11 years and counting!

[Hemi1632]

Ok, first for the restoration guys this is a 1972 Challenger, It has no build sheet and no fender tag. I believe it started out life as a 318, 727 AC car with the standard dash, standard hood, no spoiler, a 323 open rear end and was dark tan (T8) in color.
When I bought the car in 2008 it was painted top banana with a 340, and the AC was disconnected. Knowing what I did about the car, and that it was going to be a driver, It was time to transform it into exactly what I wanted.

So the first year I had the car I put an RT hood on it and painted the hood flat black.  Put RT stripes on it with a TA spoiler and painted it to match the hood. I got rid of the cragars and had 18" billet specialties wheels made that are painted flat black in the center to match the hood and spoiler. I also was not concerned with gas mileage and wanted traction so I put a 3.55 poi's in it.

So the car looked the way I wanted it to look and it got out it's own way with the 340 and the 3.55. But it sure didn't drive ok! It followed every groove in the road. So much that it changed lanes on the highway by itself! If you tried to quickly correct with the super sensitive power steering it would get very interesting fast!

So the when the winter came the car was going on the lift to fix all the suspension. Bushings, ball joints, new power steering pump by steer and gear, Front End Kit, sway bar, torsion bars, new leaf springs.....

As we were replacing all this stuff I got a novel idea, What about doing a modern HEMI swap? About a year previous to buying the Challenger we had acquired two 2005 5.7 Hemi's. We had taken one of them apart to look into making performance cylinder heads but the other was looking for a home.

Now it was time to figure out what it takes to put a Gen III Hemi into an E body. Mind you, this is 2008-9 and not many people have done this swap yet and the information about doing one is not that easy to find.

As I did research I was being told how easy this swap is! I was told you just need a set of motor mounts, headers from TTI, the 727 small block transmission bolts right up, a kick down plate, intake manifold and a carb and you are done!

The problem was that this was not the build that I had envisioned. I didn't want a carb, I wanted overdrive, I wanted the ECU determining shift points and fuel supply!

Because I was not ready to settle with the "easy" swap, a couple of years went by and I was considering a compromise. Keep the EFI, go with the 727 and gear vendors OD? Well I couldn't do it. I wanted the CPU to shift the car. I didn't want to deal with a kick down.

More time passes and more people are doing the swaps so I got some info that someone put a Gen III Hemi in an E body with the 545 trans. That is exactly what I have! I even talked to a company that builds parts for Hemi swaps, I told him what I was doing and he told me no problem, it just takes a little finesse to get the 545 transmission to fit. To this point I built a gas tank with a fuel pump, all the suspension is new, I have the radiator, electric fans, the over flow, headers, motor mounts, wiring, electronics... I have everything I can think of so it's time for the engine to go in. So I mount the engine and when I try to install the transmission it's not even close! So again the car sits as I decide between cutting it up or going back to the 727.

More time passes and it is now 2013 and we get a call from a friend, and he knows about a guy that totaled a 2012 challenger that has 10,000 miles on it. He is selling the engine, the Nag1 trans, ECU, and the wiring. So I am thinking that this is a better engine than the 05, and the trans is smaller! Maybe it will fit?

So I buy the 2012 5.7, pull the 05, install the 12..... and you guessed it, the NAG1 does not fit. I am starting to realize why so many of these swaps are done with a 5 or 6 speed!

Now it's 2016 and a friend of mine says he is thinking about doing a Hemi swap into his B body. I told him that I have an extra 5.7, a 545 and a bunch of other stuff that I won't be using. But he decided that a 5.7 was not the direction he wanted to go, so the B body got a hell crate motor with a six speed!

Last spring I got to see my friends B body with a Hellcat engine. I got to see the detail in which he had put into his build, and I thought if the tunnel and floor needs to be cut, this is the person I want to do it!

