426-Hemi

So a bit of work I've started... the interior! So, the floor was first, it had molded on floor mats so.....I had to think how and what way I was going to do things.... I thought the lighter gray colored floor mats would go GREAT with the white flooring, and seen here is also a mock-up of the passenger side door panel. Close up of the door panel with use of white paint, and then the Panther Pink inset, and the BMF trim! (THIS is thee first time I EVER used BMF, and I think that it turned out well for an interior! I also for the first time used the Embossing powder on the white areas, EXCEPT in the very middle above the arm rest. That will remain just gloss white. I painted the door hand and window winders with Testors Silver Chrome paint. Rear seat. over all white will BE gloss white NO embossing powder, with the Panther Pink inset to top it off. The rear panel will get some secret treatment to be seen when its done, (I'll say here that it has NOT been done so far as to what I have seen yet, BUT that will be revealed when Its done, I have to get my head screwed and or glued on straight on how I plan to carry it out. More to come the dash is a whole OTHER story, it too will reveal a secret! ENJOY!!!

So, then...... a few "updates" and possibly some more then just an "update"????? Sounds about in order I S'pose....... Well, one thing comes to mind here as I'm thinking out my update.....What ONE thing have I NOT pictured or shown? A CAR STANCE! How do you think, ole John is gonna make thee ole '57 300 "sit? "Stock"? NAHHHH, Raked????? NAHHHHHH My FIRST EVER.. LOWERED Car! Just a mock-up pose for the cars stance....Now granted, YES, I could have gone lower, BUT I had a few things making that impossible! One, I wanted to keep the engine INSIDE the engine compartment. NOT poking through the hood! 2 I wanted the engine I had planned (I could have went lower, using a different engine thats smaller then the one I used. and 3, I think it actually looks good where it is....BUT remember, I wanted a "sleeper" look, so slightly lowered was better then not at all! Engine looking good in the car! With a little space to spare! Not to worry, I'm gonna take that space too before its all said and done! Notice the engine has both is air intake pipes coming off the turbo's and going to each side of the Hillborn injectors now! Turned out VERY well......... I love how this all looks together! Well theres the engine..........sitting in the frame, its THERE to stay, the engine has been glued in, as well as the drive shaft (not seen here) and all so the frame, for the most part is done, (I left the front wheels OFF to get the engine in place, so nothing that way would get damaged due to the tight fitting 392 Hemi I put in this car! So now, a secret has been revealed......my first EVER "lowered" car!!!!! More to come. Interior is coming! S--L--O--W--L--Y!!!!!!

So now.. the REAL question..... is this BEASTLY engine I've created going to fit in the engine compartment, AND allow the hood to close, without adding ANY holes to the hood? MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Missing ONE "intake" pipe that will be identical to the one seen...... BOOM BOOM BOOM Well while pondering the engine and whats gonna happen with its details, I got to thinking and looking at the rear differential and well it was painted and looking as tho, it ought to go into the frame, so thats what I did while thinking about the details I want or not want to do to the engine....SO, here is what the rear portion of the frame looks like with the rear in place, its not going anywhere now! Notice, The one red muffler is missing, The hole that it was to mount too, wasn't "drilled" deep enough, so it had to be removed and the hole drilled (Thats remedied now however! Notice the shocks? those ARE BOX STOCK, with some added details, "Coil overs" NO other modification needed to get them in place! Was fun fitting the whole works.... Rear wheels ALSO in place! All tested, and looks GREAT in the body! Better view of the shocks and added details..... Well thats all for now folks. more to come when I got more done and able to get pics as I go... coming along nicely if I do say so myself!!!! As seen the front wheels were NOT in place, like the rear ones, SO, how do you fix that? On my '57 300, the wheels I chose were to wide and just needed about 1/16th inch clearance to the inside of the body, to look right. instead of trying to file the body (I could have) I choose a different approach! Put the ole Unimat mini metal lathe to work, once again! (This old tool has been right to the brink with this build, all sort of machine operations!) Notice that "rim" back? NO, thats the whole FREAKIN' rim! The chrome "front" is against the headstock thats holding the rim! This, to keep the machine turning the rear of the rim "true" and to remove just a 16th inch from the back of the rim, it measured out to be another 16th inch thick so.....I had a little "plastic" to play with to get the wheels "in" away from the body shell! I also did something with it to machine lower the front end just a bit....As you'll see in the "stance" when I'm at that point! Gotta love these old little machine tools! I know I do!

