Like we said, unless you want to continuously see your buddies' taillights, you really need to check into getting some of these street performance parts that we have listed. We took a poll on our Facebook page, asking what people felt were the top street-oriented performance parts that every Mopar should have. If you didn’t notice the post, apparently your buddy did, because he knows.

Of all the big-blocks built by the Chrysler Corporation, the 383 is the most widely produced, and likely the most underrated of them all. As a big-block, the 383’s displacement isn’t nearly as small as the 350 or 361 cubic-inch B-series engines produced by Chrysler in the early days of the big-block, but it’s also not nearly as large as the popular 440 engine either. When the Chrysler Corporation decided to add the 906 cylinder heads and high-performance 440 camshaft to the 383 for the 1968 model year, the engine immediately became a hit among enthusiasts of the era. Installed in the Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Superbee, this engine easily propelled these B-Bodies to low 14 second quarter-mile times at trap speeds of more than 100 mph. And with a little work, the 383 could go deep into the 13s and still be much more drivable than the optional Hemi.

If you're into Mopars, chances are you're into racing and the racing heritage that made Chrysler famous. From the dawn of motorsports, Chrysler embraced the racetrack, building cars and trucks to compete in nearly every competitive form of racing. Some argue that they did their job too well, as their purpose built race cars dominated many of the classes they were designed to run in. Some of these cars were handicapped by sanctioning bodies to the point of being non-competitive, while others like the Hemi powered '68 Darts and Barracudas were relegated to run in their own class since none of the competitive brands could keep up. Even today if you watch the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes of NHRA drag racing you'll notice that most, if not all, competitive cars still run a version of the famous 426 Hemi engine.

Last month we began building the late-model Hemi engine for our '10 Dodge Challenger drag car by bolting together a 426-inch bottom end using a factory 6.1 Hemi block. Our intentions with this late-model Hemi are to show Mopar Muscle readers how well the latest version of the Chrysler Hemi can run when built properly using a combination of factory and quality aftermarket components. We've challenged ourselves to make big power from this engine, and we decided to build the engine to run on pump gas to reduce the weekly costs of operating our bracket car during race season.

When considering engine performance, if anything has been a game changer, it is the advancement in cylinder heads. Back in the '60s and '70s, and even the '80s, the average street machine's engine typically wore the same iron heads the engine left the factory with. In those days, the typical hot-street cylinder heads might have received a three-angle valve job and a set of springs to match a hotter cam. Sure, there were some serious performance cylinder heads, like the famous iron W2 small-block units from Direct Connection, but the vast majority of street engines ran stock production heads. These days, aftermarket cylinder head choices are broader than ever, and given the potential performance gains versus the cost, they offer an excellent value compared to rebuilding old factory iron. Aftermarket cylinder heads are available in aluminum and iron construction. While there are iron heads that definitely offer a performance advantage over the factory units, we will save that discussion for another day. Our focus here is on the street/strip style aluminum aftermarket heads that will bolt onto a factory 59-degree engine block.

For a solid 15-year run from 1971 until 1984, the Carter ThermoQuad (TQ) was ubiquitous on Mopar four-barrel V-8 engines. Really an evolution of the long line of Carter four-barrels, the TQ was a break in tradition, moving from the square-bore configuration of the earlier AFB and AVS carbs to a spread bore layout similar to the Rochester Quadrajet. The original OEM ThermoQuad, debuting on the 1971 340, was a unique unit with different castings, metering circuits, and tuning parts. These 1971 carbs are quite rare, and pretty much orphans today outside the world of authentic restorations. Subsequent carbs were produced in huge numbers, and saw only minor changes through rest of the production run. Though the TQ was an all-new carb, the distinguishing characteristics of earlier Carter four barrels were still there. This was an era where fuel efficiency and emissions were major considerations, and the highly-refined ThermoQuad carb, with its small primary barrels, dual booster venturi, and three-stage metering rods was perhaps the most advanced four-barrel carburetor on the market.

