Question about the engine in the Charger 500

Gary, That would be an absolute slice of heaven just seeing these guys jam in the am with some really smooth bourbon.  I digress.  Anyway, I'd be interesed in some of your builds, latest project etc.  You've seen my Super Bee in progress, also closing in on a Lindberg 64 Dodge SS/SA, bronze and white, a 631/2 Ford S Stock for a change of pace, a street Charger 500 which I'm going to switch over to a torqueflite sort of my dream car (the current 1:1 project is an all black, Mark Cross leather totally optioned and digitalized 90 Chrysler Imperial, not a muscle car but beautiful and no slouch) a Nascar Intrepid converted into a Super Late Model Short Tracker (My Daily driver is an 02 Intrepid with 3.5 Semi Hemi DOHC six so I had to build some type of Intrepid) and ....  well you get the idea.  I think a lot of out there are like this awith all these half to 3/4 finished projects that we need a little boost or inspiration to finish.

On the flip side I've also got that infamous Navy F7U Cutlass Fighter underway, a Travel Air Mystery Ship racing plane from the 30's and the USS Manchester going.

And Doog,  if you're there, like to see some more of yours too!

Dave B.

UnderdogF7U wrote:

Ah yes Gary, truly a man after my own heart.  I have several of Wes's albums.   And what a pleasue and surprise to run into some one on the fine scale modeler forum that even knows what a Hammond B3 is!  I'm still trying to master Wes's techniquie but can sort of bang out a version of Windy now.  My daughter has to go to bed now and the computer is in her room so we'll talk more later.  And yes, I've got to get a better camera and work on my photographic quality. Dave

Wes played with his thumb and also the palm of his hand. Developed chords that are most often imitated, but rarely if ever equaled. The best in his style of play currently is Bobby Broom out of Chicago, but Frank Steans out of Indy is pretty close as well. I've heard Frank and Bobby jam together after the doors are locked. Talk about smoking! Rhyne is probably as good right now as he's ever been, but can be kinda moody. I heard him jam with Joey De Fransesco once, and he gave J.D. lessons. Another good B3 player (that's still alive) is Tony Manaco out of Columbus Ohio. Not as musical as Rhyne, but still has a wonderfull style. I've also heard Tony and Mel jam, and with both being so much different it turned out to be a great set. Mel just took Tony out to places he'd never been with that B3. I kinda long for the evenings of making empty bottles with J.J. Johnson and critiquing the band, and just learning what was right and what's done wrong.

gary

Ah yes Gary, truly a man after my own heart.  I have several of Wes's albums.   And what a pleasue and surprise to run into some one on the fine scale modeler forum that even knows what a Hammond B3 is!  I'm still trying to master Wes's techniquie but can sort of bang out a version of Windy now.  My daughter has to go to bed now and the computer is in her room so we'll talk more later.  And yes, I've got to get a better camera and work on my photographic quality.

Dave

UnderdogF7U wrote:

Yes, Gary and Doog,  always wanted to be a roundy round racer myself or super stock drag racer but playing football in college and music (yep do that too, more Jazz and Blues type with my -68 Ovation Tornado, its a lot like the Gibson E5 "f hole" family) and my ensuing job kept to this day as an Assistant District Attorney, time money and funds have never been there for the 1/1 endeavors.  But I've heard many a hemi run, one would completely drown out the noise from a field of 21 other Chevys and have had many a big block in the stable over the years, a couple of 440 4 bbls. a 400 which I swithched over to regular Mopar electronic ignition in a New Yorker of all things, a 440 magnum and even a 413.  To say they haven't been fun and impressive even to me would be a gross understatement.  But model stock cars, dragracers and factory stocks have helped me further fill the dream vicariously, they are fun, colorful, clean and satisfy both artistic and mechanical streaks. Here is a couple pictures of a charger 500 and superbee in progress with of course, orange engines! Hope you enjoy them. Talk to you soon.

a Charger 500 at that! After all wasn't that the real reason God made orange paint??

    When I was a kid we used to hitch hike up to Indy to listen to this guy play his guitar like no other on the planet. The bouncer of course would run us off, and we'd just show up the next weekend (we could easilly out run him). He had a side man that played the Hammond B3 about as well as anyman on earth could as well. So who was he?

