EVERYONE loves a Hemi – especially one that makes over 1100hp! One look at those big, wide rocker covers and Charlie Touma couldn’t help himself. He plonked his hard-earned down on the ’70 Dodge Dart without a second thought. Nope, that’s not a typo; this jaw-dropping ’68 Dodge Charger R/T build started out as an engine in another car!
“The Dart was a pure race car,” recalls Charlie. “However, I soon decided I wanted something I could drive. I started hunting around for a ’Cuda, a Challenger, a Charger – a proper muscle car that I could drop the Hemi into.”
Having dismissed several candidates (most of which were bare shells in need of extensive rebuilds), his four-month search came to an end in Melbourne.
“The Charger was really good,” says Charlie. “I’ve always loved this shape and this one was a stunner.”
Given the car’s already awesome panel and paint and mint interior, Charlie thought it would be a quick build; sell off the Charger’s 440 and driveline and drop in the Hemi – done! However, you know what they say about the best-laid plans: “We ended up re-doing just about everything,” says Charlie.
The first wake-up call was trying to make an engine designed to run for less than 30 seconds run full-time on the street. So, how do you take what is basically a 10,000rpm, 1400hp, 500ci Pro Stock engine and de-tune it?
For starters, you yank the drag-spec aluminium rods, crazy high-compression pistons and spring-killing camshaft. Then re-assemble it with custom-forged Diamond pistons, Argo steel rods and a bumpstick with ‘only’ 840thou lift!
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2019-Ausgabe von Street Machine Magazine.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2019-Ausgabe von Street Machine Magazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
ANIKA HODGES
THE CAR DROVE INTO OUR SHED AS A CREAM 202CI VC AND DROVE OUT AS A SILVER CAR WITH A 355 V8
STAGE FRIGHT
IT TOOK OWEN SCOTT MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO BUILD A TROPHY-WINING, 600HP EH HOLDEN UTE THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME
THE Ummmal SUSPECT
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MINI-TRUCKS. THIS SUMMERNATS TOP 60 HILUX IS A PROPER STREET MACHINE
FULLY UTILISED
HARDWOOD ROD & CUSTOM TURNS DARREN ISON'S HAND-ME-DOWN HT INTO A SMOOTH OPERATOR
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
PEOPLE POWER
WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT 36 YEARS OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS - AND MOST DEMOCRATICALLY AWARDED - HONOUR IN OUR SPORT: STREET MACHINE OF THE YEAR
OUT-AND-OUT MAYHEM
STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE IS ALREADY A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME, BUT WHAT CAR EVENT CAN'T BE MADE EVEN BETTER BY ADDING A BURNOUT COMP? INTRODUCING OUR INAUGURAL RODS OUT!
BAD TO THE BONE
THANKS TO HIS SON, ANDY, THE LATE MARIO COLALILLO’S 39 PLYMOUTH COUPE IS BACK ON THE ROAD AND STILL ONE OF THE BADDEST HOT RODS IN THE COUNTRY
THE CHALLENGE IS REAL
FROM TRACK DRAMAS TO SOARING TEMPERATURES, DRAG CHALLENGE 2024 THREW US SOME OF ITS TOUGHEST TESTS YET, BUT IT ALSO BROUGHT SOME OF THE QUICKEST TIMES THE EVENT HAS EVER SEEN