So a few months later I had him come down to our place to look at the project I began a decade earlier. I told him I had never worked with sheet metal and didn't want to learn on this car. So my Friend looked at everything and said, this doesn't look that bad, you seam to have everything needed to finish this build. I just need to fab a tunnel and finish putting it together. I immediately asked him when does he want me to drop it off?

I dropped the car off last September, and in early October I get a call. My buddy asks me if I was sure I wanted him cut the tunnel? He said if I use the 545 or the NAG1 he will have to fab up a new tunnel. But I could go with SST, and they have a kit for an E body.  It is a 100% complete kit, with a driveshaft, cooler, mount, etc.. it has a 12 month warranty from the point you start driving it, and requires no work to the trans tunnel or torsion bar crossmember....another advantage to the SST is that you retain the slapstick shifter, the linkage, the center column.... The interior looks original. Well after a couple days of thought this is the route we are going, and I am more then happy!

I have pictures showing the whole restoration to this point. I have taken the approach with this build that if we took something apart, it was getting replaced and improved upon if possible. If replacing and upgrading something exposed something else that could be improved it was done, and so on and so on..... basically this is a new car in a 1972 body.

[Hemi1632]

Here are a few pictures

[nsmall]

Oh my, the dedication.  We have to be some of the most odd ducks out there to devote this much time and money to our cars.  Thanks for sharing the details and I wish you nothing but the best and quick progress from this point forward.   

[Hemi1632]

Oh my, the dedication.  We have to be some of the most odd ducks out there to devote this much time and money to our cars.  Thanks for sharing the details and I wish you nothing but the best and quick progress from this point forward.   

Thank you! It is finally coming together!

[Brads70]

Looking good ! I also have the A41 kit , its been in the car quite a few years now with no issues!

[dodj]

Sounds like it is going to be a nice setup when finally completed. 
These cars have a way of chewing through a lot of $$ once you start to modify.

[Hemi1632]

Looking good ! I also have the A41 kit , its been in the car quite a few years now with no issues!

That is great to hear. I plan on driving the car and taking road trips with it. What gear do you have in your car with the A41? And what does it spin at 60 mph?

[Cuda Cody]

Very impressive!      

[Hemi1632]

Sounds like it is going to be a nice setup when finally completed. 
These cars have a way of chewing through a lot of $$ once you start to modify.

Thank you, and yes they do! I have an email folder with all the receipts in it and am afraid to add them up. I was going through that file and noticed that years ago I ordered new window handles. Well when the door panels came off about a month ago, I decided to upgrade to the nu-relics power windows. I have never rolled the windows up with those handles! Like you said these cars chew through a lot of money, but I seam to be helping it chew! LOL

[73_Cuda_4_Me]

@Hemi1632

I replaced my 727 with the A41 kit over the winter, and have been tuning it to the 340 for cruising - didn't take much, and boy what a nice difference!

I used to spin 3200 rpm at 65 with 3.21 gear in the 489 rear diff... that is with 225-70 R14's all around

Now I spin 2200 rpm at 75 on the freeway... can actually listen to the radio or have a conversation with better half while cruising!

Nice work on you car!!!

[Hemi1632]

@73_Cuda_4_Me

I am excited about this combination! How do you like the 3.06 first gear? And then the .70 overdrive? I think with the 3.55 rear end I am going to very happy!

[dodj]

And then the .70 overdrive? I think with the 3.55 rear end I am going to very happy!

Ask Brads70 about gearing. I think he mentioned that 3.91 or something would be nicer with his setup.

[73_Cuda_4_Me]

@Hemi1632

with both higher low gear and the overdrive, plus the lockup torque converter... it's more like a 5 speed than a 4...

I think you will be really, REALLY happy with a 3.55 rear gear!

[ClarkWGrizwald]

If you need to get rid of the 340.... Let me know!   [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]
Great build!!!

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk

[Hemi1632]

Thank you, and with the way I am buying stuff I might have to start selling some stuff to pay for it! LOL