Wes Mongomery of course, and the side man was Mel Rhyne (still regarded as the best B3 man ever, and still playing)

gary

Yes, Gary and Doog,  always wanted to be a roundy round racer myself or super stock drag racer but playing football in college and music (yep do that too, more Jazz and Blues type with my -68 Ovation Tornado, its a lot like the Gibson E5 "f hole" family) and my ensuing job kept to this day as an Assistant District Attorney, time money and funds have never been there for the 1/1 endeavors.  But I've heard many a hemi run, one would completely drown out the noise from a field of 21 other Chevys and have had many a big block in the stable over the years, a couple of 440 4 bbls. a 400 which I swithched over to regular Mopar electronic ignition in a New Yorker of all things, a 440 magnum and even a 413.  To say they haven't been fun and impressive even to me would be a gross understatement.  But model stock cars, dragracers and factory stocks have helped me further fill the dream vicariously, they are fun, colorful, clean and satisfy both artistic and mechanical streaks. Here is a couple pictures of a charger 500 and superbee in progress with of course, orange engines! Hope you enjoy them. Talk to you soon.

squeakie wrote:

the doog wrote: Very impressive banter, guys! You two are like, Human encyclopedias! let me put it to you this way, and maybe then you'll understand why things that are painted orange are so addictive. The engine is rolling along at 6,200rpm while you hold the clutch pedal solidly to the floor. You slide your foot to the left about an inch and a half. The car leaps forward and suddenly the rpm drops to idol!! You just ripped the seat mounting brackets out of the floor board, and your now against the back seat!    Or maybe doing the halfmile drag thing, you look to your right and there's a 427 Camaro about a car length out in front of you that's just gone into fourth gear at about 105mph, but you got another 500 rpm to go (and the needle is climbing fast). At about 110mph you grab the shifter handle (forget the knob) and pull as hard and fast as you got strength. The car leaves two ten foot long black marks on the brushed concrete as you cruise on by the Camaro (a hemi will accellerate as fast in fourth gear as it will in third). As you get settled back in you can now see the Camaro in your rear view mirror going about 135 mph. Time to get out of it and start breathing again while the car brakes on compression. Now that's a rush!! gary

I get exactly the same feeling twisting the throttle as the bile flies along through trees buzzing past at 25 mph, your handlebars just barely nicking them, shifting your weight almost imperceptibly on your pegs, your bike "one" with you, over logs, rocks, bumps, tree limbs, and through mud. The best is when you find something to launch over, or when you're chasing the guy in front of you and you can see that you're catching him. You know you're faster than him; you just have to find a place to pass him--one time I was so frustrated at this guy's blocking me and the narrownesss of the tail, I brapped completely off the path, down into a rock-strewn draw, flying over the boulders, barely hanging on, up the other side, launching out of the hole, and coming out ahead. He never even challenged me-he must have rightfully been thinking "this guy's nuts!" LOL! (BTW, completely "legal" in Hare Scramble racing--you have a 10-foot right-of-way from the marked "track")

Ahhhh, competition! My "drug" for sure!

the doog wrote:

Very impressive banter, guys! You two are like, Human encyclopedias!

let me put it to you this way, and maybe then you'll understand why things that are painted orange are so addictive. The engine is rolling along at 6,200rpm while you hold the clutch pedal solidly to the floor. You slide your foot to the left about an inch and a half. The car leaps forward and suddenly the rpm drops to idol!! You just ripped the seat mounting brackets out of the floor board, and your now against the back seat!

   Or maybe doing the halfmile drag thing, you look to your right and there's a 427 Camaro about a car length out in front of you that's just gone into fourth gear at about 105mph, but you got another 500 rpm to go (and the needle is climbing fast). At about 110mph you grab the shifter handle (forget the knob) and pull as hard and fast as you got strength. The car leaves two ten foot long black marks on the brushed concrete as you cruise on by the Camaro (a hemi will accellerate as fast in fourth gear as it will in third). As you get settled back in you can now see the Camaro in your rear view mirror going about 135 mph. Time to get out of it and start breathing again while the car brakes on compression. Now that's a rush!!

gary

Very impressive banter, guys!

You two are like, Human encyclopedias!

