Iconic names such as Charger, Superbird, Road Runner, and Super Bee, represent just a few of the great muscle cars that rolled out from the Dodge and Plymouth factories, back in the sixties and seventies.

But technology is dynamic, and since those decades of the last century, it has improved drastically, which is a good thing for owners of these classic pony cars.

Performance upgrades abound for these cars. Things such as equipment for road holding, a smoother ride, an efficient and crisp transmission, superior brake systems, engine upgrades and much more, are readily available.

In short, you can have it all! An original muscle car with the raw power of a classic V8 powerplant, plus all of the modern upgrades you can dream of.

So, if you've always wanted to make your Mopar B-Body beast perform at its peak, this is the book you need!

Book Excerpt: Mopar B-Body Performance Upgrades 1962-1979: Charger, Super Bee, Road Runner, GTX, and more! UPGRADE TO A ROLLER CAMSHAFT

The hydraulic roller camshaft is the result of years of passenger car engine evolution. Solid lifters were used originally due to their simplicity, but over time the preference shifted to hydraulic flat-tappets, which were quieter and required very little maintenance. Solid-roller lifters were developed for use in heavy-duty engines but were slow to displace the hydraulic flat-tappets in passenger car engine because of the extra noise and maintenance requirements. Eventually, technology was developed to produce a hydraulic roller lifter, and the car companies began to adopt this technology. Chrysler converted the 318-ci motor to hydraulic rollers in 1988, and then the 360 motor was converted in 1989. Production of the big-block and Hemi engines had been discontinued well before 1988, so they never did receive roller lifters from the factory. The hydraulic roller lifter offers the power benefits from extra valve lift, quiet operation, and low maintenance that people expect from their production engine. This combination of power potential and low maintenance is desirable to most muscle car owners, so the aftermarket has led the way in designing parts that can be retrofitted to any of the Mopar V-8 engines.

AFTERMARKET BRAKE SYSTEMS

Although the factory 11 3/4 inch brakes are a very cost-effective solution, the cast-iron calipers are rather heavy, pad choices are limited, and the rotors are heavy. Furthermore, because no one is reproducing the tall caliper adapter brackets required for the 11 3/4 inch conversion, it can be difficult to find the parts necessary for the swap. Sensing an opportunity, the aftermarket has stepped in with a variety of solutions to fill this gap.
STREET KITS Several vendors, such as Master Power, SSBC, and Baer, have introduced entire kits that are designed for the muscle car owner who wants one-stop shopping for a conversion kit. These turn-key solutions typically use 11-inch-diameter rotors, so they have slightly less braking capability than a factory 11 3/4 inch setup. But, these brake kits use the smaller rotor, which allows it to fit inside of a 14-inch wheel, and that's important to some customers. Also, these kit systems can be installed "out of the box" without having to locate used parts in a wrecking yard. The Master Power kit uses a reproduction A-Body disc brake knuckle, an 11-inch rotor, and a cast-iron, single-piston sliding caliper. This kit is basically a reproduction of the 1973 A-Body disc brake system that is ready to bolt on. SSBC has a variety of solutions, which use 11-inch rotors and cast iron, four-piston brake calipers. The SSBC system is designed to bolt to factory drum brake knuckles and fit under some 14 inch wheels. The Baer solution is also based on an 11 inch diameter rotor, but Baer uses a two piston, aluminum caliper sourced from PBR. These calipers are similar to the ones used on newer Mustangs, so repair parts are readily available. The Baer rotors are available drilled and slotted for extra cooling and curb appeal.

Subject: Transportation: Automotive Performance: Chrysler: Mopar B-Body performance upgrades. Charger, Super Bee, Road Runner, GTX, Superbird, Coronet, etc. 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 ISBN-10: 1613252501 | ISBN-13: 9781613252505 | CarTech Books SA191P