explore these muscle machines
truly, Steve Magnante. Though I am well versed in the complex to see how they were originally assembled by the factory.
worlds of GM and Ford muscle machinery, my core interest
built, less
line at the strip, this 197 0 Road Runner is one of 39,110
car ’s blasting off the Year trophy,
With front tires hovering as if the the Ro ad Ru nne r win nin g the 1969 Motor Trend Car of the
9 (82,109). Despite ironment.
than half the amount built for 196 ma rke tpla ce ove rsatura tion , and growing concern for the env
ng insurance rates,
demand for it suffered under risi
66 moparmuscle.com
Unlike most GM muscle car offerings,
Mopar VINs (from 1966 onward)
include helpful model and engine
data. Here, RM23N0A171100 breaks
down like so: RM is Plymouth Road
Runner; 23 is two-door hardtop
body style; N is high-performance,
four-barrel 383; 0 is the 1970 model
year; A indicates the Lynch Road,
Michigan, assembly plant; and finally
171100 means that 171,099 Plym-
ouths and Dodges (of several types)
rolled off the line before this one
during the 1970 model run. Believe it
or not, the most informative VIN tags
are found on AMC vehicles, which
often include transmission data.
Since Chrysler didn’t offer elec-

tronic ignition on 1970 383 Road
Runners, the original dual-point
distributor was replaced with this
Mallory electronic (breakerless)
distributor. With the “M. Mallory”
signature cast into the cap, this
is an early unit, probably from
1965 or so. Imagine trying to find
a new replacement! The cars, the stories, the passion!
A BIRD AND SOME BEES
land Road Runner could

Though super-rusty, this New Eng
tal stampings from outfits Somewhere along the line, a 440 replaced
still be saved thanks to fresh me the 383 (note the
street rats don’t bother RB-style raised pad to the right of the radi
like Auto Metal Direct. Hip Mopar ator hose/thermostat
pper bars. Chrysler’s exclu- housing). In addition to typical mid-’70s after
with bolt-on Traction Action sla market dress-up
a third of the way from the goodies, a Holley carburetor sits between
sive placement of the rear axle an adapter plate
erent stiffness, like a built- and the 1967 Fury III wheel cover. Though
front of the leaf springs adds inh built with manual
ue boxes at forward leaf brakes, this one was ordered with S77 pow
in traction device. The lack of torq er steering,
i status. a $100 upcharge.
spring bulkheads rules out Hem
sion tunnels. Being a 1970, this

look of Mopar B-body manual-shift transmis
We’ve always loved the brutal, purposeful Insurance surcharges applied to
thre e-sp eed man ual transmission as standard equipment.
Run ner carried the A23 0 dard (1968-1969) A833 four-speed
floo r,” and pressure to cut costs relegated the previously stan
cars with “four on the . Road Runner cartoon graphic
ual to D21 option statu s for an extra $197.25. Dig the still-reflective Warner Bros
man
below the passenger vent window!
68 moparmuscle.com
,598 built,
les s commo n than its Plymouth Road Runner cousin (44
Super Bee is much ad Runner
With only 7,842 built, this 1968 jure d as a midyea r offe ring after Dodge dealers watched Ro
was quickly con
total). The fact is the Super Bee
sales break all expectations.
Sadly warped from

the accident that
took it off the road,
this Super Bee’s
domed hood was
shared with the
1968 Coronet R/T.
Like most muscle
car hoods of the
day, the dome was
purely ornamental.
That would change
in 1969.

