Any other Mopars around here?

[gomopar440]

Don't get me wrong. I like all old muscle but the Mopars are my favorites. Particularly the Challengers. I've owned a few of those so you could say I'm partial to 'em. That's why I'm building my R/T/A (See my PT Garage). It's a never was (but shoulda been) model that I'm putting together. It'll be built as a combination of the things I liked the best from my past Challengers and the things I've always wanted it to be able to do. Namely handle a road course (or mountian road) like a scalded cat and have enough torque to keep me pinned in my seat.

The car is presently still in the rust repair stage but there are a few body and suspension mods already being incorporated along the way. The entire floor has been replaced front to back. Both quarters and wheel houses got replaced as well. The inner wheel houses got moved inboard for some extra tire clearance out back at the same time. The original 318 was resurected to make moving it around the shop easier. Well, that and the fact I just wanted to see if it even would run. The busted original trans got replaced with a spare to keep it mobile. The stock disk & drum brakes have been rebuilt as well. The (rusty) steel front end was replaced with all fiberglass, topped off with a T/A (no, not Trans Am :p ) hood.

The suspension mods are coming next. The leaf springs are getting relocated 3" inboard for additional tire clearance. The stock (read: tiny)torsion bars are getting swapped out for some larger units. The LCAs are getting braced and the UCAs will be replaced with adjustable tubular units. Shocks will be KYBs until I start to tweak the suspension once I get it on the road. Sway bars will be about 1.25" front and .875" rear. all bushings are getting replaced with polyurethane.

The new engine still needs some machining before I can button it up. according to the desktop dyno program I have, it should have somewhere about 650 hp, 670ft/lb at the crank with the (relatively) mild cam I picked for it.

I've been working on this car from a distance for the last few years. December of '04 I bought it sight unseen off the internet while I was stationed in Puerto Rico. I then had it and a parts car shipped to a friends place in PA. For the next year I was making plans and collecting parts and having them shipped directly to PA. Then every couple of months I'd take a flight over there and spend a solid week or two working on it. I have maybe a total of a month and a half altogether on it right now. I recently got transferred back to the US (TX) so the next step ifo rme to go get the car and accumulated parts and haul them down here this summer. If I keep the pace up, I should have it ready to go by next summer.

Anyway, That's why I'm here. To kick around ideas and suggestions with like minded individuals that share a passion for awesome handling, classy looking street machines.

Later,
Paul