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BUILDING A 1,000HP 565 DART BIG M/BIG CHIEF II

September 20, 2022

An Overview of Restoration Products

February 18, 2024

We were talking to Devin Meucci when the topic came up about how difficult it is to find a ’69 Dodge Charger in Southern California, because most were gobbled up by the studio when “The Dukes of Hazzard” show was on television. I also mentioned that two of my friends were in charge of the transportation department of the show when the cars were being scrapped out, and described how they made the 383 and 440 engines available to members of my car club. Meucci said he and his brother watched the show religiously, and that’s when their love for Chargers began. Fortunately, in Washington state, Chargers were plentiful, so, in 1990 his brother bought a matching-numbers ’69 RT/SE. Two years later, Meucci purchased his own Charger and drove it in high school during his senior year, and to college after that.

QUIET DOWN

If you’ve ever hopped out of a classic pickup into a modern daily driver pickup, you have probably noticed the startling difference in noise and heat levels within and throughout the interior. This is because some time in the mid-’80s, pickups began receiving the same noise and heat control attention as auto manufacturers spent on cars, as they filled every nook and cranny with noise cancellation foam, sealant and padding. These insulations greatly helped cancel out noises and improved temperature control, as well as help dampen vibrations.

Older classic trucks are among the worst in all these areas. They squeak, they are noisy, and do little to control heat buildup inside the cab, especially around the floorboard. Since all these trucks were originally workhorses, not much attention was paid to these areas, but this problem is easily solved. Whether you are just beginning your interior and building from scratch or retrofitting your existing truck, Dynamat offers a wide selection of noise and sound cancellation products. Dynamat engineers have designed a complete line of products, ranging from speaker kits to complete sound and noise cancellation solutions from the floor to the roof.

F(AST)-150

When it comes to improving horsepower, one of the main names is Magna Charger. Long known for its supercharger systems for Chevy pickups and even hot rods, Magna Charger has more recently turned its attention to the Blue Oval. It was in late 2005 that the company introduced a system for the ’04-’06 Ford F-150 pickup truck equipped with the 5.4-liter Triton engine. Aiming to improve horsepower and torque in the 1,200-5,500-rpm range, Magna Charger chose to utilize its fifth-generation MP112 hybrid Roots-style supercharger system in this effort. The Gen 5 is equipped with an internal bypass valve, which the Magna Charger folks say reduces parasitic losses while cruising for increased efficiency and economy. Also, the Magna Charger system is intercooled, and everyone knows that cool air is denser than hot air, and denser air makes more power.

Spotlighter

Project ’47: Part Two

Chevs of the 40’s Preps the Blueprint Engines 383 Stroker

Author

Dan Burrill & Josh Kaylor

Photography by Dan Burrill & Chevs of the 40’s

Introduction to the Project ’47 Chevrolet Pickup

Previously, we introduced the Street Rod Headquarters and Chevs of the 40’s project ’47 Chevrolet pickup. To quickly recap the build, owner Rob Logsdon purchased a well-worn ’47 Chevrolet truck from a farmer’s field for $100. From there, a Corvette C4 front and rear suspension were located for an additional $2,500, and both the truck and the suspension components were then delivered to Time Machines Northwest.

The Vision: Building the Ultimate Show Truck

Logsdon’s concept for the pickup is to build the ultimate show truck to showcase many of the parts available for the very popular ’47-’53 Chevy trucks. Since this will be the company truck, the plan was to use as many aftermarket components as possible to show fellow truckers what is available. To date, the truck has received the C4 Corvette front and rear suspension utilizing Flat Out Engineering components and a custom aluminum fuel tank. The chassis was powder-coated and features an impressive Blueprint Engines 383ci engine.

Engine Choice: Blueprint Engines 383 Stroker Motor

If you caught the completed chassis story, you may have noticed the beautifully detailed small block sitting between the framerails. During the chassis build, Logsdon decided that the 383 Blueprint Engines stroker motor was the way to go, and as a direct retailer for Blueprint Engines, his decision was a no-brainer and made sense. After all, these engines are professionally hand-built and feature a 30-month, 50,000-mile warranty. The Blueprint 383 provides the Advanced Design pickup with nearly 400 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, which is plenty of power for cruising, especially the fairgrounds.

The Engine Build: From Machining to Assembly

During the engine build, Blueprint Engines took the time to photograph the machining process, as the company completely refurbished the Chevy four-bolt main block, machined, and assembled it into a brand new horsepower monster (see sidebar for engine specs).

Top-End Assembly and Aftermarket Components

After receiving the Blueprint small block, Chevs of the 40’s quickly began assembling the top end of the engine before paint to trial fit the aftermarket components to ensure proper fitment. Rather than try to piece together a drive system, Logsdon decided to use a Billet Specialties Tru Trac. The Tru Trac will provide the truck with the needed accessories as well as all the brackets and pulleys, plus it looks great and dresses up the front of the engine.

Fuel Delivery System and Transmission Installation

Street Rod Headquarters then tackled the fuel delivery system. Blueprint Engines offers only a single four-barrel combination, but Logsdon decided to swap out the single carb for the Barry Grant Six Shooter. The Six Shooter package is comprised of an aluminum intake that mounts three 250cfm Barry Grant carbs designed with the center carb being the primary carb. The front and rear carbs are operated via progressive linkage. After bolting on the fuel delivery system, the last thing left was the addition of the Sanderson block hugger headers and the 4L60E transmission.

Final Assembly: Painting and Installing the Engine

Before installing the engine and transmission, the entire engine was stripped of all its accessories and painted a light silver to match the framerails. When dry, the crew at Time Machines Northwest reassembled the engine, bolted on the transmission, and installed the assembly into the freshly powder-coated framerails. With the chassis and drivetrain complete, we now move on next issue to cover the sheetmetal and body restoration, as Time Machines Northwest works its magic on this time-worn pickup body.

For now, follow along as Blueprint Engines builds a 383 stroker from the ground up.

Block

Four-bolt main block
Square and parallel decked
Align-honed main bearing bore Cylinders honed on computer con-trolled machine to within .0002 straightness and roundness Cylinders are sonic tested for thick-ness

Rotating Assembly

New SCAT cast crankshaft
New SCAT I-beam rods
Keith Black Hypereutetic pistons Hastings Moly rings
Balanced rotating assembly Melling high-volume oil pump
Flat tappet hydraulic lifter camshaft Heavy-duty double roller timing set

Cylinder Heads

New Dart aluminum cylinder heads 1.437 diameter valve springs Hardened retainers and springs 2.02 swirl polished intake valves 1.60 swirl polished exhaust valves Hardened pushrods

2. After the machining process, the block is then pressure-checked to ensure there are no weak spots or cracks, as part of the sonic testing of cylinder wall thickness.

3. Decking of the block is where the deck surfaces on all Blueprint blocks are machined to ensure a leak-free seal for the cylinder heads.

4. Measuring of the deck height is part of the blueprinting process, this procedure checks the distance from the crank centerline to the top of the deck (head surface). It is checked at dif-ferent locations—front and rear—on the deck surface to ensure it is parallel to the crank centerline.

5-7. After boring, each cylinder hole in the block is honed to achieve the final finish and size for each cylinder. The proper finish and straight hole will allow the piston rings to seat correctly and the engine to seal properly.