We all know the 440 big-block is the largest displacement V-8 engine built by Chrysler, and when it comes to a combination of torque, power, and drivability, the 440 ranks as one of the best engines ever built. Instead of utilizing a high compression ratio or aggressive cam grind for its muscle, the 440 relies on sheer size, making great power from an idle with enough torque to get even the heaviest Mopar C-Body moving quickly. And while the Mopar 440 does several things very well, we've always felt that with a few tweaks the engine was capable of well over the 375 horsepower rating it got from the factory.

One of the most common questions we get regarding engine builds is, “How much compression can I run?” It seems like enthusiasts intuitively gravitate towards pushing the compression ratio up as high as practical, and for good reason. With increased compression comes increased efficiency, manifested by improved power and economy. Everyone knows the stock low-compression engines of the early emissions era were dogs by most measures, soft on power while guzzling fuel. Those late smog 318’s 360’s, 400’s, and 440’s often came through with actual measured compression ratios of less than 8.0:1, crippling power output as well as economy. When building a performance engine, optimizing the compression ratio is one of the biggest challenges in putting together a successful combination.

Most Mopar enthusiasts are somewhat technically minded people, and understand the principles of the parts that make their car or truck perform like it should. There are some parts of Mopars, however, that most of us just don't get the chance to understand fully and one of those parts is the torque converter of the automatic transmission. Last month we described the 904 transmission that we'll be installing behind a late-model Hemi engine in our 2010 Dodge Challenger bracket car, and this month we'll address design and operation of the stall converter that we'll use to couple the engine to the transmission.

Performance, styling, and the Hemi engine are all features common to both late and early Mopars, but there are some things about Chrysler's new performance offerings that have nearly nothing in common with the classic Mopars we love. Sure, the new Mopar vehicles have many similarities to the Mopar cars built during the sixties and seventies, but looks and nameplates can be misleading. In many ways, these late-model Mopars are far more advanced than our older muscle cars, with amenities such as satellite radio and navigation that weren't even available when the first Road Runners or Challengers rolled off the assembly line. And with computers controlling the engine's fuel injection and ignition system, as well as the transmission and even the vehicle's traction, there's no doubt that these advancements make the latest Mopars amazing performers, while also being a pleasure to drive. One area of the new Mopar LX platform cars that helps in many ways is the independent rear suspension. Unfortunately, while there are many advantages of independent rear suspension there's also one disadvantage. During hard straight-line acceleration, these cars can have a tendency to spin the tires, resulting in wheel hop.

It's no surprise that the new Hemi is an impressive power plant, and a worthy successor to its legendary namesake. From the pedestrian 5.7 all the way up to the new 6.4, the Hemi is more than a match for anything offered by Ford or Chevy. Credit goes to the cylinder heads and an efficient intake design for the majority of the power. The tremendous flow rate of the heads and intake allow the factory Hemi to produce prodigious power with mild cam timing. The Hemi is literally begging for more aggressive cam timing, but fuel economy, emissions and idle quality concerns all dictate mild cam timing for factory engines. Given the airflow potential, one route to improved factory performance is increased displacement. Chrysler took this route with the new 6.4 Hemi to the tune of 475 horsepower. If 400 is good, then 800 horsepower must be even better, and the only thing better than 800 is 1,000 horsepower. Are you starting to get the picture?

You may or may not know all of the details about Chrysler's latest version of the Hemi engine, but one thing is certain: This engine is a performance powerhouse. Even in stock form, the late-model 5.7, 6.1, 392, and 6.4 Hemi engines will run circles around past versions of this venerable powerplant in terms of power and efficiency, and the new Hemi platform responds great to modifications as well. So when it came time to choose an engine platform for the '10 Dodge Challenger we're building as a dedicated drag racing car, the late-model Hemi just made the best sense. This month we'll show you what parts we utilized to build our 426-inch short-block, and next month we'll finish the build with a full description of the top end and dyno testing. If you're a fan of the new Hemi, then you'll definitely want to follow this build as our results were impressive. And if you're not a fan, well this pump-gas late-model Hemi may just convince you that you should be.