So now off to the right-hand side of the turbo set up...... Notice, the WHOLE right-hand side set-up is LOOSE! You HAVE TO, get the distance just right on the outer most Exhaust Turbine.....Once that much is set and glued in place, you can go on to assemble it with super glue (CA).... NOW I'm sure all of you who don't know are wondering where does the exhaust go? (IT POWERS the turbine, which spins the turbine to blow clean air into the engine! BUT the exhaust is just that, it comes out the CENTER of the Exhaust Turbine: THEN for those people, who are learning......The air intake is in the middle! CENTER of BOTH turbo's! See: Now this center air intake? It can have a short pipe topped with a K&N air filter, OR can go to something that comes in from the hood, the grill, you name it, FRESH AIR IS BEST! NOT "heated" air from inside the engine compartment! THEN the revealing......Coming just after these short messages!

So, now to continue.....I got one side "started" BUT be careful, you must leave some on one end or the other specially when doing tins side-by-side... Notice where the Turbo "Flange" ring is in the picture, its labeled, but, it also hides where the solder exhaust turbine meets the turbo center.....These rings? need to have 2 PER turbine intake or power, so in the center, it will have 2 side-by-side. Seen here is the 2 rings BETWEEN or pinched in from the 2 turbine parts, this completes ONLY ONE SIDE! For posing sake, here is the left-hand side done, awaiting the right hand side.... Right-hand side to come! Stay tuned!

Turbos it is! Here for all to see! Notice, the spool of solder? This is the Turbo Turbine, and Blower parts, there are 4 of them. 2 per turbo (remember this is a TWIN-Turbo set-up). The brass "Turbo center", VERY important for a set up like this keeps EVERYTHING on the same horizon to the engine as long as your exhaust headers are horizontally even. Side to side mounting is VERY important too, it must be long enough, cut it a bit "long" trim when all together..... Notice the solder is bent tightly around that brass pipe? This is how ALL of this will be made! The brass is left "long" and will be trimmed a bit and then trimmed again, later as you'll see! NOT glued at this point. A bit more has to be done first! Notice the '57 300's engine setting here, the brass has been trimmed BUT not "short" it will need trimmed to length one more time! ALWAY allow for mistake! You see 4 of the solder made parts, 2 Exhaust turbines, 2 turbo blowers..... Now for some details. Turbo "flange" ring material.....THIN solder! This shows HOW I made those really little Turbo "flange" rings to fill the void on the set-up. More to follow after these short messages!

Well a short update....As I have time... Got to thinking since I was working on the frame, HOW I was gonna go about doing the work to the suspension and what sort of "stance" was I leaning toward? WELL, I was gonna leave well enough alone till......I thought of this: The rear end, has been lowered just a tad....NOT much, but enough....Just enough to "look lowered" BUT not to much to have to worry about the engine coming through the hood! (My goal was to lower it to the point that the engine BARELY fit under it.....And that, it do!) This lowering? took out about a 1/4 inch in height. BUT will allow me to use the stock kit provided shocks! AND leaf springs! Which you see here! So while glue was drying, I got to thinking, WHAT wheel and tire combination, do I want to use? I looked at the kit provided parts and really? NAHHHHH I got a better idea! Chip Foose, had some insight, just NOT on the car itself! I had the wheels and tires from the '67 Coronet. NEVER really liked "Foose designs much" BUT on this car, those tires are nice, and the wheels? Yeah they needed some pant work BUT they look like a much bigger then stock wheel, just painted to go with the car......See: I think those will look AWESOME on this car, lowered a bit and done up well the car will deserve them! Then as you all know, I been working/pondering engine parts, and how to achieve things? WELL.....As I'm setting out thinking of the design of the turbos I have yet to make, I had to make sure things were in place that would be BEHIND them, hard to reach if I had put the turbos on already so....I got to adding a bit more small details to the engine! Backwards mounted Alternator, as it would not fit between the head and belt sit up so. as always, John had to think out-side-the-box on this one, as its NOT going in a drag car, so will need a way to recharge the battery....As I want it to be road worthy. I also had to add in a radiator hose cross-over part that goes between the heads (like the real 392 Hemi did) to have a radiator hook up. You can also see the fuel lines to the injectors from the pump with a filter in place as well! Then onto the rest of the engine.... The exhaust manifolds are in place, but before I got them in place the starter needed painted and added, drilled for wiring too! Then, off ot the other side I went, I had to get an oil filter in place BEFORE this sides exhaust manifold, and while at it this kit comes with a trans fluid dip stick so got that painted and in place too! .....BOOM---BOOM---BOOM..... TURBOS are coming!

