Properly firing your engine's ignition is a necessity for good combustion-thus power. There are many aftermarket ignition choices for the RB Wedge and Hemi that offer added voltage to the spark plugs. Some long-time readers may recall we tested Performance Distributors (PD) 440 D.U.I. (Davis Unified Ignition) ignition back in our March '04 issue (Fire That Big Block). Nevertheless, that D.U.I. distributor is still under the hood of our 67 R/T test mule. Just a reminder, the 440 D.U.I. distributor only fits under the hood of non- Shaker, Air Grabber and Ram Charger equipped Mopars with stock type valve covers.inline_mediumwraptextrightIt's no secret that Ray Barton Racing Engines has been building, dynoing, and shipping the latest version of the MP 528 Hemi crate engines. Before being crated, Barton dyno-tests all the engines using the same dyno distributor and ignition (MSD Pro Billet, Moroso Blue Max wires, MSD 7AL ignition box and MSD Pro Power coil). In this ignition shootout, Performance Distributors' (PD) new Hemi DUI distributor will have to prove itself without the help of the big MSD 7AL ignition box.25605065/techarticles/engine/mopp_1001_installing_a_hemi_dui_distributormopp_1001_01_+hemi_dui_distributor+mp_528_hemi_crate_engine.jpgTrue

"Best Ever." Seems like we've seen that term used a lot to describe the '68 Dodge Charger. Starting with Ma Mopar's sales-number-counters, who saw the '68s sales easily top those of the wedge-fastback '66s and '67s combined, totaling some 96,100 Chargers and new-for-'68 Charger R/Ts-a total which would only be topped by Charger's biggest-ever sales year of 1973.inline_mediumwraptextright30580497/featuredvehicles/b_body/mopp_0912_1968_dodge_chargermopp_0912_02_+1968_dodge_charger+rear_view.jpgTrue

The Mopar hobby is a diverse one. Some of us are cruisers, happy to have wheels for Saturday nights. Some are mechanics, enjoying the effort of bringing a classic back to life. Others are preservationists, saving survivor-type cars or restoring cars back to their original appearance. Collectors look for the most unique examples they can find, and vintage race cars campaigned by well-known teams are at the top of the list. To have one is pretty special; to have several puts you into one of the most exclusive clubs in the enthusiast car realm.inline_mediumwraptextright30600960/featuredvehicles/a_body/mopp_0912_1967_ss_b_plymouth_belvedere_ro23_and_1968_barracuda_bo29mopp_0912_02_+1967_plymouth_barracuda_and_belvedere_stock_super_car+1967_barracuda.jpgTrue

Well, it's finally happened-you've been driving your daily-commuter Mopar for a few years now, and the last time you got in, you noticed the tell-tale sign of wear-yep, your seat's skin has started to tear. It's bound to happen, as many times as we slide in and out of our seats, a tear or wear spot is inevitable. It may even happen sooner that you think, if your late model Mopar came with the very basic of interiors.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe part's store seat covers did the trick for a while, but c'mon, there is a better option.26399677/techarticles/interior/mopp_0912_replacing_late_model_seat_skinsmopp_0912_02_+replace_seat_skins+store_seat_covers.jpgTrue

When it comes to restoring your Mopar, there are several distinctly different ways to get the job done. If you have more money than time, having the car completely refurbished by a professional restoration shop is a nice way to go. You simply drop the car off with a deposit, then the shop does all the work for you, and you pick the car up when it's finished (which usually involves writing a big check). At the other extreme, if you have the skills, knowledge, and tools you can perform all of the work yourself, replacing or rebuilding each part of the car until it's perfect, and saving money in the process. If you're like most of our readers, however, you fall between those two extremes, performing much of the work yourself, but farming out certain items like perhaps the engine, transmission, or bodywork and paint. But whether you do the job yourself or pay to have it done, and whether your car is being restored to stock specifications or highly modified, you'll need to know where to obtain quality parts to do the job properly.inline_mediumwraptextrightIf you want your Mopar to have award-winning good looks, then you'll need to know where to get the right restoration parts. This month we'll show you how to find them.30622323/techarticles/body/mopp_0912_guide_to_finding_the_right_restoration_parts_for_your_moparmopp_0912_01_+restoration_parts_buyers_guide+award_winning_mopar.jpgTrue