We felt that the AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Numbers Don't Lie Showdown would be a great way to interact with our readers. We really enjoyed the great turnout for the inaugural contest, and had a fantastic time talking with the spectators, sponsors, and participants in the contest. If you were at the Nationals this year, we'd love to hear your thoughts about the dyno showdown so we can make the event even more spectacular next year. And don't forget, entry in the AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Numbers Don't Lie Dyno Showdown is free for Nats participants, and if you're chosen, you get a great package of goodies and the chance to see your Mopar in the pages of Mopar Muscle magazine. So send us an email or letter to tell us what you think of our contest, and be sure to send your application in for next year's contest. We're already considering additional classes including an Open Outlaw class and diesel powered class, so we can feature a wider variety of Mopars in next year's competition. And remember, even if you don't enter the competition you can still find out what kind of power your vehicle makes to the wheels by paying the dyno operator to test your car. Thanks for the great turnout this year and we look forward to seeing you next year.

In the November 2012 issue of Mopar Muscle, we began building a bracket engine for the '72 'Cuda owned by local Mopar enthusiast Jim Freed, by assembling the bottom end of a 535-inch big-block. In this month's issue, we'll top this durable short-block with Indy Cylinder Head's 440-1 cylinder head and intake package, and dyno tune the engine for power and reliability.

Of all the components that make up a Mopar performance vehicle, the automatic transmission is likely the least understood both by the general public, enthusiasts, and even some mechanics. It's little wonder though, as so many books and magazine articles are devoted to engine modifications and ways to enhance your car's power and performance, yet very few are dedicated to the inner workings of transmissions. Let's face it, money spent on components like aftermarket camshafts, cylinder heads, and carburetion will certainly enhance a vehicle's performance to a greater extent than the same money spent on transmission upgrades. But at some point that powerful big-block, small block, or Hemi in your Mopar will overpower a stock TorqueFlite transmission, requiring the transmission to be upgraded to handle additional power and torque.

Since the 273 V-8 was introduced, the Chrysler LA series small-block engine has become a hit with Mopar performance enthusiasts. Packaged in a small, lightweight block, the small-block Mopar is some 150 pounds lighter than a comparably equipped big-block. When the 340 engine was introduced, it sealed the deal, as it was quite a match for any off-brand small-block, and the 360 LA and Magnum versions of this engine are proven powerhouses as well. Thanks to great aftermarket support for the Mopar small-block, displacements, and power levels, are far greater now than they have ever been, allowing the small-block Mopar to make power numbers previously reserved for big-block or Hemi engines.

When it comes to camshafts, and the timing thereof, a lot of guys feel that understanding it is a black magic. But it isn't really that hard to understand. As the camshaft spins, the lobes open and close the intake and exhaust valves in correlation with the motion of the piston. To keep things running smoothly, there is a direct relationship between the shape of the cam lobes and the way the engine performs at different speeds. Basically, when the intake valve opens and the piston starts downward on its intake stroke, the air/fuel mixture developed in the intake is pulled into each cylinder. When the piston reaches the bottom of its intake stroke, the air/fuel is being pulled into the cylinder at a high velocity (speed). If we close the valve immediately after the piston finishes its downward motion, that incoming airflow abruptly stops. But, if we leave the intake valve open just a fraction of a second longer, the momentum of that fast moving air/fuel mixture continues to force more of the mixture into the cylinder (scavenging effect) as the piston starts its compression stroke (return to top of cylinder). What this means is that we want to keep the intake valve open as long as possible, but as you can figure out, keeping it open too long has a detrimental effect on power.

