Build Yourself A 500HP Chrysler For $5,000*

OK, that totals just over $5,000, and no, we didn't include valve covers, timing cover, and oil pan, but hopefully you'll be able to reuse that stuff from your donor engine. Still, we think this is a great price for Chrysler stuff. Even better: The Hughes guys told us this combination will make damn close to 500 hp. Put that in your Duster and smoke it.

Supercharged 318
We spoke with Bob Woods, owner of The Supercharger Store, to get his take on a 318 build. Coinci-dentally, he was just finishing assembly of a 318 build for our sister magazine Mopar Muscle. The goal was to make enough power to run low 11s in a '67 Valiant but still generate 12 inches of vacuum at idle, get 16 to 18 mpg, run A/C and power brakes, and burn 91-octane gasoline, not uberexpensive race gas. You'll have to get the specs and build details in upcoming issues of Mopar Muscle, but Woods whispered the dyno numbers to us: On the motor, this combination made 370 hp and 349 lb-ft. Boosted with 14.5 psi from a Procharger P1SC, this stock-stroke engine made 662 hp and 587 lb-ft at the crank. Woods was especially proud of the low-end torque this combination generated. At 2,500 rpm, the dyno read 305 pounds of twist.

For a more budget-oriented build, Woods recommends the following:

• 0.030-over 318 short-block-reuse the stock crank and rods
• Speed-Pro pistons: TRW-L 2329F-30 ($395.12)
• Hughes-built RHS heads: HUG 20301B ($975.00)
• Hydraulic flat-tappet cam specs: 223/232 duration at 0.050, 0.540/0.571 lift (using 1.6:1 rocker arms), 113-degree LSA