Dave Robsons Challenger R/T

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sat Jun 04, 05 8:44 pm

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

List of Modifications

Engine Block

Original “numbers matching” 440 cubic inch (7.2 L) HP2 Chrysler RB V8.

Bored 30 thou oversize. Keith Black quench dome 10.5:1 hypereutectic pistons.
Half inch oil pick-up. High volume pump. Windage tray. JP Performance double roller timing chain and adjustable timing sprocket. March Performance serpentine ribbed belt type crank/alt/water pump pulleys.

Machine work and assembly of short block by Hauser Race Cars.

Camshaft

Hughes Engines HTL3742BS solid lifter cam.

Lift = 0.570 intake/0.579 exhaust.
Duration @ 0.050 lift = 237/242 degrees.

Heads

Original type ‘906’ iron castings. Ported at Hughes Engines to their Stage One spec. Stainless steel one piece valves 2.14” intake and 1.81” exhaust. Three angle valve seats with hardened inserts. Bronze wall valve stem guides. Adjustable aluminium roller tip rockers with 1.6:1 ratio and heavy duty billet hold down clamps.

Induction

“Six Pack” 3x2bbl Holleys fed by a Carter 'Strip' mechanical fuel pump and Holley regulator. Carbs are mounted on an Edelbrock aluminium intake with the heat cross-over passage blocked off.
Centre carb has air horn & choke machined off and the venturies smoothed for better flow. The jet sizes are #65.
Outboard pair (secondaries) modified to accept accelerator pumps, squirters and progressive mechanical linkage. Promax carbs billet metering plates fitted with Holley jets. #84 (front) and #86 (rear).

Exhaust

Dougs headers with 2 inch primaries into 3.5 inch collectors. TTI 3 inch exhaust system with two Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers. System cut into 18 sections and re-welded to fit around overdrive and to include electric cut-outs and a wideband Oxygen sensor for air/fuel ratio monitoring.

Ignition

MSD billet distributor. FBO ECU and coil. Timing set at 24 degrees initial and 34 total @ 3000rpm. Battery re-located to trunk.

Cooling

“Be-Cool” custom fit aluminium radiator. High output “Flow Kooler” water pump. 180 degree thermostat modified for better flow. Trans and engine oil coolers. Summit Racing Electric fan.

Transmission

“Numbers matching” Torqueflite automatic mated with Gear Vendors overdrive unit. Trans rebuilt to street/strip spec with B&M Transkit. Fitted with a 10" TCS high stall converter, deep oil pan, and temp sender. Hurst “Pistol-Grip” type Quarter Stick shifter fitted into original centre console. Driveshaft safety loop.

Axle

Original 8.75 inch “Sure-Grip” axle. Rebuilt with 4.30:1 gears. Effective rear ratio with overdrive engaged is 3.30:1.

Brakes

Original 11x2.5 inch drums on rear. 1976 Police car 11.75 inch discs fitted to front. Strange Engineering light-weight master cylinder. Power assist removed.
Electronic line-lock to front brakes operated from button on top of shifter.

Suspension

Up-rated about 30% all-round with custom made leaf springs at rear (each moved inboard by 0.8 inch) and 1 inch diameter front torsion bars. Polygraphite suspension bushings.
Anti-roll bars are 1 1/8th inch front and ¾ inch rear. Gas shocks.

Steering

Manual steering box with 20:1 fast ratio gearing (4.5 turns lock-to-lock)

Wheels and Tyres

Minilite wheels. 15x8 front. 15x10 rear.
Tyres 245/60 front. 295/50 rear.
Hoosier 28x10 inch slicks for rear when on Drag Strip.

Bodywork and Interior

As original except for;
Wheel lips cut. Plastic front bumper. Painted “Hemi Orange”. Black vinyl top and black interior fitted. Chassis strengthened with chassis connectors.
Auxiliary gauges fitted in dash for water temp, trans temp and volts.
“Monster” tach with remote shift light fitted in dash above steering column. Headlights and turn signals to UK spec.
Interior woodgrain trim replaced with carbon fiber panels. Grant steering wheel.

Performance

Best quarter mile time to date: 11.92
Best quarter mile speed to date: 113mph
Top speed: 145mph
Engine power at crank: 510hp (est.)

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sat Jun 04, 05 8:50 pm

Any changes from the above spec will be listed here as and when they happen.