Our latest project is a '10 Dodge Challenger that we're building into a dedicated drag racing car. Owned by local Mopar guy Fred Menditto, this '10 Dodge will be driven at local and national events by Fred's son Rick when completed. We're sure you remember from previous issues of Mopar Muscle that although this particular Challenger was acquired with less than 20,000 miles, it had also been in a rollover accident resulting in what's called a salvage title, which, in Florida, means it can't be titled for street use.

It has long been known that the Chrysler LA series small-block engine can be a real powerhouse if the proper combination of parts is used during the build, and that cylinder head choice is an important factor when it comes to engine power. Even more important than cylinder head selection, however, is the work that goes into those cylinder heads. While many factory and aftermarket cylinder heads can make decent power right out of the box, power potential can be greatly improved by properly performed port and combustion chamber work as well as a good multi-angle valvejob. Unfortunately, if port work is done improperly, there can be great expense with limited benefit in terms of real engine power. Luckily, there are companies like Hughes Engines that have done their research, providing cylinder head modifications that are not only cost effective, but have proven results in terms of cylinder head flow, torque, and horsepower. This month we'll follow along as the Hughes team discusses cylinder head theory, and applies what they've learned to Edelbrock's popular Performer RPM line of small-block Mopar cylinder heads.

When it came time to purchase a new set of spark plug wires for one of our dyno engines, we decided to try the Firecore 50 wires, based solely on the fact that we had heard so many good things about the services they provide. When we ordered the wires, Rich Gorski asked if we would like to also test his line of distributors. He went on the tell us that he began selling a line of ready-to-run distributors, along with a line of billet distributors that are set up to run with your supplied ignition system. We explained to him what our test engine would be and within a few days we had his parts at our shop for testing.

Building a powerful big-block is easier than ever these days, and it's not difficult to make reliable power from the big-block Mopar if you pick the correct combination of parts. But with so many parts available for the Wedge engine, it's often difficult to decide which pieces are right for your application. And while many of us choose to purchase all of our parts new and build the engine ourselves, there is also something to be said for purchasing an engine that someone else might not have had much luck with, make a few changes, and end up with a reliable, powerful engine for an economical price.

It may seem hard to believe, but back in the mid-'70s it wasn't unheard of for Hemi car owners to swap out the Hemi in favor of a Wedge engine. It seems that--at no fault of the Hemi--the engine didn't have a great reputation among get-in-your-car-and-drive-to-work commuters. We're talking the Street Hemi now, not the two four-barrel cross-rammed racing version. They were (and still are) known to be temperamental, hard to start sometimes, and certainly not easy to operate in heavy traffic.

In recent years, we have heard of many enthusiasts having ignition control module failures. Most of these complaints come from the plug-in replacement "Orange Box." When reading through most any Mopar related forum, looking for an upgrade, the usual answer is a Mopar "Chrome Box."

When your classic Mopar came from the factory, the live axle, or solid rear axle rear, was the OE choice. A live axle consists of a centrally-located differential within a single housing. This housing also contains the axles that connect the differential to the wheels. The differential is connected to the transmission by a driveshaft that has a universal at each end. The reason for the universals is because when the rear suspension moves, this allows the rear end to also move, and the universals must be in place to compensate for the angle changes that the driveshaft sees during these movements. The main advantage of using a solid axle is that it is simple and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Its drawbacks, however, are that it doesn't allow each wheel to move independently in response to bumps, and the weight of the assembly is part of the vehicle, which can limit ride quality.

There are a lot of different ways to update the suspension on your muscle Mopar. If you're looking for a complete aftermarket for the front of your ride, there are a couple of choices available for you. For the sake of this article, we wanted to just focus on what can be done to improve handling, while retaining the stock suspension system. In other words, there'll be no mention of coilovers, airbags, or four-links--just the straight-up Mopar design. Lest you think that's boring, consider that there are some very fast Mopars out there running stock-style suspensions.