70 Challenger 500 c.i. 106mm turbo street car

Been a long time since I started a thread on this forum, so might as well be a long one. Here goes.

I have just started a new project for my turbo Challenger, which I'll get to the details in a minute, but first I'll say a word or two about my previous project.

The Old Project:
Two years ago I started my first turbo project on this car. At that time it had a stock RB 500 c.i. with a ProCharger D1SC and a TKO-II 5-speed trans. I got tired of fighting belt issues with the supercharger and decided to put a turbo on it. Being a very docile street car I decided to go with a mid sized turbo, GT47-88, not intending to run more than 15 psi. I upgraded the trans to a TKO-600 which I had modified by MMR in California (cryo-treated, etc.). Took me about 10 months to finish up, engine made 838 rwhp at 5,800 rpm and 871 rwtq at 4,200 rpm on 9 psi of boost. I didn't want to run any more boost on the stock block. I took it to the track and blew the transmission immediately, broke 3rd gear and snapped the input shaft (car weighs 3950 without driver). I spent the next few months building a new driveline, with a JW ultraglide, Neal Chance converter, and Gear Vendors overdrive. Winter came and went. Spring of '07 arrived and I went through a few rounds of pulling the trans and re-stalling the converter before I got it the way I wanted it. About that time I had a minor fender bender and had the car laid up in the body shop for a while. Then I got sick with an illness that knocked me out of commission for a few months. While I was laid up sick and not able to do anything with the car I was made an offer for the entire engine (less turbo, exhaust, efi, and fuel system) and I decided to take it. So here we are in late summer '07, engine is sold, never got any 1/4 mile passes on that combo. Yes, very disappointing, however I feel like I was living on borrowed time with that factory iron block. When I got the offer for the engine I figured sure as I would try and get some track time in the block would decide to crack and then I'd get nothing. Bird in the hand. So I decided to just drive the car through the summer and have my fun on the street, pull the engine out this fall, get my money out of it to kick start the new project.

The New Project:
I was always uncomfortable running high hp/tq on a factory iron block. I used to pop freeze plugs out of that block when it was supercharged, before I put a girdle in it, and I believe that was due to block flex. I hate walking on egg shells. That's what the new project is mostly about, not mainly to get more power, but rather more piece of mind. But yes, it'll make more power too. So to make sure I don't have any worries about the bottom end I decided to quit fooling around and build a double-throw-down short block that can take anything I can throw at it. Plus, I will not be building this engine myself as I have done in the past. The components going in this thing will be too expensive for that, it must go to an expert builder. The foundation is a Keith Black aluminum RB wedge water block. In order to keep the cylinder walls nice and thick and help with ring seal, we'll keep the bore down to 4.38. Inside the block we'll stuff a Callies 4.150 stroke crank which will give us 500 c.i. displacement. CP pistons and Oliver Pro Billet rods will complete the bottom end. The cam is teency tiny only 224 @ 0.050 intake duration. Since this car has always been (and will always be) a true street car that goes anywhere anytime anyfar, the cam was spec'd to be very docile and favor low speed torque and mid range power. The heads likewise will not be any large-by-huge race pieces, that would kill low speed velocity and throttle response, so I'm going with a set of Indy 440-1's CNC 325cc with 2.25 intake valves. T&D rocker gear will actuate the custom Ferrea valves. I originally went with a single four barrel intake but later decided to go with the Edelbrock ProFlo manifold and a Accufab 90mm throttle body. Injectors are ID-2000 2225 cc/min. A PT106 from Precision Turbo with 1.50 exhaust housing will supply the boost. Originally I went with an air/air intercooler, 4-inch thick core, 31 inch length, 14 inch height but later I went with water/methanol injection instead. Exhaust is a 5-inch downpipe that splits into two 3.5 pipes just after the rear axle. The drivetrain is a built TH400, Neal Chance Converter, Gear Vendors overrdrive, Moser Fab-9 rear end with 35-spline axles. The axle housing is narrowed and mini-tubs are going in so I can fit a set of Mickey Thompson P345/35/R18 drag radials. The current leafs will be replaced with mono-leafs & caltracs. I'm going to build a new fuel system using a big Weldon 2345 pump with variable speed controller, main fuel line will be AN-10 then Y-block into two AN-8 lines to the rails and a AN-8 line back to a custom 25 gallon fuel cell. The car will be Flex-Fuel enabled using a Siemens ethanol sensor and the Zeitronix Ethanol Analyzer wired into the Autronic ECU to dynamically adjust the tune based on actual ethanol percentage. The car will also get lowered by about 3 inches, with a new custom trans tunnel for the drivetrain to tuck up into. The EFI system is going to be Autronic SM4 with a Autronic CDI R500 distributorless ignition driving four dual-tower coil packs. The front suspension will be a custom tubular setup from High Speed Welding with a rack and pinion and double-adjustable coilover shocks.

