General Challenger

General Challenger

Hood Pins

Hood pins are used as a secondary restraint for the hood and are attached by a pin and plate drilled through the hood. They were originally made for the racetrack to keep hoods buttoned down at high speeds, but found their way onto muscle cars of the late 60s/early 70s. Hood pins (two per hood) were most prevalent on Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars of that era (e.g., Challengers, ‘Cudas, Road Runners, Daytonas, GTXs, Super Bees, etc.). They were, primarily, a styling element used to give a...
General Challenger

How does MDS Work?

The following Motor Trend article, describes in detail, how the MDS system works. What Is Hemi MDS? (motortrend.com)
General Challenger

EV Charging & Battery Life

Electric cars need to be recharged frequently for efficiency. However, charging an electric car is a much different experience than refueling a gas or diesel vehicle. Instead of a few minutes, charging an EV can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over 30 hours. This is because there are actually three levels of electric car charging. Levels of Charging NeoCharge provides a breakdown of the three levels of EV charging. Each level of charging is defined by the amount of voltage, which...
General Challenger

Fuel Delivery Systems

A carburetor was the common method of fuel delivery for most US-made gasoline engines until the late 1980s, when fuel injection became the preferred method. This change was dictated by the requirements of catalytic converters and not due to an inherent inefficiency of carburation. Basically, a carburetor consists of an open pipe through which the air passes into the inlet manifold of the engine. The pipe is in the form of a venture- it narrows in section and then widens again, causing the...
General Challenger

Electric and Hydrogen-Powered Cars

Stellantis is finalizing its 5-year and 10-year plans. According to Automotive News Europe, newly appointed Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Italian journalists, during a roundtable event, that all future vehicles from the company would be electrified. They will be built on a new platform known internally as the STLA large-vehicle architecture that will be shared across brands under the Stellantis umbrella. Tim Kuniskis, in a recent Autoweek interview, was quoted as saying, “I...

General Challenger

Ignition Coils

An ignition coil (also called a spark coil) is an induction coil in an automobile's ignition system. It transforms the battery's low voltage to the thousands of volts needed to create an electric spark in the spark plugs to ignite the fuel. Early gasoline internal combustion engines used a magneto ignition system, since vehicles did not have batteries. The voltage produced by a magneto was dependent on the speed of the engine, making starting difficult. A battery-operated coil, however,...
General Challenger

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Intake Manifolds

An intake manifold is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders. Its primary function is to evenly distribute the combustion mixture (or just air in a direct injection engine) to each intake port in the cylinder head(s). Even distribution is important to optimize the efficiency and performance of the engine. It may also serve as a mount for the carburetor, throttle body, fuel injectors and other components. The design and orientation of the intake manifold is...
General Challenger

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Leasing vs. Buying

How does the cost of leasing a Challenger compare to buying it, in terms of out-of-pocket costs? Or if you decide to buy a used Challenger, how much more will you save? And finally, what do those costs look like in the long run? These are important questions for buyers who want to carefully manage their automotive expenses over the years. It's hard to give one answer that covers all people and all situations. But the question can be divided into two parts: 1. An analysis of the hard costs...
General Challenger

Li-Ion Batteries

We are now entering the electric car age. These vehicles are powered by Li-Ion batteries. This type of battery is energy dense and durable. However, it can also be unstable and prone to catching fire under certain circumstances. But not all Li-Ion batteries are suited for vehicles. How Do They Work? Lithium ions store the energy by creating an electric potential difference between the negative and positive poles of the battery. Those are isolated using a separator material to prevent...
General Challenger

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Limited Edition Challengers

Over the past 13 years, Dodge has employed a marketing strategy of releasing an array of limited edition models. Here is the staggering lineup. 2008 SRT8 The inaugural edition of the Challenger was numbered, X of 6,462, and came equipped with the 425 hp. 6.1 Hemi engine with 425 lb.-ft. of torque. It also featured an Auto Stick Automatic, 20-inch Alcoa forged aluminum wheels, 245/45-20 Goodyear tires, Brembo brakes, etc. Color choices were Hemi Orange, Brilliant Black Crystal and Bright...
General Challenger