Hows about an update? Shall we? As you seen I had the front of the frame, pretty well done, and ready to be painted so. after that was done and had fitted the engine to see what kinda space I was dealing with having, or not having in this case, I got the frame painted and detailed alittle.... A pretty good full view of the frame. Notice the fuel tank? Its NOT undercoated! As in real life all the restorations I've done, the frame gets a black undercoating to protect it, AFTER being cleaned and welded and or things repaired if needed. The fuel tank, same thing! ALTHO, it doesn't get an undercoating type finish! it gets a glossy black epoxy coating, that is like another whole layer onto the metal tank itself. This stuff, is some hard! I BET in real life fuel tanks with this stuff remain shiny, even after years of road time! Stuff cures like rock, almost....SO, with my old cars such as this they get what would look as tho I did in real life on 1:1 cars! Thats what is seen here. This is a bit of a close up, 2 different angles! Showing the fuel lines, supply to the fuel pump, and return....The longest copper line is the supply, coming from the center of the bottom of the fuel tank. The short one, is the return that would run between the floor panel and the top of the tank, right-side-up, to return fuel topside of the tank. These will remain, "copper" in this build! WELL as you all seen so far, I had the engine together and painted with the top end pretty much in place, for the time being, and NOW, to move right along, I had to make the exhaust manifolds that are to feed the needed power for the turbo's. BUT, nothing I have as a kit part will do, I'm working in VERY tight quarters, as you will see....SO, I took an got out my scratchin' supplies, and sat down to make these parts! With them done, (I didn't get pictures I should have) BUT loosely fitted to the engine, I HAD to see just how the fit was gonna be in the frame....Wanna see? Can ya say.......TIGHT!? WOW, I had to bend the frame from the center out towards the the axle ends to get the thing in place! At first? I thought it wasn't gonna happen! BUT ole John and his pacing thinking-hard-smiley-emoticon Got me to think of a way to get it in, AND back out.....LOOK at the engine! Theres NO real detail on the thing! SO, yeah, I couldn't stand to live with it like that! So, out it came, and then I just HAD to see if I could put the engine back in the same way I did the first time to see if any issues might crop up while still "fitting" things to it! Works great, BUT, I can tell you all I'll be glad when the motor is in place, to STAY! WOW! SO, with having that all done and some peace of mind about it, off to detailing the engine, I went! Valve cover "fins" got a little treat....Then after it dried, I went ahead and began making my own distributor, adding wires, and making it somewhat follow as the picture is of the real one! That long center wire in the middle of the engine valley? Thats the coil wire. The coil will NOT be mounted or placed on the engine itself like it would be normally. I'm putting it on the firewall! All the plug wires in place, running pretty clean, all twisted up in-line with each other looks GREAT, and even in the back of the engine they go to the lines of natural flowing wires had they been on a stock 392 Hemi, as if they ran in that center channel that those valve covers had.....All in all, I'm quite pleased with how this is coming along! My next feat? Scratchbuilding a set of turbo's to fit on this engine AND under the hood of the car! Stay tuned, more to come as I'm able and progress is made!

SO, with the front of the frame together, upon seeing this fit, I had some choices to make the torsion bars in the front were NOT right, the plastic was a bit tweaked and not a lot I could do to make it straight or even seem straight....SO, best case senserio, remove them all together, GONE! Replaced with plastic rod from Evergreen scale models stock, I have.... The rear most of these rods ar in place NOT glued, I have to make sure they allow the exhaist pipe to clear this area so.....A bit of planning goes into this modification.... Not bad up close a LOT betterthen what the kit had provided for such a detail.....BUT its age might have a bit to do withthe warping of those thing plastic bars and temps andsuch as well....No biggie tho, removed, replaced, problem solved! THEN the part I love the most!!!!! Who could guess what that is? Thee engine........possibly? SURE why not!? WELL now, doesn't that look just KILLER? SO, I began with the block, and added in a used set of heads, and then I took out some of my parts and added to it. I took a Lindberg Hillborn injector intake, cut it up......THEN added my OWN "tubes" to it, then to top that off, a "manifold" to be fed by a turbo. One for each set of cylinders..... THEN in my parts, I found a chrome engine valley plate. ALSO seen here! I took my timing chain cover an chromed it, to match.....And while I was at it, I pulled a nice chrome set of valve covers to go right in and fit the theme of "finned" parts...... NOTICE.......the ENGINE COLOR!

