Stephen Durr's Challenger is aptly named. It's not like all Dodge's short-lived rear-drive E-bodies didn't have the same potential, but this is one Challenger we know is capable of giving any other g-Machine a run for its money. With rear-wheel horsepower figures at 650hp and 708 ft-lbs., and more coming, you can see why it's truly a contender regardless of where the competition calls.
Obviously, power was a paramount concern in this buildup, so the 440-based RB block is worthy of further review. The block received an overbore prior to the addition of a 4.15-inch stroke crankshaft from Eagle. The crank was matched to Eagle 6.76-inch long H-beam connecting rods and the total displacement now checks in at an even 500 cubes. Custom Ross pistons hang on the ends of the long rods, and provide 9.2:1 compression when teamed with the combustion chambers in the well-worked Edelbrock aluminum heads. A Comp Cams hydraulic roller, pushing 230/242-degrees on the intake/exhaust respectively, tickles the valves. Lift numbers are .530- and .542-inch, respectively. Lifters are from Crane, pushrods are by Smith Bros., and the 1.6:1 rockers are from Speed Pro. All these great parts would work just fine on their own, but Stephen had other plans. The mechanical sculpture that used to be a 440 is now reliant on an ATI ProCharger D1SC supercharger for 9lbs. of boosted glory. An intercooler measuring 18x24 chills the boosted incoming charge on its wild ride to the intake manifold. An Edelbrock Performer RPM intake was plumbed for injectors and fitted with an 1,130 cfm throttle body to accept the boosted charge. ACCEL's DFI software urges the EFI to greater heights, and the fully-programmable setup has been fine-tuned to make the most of the huffed 500-incher.
With power concerns put completely to rest, decisions had to be made on the best-possible means of putting this power to the ground. A Keisler custom aluminum bellhousing is full of McLeod clutch and pressure plate products, feeding into the Keisler TKO-600 5-speed manual trans. The transmission has also been fitted with a traditional Mopar pistol grip shifter, of course.
Keisler also supplied the custom-length driveshaft, which leads back to the Dana 60 rear axle. Loaded with a 3.54:1 gearset and a fresh Sure-Grip unit, it's ready to take all the power the huffed 500-incher can send its way. Supported by Mopar Performance HD leaf springs, KYB shocks, a one-inch diameter anti-sway bar, and an adjustable pinion snubber, the aft chassis remains unmodified in its current form. The bolt-on upgrades have proven sufficient, so far.
The front suspension has received copious bolt-on upgrades as well. Another set of HD torsion bars supports the big-block, with another pair of KYB shocks and a 1.2-inch diameter anti-sway bar in place. Braking capabilities are enhanced with Baer Racing 13-inch rotors and twin-piston calipers. A matching master cylinder from Baer ensures stopping prowess is maximized, as another pair of Baer Racing rotors (this time in 12-inch diameter) also lives on each end of the Dana 60.
Nailing the stance is a job for 17x9 (front) and 18x10 (rear) American Racing wheels wearing 245/45-17 and 295/45-18-inch Nitto 555 road racy rubber. The 20:1 quick-ratio steering box (from Firm Feel) aims the sticky rubber wherever Stephen wants to stretch out the car's legs. So, where does one pilot such a car? Anywhere, according to Durr.
"What I'm actually impressed by is the car's streetability. The engine idles rock steady at 700 rpm, starts instantly in any weather, gets 16 mpg on the highway, and the coolant temps don't push past 180 degrees (thanks to a BeCool aluminum radiator, dual Spal electric fans, and a high-flow water pump). This is no trailer queen or race-only ride. It's capable of being driven to work daily or across the country (as was accomplished on the Hot Rod Power Tour). No problemo. Can you say 'streetable'?"
Yes, Stephen, we can. And for you, we have. We're confident Stephen's Challenger is up to it's namesake, and we appreciate how this has been done without losing the flavor of the classic Mopar musclecar. Plum Crazy paint? Check. Pistol Grip shifter? Check. Stock hood and road-racy stance? Check. Now that you love it, let's review those power numbers once again--650 rear-wheel horsepower, and over 700 ft.-lbs. of torque. Did we mention the nitrous? What's up with that, Stephen?
"I should be looking at over 900hp and 1,000 ft.-lbs. at the flywheel once I get the nitrous system dialed in..."
We can't wait. What about our readers? Are you still up for this Challenge?