1,000 miles down on the new HEMI swap! A quick review

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I started this year with a 'Cuda just barely coming together. Knee deep into wiring together a car and working hard to integrate an EFISource Hemi harness, a Painless harness and a Vintage Air harness to get what I wanted.





Injector sequence testing

I worked 4-5 nights per week on the car after my [now] almost 2 year old daughter went down for bed and continued pecking away at progress. Just before our 2 week trip to Italy I was able to successfully fire the engine in May for the first time, and on the first attempt!

After the trip I was full-bore on getting the car done. 100°F afternoons in the garage weren't going to work, so my buddy and I installed a full Heat & Air Conditioning unit in the garage so that I would survive. I was able to get the interior in the car and take it for a test drive in Mid-July. I decided to push much longer to drive the car than I normally would, because I knew it would be very hard for me to take it off of the road to finish loose ends.



Since then I have tweaked, tugged and pulled on the car and had made a strong effort to build confidence in the entirely new car. I have just now crested the 1,000 mile mark and have managed to easily keep it off of a tow truck! [a small victory]. My "must do" list keeps getting shorter and my "would like to do" list gets a little longer, but if you are on the fence about upgrading to modern components in your car, it is very nice!

This is at my father-in-laws place, I took it for a 800 mile checkup, lookin good!



 
Some overall thoughts:

• Full sequential fuel injection - Why didn't I do this sooner? Never getting your hands covered in fuel and completely tuning the engine without ever popping the hood is something I can get used to. Auto-tuning features and datalogs full of information you never knew you needed, very cool!
  
  
  
• Double-overdrive transmission. Wow, what a difference, check out the drop in cruising rpm. I found myself accidentally putting along with some left-lane I-35 traffic one evening, at 85mph! I'd never do that with the old 1:1 transmission!
  
  
  
  
• Manual conversion – I had a 904 automatic before that had some modifications to it. It did well for an automatic, but nothing can replace the three pedals and textbook feel of a muscle car!
  

So now I am up to tweaking some things, I am working on a launch/traction control tied to my ECU. Chasing some wind noise and tweaks here and there. It's been fun to having and old-new car with all of the buttons!


And for one more video

[1 Wild R/T]

Just Awesome!! You've done well!! And not just in building your Cuda....

[Cuda Cody]

Freaking sweet!!!      

[dodj]

Congrats on pulling it all together Goody!
Your Father in law has good taste in trucks.

[bentpshrods]

  CONGRATS.       Now reward your self for all the hard work and DRIVE it often.   

[Cudakiller70]

Molto bene Goody 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Thanks all!

Congrats on pulling it all together Goody!
Your Father in law has good taste in trucks.

That's the truck my wife drove in high school. We met at Mopars at the Strip in 2004, our first time meeting .

[nsmall]

Very cool build.  Love the video of your daughter and the fact you try to only go out to the garage after she goes to bed.

Love the video shaking as the hemi idles and the fact you had to protect your ears.

[Chryco Psycho]

Congrats on all you have achieved , I am glad you are having fun with the Cuda again

[Brads70]

Great job, I would have been stuck at the wiring. ( That is SO NOT my thing!)

[RUNCHARGER]

Great job and great results. Your wife is a keeper with her taste in trucks.

[Spikedog08]

That is just plain awesome Goody!  Very exciting and a seriously nice job!  Your car has always been nice but now that it have moved to amazing!  Actually that is something I have considered doing with my convertible . . Maybe a hellcat engine??  Hmmmm

[Brads70]

That is just plain awesome Goody!  Very exciting and a seriously nice job!  Your car has always been nice but now that it have moved to amazing!  Actually that is something I have considered doing with my convertible . . Maybe a hellcat engine??  Hmmmm

Keep an eye out on here... " Cleveland Power & Performance"      

[Chryco Psycho]

Great job, I would have been stuck at the wiring. ( That is SO NOT my thing!)

You know I would come & help you 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Very cool build.  Love the video of your daughter and the fact you try to only go out to the garage after she goes to bed.

Love the video shaking as the hemi idles and the fact you had to protect your ears.

Evenings were the best way for me to balance being a dad! Now she's big enough to hang with me and LOVES to go out in the garage.

Congrats on all you have achieved , I am glad you are having fun with the Cuda again

Thanks, it was a big undertaking for me and I am very happy to have a turnkey car again!

Great job, I would have been stuck at the wiring. ( That is SO NOT my thing!)

Thanks! Wiring is one thing I do best and I really like the challenge...but that certainly wore off. It took me 2-3 months to button everything up.

Great job and great results. Your wife is a keeper with her taste in trucks.

Thanks! We're on year #8 for being married! 

That is just plain awesome Goody!  Very exciting and a seriously nice job!  Your car has always been nice but now that it have moved to amazing!  Actually that is something I have considered doing with my convertible . . Maybe a hellcat engine??  Hmmmm

Thanks! The best part about the 3Gen Hemi platform is that they are all quite easily exchanged. I plan on buying whipple for it in ~2-3 years when the ~340whp isn't enough. The other option within a short striking distance is going to a 392