By now we all know that electronic ignition is more reliable and requires less maintenance than the older breaker-point style of ignition, so it just makes sense to perform this easy upgrade to our older Mopars. But with all the electronic ignition options on the market today, which one is right for your car? If you run a post '71 Mopar (as well as certain '71 models), you can optimize the factory Mopar electronic ignition that is one of the best OEM ignition systems ever made. In earlier cars, it's easy to install a Mopar electronic ignition system, if you don't mind the cost and the nonfactory appearance of an electronic control unit (ECU) box bolted to your firewall. If you're racing, an aftermarket high-voltage system is mandatory. But if you want the reliability of electronic ignition while retaining the stock look, a Petronix ignition kit may be just what you need.

There's no doubt that Chrysler's Slant Six engine is an engineering masterpiece and works very well when used for its intended purpose. Reliable, efficient, and powerful for its size, the Slant Six had one of the longest production runs in automotive history, finding its way into virtually every body style Mopar, including trucks. Though there were various performance versions of this engine over the years, the Slant Six was designed more for efficiency and longevity than power. So if you enjoy performance driving like we do, there are better options for your car than the Slant Six.

Part 2, Bottom End Bolt Up
Last month, we introduced our plan to assist Young Gun Darrell Kunda in his quest to build a budget-minded small-block for his '66 Barracuda. When asked how much money he planned to spend, his reply was: "money?" yep, he's a car guy. we hatched a plan to use a '70-vintage 318 as the core of our build and set out to build a reliable, respectably powered small-block using an engine that many just toss away.

Unless you rebuilding an engine with little to no budget you're going to upgrade to aluminum forged pistons. Besides being stronger than cast pistons, the lighter aluminum cuts parasitic power loss. That translates into more power at the wheels.

Chrysler invested millions of dollars and spent thousands of dyno hours designing and validating the Gen III Hemi valvetrain. And in stock form, it's an excellent design that'll go thousands of miles with total reliability. But things change when you start messing with the factory formula. While the stock 5.7's 340 and 6.1's 425hp ratings are nothing to be ashamed of, they only scratch the surface of the new Hemi's potential.

Have you ever noticed that there are some aspects of a musclecar restoration that are not very glamorous? I'm not talking about getting dirty rebuilding your engine or being coated in dust as you prep your car for paint. There are rewards for successfully completing those jobs. A well-detailed, strong engine or flawless, baby-butt smooth paint will bring you a lot of praise for your efforts.

Part 1, Let's Tear Down
We hear this question all the time: how can I build my engine without spending a lot of money? The bottom line: It takes a lot of searching for parts and aiming your goals a little below that of a 700hp big-block to accomplish it.

Do you hate hauling stuff in the rain with your truck? Do you think a tonneau cover will limit the amount of useable space in your truck so you don't get one? Well, you need to check out the new covers from Downey Products--their Top Spin tonneau covers. These covers deliver performance, style, and ease of operation, all rolled up into one tonneau. The Downey cover mounts on top of the bed, is water resistant, and allows full access to the truck bed when installed. The tonneau can be installed by one person, but it helps to have a friend around--just in case. The cover itself is made of tear-proof, UV-coated, tri-laminate fabric that is stretch and shrink resistant, and, according to Downey, is completely water resistant if installed properly. We found the construction to be of excellent quality, and it's easy to use and remove if need be. Simply pull on the latch lanyard, and away it goes. So if you're looking for a tonneau for your truck, Downey has what you need.

This year's engine challenge has certainly showed us that the small-block Mopar makes great power for the money. We also saw engine builders use a variety of techniques to try to gain an advantage in our competition. Our seventh place engine-built by MRL Performance-was the smallest in the contest at just over 318 ci. While this put engine builder Mike Liston at a disadvantage, we were happy to see at least one builder bring the most common of all LA engines to our contest. Our eighth place finisher-Diamondback Engines-also brought a strong performer to the engine challenge, but unfortunate mechanical problems kept them from making the dyno pulls required by the contest rules. Had Diamondback not had these issues, they certainly would have placed better.

Thanks to the ever-growing popularity of restored and cloned Max Wedge and Race Hemi-powered '62-'65 Dodge and Plymouth Super Stockers, many builders are quickly learning that the early ('62-'65) cable-operated 727 TorqueFlite does not accept the same torque converter as the later ('67-and-up) lever-operated 727.

There are few things that cause a classic car owner more frustration and dread than wiring and electrical issues. From starting and charging problems, to gauges and taillights that won't work correctly, tracking down wiring troubles can lead to endless hours of searching and to feelings of helplessness like nothing else.