Remember when you got your first Mopar? Chances are it wasn't a Six-Pack equipped Road Runner or Hemi 'Cuda, but rather a Charger, Satellite, or Dart with a 318 or similar low-performance engine and single exhaust. But even though our first cars didn't necessarily have a hot engine from the factory, we could still get the look and sound of a healthy V-8, if not the performance, by having the local exhaust shop install a set of dual exhaust and performance mufflers. Back in 1985, when we had our first set of duals installed on a 1970 Dart, the local shop charged us just over a hundred bucks in parts and labor. These days, it's difficult to find an exhaust shop that does much more than repairing OEM cars or installing giant Honda mufflers, so the days of a local shop installing quality dual exhausts are long gone. Fortunately, Tube Technologies offers Mopar lovers a great alternative to the exhaust shop, allowing us to install quality dual exhaust ourselves.inline_mediumwraptextrightThese days, it's hard to find an exhaust shop that will install a decent set of dual exhaust for a reasonable price. Fortunately, TTI makes installing great quality exhaust on your Mopar an easy job that you can do yourself!26401381/techarticles/suspension/mopp_0912_installing_tti_dual_exhaust_pipesmopp_0912_01_+tti_dual_exhaust_pipes+dual_exhaust.jpgTrue

Each of us had an influence that made us fans of Mopar. For 46-year-old Dana Motes, this influence dated back 36 years, to when he was 10 years old. "I was working on a Volkswagen with my father in a one car garage and he was slowly turning me into a gear head," he recalls. Thankfully, his time spent with "the People's car" didn't last long; otherwise this may be a feature in VW Muscle. Two years later, in 1974, Dana's brother, Calvin, purchased a brand new '74 Road Runner with a 400 engine backed by a Pistol Grip four-speed. After that, and with the support of his father, Dana's life would eventually be consumed by his passion to build the ultimate Challenger with his family by his side.inline_mediumwraptextrightDana didn't know the Challenger was High Impact Citron Yella until he pulled over to get gas and noticed that it had changed color.26352394/featuredvehicles/a_body/mopp_0912_1971_dodge_challengermopp_0912_06_+1971_dodge_challenger+front_view.jpgTrue

As Seen in November 2009 Mopar Muscle magazine

As Seen in November Mopar Muscle Magazine

Being able to keep your very first project car is hard to do. You usually encounter a scenario in your life that involves you parting ways with it and it's something you talk about and regret to this day. We all recall our first project because it was special to us and got the ball rolling. For 30-year-old Livernois Motorsports lead mechanic, Tim Skardoutos, he doesn't have to remember what his first project was like because he can turn the key and drive it anytime he pleases.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe chrome yellow Dart was made to cruise and enjoy.30550980/featuredvehicles/a_body/mopp_0911_1971_dodge_dart_swingermopp_0911_01_+1971_dodge_dart_swinger+front_angle.jpgTrue

If you've been following the B-3 project, you know that we originally built this '67 Barracuda to run ten second elapsed times, on a budget of under ten thousand dollars. Having accomplished that goal, we've decided to upgrade the car and see just how quick we can go without cutting the car for larger back tires. Last month we installed new CAP Auto tubular suspension components up front, and this month we'll freshen up our "Wedged to the Max" 500-inch Indy headed big-block and put it in the Barracuda. To get our Barracuda to hook up with this additional power and torque, we knew we'd need the best bolt-in suspension components available for our A-Body, so we called Calvert Racing Suspensions and ordered their CalTracs system for our car.inline_mediumwraptextrightWe recently upgraded the front suspension of our B-3 project, and this month we'll freshen and install a 500-inch Wedge, and upgrade the rear suspension with Calvert Racing Suspensions' CalTracs system.30821400/techarticles/suspension/mopp_0911_caltracs_suspension_installmopp_091100_tech_01_o+CalTracs_susension_install+.jpgTrue

Project SuperBee, www.cars-by-chris.
How embarrassing is it when you get to a local cruise night or car show and you can't get the door on your Mopar to stay latched? Everyone is watching as you try slamming it several times, each time the slam gets harder. Not what you want your Mopar to be known for.inline_mediumwraptextright26565385/projectbuild/mopp_0911_dynamic_renovation_door_jam_repairmopp_091100_bee_02_o+door_jamb_repair+.jpgTrue

It's amazing how quickly things can get out of hand. We all start projects with a good idea of what we want, but that plan always changes. In the case of Paul Jasinski's '70 Charger, small aspirations developed into a full-on restoration with no attribute overlooked.inline_mediumwraptextright26316742/featuredvehicles/b_body/mopp_0911_1970_dodge_chargermopp_0911_02_+1970_dodge_charger+rear_view.jpgTrue

Residing in the country where the muscle car originated, we Americans sometimes forget that our affliction with automotive power knows no boundaries. While we may have started the muscle car craze here in America, it certainly caught on quickly in other parts of the world, and Finland is no exception. This month Tero Ilola of that country reminds us that many Fins are avid automotive enthusiasts and drag racers as well, as he shares his rare find, which is a '62 Dodge Dart that just happens to be a part of Finnish racing history.inline_mediumwraptextrightAs Finland's Tero Ilola shows us this month, rare finds can be found all over the globe. This '62 Dart was once a famous race car in Finland, but was left to sit in the countryside for two decades before being rediscovered by local enthusiasts.30807048/featuredvehicles/a_body/mopp_0911_1962_dodge_dart_rare_findmopp_091100_rare_01_o+1962_dodge_dart+.jpgTrue