Here are some pics of what I've got so far:

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

it's going to be meaner

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Damn that is crazy... I LOVE it.

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

It's going to be a killer. A lot like ours, but we have less displacement and smaller twin turbos and some other smaller differencies. Seems to me, that even though we haven't tuned the engine much yet, we are lacking all but power. It would be nice to be able to use it.

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

That is one reason I dont understand all the Big cube builds for street cars that go on. Heck 432 cid with this kinda equipment could still break 1500hp no sweat. WIth what I would think was a much more controllable power curve, and easier on drive train parts.

Dont get me wrong, I am not saying anything bad about this build. I only wish I could even begin to build with half this much good equipment. Its just my own personal thinking of what I like for a street build. But I guess I would be happy with a meaningless little 1200hp & not even no where close to that much torque. I really do like shorter strokes for a street setup. If your not carefull with turbo choice you will have 1800hp with as much torque. I know even that can still be used on the street with the right setup, but can it be more than just enough throttle to pull out, or just a wiff of boost and its balls to the wall kinda thing.


I dont know, maybe I am just getting old. Please dont take it as bashing, your engine is also in very good hands. That was a wise choice for this level of a build.


Jess

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Man, this thing is going to be AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Looks like Chuck's moving along nicely.
www.bestmachineracing.com

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

All I can say is...

That goes to eleven.

(Couldn't help myself.)

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

That is the kind of mentality I need to have..atleast I am on the way...stepped up to 160lb injectors.

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Don't forget some wheelie bars

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

oh, god da, sweet baby jesus on ice-skates, its too hot, its blinding me.....



looks nice!

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

absolutely brutal, no other words to describe it, that will obliterate the 1500 mark...

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

I dig this thing. I'm real interested in the trans combo you you have also. You have a real knack for getting things setup just right. I hope that this engine build gives you peace of mind, cause when you hit the throttle on that thing, your mind will need all attention on the event at hand! Cool, just plain cool.

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

572 + 106mm + leafsprings = REAL DRIFTER

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Hey, is this thing on 11 yet??

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Workin on it. Car is in the chassis shop now. Old engine is out and gone to new owner. New engine is still in progress, but shortblock is done. Figure the top end will be together by mid Jan. The car will be in the chassis shop quite a while, so much work to do, but I hope to have it back on the road by May. I'll post updated pics when I have some.

My biggest problem right now is that I had a set of custom wheels built specifically for the drag radials I want to run, which is a new size from Mickey Thompson, 345/35/R18. This tire has been advertised in their catalog for entire calendar year 2007 but to my knowledge they have yet to produce a single one. I have them on backorder. We were hoping to have the tires before we started rebuilding the rear of the car, so now we may have to just wing it. I hope they don't screw me and decide to cancel the tire altogether, nobody else makes a drag radial in that size.

"How much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black." Nigel





Couple pics of the PT106...

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

awesome combo! but hey! it's mid april... where's our update and pics?

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

+1 on the update! My optical dyno picks up atleast 900hp the way it sits on the engine stand, with out heads.

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Sorry but progress has been slow on this project. The engine is complete and the car is in the chassis shop getting the following upgrades:

- 8.50 cert cage
- Move springs inboard to fit 345/35 drag radials
- Box and notch rear frame rails to fit tires
- Mini-tubs
- Narrowed Moser Fab-9 with 35 spline axles 5/8" wheels studs
- Anti-roll bar
- Caltracs with mono-leafs
- Removeable parachute mount
- Frame connectors through the floor
- 25 gallon fuel cell
- Motor plate and mid-plate
- Custom tubular K-member with coil-overs
- Stainless turbo exhaust with 5-inch downpipe
- Stainless dual exhaust with 3.5-inch oval pipes
- Turbo mount for a PT-106
- Cold-side piping using 4" tubing
- Custom radiator and shroud
- Autronic SM4 efi system
- Autronic CDI-500R distribtorless ignition
- Zeitronix Ethanol Content Analyzer (flex fuel)

Here are some updated pics of the engine and progress on the chassis:

572 KB wedge motor






subframe connectors


Boxed frame rails


Notched frame rail


Tubular K-Member


Tubular K-Member

 

Re: Nigel's New Project (pics)

Lookin' good man. Hooking that beast is going to be a task - for sure.