It would seem that many of us were born into a life of Mopars. Our uncle or father had one and it captivated us from an early age. For 17-year-old Matthew Barrett, his upbringing was as strong as could be. Growing up, his father, grandfather, and uncle all drove Mopars. His mother even had a '70 Dart for a while and would take him to school in it. Naturally, when the time came for him to get a car, the only thing that was even acceptable was a Chrysler product.
He started at the young age of 13. After working several odd jobs and performing lawn work, he had some dough saved up. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to score a nice Dart or Duster but his uncle did have an old California D100 work truck he would sell to him. This wasn't what he had dreamed about for countless nights and it wasn't a muscle car, but after thinking about it he realized that it had all the right stuff, a V-8 under the hood with headers, an automatic transmission, and 8 3/4-inch rear. It was a muscle truck!
Now it's four years later and Matthew has spent nearly every penny he has earned on the pickup. The tired 318 was replaced with a powerful 340. His neighbor donated it to the cash-strapped young lad because he wanted to see it get used. Matthew bumped the compression to 10.5:1 and installed a 484 camshaft, Edelbrock Air Gap intake, and a Holley 750cfm carburetor. Attached to the back of the engine is a new TCI Streetfighter 727 transmission and 2,500 rpm converter. The rear was upgraded to a tire-melting 3.91 gear and Sure Grip differential. The cooling system has been treated to an electric fan assembly and a lightweight aluminum radiator. Other upgrades include a fuel cell mounted under the bed with an electric fuel pump and all new plumbing from front to back.
Appearance is just as important as going fast, especially when you have to drive it to high school every day. Matthew switched the Utiline bed for a Sweptline and painted the truck flat black. It was lowered 2-inches up front and 4-inches out back for a ground-attacking look and the wheels were replaced too. Now a set of highly polished Weld Pro Stars support the D100 and measure 15x3.5 in front and 15x10 rear.
His future plans are ambitious but we're confident in his ability to get it done. He wants to upgrade the ignition and install a 6AL box. More importantly, he wants to replace the interior with all new carpet, seats, and gauges. On the performance side, a pair of Clatracs is next on the list to help improve the truck's launch. While this wasn't his first choice, Matthew claims he couldn't be happier with his decision. "As rare as it is to see a nice Mopar car sitting at a stop light, it's even rarer to see a nice Mopar truck at a stop light." He is pleased to have something different and very thankful for all the assistance and support his father has given him over the years. "He taught me everything that I know."
For over thirty five years Indy Cylinder Head has been supplying the aftermarket with high quality engine parts as well as complete engines to power everything from Street cars to full-on Drag race cars. We have always been dedicated to making all Indy racers winners. Our secret is simple. We transferred our years of racing experience into our parts. Through thorough engineering and extensive testing, we have been able to assemble the correct combinations of blocks, cylinder heads, manifolds, pistons, camshafts, and every other engine component used to produce the ultimate in power.
We really understand what is needed to get you where you want to be--quickly. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.