The car was tubbed to fit the massive 33x22-15 Hoosiers it carries. It received a custom interior that Keith designed along with the owner of Alexie Auto Trim. The rear frame, roll bar, and axle housing were sourced from S&W Race Cars and his friend, Don "Flash" Gordon, assembled the motor. Ron Clark, owner of Clark Performance, modified the twin 600-cfm carburetors and his friend Ronnie Wechsler assembled the transmission.inline_mediumwraptextrightJust like hubby, a body color cage lets everyone know that there is enough power under the hood to get you into some real trouble.30551751/featuredvehicles/e_body/mopp_0911_1971_dodge_challenger_and_plymouth_cudamopp_0911_08_+1971_cuda_and_challenger+challenger_interior.jpgTrue

By now we're sure you've seen the new Dodge Challengers at dealerships, cruising the streets, and maybe even making passes at your local dragstrip. There's no doubt that Chrysler nailed the retro look of this car, as it attracts positive attention wherever it's seen. Inside the attractive exterior of the new Challenger lies a modern, well refined chassis, smooth and powerful drivetrain, and comfortable and quiet cabin, making the car a great performer and a pleasure to drive. We've had our '09 Challenger R/T for several months now, and while it's a blast to drive in stock form, we think the factory exhaust is just a little too quiet for a performance vehicle so we'll be upgrading to a high-flowing stainless steel cat-back system from Magnaflow.inline_mediumwraptextright30550257/techarticles/engine/mopp_0911_2009_dodge_challenger_gets_magnaflow_dual_exhaust_system_upgrademopp_0911_01_z+2009_dodge_challenger_rt+upgrading.jpgTrue

From one of the biggest perceived screw-ups in Ma Mopar's history emerged a lineup of "full-sized" cars that were considered hideously ugly by some, but were really a neat feat of engineering and became a vital part of both the Dodge and Plymouth line-ups for many years.inline_mediumwraptextright30979263/featuredvehicles/a_body/mopp_1001_1962_dodge_dartmopp_1001_09_+1962_dodge_dart_two-door_sedan+rear_view.jpgTrue

In the late 60's and especially in the early 1970's, Pony Cars with American Muscle made racing names for themselves with Dodge Challengers, Plymouth Barracudas, Chevy Camaros and Ford Mustangs challenging the road racing courses thorough the States in series known then as SCCA Trans Am and "A" Production. And while the series names and the definition of a Pony Car has been revised, the Competition among the Nameplates and the Teams that remember continues on.inline_mediumwraptextright25450421/featuredvehicles/race_car/mopp_091012_blackforest_motorsports_2009_dodge_challengermopp_0912_01_o+blackforest_motorsports_2009_dodge_challenger+.jpgTrue

With so many intake manifolds on the market, it can be difficult to decide just which one is correct for your application. Heavy cars with small camshafts and high final gear ratios can benefit from a low-volume, dual-plane design, while all-out race engines generally perform better with open plenum intake manifolds. Though testing all the available intakes for Mopar applications would be nearly impossible, we did get a chance to compare three popular intake manifolds for the big-block Mopar while we were at Comp Cams for the 2008 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge. While Indy Cylinder Heads' contest-winning engine was on the dyno, we made pulls with their 440-15 tunnel-ram intake, inline cross-ram intake, and single-plane 4150 flange intake (adapted to a 4500 flange) to learn just how they would affect the performance of the engine.inline_mediumwraptextrightHow much difference does an intake manifold make? We dyno tested three distinctly different ones on the winning Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge 440 to find out.30771921/techarticles/engine/mopp_0911_intake_manifold_testsmopp_091100_qt_01_o+testing_intake_manifolds+.jpgTrue

Parts List

• Factory 1970 Chrysler 440 Block
• Indy 440-SR CNC cylinder heads
• Stainless steel valves
• Comp Cams valvesprings
• Harland Sharp roller rocker arms
• Eagle forged crankshaft
• Eagle H-beam connecting rods
• Diamond custom forged pistons
• Comp Cams roller camshaft
• Comp Cams solid roller lifters
• Progear Timing Chain and Gears
• Melling oil pump
• Milodon oil pan
• Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold
• Holley Dominator carburetor
• MSD Pro-Billet distributor
• Diamond piston rings

If you're like us, when you hear the words "aluminum Hemi" your mind leaps to images of nitro-slurping funny cars and rail dragsters from the golden age of drag racing-engines with satin-finished blower cases, fuel injection "bug catcher" intakes and fuel lines the size of fire hoses.