Engine choices may come down to desired horsepower levels and what is easily availale when it comes time to decide. I forget, but you car didn't come with an engine, correct? What do you want to do with the car, what do you want to spend, do you have any type of driving objective in mind (bracket drags, SCCA, NASA, etc) or any visualization of what the mind's eye best combo is to match you packaging.
Big blocks = big power with big weight. Even if using lighter weight components, big blocks weigh a lot of pounds and you will notice the difference in the weight distribution of the car if ever driven vigorously through twisties. A lot of this can be equalized with heavier spring rates, which may/will require changes to your suspension plans. Not sure what you have in mind there. Big blocks do produce a lot of power with ease, however, and can do it at reasonable rpm ranges. Great for cruising the drive in, filling the engine bay at shows, or the occasional pass down the drag strip.
Small blocks= decent power at decent weights. Great thing is you can get them in power levels that are better than many classic big block outputs. Downside is you usually have to get into special parts to get the cubic inches and output of a comparable big block, which can get expensive quickley. Also great for cruising, can be suprisingly fast at the drags, and can produce impeccable handling characteristics.
3rd Gen hemi= best compromise of big block output and small block weight with stroker kits available and electronic engine controls that can make a real beast managable enough for anyone to drive. Downside to that is the additional complexity of adapting electronics and troubleshooting when things go wrong. You've got a hybrid set up that may or may not be workable by the local Dodge dealer technician. It will get looks at the shows and you will interchangeably will get harrassed/praised by the mopar faithful for either adapting new technology or abandoning proven power combos.
Something a mopar guy also has access to are the intermediate blocks 383/400. These are the same architecture as the big 426 and 440 and use the same cylinder heads and internal parts, but come in a shorter block package that gives them a weight break against their bigger brothers but doesn't leave them as light as their smaller siblings. These have the advantage of being very plentiful (read cheap to aquire as there were millions of them made.) and can be stroked to 431, 451, and 496 inch packages for big output at lighter weights.
There is always the Hemi. While they are the baddest of the bad, it does seem like the crate program has put so many of them out there and so many our being put into new builds that unless you do something really different to them, they almost don't stand out any more (just my opinion, others may differ).
I'd dismiss the V10 thoughts as they will require sigificant mods to the engine bay, which you won't know about until you try to put it togther, AFTER you just spent all this time prepping and painting. FYI, the V10 is quite a bit longer than a V8 and will require significant firewall and/or radiator support mods to fit. It also lacks the same growl in teh exhaust note that seems to be an inherent expectation of a muscle car. Vipers sound plenty mean, but they are a completely different sound than a high compression V8.
Sorry I can't come right out and say, but the there are a lot of variables in there to consider at this point before you say this is what my ultimate Challenger should have for the ultimate power house.
Topic: THE RETURN OF...THE guy who knows nothing about cars... 1973 Challenger Project (Read 38777 times)
