CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
The Willomet Charger
- Thread starter AgDieseler
- Start date
A desecration to Mopar nuts everywhere, this is my protouring, LS-powered, 1970 Dodge Charger; built at my shop, Willomet Motor & Fabrication.
Wake and weld.
David
David
Curious, what’s it take time wise to weld a piece like that? I’m guessing a hour or two?
Your level of garage built is always spectacular, I wish I had the touch of making things nice. I get new parts and it looks like I drug it through the rocks installing it.
Your level of garage built is always spectacular, I wish I had the touch of making things nice. I get new parts and it looks like I drug it through the rocks installing it.
This will have about 4 hours in it from start to finish. This part needs a lot of repositioning and rejigging to get all the way around the tubes, and also time in between passes to let a relatively small amount of material rest between welds. That's all so it doesn't warp beyond recognition, or turn into a gray, smutty overheated mess. The welding itself takes about 30 minutes. All that other stuff slows things way down. While waiting, it's a good time to clean up the mill, sweep, or measure/fit whatever is going to get worked on next.
This would go a lot faster if I just used a combination of bent plates for the outriggers rather than these 1" tubes, but I'm a sucker for doing it this way.
David
I always like the rainbow color effect you get from the welds.
Nice work as always!
Are you going to add some drain holes to the center mount? Or this car will never see rain anyway?
Are you going to add some drain holes to the center mount? Or this car will never see rain anyway?
Combo effect from the 4130 tubing and making sure the material (especially the 1008 mild plate) gets a decent rest between passes (5 mins or so).
Yessir. It didn’t occur to me during the design phase, or it would have been lasered.
David
Almost done. The new design is 2.6 lbs while the older ally version is 5 lbs.
Rev1 doesn’t do any chassis structural work, and only holds the trans, so the 1” .063 4130 outriggers are plenty for this. Honestly, the whole thing could probably be made from .063 4130.
David
Rev1 doesn’t do any chassis structural work, and only holds the trans, so the 1” .063 4130 outriggers are plenty for this. Honestly, the whole thing could probably be made from .063 4130.
David
I see that. I need one
Procrastinated rust repair.
David
David
Scored a clean ally block for the final engine. The general doesn’t make these anymore, and I don’t need a concept performance block. This LC9 will take a resleeve very nicely, and become a 427.
I’ll round down to 426 for the Mopar folk.
David
I’ll round down to 426 for the Mopar folk.
David
That would be fun if it worked out to 426. But I mean, what's a cubic inch among friends?
That’s what she said.
Nice!
4.100 stroke in a stock 6.2L block would make a 426. I have a customer that bored one .005" over to make a 427 out of a 6.2L block. You have to use LS3 heads because the LS7 valves won't clear the 4.065 bore but it works very well for an LS3 or L92 block.
4.100 stroke in a stock 6.2L block would make a 426. I have a customer that bored one .005" over to make a 427 out of a 6.2L block. You have to use LS3 heads because the LS7 valves won't clear the 4.065 bore but it works very well for an LS3 or L92 block.
The LS might be one of the few engines with such a wide range of combos available. I’ll round up and down, liberally, with this group.
That was part of the original plan with the LQ4, but I’m down a MAWpath.
Texas Speed will hog out and resleeve this 5.3 LC9 to get a 4.125” bore and 4” stroke for 427 cubes. Top end will be aftermarket LS7. It’ll take a little while to build, but I wanted to get the block part nailed down. The rest comes out of a catalog.
David
Getting started on the firewall.
David
David
I am ok with this build again, all is right with the world.
That's definitely a MAW type plan, but from my experience to re-sleeve all 8 cylinders is typically only done to rare or very expensive blocks because the cost can easily be more than a new block and you end up with a weaker block.
A new LS3 block is currently just over $2700 and is likely ready to assemble up to 4.0 stroke, I always check clearances though, to get 4.100 stroke requires very minor block clearancing with a die grinder to make a 426.
You might want to consider it before you send that block off for expensive work. I can answer any questions if you need.
Some of this is driven by my persistence for an aluminum block, LS7 top end, 8000 RPM rev limit for shifts at 7500, and 100,000+ mile longevity (probably getting 600 to the wheel). TSP requested a 5.3 Gen 4 block for a 427 build, which at 4.125x4 is a majority of what they build and has a wide range of use cases. According to those folks, it's pretty common in their work, but to your points about value, my power level aspirations might be lower than average for the typical builder willing to spend on new liners. I grabbed the LC9 knowing it didn't limit my options, and was pretty cheap on Marketplace and in good shape. There's no ridge on the liners.
Candidly, I don't actually care about the displacement. A 383 would let me troll just as well as a 440 or 426, and like I said earlier, I'm willing to fudge the details for the proper effect among those cube-sensitive die-hards. Real priorities for the engine are:
- Reliable delivery of 600 whp for 100,000 miles
- Aluminum block (saves 100 lbs over the LQ4 iron placeholder)
- Use as many off the shelf components as possible - avoid custom pistons, specifically
- Smooth and snappy throttle response - 8CCW crank, lightweight rods, lightweight flywheel, etc.
- High red line with 7500 upshifts
- LS7 dry sump
- LS7 Harrop intake
- Tunable for 91 and 93, and maybe a "track tune" for fancy fuel
Related, the rear end is 4.11, and the ratios in the magnum are 2.66, 1.78, 1.30, 1:1, .80, .63.
If you would, DM me your phone number and let's have a chat. I'm soaking up as much info as I can and welcome any insight you might offer.
David
Last edited:
