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!
Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Street Machine Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Street Machine Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
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ANIKA HODGES
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STAGE FRIGHT
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FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MINI-TRUCKS. THIS SUMMERNATS TOP 60 HILUX IS A PROPER STREET MACHINE
FULLY UTILISED
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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
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
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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
