"This was the first Mopar...
"This was the first Mopar I was ever in, and I found it in Colorado in 1985. We even raced it at an abandoned track out there and beat 8 of the 10 cars that showed up! Since I did it all myself, I enjoy hearing people tell me they like it, and it's well known out on Long Island where I live. Plus, it's a four-speed. I enjoyed the event; even the Pontiac guys were nice, and I'd like to see another Showdown that features small-blocks against big-blocks."
For Mark Abate of Deer Park, New York, the day began bright and sunny until he rolled out of the bleach box and up to the line. The bite was good-so good, in fact, that the rest of his driveline voted his four-speed yoke as the "weakest link," with predictable and devastating results. A mechanic by trade, Mark didn't quit, and spent several hours chasing down pieces and getting the driveshaft fixed. He was able to make a few quick squirts before we finished for the day.
Mark's plan had been to dial-in a new Calvert Racing mono-leaf/CalTraks rear suspension he had just put under his car. Obviously, the breakage prevented him from getting the bugs worked out, and the one preload change he had time to make did more harm than good. Nonetheless, he gets the "Good Spirit In the Face of Adversity" award for the day. Does the car look familiar? Mopar Muscle readers will remember it as the 425-horse bomb seen in our Carlisle Dyno Challenge feature in December.
'70 Plymouth Duster
Weight w/driver: 3,160
Engine: 1971 340 built by Se.l
Bottom End: 318-3 forged crank, 4.08-inch Ross lw 12.5:1 pistons, polished stock rods, C-A Dura-Moly rings.
Heads: MP W2 '99-year castingsï stock factory porting.
Valvetrain: Hughes flat-tappet (.602/.615 lift, duration 265/270 @ .050, 107-deg. lob. sep.), 2.02/1.60 stainless valves, 1.5 W2 roller rockers, installed 3-deg. advanced.
Induction: Single plane intake, Holley CarbShop 920 double-pumper, 78/88 jets, 2-inch carb spacer, MP electronic ignition w/two-step limiter, VP C-12 race gas.
Exhaust: 1 7⁄8-inch pri. to 3 1⁄2-inch coll. Hedman Hustler, Borla Shootout mufflers, full 3 1⁄2 exhaust, X-pipe.
Trans/Driveline: A-833 four-speed/23-spline/slick-shift modified, Hurst shifter, RAM metallic clutch, 8 3⁄4 -489 case/4.57 Detroit Locker internals.
Brakes: front disc/rear drum.
Wheels/Tires: Monoque 15x3.5/M/T Sportsman 7.50x15 front/Monocoque 15x10/Hoosier Quick Time Pro 29x11.5 rear.
Suspension: Sway bar removed, 6-cyl. torsion bars, CE adjustable front shocks, 3000 lb monoleaf/CalTrac bar rear suspension, MP rear shocks.
Safety Mods: 8-point cage, driveshaft loop, RCI harness belts.
Interior Mods: Jaz lightweight buckets, rear seat removed, tinwork by Tony Giresi Race Cars.
Body Mods: U.S. Fiberglass "Six Pak" hood, front bumper and bumper brackets.
| Run | Launch | Shift
Point | 60-ft | 1⁄8 et/mph | 1⁄4 et/mph | MPH | Notes |
| 1 | 5600 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | broke trans yoke on line |
| 2 | 5200 | 6200 | 1.76 | 7.51/94.38 | 11.63 | 120.04 | 10 psi tires, poor 60-foot |
| 3 | 5600 | 6200 | 1.74 | 7.37/95.55 | 11.45 | 121.45 | good run, adjusted rear preload before #4 |
| 4 | 5200 | 6200 | 1.86 | 9.18/65.98 | 16.79 | 51.31 | missed Second gear |
| 5 | 5200 | 6200 | 1.80 | 7.51/95.15 | 11.59 | 120.96 | final run |