Limited Slip Differentials

A limited-slip differential (LSD), or “anti-spin” differential is a type of differential that allows the rear wheels on a vehicle to turn at different speeds when executing a turn. They are widely used in high performance and four-wheel-drive vehicles because they provide superior traction abilities. Various types of differentials can be classified as "anti-spin." These include limited slip, locking and spool differentials. Each performs differently on and off the road. Generally, only...
General Challenger

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Line Lock

A line lock is a device that allows the front brakes to lock independently of the rear brakes, via a switch. The device is an electric solenoid that controls a valve which allows the brakes to be controlled individually. This allows the front brakes to be locked and the rear brakes to be open, and allows the driver to spin the rear wheels without wasting the rear brakes. This method is referred to as line lock and is popular among drag racers. Cars with manual transmissions allow drivers to...
General Challenger

Featured
Modern Hemi Engines

Modern Hemi production began in June 2002 at the Saltillo plant in Mexico. The first-generation 5.7 liter produced up to 350 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 375 lb-ft of torque (4,400 rpm)- one horsepower per cubic inch- just like the legendary 426 Hemi. It was smaller, more powerful, and cheaper to build than the LA-series 360 V8 and the "Next Generation" 4.7 liter V8 it replaced, but produced more power and torque. It hooked up to the Mercedes 5-speed automatic, Chrysler's 5 and 6-speed truck...
General Challenger

Mopar Automatic Transmissions

Modern automatic transmissions can trace their origins to a gearbox that was developed in 1904 by the Sturtevant brothers. This unit had two forward speeds, the ratio change being brought about by flyweights that were driven by the engine. At higher engine speeds, high gear was engaged. As the vehicle slowed down and engine rpm decreased, the gearbox would shift back to low. One of the key developments in arriving at an automatic transmission was the use of planetary transmission in the...
General Challenger

Mopar Engine Colors

Automobile engines are usually painted bright colors, like red, orange or blue. This just isn’t for appearance. There is a practical purpose. Bright colors enable leaks to be spotted easily. Here is a list of engine colors (and paint codes) used by Mopar, from 1962 to 1971. Race Hemi Orange- Mopar P4120751 1962-1964 Max Wedge engines (413 and 426 Cross Ram) 1964-1965 426 Race Hemis Street Hemi Orange- Mopar P4349216 1966-1971 426 Street Hemis 1969-1971 High performance 383 and 440...
General Challenger

Mufflers

Since the beginning of hot rodding, enthusiasts have tinkered with their car’s exhaust system, particularly the mufflers, to get the “right sound.” A muffler’s job sounds easy enough- reduce exhaust volume to tolerable levels while allowing the sweet sounds of your ride to waft through the air. But this becomes a monumental task as horsepower increases. Engines build horsepower by pushing spent exhaust out of the tailpipe as fast as possible. As pistons furiously churn, exhaust velocity...
General Challenger

Need advice

A new car dealer has a 2017 Mopar edition that was never sold. Less than 50 miles. Sticker was 63,000 reduced to 50,000. Question I have what is the better choice. A 392 scat pack or the Mopar edition? Seems the Mopar edition is around Hellcat price. I have a 14 Mopar edition, don't see many for sale. Depends on what I can get. Thanks
General Challenger

New front grill insert.
General Challenger

New LED's for my 2009 R/T. Pictures do not do it justice!

Well I've been waiting around to win the lottery so I could afford some LED tail lights. So just for giggles I bid 400 bucks for a set on eBay and the offer was accepted. I ordered my three layer center decal in advance so I put it on before the lights. It was a little tall so I just trimmed it before I took off the paper. I always wanted a blacked out rear end but I never liked those covers that went over the stock lights of the 2008 through 2014. I purchased the smoke set and it does not...
General Challenger

Nitrous Oxide

Juice. Squeeze. Laughing gas. Nitrous oxide has many aliases. It can inject a healthy dose of horsepower into an engine, via direct port, carburetor/throttle body plate, air intake tube or, air cleaner injection, to give a race car the winning edge at the track. In racing, nitrous oxide (often referred to as just "nitrous") allows an engine to burn more fuel by providing more oxygen than air alone, resulting in a more powerful combustion. The gas is not flammable at a low...