tly applied
t’s tail pane l and lamps but smar
se Co ro ne e Super Bee’s
lis ts were stuck with the ba design elements. Dig the trailer hitch! Th
The Supe r Be e sty id aking it a natural
ck pa int to accentuate the delto tio na l trailer towing package, m
semi-m atte bla ilar to th e op e cars were
d- issue , he av y-d uty suspension was sim qu ipp ed Be es (12 5 built). Although thos
standar Hem i–e so.
ha uler. The on ly exceptions were Street sly dis co urag ed He mi buyers from doing
camper dge expres
of towing trailers, Do
mechanically capable
e with brakes
Chrysler muscle cars always cam
car safely. These
equal to the task of stopping the Recently revived aboard certain
were far superior 2015 and later 392-pow-
standard 11x3-inch front drums ered Chargers, Challengers, and
ilar-caliber Ford
to the 10-inch units seen on sim 5.7 Hemi cars, the Super Bee log
Scat Pack Stage Kits for
the borderline-
muscle and light years ahead of Road Runner cartoon logo. Bu
o riffed on Plymouth’s
n on GM muscle t while Plymouth paid a
irresponsible 9.5-inch drums see rumored $10,000 to Warner Bro
t sway bar.
cars. Note the standard-issue fron quirky cartoon bird, Dodge’s bee
s. for the right to use the
trol arms with
These require specific lower con graphic artist at no added cost
came from an in-house
sway bar endlinks. beyond his well-earned
welded-on tabs that accept the salary. The sight of factory per
formance graphics fading
in the junkyard brings tears to
the eye.
70 moparmuscle.com
GROOVY FACTOIDS two-speed wiper motor protruded straight out from the fire-
wall and interfered with the N96 air cleaner. On its own,
Road Runners and Super Bees built with the N96 Plym- the J25 three-speed wiper system cost $5.40.
outh Coyote Duster, Air Grabber/Dodge Ramcharger func- Fender tags on cars built at Chrysler’s Los Angeles
tional hoodscoop system were better suited to operation in plant in 1969-1971 have been known to exhibit alpha-
heavy rain. This had nothing to do with the scoops, which numeric characters in two font styles. Some feature thin
the owner’s manual told drivers to shut via push-pull characters that are unlike the fonts used at Hamtramck,
Carb Air cables in poor weather. Rather, the N96 package Lynch Road, or any of the other factories. Other tags fea-
included three-speed windshield wipers in place of the less ture the same thick, meaty font used by the aforemen-
effective, standard two-speed ones. The three-speed wiper tioned factories. Legitimate cars have been found, built
motor fit closer to the firewall, which provided needed one day apart, one with the thin font and the other with
clearance with the N96-spec oval air cleaner base. The the thick font.
This Turbine Bronze 1969 Sup

er
Bee 383 coupe was discovere
d in a
Georgia pine forest. A column-s
hifted
automatic car with a front ben
ch seat,
its drivetrain must have been
scav-
enged over 30 years ago. From
the
16-inch diameter of its trunk,
the
tree has got to be three decade
s
old. “Wood” that make this Sup
er
Bee a tree-eighty-tree?
The same 1969 Super Bee also

displayed this bizarre sight of its
ircled
steering column slowly being enc
trunk. The sha ft
by the zombie tree
d in
ahead of the coupler is encase
“old growth” wood!
New Hamp-
Moving back to the same
d the 1970
shire junkyard that yielde
here in this
Road Runner seen elsew
” split grille
story, the “love it or don’t
as a 1970.
identifies this Super Bee
r Bee grille
Note that the metal Supe
fro m the driver’s
emblem was moved
) to the center-
side of the grille (1969
) to ac centuate
line of the body (1970
sty lin g motif.
the fascia’s dual-hoop
wo uldn’t these
Dodge never did it, but
e-a way
have been wicked with hid
headlamps?
Sadly the fender tag has severe

corrosion, which hinders the hun
t
for the N96 Ramcharger hood
code. But we can see the VIN,
WM23N0A136110, which breaks
down as: WM23 for Super Bee
two-door hardtop; N for 383
Magnum; 0 for 1970 model yea
Built with power steering and ma r;
nual brakes, a two-barrel-equip A for the Lynch Road, Michigan,
or 400 presently occupies the eng ped 383 assembly plant; and 136110 for
ine bay. Like its Road Runner cou
standard power was a 383 Magnu sin, the fact that 136,109 Dodges and
m. Super Bee output for 1970 rea
14,254 units, a dismal crash ver ched Plymouths (of several types) roll
sus the 26,125 Bees built in 196 ed
forces that slashed Road Runne 9. The same off the line before this one dur
r output were working against ing
Super Bee. the 1970 model run.
72 moparmuscle.com
Because the 1970 N96 Ramcharger hood
is little more than a base-level Coronet
hood with a pair of scoops added,
clones and fakes are common. But
here, the presence of factory-punched
air feed openings elevates this hood
(and potentially car) to legitimate N96
status. Though scavenged, an orange
plastic and fiberglass duct assembly
was once fastened to the framework
to feed air to the big “orange oval” air
cleaner. On Plymouths, the underhood
duct unit was nearly identical but
molded in black materials.
Inside, the small brake pedal fac
e suggests that this was a manua
car. Like Road Runer for 1970, l transmission
the A230 three-speed manual tran
replaced the A833 four-speed as smission
the Super Bee’s standard transm
The A230 was new for 1970 and ission.
designed to handle Chrysler eng
the 198 Slant Six to the 383 Ma ines from
gnum. The A230 was never offe
or Street Hemi. For 1970 the ign red with the 440
ition key was moved from the ins
to the steering column to facilita trument panel
te the steering wheel interlock
antitheft feature.
r in
Th e Leade Speed
“ ur -
ler Fo
Chrys chnology!”
Te
The Super Bee and Coronet R/T got
a new domed hood for 1970 with large, Clutches
forward-facing, die-cast metal nostrils Shifter Handles,
that looked totally functional. Surprise! Boots & Trim Rings
Bellhousings
Just like the 1968-1969 domed hood, it
Rebuild Kits
was an illusion. If you wanted working Synchro Rings
ram air, 1969’s dual, surface-mount Z-Bars & Shifters,
plastic scoops were offered once Pedal Rods Rods & Levers
again as option N96 for just $77.30, Cases &
standard issue on Street Hemis. Floor Humps Sidecovers
Gaskets
& Seals
Gearsets
570 - 401- 8949 Input Shafts
W W W. PA S S O N P E R F O R M A N C E . C O M
As tough as the Mopar 8¾-inch