Oh, I get what you're saying Gary,  I indeed agree with you on this.  I didn't realize you were focusing on specific time periods there, specifically the early max wedge era.  I was pretty sure  squeaky was talking of a 426 Hemi so I wanted to make sure he understood one, to refresh memories on the red engines two, and  lastly to clarify on the 69, 70 and 71 engines.  Indeed the 440 6 pack was always painted orange.  69 and later 440 magnums, 383 magnums and 340 magnums (with single 4 bbls.)  were all orange too through 71.  Any notch down from them was the blue or aqua and these sizes of engines after 71 were also until when the blacks and what not started in in the late 70s and 80s.  I stand therefore in total agreement with your latest post and did misconstrue some of it. I'm looking forward to talking to you more.  It sounds like we have very similar interests and tastes!

Dave Bayer

UnderdogF7U wrote:

Gary,  Hope being a new guy here I'm not stepping on any toes.  Really with cars, unless you're a factory stock replica builder anyway, whatever looks nice to you you should do, so more power to you all.  But I've not only been a lifelong mopar model builder, I'm also a life long Mopar owner and attender and participant at many Mopar car shows.  Because of that, I can say that there were many just plain red painted mopar engines over the years from the factory.  The original A Block 273's which eventually morphed into 318, 340 and 360 LAs were red most definately.  So were the original 318's, the polyspherical head ones used mainly in Plymouths up from the mid 50's to 1966.  There were a few other sizes of them earlier as well and they were used some in Dodges too.  The early Plymouth versions of them, used mainly in Furies, used Gold Valve Covers and Aircleaners to throw in a further wrinkle.  I think you are right on the early ,50's Hemis generally having black painted blocks and different colored valve covers and aircleaners at different times.  Come around 1960 though the standard color for nearly everything in V8s was that turquoisy blue with the exeception of the heretofore mentioned 273, and also I believe the Slant 6's of that era were red until becoming black in the later days.  Then around 1967 the more true Chrysler blue came out for all V8's and continued til the end times when many of those, largelly 318 LAs became black.  This included the high performance engines through 1968 and the other "High Performance" engines such as the Police Package engines on into the 70's.  But the magnum or commando engines starting in 1969 until their demise were orange and very close to Chevy Engine Red or Orange (Hemi Orange)and that included the 340s, 383s, 440s and Hemis through 1971. After the death knell of the musclecar, engines like the 360 and 400, bored out 340s and 383s respectively were blue. Of critical note in this thread however, all 426 Hemis were painted orange no matter what and all 426 street hemis used dual carbs.  The Nascar versions were limited to just 1 4 bbl. except for a very brief period in 1968 when dual carbs were available there too. The engine in the Charger 500 kit is a 426 Hemi and should be painted orange with 2 4 bbls to be factory correct. Thanks for listening everbody.  I know its easy to forget sometimes and I didn't state everything above either.  But that which I did, I do remember and is correct. Dave Bayer

I think you missunderstood my post. I meant to say that if it was a multicarbed engine built after 1962 (with a small hand full of exceptions used in the 300 letter cars) the color would be orange. Even the 343 HP engine was painted the aqua color. 1963 was the year that Chrysler ran the full page adds with the max wedge engine, calling it the "orange monster." The gold valve cover engines ould be 59 or even earlier.

    1963 was the advent of the new redesigned 318 / 273 engines that shared the same block along with the 360 engine. The 340 had a larger bore diameter. never messed with them much.

    There were no less than six different max wedge engines built, plus the single carb engines used in circle track racing (three completely different engines here). 1963 saw the Stage One thru Stage Three engines offered (NHRA says they didn't build a Stage Three in 1963, but they're wrong as usual). These have different blocks than the others, but still look very similar. All these engines are painted orange

    Late hemis can be divided into three major catagories with street hemis being divided into three more. The early street hemis had different pistons and rings in them, and seemed to take forever to break in. In 1968 they went with a different piston ring setup that was not changed till the end of production. The third variant was the SS/B engine. I can't for the life of me remember what the compression ratio was, but think it was 11:1. It used the Stage Three max wedge carbs and a smaller top like used with a street hemi. Camshaft was an Isky 505 flat tappet, and these cars would run (probably had a real 575 hp as delivered). Most all were four speed cars. The race hemis are all pretty much the same configuration with lightweight parts exchanged here and there. The only odd ball here is the very early 1964 hemi, and they probably didn't make a dozen. All these engines are painted hemi orange no matter when and where they were used.

