68 Charger build

[Macbrighde68]

I have a 68 charger with 81k original miles it is a factory 383 2 bbl car I'm looking to update/upgrade the drivetrain, suspension (front/rear), and a 4 wheel power disc brake kit. existing upgrades are a Champion aluminum radiator, bigger wheels and tires to fit the disc rotors, and I've ordered a 451 stroker from Muscle Motors that will be here in 3 weeks. I'm looking for opinions and maybe some of your experiences with similar builds. I'm going to need headers, starter, water pump, alternator etc...pretty much my car has everything it came with from 1968.

I'm running 295/45 18's on the back which have a slight tendency to rub when I pull in the driveway I'm hoping a swap with super stock rear leaf springs will help this problem i know there is a little ridge inside the wheel well which is what they rub on and am hoping i don't have to massage that out if possible. The engine I'm getting will be at least 500hp 500 torque so I need advice on automatic transmission, drive shaft and u-joints, 8 3/4 rear end parts to handle the power coming through. I've been told Caltracs are a good option for low profile traction bars. this is primarily a street car that i will take to the track for S and G's.

Any information or your 2 cents is appreciated. Oh yeah the last car I built was a 72 Camaro many moons ago. I Love my Charger as soon as i figure out how to post a pic I will. Its Medium Green Metallic with green interior and everything right now is numbers matching and original.

[nvrbdn]

You can check into the help section for info on loading pics. Its pretty easy when you get the hang of it. It sounds like you have a plan in place. Good luck with your build. I will be looking forward to following this build.

[NHCharger]

Summit was my best friend when I built my 68 several years ago. I can't remember the brands of everything I used. On the motor I went with Doug's Headers, Pypes X-Pipes, A mini starter- I'll have to look up the brand, high flow oil pump, also got the water pump and alternator from Summit.
On both my 68 and 69 I went with an upgraded 1-3/8" Hellwig front sway bar, tubular upper control arms, stiffening plates on the LCA's, and US Tool  lower radiator core support  subframe connectors. This really eliminated a lot of body roll on both cars. I'm upgrading the torsion bars hopefully this winter.
I had Wizard Cooling build me a radiator for the Daytona clone- very happy so far. Thought it was well worth the money.

[WHITE AND RED 69]

TTI's and Dougs are the best fit and quality headers on the market. You'll want to go with a mini starter with headers, I got mine from DB Electrical and has worked perfect for the last 7+ years for me.

For the front accessories, I got my water pump housing from Mancini Racing. They offer a great kit that has an aluminum housing, billet water neck (stay away from the cheap chrome ones, they leak), and a water pump. If you have a/c you might want to try a different water pump but if not the one in the kit will work great.

For the alternator, best to upgrade to a higher amp one. The stock ones could barely handle the basics. And if you are running electric fans or a fuel pump, the stock one won't be able to handle the extra amps. Just make sure if you go with a better alt make sure to bypass the ammeter gauge and beef up the charge wire.

Check with Dr. Diff for your rear end needs. Let him know the power you'll be making and he will set you up proper.  

[Macbrighde68]

So this build has really become an irritating experience to say the least.  I used piratejack.com for my 4 wheel power disc brake conversion purchase. They didn't send everything it takes to convert the system, the fitment was ok but we had to manipulate some things to get it to work and then when I pulled the car off the lift it felt like the car was pulling an anchor behind it. Well what hey also don't tell you is you need to change the proportioning valve to one for the application. The factory 4 wheel manual drum valve keeps residual pressure on the system the whole time so my brakes were applied and blued the rotors up. We are swapping the valve out and it should be fine then. 

The most frustrating part of this build is the engine. I contacted Muscle Motors in July of 2018 and talked to Eric Budden I asked if they still built the 451 econo crate engine and he said they did. I upgraded some things on the build and we agreed on a price and a 6 Week timeframe. I should have had my engine around Labor Day of 2018 here it is May of 2019 and I'm out 4000 dollars for the down payment and still no engine. I've had multiple conversations with them with many excuses as to why its taking so long. I got curious when they wanted the other 4600 dollars before they could finish/send it I asked for COD because things were getting fishy and Eric told me they cant do that but would send me a video of the Dyno test I still have not received a video. So I got investigating and called a few shops and people in Lansing Michigan where Muscle Motors is located I found out that they auctioned off their equipment in the spring of 2018 months before I called them and have closed the shop yet they took my money knowing they could  not deliver the product. They have started a new business venture which I will not say what it is but it has nothing to do with engine building. I told them I no longer want the engine I ordered and requested my 4000 be refunded. I have yet to hear back from Eric Budden since I made the request. I am not alone in being defrauded by Muscle Motors and am warning anyone  who thinks of using them to maybe look at other options. I have hired a lawyer to try and get my money back but who knows how long  it will take. These guys have no morals and definitely do not care who they take advantage of.

[Lennard]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope you'll get your money back.

[XH29N0G]

Thanks for the information.  I had work done by muscle motors a number of years ago and all was, and has been, fine.  This is disappointing to hear.