s
rear axle unit is, the exit wound
on this truck or
springs mount
van
ove r
hou
tub
sin
es)
g (lea
we re
f
Keep The Fun
likely caused by poor lubrication
and resulting spider gear failure
Can you imagine the sou nds this
.
In Driving!
d?
thing made as it self-destructe
HOT PARTS
BY MOPAR MUSCLE STAFF
SOURCE: SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT

800-230-3030 • summitracing.com
CALVERT RACING CALTRACS TRACTION BARS

FOR MOPAR B-BODY NOW AVAILABLE AT SUMMIT
Slapper-style traction bars keep axle rotation in check by spring mount. This moves the instant center of the car
applying force upward on the spring. CalTracs traction bars farther forward and shifts weight to the rear of the vehicle
use axle rotation to create downward force on the front of for better traction off the line and improved 60-foot times.
the spring. That prevents wrap-up and maintains the proper Summit Racing Equipment has CalTracs traction bars for
pinion angle, and also applies forward motion at the front 1962-1978 Mopar B-body cars.
KEEP ON SHINING WITH

MEGUIAR’S GREAT PRODUCTS
Meguiar’s 3-in-1 Wax comes to the rescue because not
everyone has the time or energy to do multiple steps cleaning,
polishing, and waxing their car. The unique formula cleans,
polishes and protects, delivering amazing results all in one simple
step. Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax is an exciting new paint pro-
tection product with sophisticated hybrid chemistry. The new for-
mula is a huge departure from traditional waxes, so you get more
protection and durability than with conventional wax by simply
spraying it on, rinsing it off, and drying it. It’s that easy! Meguiar’s
Perfect Clarity Glass Cleaner is a unique formula that spreads and
wipes off quickly with superior cleaning ability to tackle even the
dirtiest glass, mirrors, or windows. It quickly and easily removes
dirt, road grime, grease, smoker’s film, bug splatter, and bird
droppings while being completely safe on tinted windows.
SOURCE: MEGUIAR’S
800-347-5700 • meguiars.com
TONY’S PARTS TOPS IT OFF

Does your Plymouth E-body Rallye hood need the black inserts?
Original inserts are commonly missing and difficult to find.
Tony’s Parts has black inserts with horizontal ribs on them that
fit inside of the large die cast hoodscoops! These fit all 1970-
1974 Plymouth ’Cudas and Barracudas with the dual-scoop
Rallye hood; $99 a pair. Please call or write via Tony’s website.
SOURCE: TONY’S PARTS
302-398-0821 • tonysparts.com
74 moparmuscle.com
FOUR WAYS TO BLOW YOUR MIND
Buckle up for a truly powerful performance. With four Mopar® Crate HEMI® V8 engines* to choose from, each
with an epic amount of horsepower, you can turn almost any pre-1976 vehicle into a modern-day powerhouse
when paired with a “plug-and-play” kit. Amp up your ride with a Mopar performance crate engine.
GET THE DETAILS AT CRATEHEMI.COM
*Not legal on pollution-controlled vehicle or vehicle registered for highway use.

©2019 FCA US LLC. All Rights Reserved. Mopar and HEMI are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC.

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SMALL & MIGHTY 273LA DUST STORM FAMILY-OWNED

STEVE MAGNANTE SHARES SINCE NEW, THIS ’73 DUSTER

IT’S A WRAP (REALLY)

CAN YOU DIG IT?

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56 TESTING THE MOPAR

42 1973 PLYMOUTH DUSTER

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MOPAR MUSCLE FEBRUARY 2020 11

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