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Dodge Challenger (Part 1)
[wpadcenter_ad id=2331 align=’none’] Chrysler was an early player, with 426 Hemis powering muscle cars like the Dodge Charger and Plymouth Road Runner. Mopar executives doubled down on the pony car category in 1970, redesigning the Plymouth Barracuda and inventing the Dodge Challenger. The automobiles were fantastic. The time was not ideal. The 1973 oil embargo,…
Read MoreDodge Challenger (Part 2)
[wpadcenter_ad id=2331 align=’none’] The crew ultimately landed on a power output of 707 horsepower and torque of 650 lb-ft. The secret sauce was the addition of a 2.4-liter IHI-built twin-screw supercharger to a 6.2-liter Gen III Hemi, which produced 11.6 pounds of boost. To compensate for the additional grunt, Big Engine Casting block featured thicker…
Read More6th Gen Camaros
A Pony Car developed by Chevrolet; the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro was first shown to the public on May 16, 2015. It is the company’s most successful model to date. Sales began in 2015 for the 2016 model year, with deliveries beginning in 2016. The sixth-generation Camaro now rides on the GM Alpha platform, which also…
Read More5th Gen. Camaros
GM’s 5th Gen. Camaro is an extremely capable performance platform right out of the box. The development of the Zeta chassis, combined with the proven track record of the LS power plants, has elevated the Camaro to a new level. One of the best features of this platform is how well it adapts to performance…
Read MoreBuick Engines from Nailhead to Now
When Buick’s overhead-valve inline-eight was replaced by the Nailhead in 1953, the Nailhead became the company’s first pushrod V-8. The engine was named after the little valve covers that sat atop the heads. Vertically placed valves created a nearly hemispherical combustion chamber beneath the valve covers. The Nailhead enjoyed revving due to its substantially over…
Read MoreOldsmobile Torque Monster Engines
Oldsmobile built the Rocket V8 engine from 1949 through 1990. The Rocket and the 1949 Cadillac V8 were GM’s first post-war OHV crossflow cylinder head V8 engines. Long before the corporate Chevrolet 350 small-block and Cadillac Northstar engines, Olds built their own V8 engine family. The engine block and cylinder heads were cast by Saginaw…
Read MoreChevy (Mouse) Small Block
Thus, evolution is clearly beneficial, and the small block Chevy engines that have been blasted out of General Motors engine facilities worldwide are no exception. With the introduction of the small block engine for the 1955 model year, no engineer could have envisaged where we would be today with 638hp, 376 cubic inch engines capable…
Read MorePontiac 287 – 455 Engines
V-8 Development In 1954, General Motors leaned heavily on Chevrolet and Pontiac to develop V-8 engines for the 1955 model year and provided them with all available resources to ensure success. Pontiac settled on a 3.75-inch bore and 3.25-inch stroke to produce a 287-ci package. Pontiac management urged that the design allow for future displacement…
Read MoreFord’s Big Bad 429 History
The 429 is unquestionably one of the most sought after and valuable engines ever built. The Ford 385 engine served as the inspiration for the Boss 429 engine. It was discovered that a Mustang’s body was not broad enough to accommodate a large Boss 429 engine, and as a result, Ford commissioned Kar Kraft of…
Read More“W” Block 348 – 409 Chevy
As the 1950s began, the majority of automobiles had engines displacing less than 200 cubic inches, a milestone that had taken 50 years to achieve. By the decade’s end, the largest engines had doubled in size to more than 400 ci. Even law enforcement had to catch up with such quick progress, as illustrated by…
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