1st update is it is now fitted with T/A spoilers front and rear. A new EAGLE Nitrided Crank is on it's way over from the USA to replace the damaged original.

This is how the car looks at the moment.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Jun 07, 05 3:58 pm

This is how the car normally looks.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Jun 07, 05 7:16 pm

A bit of History.

I had this 1970 Challenger imported from Texas in 1989. It is a real R/T with numbers matching 440 Magnum engine and trans.

There were 18,512 Challenger R/Ts made for the 1970 model year of which 2,802 were two door hardtops equipped with the 440 Magnum engine ( which was only avalible in the 1970 model ).

916 were 4 speed manual cars.
1,886 were 3 speed automatics like this one.

It was originally a (B5) metallic blue car with a white vinyl top and a white interior both of which were ruined. It had some front end damage and needed a new boot (trunk) floor when I put a deposit down on it in May? 1989. It had not ran at all for around 5 or 6 years.

I had wanted a car that was painted "Hemi Orange" and so decided to have it painted that colour rather than the original colour. Also for practical reasons I decided on a black vinyl top and interior.

This is how the car looked as work started in May/June 1989.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Jun 07, 05 7:57 pm

In the late 1990s I found I just did not have the disposable income to do what I really wanted to do with the car.

Then in 1999 I met Linda Woodhead. She wanted a Challenger but the practicalities of owning and maintaining one herself made that an unlikely dream.

So we came up with an arraignment where she bought a 40% share in the car. The cash she paid in meant a lot of the work got done to the car that I couldn't afford. Her part ownership entitled her to have the car for a couple of months a year and because she shared the cost of parts with me it made the car more affordable than if either of us owned it outright.

I couldn't have done it without her.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Jun 07, 05 8:11 pm

Some more:

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Jun 24, 05 1:27 pm

I really need to see the car soon. I am missing it so much!

Here it is on it's first 11 second run up against Tim Ellison in his yellow Challenger.

http://challenger.mpoli.fi/hauki-on-kal ... -small.wmv

And here it is showing Tim the difference between stock suspension and mine.

http://www.challenger440.pwp.blueyonder ... andTim.wmv

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Jul 17, 05 3:32 pm

Little bit further on.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Thu Aug 04, 05 5:25 pm

And here is the crank at long last!

Thanks to Wil and Andy Neal for their help in getting the crank over here for me.

Everything is checking out fine so far. Straight and 10 thou under just as advertised. I have just ordered the bearings and a new harmonic balancer for it.

Next step will be to get the whole thing balanced but I need to save the money for that.

Unless any of you guys want to buy a 1998 Neon by any chance?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Aug 08, 05 3:25 pm

These are the bearings I have selected for the crank.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... wordSearch

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... wordSearch

They require more frequent oil changes but their 3/4 groove design on the mains appeals to me.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Aug 08, 05 8:42 pm

The Federal Mogul Competition Series main bearings I am talking about were were developed in NASCAR and Pro Stock competition. So I figured they will take some abuse.
Also they incorporate a ?contoured flange? thrust bearing design, which greatly increases thrust load capacity. It says here. Having just lost a crank to thrust bearing wear I thought it an important feature.

See:-

http://www.federal-mogul.com/cda/conten ... 15,00.html

Also see:-
http://www.federal-mogul.com/cda/conten ... 52,00.html

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Thu Aug 11, 05 6:53 pm

Another new bit to add to the jig-saw.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 21, 05 7:08 pm

Did a few checks on the crank this afternoon because I
absolutely still cannot be bothered to finish decorating!

Everything is spot on. Main and rod bearing clearences
are exact to the prefered spec. The alignment (or
straightness) of the crank is spot on.

The only bit that is not as tight as I would have
liked is the crank end play. It is 8 thou (2-7 thou
prefered and 10 thou max allowed). But that is a hell
of a lot better than the 64 thou we were running with!

I used a feeler gauge to check that. It occured to me
later to use the dial gauge on the crank end. I will
check it again when the whole crank assembly is
complete and installed correctly.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Aug 23, 05 8:07 pm

After much thought I have decided to keep the existing rods. They may be 36 years old and they may be heavy but they have done OK up to now and they are also the last internal part the engine was born with.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Oct 31, 05 8:34 am

Getting closer......

I can't thank Matty enough for the work he has put in on this car in his spare time. The car was a lot more rusty and damaged under the filler than either of us thought.