So, your Mopar needs a blanket? OK, maybe the word blanket isn't correct, but covering your car and saving its paint should be a priority for you. Going to your local Wal-mart and buying a $20 cover is not what we recommend. The most popular cover materials used for custom-fit vehicle covers are made by Kimberly-Clark. But you can't simply call Kimberly-Clark and order your car cover, so who do you call? The world's largest manufacturer of custom-fit Mopar car and truck covers is Covercraft Industries, headquartered in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. Custom-fit covers are usually more expensive than generic non-fitted covers, but also do a much better job of protecting your Mopar. Covercraft has over 45,000 fitted patterns for most domestic and import cars, trucks, and SUVs, and has been steadily building that library since the business started in 1965.

Just what is it about a Six Pack setup that gearheads find so cool? Yes, they are synonymous with some of Mopar's most powerful engines. Sure, they are one of the most desirable original options. And there's no mistaking their roar when you open them up. Still, few would argue that it's easier to tune a single four-barrel, and most would likely admit that you can get better performance that way.

At one time or another it's happened to all of us. While working in the shop late at night trying to finish a project, we discover a part that will need to be repaired by welding. Luckily, some of us have welding equipment and can repair the part and move on. For most though, the project will have to be put off until someone else can perform the work, costing not only the price of labor, but more importantly, the time it takes to remove the part and take it to be welded. Chances are most of you don't have a welder in your shop. Frankly, the thought of using high electrical voltage to heat metal until it melts together permanently is enough to scare most people. When performed properly with the right equipment, however, small welding projects can easily be accomplished at home.

Take a walk around any car show-field or cruise night, and you will see beautifully restored cars everywhere. It's a given, people enjoy showing off their cars they have restored. But unlike the TV shows portray, making a rusted or banged-up wreck look like new does not happen in a week. what does it really take to make a car with less than perfect sheetmetal look like a show stopper?

Last month with the help of Muscle Car Restorations, we showed you how to replace the rear framerails on a B-Body. The outline we gave is basically applicable to all Mopar body styles, and we hoped it would give our more experienced, hands-on guys a guide so they can save their Mopars, if the need is there. Now we also realize that many of our readers may not be able to tackle such an in-depth and seemingly complicated job at home, but what's a guy to do? What if you really want to drive your Mopar, but you have found a rusty framerail or rails that just make it unsafe to drive the car. Whatever you do, DO NOT simply get rid of the car because you don't think it's fixable without major surgery. It is fixable, and we're here to show you how.

A few months ago, we showed how to rebuild the rear window channel and weatherstripping areas in this '68 Road Runner. The car had been improperly stored for years and required a substantial amount of metal replacement to the rear half. Owner Ed Blankenship chose Wize Guy Rod & Custom of Jonesborough, Tennessee, to apply their considerable metal-working talents to the car.

None of us like to think about this, but most of our favorite musclecars are rapidly approaching 40 years old. even though it's getting harder and harder to find complete original cars, and even though the prices for what we do find aren't going down, it's actually easier than ever to restore the car of your dreams. There are more parts and services available now then ever before.

Who says you can't find usable parts at salvage yards and swap meets anymore? Sure, it may be harder than it used to be, and you sure as heck won't find a 426 Hemi resting in a Road Runner in a salvage yard, but sometimes you can stumble across some parts you know you will be able to use someday.

When it comes to engines, small-blocks used to be small, and big-blocks used to be big. Today, the term small-block doesn't necessarily mean that an engine is small. Mopar guys are lucky now since stroker kits, aftermarket heads, and numerous other aftermarket parts are made specifically for the small-block Chrysler engine. We remember when building a small-block Mopar meant using mostly factory parts because that's all that was available. Since the small-block Mopar is gaining popularity as a foundation for big cubic inches and big power, we decided it would be fun to feature the small-block Mopar in this year's engine challenge to really show what Mopar's LA engine is capable of.

In our June '07 issue, we detailed what went into replacing the wheelhousings on Ed Blankenship's 383 Road Runner. Tracy Hicks and Mark Scott of Wise Guyz Rod & Custom in Jonesborough, Tennessee, had already replaced the trunk pan when we arrived on the scene to document the remaining metalwork on this classic Mopar musclecar. As mentioned in the previous installment, the trunk was done first to help create a platform to support people and tools, which will come in handy on this next step.

The 'Cuda and Challenger's Shaker hood is as iconic as a wing is to a Superbird. Only available on the performance version, the Shaker hood was mounted directly to the engine of E-Bodies. Heck, why am I telling you guys this, you already know it. But did you know you can now add a factory-inspired reproduction of that hood to your flat-hooded 'Cuda and/or Challenger?

It has long been known that a car's power-to-weight ratio is a good indicator of how a vehicle will perform at the track. As a standard rule of thumb in drag racing, a one-hundred-pound decrease in weight will shave approximately 1/10 of one second from a car's elapsed time in the quarter-mile. Since a tenth of a second is approximately equal to one car length, it makes sense to make your car as light as possible if performance is your goal. Because performance is definitely the goal of our Barracuda project car, and since we added the weight of a rollcage, frame connectors, and torque boxes, we'll show you how we lightened it back up by removing unnecessary equipment, replacing the glass windows with lightweight polycarbonate, and adding fiberglass body components.