All 361, 383, 413, 426, and 440 single carb street engines are painted the aqua color no matter what or where they were used. But if the engine had three carbs it was painted orange. The 1962 343 hp engine built on the 383 block (two fours) was painted aqua. But there maybe a wrench in this madness! There were 350, 361, 383 (two completely different motors here), and 413's built prior to 1962 (1959 and later), and I'm not sure what color these are. But suspect these maybe black before 1960.

gary

Jeebus wrote:

squeakie wrote:  the doog wrote: I play Heavy Metal professionally, but in "real life" I play all kinds of music--a good song is a good song, period, and I don't really restrict my interests! I don't really sing--only to my girl, Jenn! Interesting info about the engine possibilities there, fantacmet--thanks for the input! I have decided to go with the blue--mixed some up and shot it yestrday!   I played drums for several years, and just kinda grew out of them. I did pick up some sticks about a year ago, and played thru a couple tunes over at a close friend's place. He's a professional drummer with his own jazz quartet. Was told "not to quit my day job!" If I was young again, it would have been the tenor sax or keyboards (even though I have small hands). About five years ago I was on a search for a good used baby grand piano, but gave up on it after I realized it just was not a good fit in my living room.     When I was a kid we heard about this guy playing out on the westside of Indy that had a completely unique style of play. So we hitch hiked over there to check him out. Snuck in the back door and listened to the guy do unique chords one right after another like there was no end in sight. His side man was a Hammond B3 player that was equally as good. So who was he? Wes Montgomery playing with Mel Rhyne. I later became friends with Rhyne (regarded as the best B3 player anywhere by his peers). Another good guitar player I listened to was the late Albert King. Played a Stingray with four pickups on it. I can still remember the stunned look in the audience when he and his brother walked out on stage in starched bibs and a white shirt and tie. About ten bars later the place was goping nuts! Allman is still one of my alltime favorites (saw in live at the Fillmore). gary Was that at the Filmore East or West.

somebody gave me a ticket to this place in NYC. Bought a plane ticket for $69, and gacve a taxie driver $20 to get me there and be there when the show ended. Yes it was The Fillmore East for one of the middle days of that five day concert series.

gary

Gary,  Hope being a new guy here I'm not stepping on any toes.  Really with cars, unless you're a factory stock replica builder anyway, whatever looks nice to you you should do, so more power to you all.  But I've not only been a lifelong mopar model builder, I'm also a life long Mopar owner and attender and participant at many Mopar car shows. 

Because of that, I can say that there were many just plain red painted mopar engines over the years from the factory.  The original A Block 273's which eventually morphed into 318, 340 and 360 LAs were red most definately.  So were the original 318's, the polyspherical head ones used mainly in Plymouths up from the mid 50's to 1966.  There were a few other sizes of them earlier as well and they were used some in Dodges too.  The early Plymouth versions of them, used mainly in Furies, used Gold Valve Covers and Aircleaners to throw in a further wrinkle.  I think you are right on the early ,50's Hemis generally having black painted blocks and different colored valve covers and aircleaners at different times.  Come around 1960 though the standard color for nearly everything in V8s was that turquoisy blue with the exeception of the heretofore mentioned 273, and also I believe the Slant 6's of that era were red until becoming black in the later days.  Then around 1967 the more true Chrysler blue came out for all V8's and continued til the end times when many of those, largelly 318 LAs became black.  This included the high performance engines through 1968 and the other "High Performance" engines such as the Police Package engines on into the 70's.  But the magnum or commando engines starting in 1969 until their demise were orange and very close to Chevy Engine Red or Orange (Hemi Orange)and that included the 340s, 383s, 440s and Hemis through 1971. After the death knell of the musclecar, engines like the 360 and 400, bored out 340s and 383s respectively were blue.

Of critical note in this thread however, all 426 Hemis were painted orange no matter what and all 426 street hemis used dual carbs.  The Nascar versions were limited to just 1 4 bbl. except for a very brief period in 1968 when dual carbs were available there too.