So everyone knows, this was a contest build that I had 3 months to complete some of you have seen the finished model, BUT I thought I'd post the whole build as it was done! ENJOY! So you all know I just got this one, and didn't even dawn on me till I had it and was looking at it, and then getting on the forums to use it for this contest! SO here I go again! As per da rules..... The kits engine ----^ REMEMBER this part of THIS kit! Then.... I give you........ [font size="7"]THIS: MORE to come as I get to making progress! Wait......That "REAL" engine? Is what I plan to Shoe-Horn into this '57 Chrysler 300!

I have planned to build both the VTS, (As a plane ole Ram 1500) and a dualie (from the snaptite kit from AMT) into a level 2 model with a Cummins turbo diesel in it. THEN to top that off, I want to built 2 of the Revell VTS trucks into this: I have not decided which "way" I'm gonna go yet, as you can see the rear fenders are different between the 2, AND each has a different cab as well..... These however are a ways off, I have to locate some parts before I even begin.....

No..... The "new(er)" 318 or 5.2L which ever is different! The 5.2L is the same C.I.D. as a 318, yes, BUT the 5.2L is a "Magnum" the old Mopar "318" is a LA motor, same sort of block, and rotating kit, BUT the heads are different and the intake is different! AND they aren't "interchangeable" if you have a true LA 318, you can bolt the heads from the Magnum to it, BUT you must use the factory intake that the Magnum heads came with.... UNLESS, you buy after market "special" parts from Mopar performance parts, or others from Jeggs, or the like of aftermarket parts places. -The new "5.2L" has a slightly better rotating kit and better main bearings then the old LA 318.... They cane be built to have decent power!

LOVE the hood pins! Does the hood "open" with those?

I love these old Mopars.......... I got a single '57 300. but I want yet to get a '58 Satellite, and anything else Mopar in the 50's..... NICE work!

Mike, I'll have to have a look at my Hot Rod Hydro (same kit) to see what the 392 Hemi is like..... I know, I do plan to use the 426 so we'll see....... I'm up for the task, after all, I got a few trucks that could use a nice tag-along behind them!

Carl, A Dodge Ram? Or a "Power Ram" from '80? Both existed just one was the Adventurer "renamed" and the other was a Power Wagon, renamed..... Either could have been bought with a 6 cyl in it. A slant-6, probably the 225.... As there were 3 different engine sizes for the Slant 6. You got a couple too huh????? WELL......... I hope this gives ya the urge to break 'em out and begin putting at least one together! I got to admit, I got these 2, seen here, and one other one thats a "family" sort of build, a work truck my Dad used the few years he worked for the railroad, when I was really young..... I recall the truck but thats about it and sadly there is no pictures that I know of or ANY family knows of so, I'm going from railroad protocol on it..... BUT I got 3 of these, and I have to admit, I'd LOVE to have one more, MAYBE 2, I don't care step-side bed would be GREAT, I'd settle for a 4th complete LRE and a partial kit with or without a bed (I have an extra long bed) just to build as I see fit as a pro streeted LRE with a Hemi..... -Just finding it for a price or trade I can afford is what kills me (I'm lucky I got the 3 I have at this point!) PLUS I got a model of my current truck! a '65 Dodge D-200 "Power Wagon" thats gonna be made like my real truck I own a '67 Power Wagon D-200 crew cab..... SO, with that said, I got a "few" trucks lined up, plus I want to get back to my monster Dodge A100 build too! But by all means, get 'em out, and lets fill up this section with Dodge trucks!

-I bookmarked that link on the cooling systems......I'll be using that when I get to building mine! Appreciate that! As much as I HATE to admit this, I bet I will NOT be using that 392 Hemi in that boat kit to power mine...... After-all my user name here is "426 Hemi" so. can ya guess what will take the place of the 392 Hemi?

Thanks Ron! All I can say is if you got the LRE and a sweptline bed, GO FOR IT. this is your inspiration off the 2 I'm building! I got to ask, you mentioned that you like clean lines what color was the truck you once had? My PW, that you see the model of here is slightly off, I had 34 inch tires on it, and the model measure out to 36 inch tires, BUT the tread and the look are right which is more what I was trying to get! -BUT I have to say, my PW would go anywhere...... (I can't vouch for my Dad's Adventurer) But mine was a dang tank...... Go into the "1:1 area" and look at what I have now...... And thanks to one of our own members here, I got a model to build that one too! Which is gonna be a bit slower build then this one as I'm in a race of time to finish these 2 in time for Fathers day! Thank you!

