ENGINES 

 Here you will find most of my engine developpements in conjonction with machine shops and headwork-porting shop.All engine will be describe as they were running in wich of my car including performance,car weight,carburation,gasoline type ect...Remember that all my race cars were for street use in mind first.

First 440:It was a stock '69 Imperial 440 that I put in my '74 road Runner. Fitted with a Carter ThermoQuad,ingnition advance curve,3.55 rear 9 1/4 axle,high perf manifold ,dual exhaust 2 1/4 .

This car was pure stock '74 RR body 15 in Rally Wheels.Best e.t. was 14.68  at 94 MPH on premium fuel.It was 1984.

The 1980 Diplomat: Bought as a winter car,I finally put a 360 2bbl motor,chaged to a 4 bbl carb T.Q. dual exhaust.Run a best of 15.80 aprox.I don't remember the MPH. Fit a 440 It was first a stock 440 fitted with manifolds,power steering (very close from what would have been a genuine "M" body big block.(3900 # car only)It ran 14.70 at 94 MPH.This was my first target because it should not run less fast than the RR.II Doing personal work on heads with 2.14/1.81 valves,porting temeplate from DC..528" mopar mech cam,Offy aluminum manifold welded to receive a TQ without spacer.Hooker Super Copetition 1 7/8 B body headers,manual steering box(from F body), '69 B body 8 3/4  with 3.23 or 3.91 gears,29.5"x9" Mickey Thompson slicks. (3500 # car only),the car ran the same 12.80 at 104/108 MPH (not shure of exact mph).Then came a .557" mopar cam,Weiand Tean "G" manifold,1050 Holley Dominator,2.77 low first gear,TurboAction manual valve body,3500 rpm stall.With a bst et of 11.90 at 113 MPH.First stroker Buy a 4.150 mopar crank,put in modified 400 low comp. pistons .030" wich means a .020 oversize in your 440 block.you get 498 cubes ready to crunch any old 8 3/4 gear set.Add a .590 mopar cam with 1.6 ratio Gold Crane rockers,same weiand intake,headers... The best run was 11.36 at 121 MPH.I've put a Weiand Tunnel Ram with 2 Carter AVS from 340.This Tunnel ram did wake up the motor but I did broke it before going to race.On the street I could realise that the engine was pulling in 3rd gear as much as in 2nd.Wich was not the feeling before that new mod.Conclusion a good tunnel ram can make poor heads breathe a lot better.This was between 1987 to 1992.

The '72 Duster First fitted with a 400 low compression engine,.528 mech. mopar cam,M1 manifold with TQ,1 7/8 fenderwell Hookers,3500 Turbo Action stall,8 3/4 rear,3.91 ratio,same heads from the Dip's 498.Best run of 12.40 at 108 MPH. Next 400  Fitted with forged 440 .030" low comp piston,this makes your 400 block .010" over and a perfect zero deck flat top piston.Freshly professionaly ported 452 heads with 2.18" 1.81" Valves,.533 hyd. Mopar cam with 1.6 rockers,Weiand Tunnel Ram,twin TQ 800 cfm each,4000 TurboAction stall,Turbo Action Cheeta shifter,TurboAction man.Valve body.The best run with this strange setup was: 11.33 at 120 MPH.During that saison,I've tried different cams but they all got worn before my test on the track,with the Diplomat's heads and a .590 Mopar cam it ran only 11.60 at 118 MPH.So thanks to my Cousineau performance heads.I will describe head flow later.The car wieghts 3200 # wich is heavy for an A body,remember it has 3.0" exhaust with Super Turbo 3" muffler and Super Turbo 3" resonator.15" Rally Wheels rears enlaged to 9".Interior is complete. I weight 230# so you add me on every runs LOLLL.

THE 450  The 450 is my second stroker,this time it's a 400 block with 440 crank,Keith Black Silvolite piston,reverse dome completely ground (flat top) The previous Cousineau Heads,tunnel with twin TQ,Comp cam 308R street roller cam,1.6 ratio rockers,Mopar Chrome ignition box,Mallory 250 gph fuel pump,5500 stall,3.91 rear gears,2.77 low first gear,The car remains the same except for 2" Fenderwell Hookers and front exhaust section is now 3.5" with 3.5" Super Turbo resonator.In street trim,full exhaust to rear bumper and BFG Drag T/A.the car ran a strong 10.90 at 125 MPH,on race trim,29.5x9 Mickey slick,exhaust opened behind the resonator with a removable cap. Best et of my life 10.64 at 126.3 MPH.This is my best achievement,even my wagon just came close to beat this Duster.

"A" bodys are the best car to buit because they are already lightweight. A two door "F" or "M" body are second best because of wheelbase that is close to A body.108" A body,109" "F"/"M" body.The worst thing of "F"/"M" body is torsion bar mounted in front of the car wich is bad for weight distribution.BUT!! It is not an obstacle for me because it's easier to make a real civilised killer with a "F"/"M" body,and used parts a really cheap and easy to find.

The"M"body Wagon The Duster is sold as a rolling body.I put my 450 ci in my 1981 Plymouth Caravelle wagon (in US it would have been a Fury I guess). That wagon comes from BC Canada,it has a slant 6,I easily fit the big block by putting a v8 K member and all other mods are easy to because I've already done that on my '80 Dip.Once again,a set of 1 7/8" Hooker Super Competition headers(I already know they fit)3" exhaust system from headers to bumpers,Chome ignition,Mallory f.p.,Meziere electric water pump.Completely stock wagon body,new oem rear leaf spring,Mopar front drag shocks,Dana 60 from '69 Charger with 4.10 gears.Duster's motor and tranny combo.The car weights 3800 less driver.The best et was 11.12 at 121 MPH.

Check this out: You can see the evolution of the science,the '80 Diplomat ran 11.36 at 121(3500 # car less driver with 498 ci in 1992),the wagon ran 11.12 at 121 MPH (3800 # car with 450 ci thanks to improved heads,roller cam and carburation.in 2001)48 ci less but the key here is the Cousineau heads. Wait,wait,you'l read about these heads flow numbers.

THE 493 STROKER This is a 400 block with a 440 crank welded/stroked to 4.100" with Ross lightweight stroker pistons(1.125 comp distance aprox).We used a 6.800 eagle rod(this explains the 4.100 stroke)Those pistons are made for 4.150 stroke with 6.760 rods.Costom 452 heads with 2.25"intake valve and 1.81"exaust.The cam is a roller Comp Cam with 275 at.050" duration and a .630"lift. Same car setup except(3600 # car inerior had been partly stipped,rear doors have been emptied,windows were fixed and rear seat and cargo floor was removed) for the 3.73 rear ratio.and SuperStock Mopar rear springs and special Mopar front rear spring hangers.The car ran,at that time,a best of 10.98 at 123 MPH(what a deceptive number)Feeling that the motor was breatheless at the end of the run.I switched to a 3.55 rear ratio.Still with my 29.5x9 Mickey it was running consitant 10.80 at 124.5 MPH.With some carb tuning I've enhanced the launch to a good 1.50 60' time and the car clocked a 10.68 at 125 MPH.

Now I've been close to the Duster.Let's compare '72 Duster 3200#,'80 Diplomat 3500# and '81 Caravelle wagon 3600# (add 230# to each run,you need a driver)These are good achievement,specially when comparing both "M" bodys we can see thst the new setup has outperform the oldest even in a heavier car with longer wheelbase.