The engine in the Charger 500 kit is a 426 Hemi and should be painted orange with 2 4 bbls to be factory correct.

Thanks for listening everbody.  I know its easy to forget sometimes and I didn't state everything above either.  But that which I did, I do remember and is correct.

Dave Bayer

UnderdogF7U wrote:

Old mopar guy here.  It depends what engine you are using basically, not necessarily how it was equipped.  If you are working on the AMT/MPC 69 Charger 500 and using the engine from the kit, that is a 426 Hemi and in all cases they are to be painted Chrysler Engine Orange (Hemi orange, Chevrolet Engine Red in Model Master paints is very close, or obtain some actual engine paint from like the Eastwood Company)  The stock street Hemi would use the dual carbs too, incidentally, with the round air cleaner.  The Nascar versions of this engine were single carb, however, still painted Orange.  If you are swapping in the available 440 Magnum however, some of the early runs were in the Chrysler equipment blue color but by and large all post 1968 Chrysler Hi-performance Big Blocks, 383 Magnum, 440 Magnum, 426 Hemi were painted Orange through 1971, and I repeat, all 426 Hemis were painted orange. I hope this helps or that I haven't made you go back and repaint again. Dave Bayer

Old mopar guy here.  It depends what engine you are using basically, not necessarily how it was equipped.  If you are working on the AMT/MPC 69 Charger 500 and using the engine from the kit, that is a 426 Hemi and in all cases they are to be painted Chrysler Engine Orange (Hemi orange, Chevrolet Engine Red in Model Master paints is very close, or obtain some actual engine paint from like the Eastwood Company)  The stock street Hemi would use the dual carbs too, incidentally, with the round air cleaner.  The Nascar versions of this engine were single carb, however, still painted Orange.  If you are swapping in the available 440 Magnum however, some of the early runs were in the Chrysler equipment blue color but by and large all post 1968 Chrysler Hi-performance Big Blocks, 383 Magnum, 440 Magnum, 426 Hemi were painted Orange through 1971, and I repeat, all 426 Hemis were painted orange.

I hope this helps or that I haven't made you go back and repaint again.

Dave Bayer

the doog wrote:

Hey guys--I'm off to Germany to work for three weeks--see you when I get back! The Charger is coming along pretty fine, by the way! Thanks again for all your help and info!

good luck and wear your ear plugs

gary

the doog wrote:

Gary, you're just a Mopar-encyclopedia! Great info! Thanks for that input as well!

Lived and breathed them for years. Funny thing now is that I drive two Chevys, but if I want to go fast I think Dodge.

    Which brings into another small problem. I'm trying to find a junked 1964 Plymouth kit. All I need is the hood, and bumpers, as I have everything thing else I need but one part. I have a Dodge kit to use for most of the parts except for the bumpers and hood, so if anybody's got a body they don't want let me know.

gary

saw several errors in the chart. Never saw a red anything, and I used to own a 273 A block engine (the high performance one) in a 65 Dart. Seems like it might have been black. High performance 383's were always aqua (or whatever you want to call it) if they were with one carb. All 413's, 426 wedges, and 440's with one carb are aqua (even the ones in a GTX). I do think slant sixes may have been black except for the alloy blocked ones (I've only seen two), and they were not painted. I think early hemis may have been painted black as well as multi carbed engines built in the fifties (air cleaners were gold anadized (brother had a Desoto with two fours). The one I just can't remember is what color the 300F and 300G's were. I'm thinking black as well (these had the long ram intakes that had the carbs setting over the valve covers). There was a 383 with two fours built in 1962 that was painted orange, and there also was a 413 with inline two fours painted orange. These were in Chryslers, but were really not a true high performance engine even though they were rated at 390hp. All engines in Roadrunners, GTX's, R/T's, Chargers,etc were painted aqua if they had one carb (I do happen to have a photo of a factory fresh engine in a 68 Roadrunner to document this. But then again the above cars with multi carbs were painted orange (it's the same can of paint from 1962 till who knows when). Cannot vouch for all LA blocks (an A block was out of production in 1963), so red maybe right for them (340's were orange and that's an LA block). Now there were also a series of 413's and 383's built prior to 1962 that had cross rams (long rams), but were installed in Dodges under the D500 badge (also D501). I think these might have been painted in black as well (I've only seen two, and that's been eons ago). As best I can figure Chrysler just changed the name of the paint when the called it Hemi Orange cause it's the same stuff that's on a max wedge. I don't know who made that color chart, but he must drive Chevys cause anybody that's into Mopars knows this.

gary

mojodoctor wrote:

I found an interesting chart listing the factory colors for MOPAR engines from 1960 - 1973. May not be completely accurate, but it is from a decent source.   http://www.turbinecar.com/misc/enginecolor.htm

squeakie wrote:

the doog wrote: I play Heavy Metal professionally, but in "real life" I play all kinds of music--a good song is a good song, period, and I don't really restrict my interests! I don't really sing--only to my girl, Jenn! Interesting info about the engine possibilities there, fantacmet--thanks for the input! I have decided to go with the blue--mixed some up and shot it yestrday!   I played drums for several years, and just kinda grew out of them. I did pick up some sticks about a year ago, and played thru a couple tunes over at a close friend's place. He's a professional drummer with his own jazz quartet. Was told "not to quit my day job!" If I was young again, it would have been the tenor sax or keyboards (even though I have small hands). About five years ago I was on a search for a good used baby grand piano, but gave up on it after I realized it just was not a good fit in my living room.     When I was a kid we heard about this guy playing out on the westside of Indy that had a completely unique style of play. So we hitch hiked over there to check him out. Snuck in the back door and listened to the guy do unique chords one right after another like there was no end in sight. His side man was a Hammond B3 player that was equally as good. So who was he? Wes Montgomery playing with Mel Rhyne. I later became friends with Rhyne (regarded as the best B3 player anywhere by his peers). Another good guitar player I listened to was the late Albert King. Played a Stingray with four pickups on it. I can still remember the stunned look in the audience when he and his brother walked out on stage in starched bibs and a white shirt and tie. About ten bars later the place was goping nuts! Allman is still one of my alltime favorites (saw in live at the Fillmore). gary

I found an interesting chart listing the factory colors for MOPAR engines from 1960 - 1973.

May not be completely accurate, but it is from a decent source.

http://www.turbinecar.com/misc/enginecolor.htm

fantacmet wrote:

Hah ribs, I was SOOOO tired when I wrote that.  It's actually the recesses around the outside of the alternator you paint into with the transparent red.  You cana slo use a toothpick to paint in those recesses.

fantacmet wrote:

Hah ribs, I was SOOOO tired when I wrote that.  It's actually the recesses around the outside of the alternator you paint into with the transparent red.  You cana slo use a toothpick to paint in those recesses.   Squeakie as for my GTX, it's a 67, and I was just gonna do it pretty much as a bone stock car with some wheels and tires on it, maybe a part here or there.  Something a highschool kid might drive back in the day.

back then a 67 GTX was what every kid on the planet wanted. They were fast, and about the only thing that'd run with one in 1967 was a hemi GTX. But the real killer car on the street (for a factory stock car) was either a 1962 343 hp Plymouth, or a 350hp 1966 Nova. I'd put my money everytime on the Plymouth. With a 3350 lb. shipping weight your talking about the same weight as a Corvette with better suspension and about fifty more horsepower. But then they're kinda rare. I had the chance to buy a Dodge with the same engine package once, and should have.

gary

Hah ribs, I was SOOOO tired when I wrote that.  It's actually the recesses around the outside of the alternator you paint into with the transparent red.  You cana slo use a toothpick to paint in those recesses.

Squeakie as for my GTX, it's a 67, and I was just gonna do it pretty much as a bone stock car with some wheels and tires on it, maybe a part here or there.  Something a highschool kid might drive back in the day.

fantacmet wrote:

When I can find the disc again and get it cleaned up, I'll have to rip it, but it's from a band that nevre really got off the ground, they broke up before then.  However they did get 3 songs recorded,and it's stuff you'll find nowhere, but it's really good.  I'll have to send you the songs.  I was supposed to be doing promotional work for them, for a percentage but they broke up.  Oh well.  I've been in a couple bands myself.  One could never find all the peopel it needed, and the other one was plagued because the guitarist and drummer were a married couple, with drama issues.  Oh well.  I've since sold off all my big gear.  My studio equipment, and now just have a practice amp I built from a cheapo Squire, and I have 2 guitars and a yamaha keyboardf, and that's it.  Although I do have a very good friend who owns one of the top music stores in the state.  Too bad you live far away I'd love to do a jam session with ya.   As for the model.  PICTURES PLEASE!  I've kind of gotten inspired to build a dodge again and am working on my 67 GTX now, and am getting ready to start working on my Charger Daytona again, which is partially done.  I don't remember which issue it was in, but it's a Scale Auto Issue(try asking Aaron Skinner he can find out which issue), and you can get the back issue or just the article, but it is a complete detailed buildup of Erevell's Dart GTS.  It's amazing how easy it is to add details to these Dodge kits and make them look great. I do have one tip for you, to help in the detailing arena, and it only works on the old dodges just because of the design of the alternators.  On the 1:1 cars you can see right through the ribs, and see the red enamal coated wires inside.  Take an ultrafine brush, and some Tamiya or Testors clear red, and paint in between each of those ribs.  It makes a WORLD of difference just that one detail and helps to make it pop.  It makes it look like you shrunk a real alternator down to scale and bolted it on.  Very simple, and easy technique to make the engine lookmore detailed then it is.

If you got a Dodge or a Plymouth two door hardtop hemi car; why not build an SS/B car? These were specially built to compete in SS/B for two or three years (before NHRA factored them out). Basicly a street hemi on steroids! Everyone I've seen was in white with a blue interior. Used superstock springs, 3705 carbs and an Isky 550 cam. The intake looks the same as a street hemi on the outside, but it's alittle different on the inside and makes about twenty more horsepower above 7,000 rpm. Most were changed over to "rat roasters" from Eldebrock, and a few also used Stahl 180 degree headers. A good engine would dyno out at 700 hp., and many were in the 775 hp range. I had a buddy who had one that he drove around town! That's pretty much the same setup I used, but I went with a set of Racer's rollers and different headers with and even more modded intake than the factory one was. I have a hemi GTX kit, and may build one myself.

gary

the doog wrote:

I play Heavy Metal professionally, but in "real life" I play all kinds of music--a good song is a good song, period, and I don't really restrict my interests! I don't really sing--only to my girl, Jenn! Interesting info about the engine possibilities there, fantacmet--thanks for the input! I have decided to go with the blue--mixed some up and shot it yestrday!

I played drums for several years, and just kinda grew out of them. I did pick up some sticks about a year ago, and played thru a couple tunes over at a close friend's place. He's a professional drummer with his own jazz quartet. Was told "not to quit my day job!" If I was young again, it would have been the tenor sax or keyboards (even though I have small hands). About five years ago I was on a search for a good used baby grand piano, but gave up on it after I realized it just was not a good fit in my living room.

    When I was a kid we heard about this guy playing out on the westside of Indy that had a completely unique style of play. So we hitch hiked over there to check him out. Snuck in the back door and listened to the guy do unique chords one right after another like there was no end in sight. His side man was a Hammond B3 player that was equally as good. So who was he? Wes Montgomery playing with Mel Rhyne. I later became friends with Rhyne (regarded as the best B3 player anywhere by his peers). Another good guitar player I listened to was the late Albert King. Played a Stingray with four pickups on it. I can still remember the stunned look in the audience when he and his brother walked out on stage in starched bibs and a white shirt and tie. About ten bars later the place was goping nuts! Allman is still one of my alltime favorites (saw in live at the Fillmore).

gary

EXCELLLENT, caSSius!!!!!!

Thanks for clarifying that!!!

What fantacmet would have been referring to is the ability to see the enamelled copper windings through the cooling openings that are in the case of the alternator. Some manufacturers, such as GM, didn't provide cooling openings, but rather had sealed cases. This is an aftermarket part...but you'll get the idea...

Hope that helps...I'm looking forward to seeing the build...

Thanks fantacmet--I'll try to get some pics when I have something worth photographing--it's reallt in it's infancy right now....I'm going to work on it through the day...

I'm not sure what you mean about the alternators--"ribs"?!? What--you mean where the wires connect into it? By the time I connect wires to it, I'm not sure there'll be room to see much at all in there?

I'm also trying to add headrests to the seats as well.