Thanks Joe! And yes, I am throwin' a lot at them both..... These 2 are being built as replica's, (or well as VERY close as I myself can get them to be "replica's"......) I'm getting ready to paint the frame to my "Dads" truck right now, a little bit of tape here and there as I have to stop procrastinating the rear axle and just "do it" and move on..... -Might say a bit of looking back and pondering, you know? I have to say, I NEVER thought these 2 trucks would be turning out as they are.... With a bit of work no doubt, BUT looking back on the build, well It shows me just how worth the effort and work has been! I look at it this way, these 2 trucks being late '70's bodies, I might only get to do one more, so I may as well make it worth my while as I'm doing it and not have any regrets later, you know? May never get a chance to do it again! (these aren't getting any cheaper in price!)

I had to ask on the cooling system! As it wasn't or isn't something I normally am used to seeing, in real life or on models..... Was something that just caught my eye..... The water pump however, COULD have been made the way you have it! It just takes a bit of machine work to make it happen (they have been retro fitting the water pumps from the Mopar small block 318's to 360's), to the ole early Hemi's, BUT plate those openings shut with a seal on the heads..... SO, you'd have been partly right to go that route! But the cooling system you spoke about and shown is how I noticed the water pump! Sorry about that guy!

-This color is more Mopar engine blue, then the Mopar engine turquoise.... Heres a good reference picture: Now I KNOW all too well this Mopar Engine Turquoise is difficult to find, AND even harder to mix.... BUT that color thats shown to have been used isn't Turquoise! The Mopar engine color has a green base to it. And added blue to lessen the green tint. BUT it is in fact a green based color. Now to really get into this, there were SEVERAL different "engine colors" For Mopar engines, including Red, Yellow, Orange, (2 different shades), black, blue (2 different shades), and Turquoise (2 different shades), Blues, were "blue" Turquoises were "green" based. Then you had Gold, and silver. I'm a member of a real car forum on Mopar cars and trucks and sadly, this was a BIG discussion on the "shade" of the turquoise. The blue however in that discussion was VERY common and WELL known that there was in fact 2 different shades of it over thew years. Which the Turquoise was too, between the blue and turquoise, the companies that produced the color for Mopar, was PPG and choice from I believe it was Dupont, even tho, most got the PPG painted cars! As they were "standard" for all cars "Mopar"

Thats lookin cool man, Its grown on me since the rear grill was added...... My only complaint is not having a MOPAR engine in it! BUT for its size..... NOT sure you could fit one! Even direct drive off the crank with no transmission! Nice work tho Ira! I love the uses of the A100. This being another one! (I'm building a quad-tracked Monster truck with one!)

Thanks Tom! A LOT going into these 2..... (almost could say MORE then what I put into my 300!) BUT I'm not only building a truck, but restoring another all at the same time..... I appreciate the compliments, Thank You!

Thanks Stray! This build of these 2 trucks has been a BUNCHA fun! I'm enjoying every pain saken part of it...... AND the outcome as it looks at this point, is simply put, unbelievable as I did not think nor imagine either to look as they now do! -A LOT of effort in these 2....... Just because of what both mean, you know?

Mike, A little detail criticism here, nothing bad.. your 3rd picture from the top, with the water pump in place? The water pump is partly wrong, This is a 392 Hemi, Distributor is in the back of the engine) AND shape of the valve covers, says so! Look on the "intake edge of the aluminum head..... See those 2 flat spots, one on each of the heads? Those 2 legs you have coming out the sides of your engine block, to the water pump, those legs ought to be running into those 2 flat spots, on the top inside corners one on each head..... The water pump detail is GREAT however looks really good and also has the look of a "aftermarket" water pump that any one putting this engine in a boat would have been using! -Just the way you have it, is how a Mopar small block engine would have been, the early Hemi's were a bit different, including the first bunch of 426 Hemi's, they had head cooling passages that were piped one to the other! That changed when they made it for street use! IF your not sure on what I'm referring too please ask, I'll show ya by editing your picture! IF your OK with that! Everything else, is absolutely KILLER man! NICE work!