Mopar To Release Lost A-Body 1/4 Mile Test Results

[Paul Ceasrine]

Soon to be released.
Mopar's lost A-Body 1/4 mile test results from 1966 thru 1971.
Including special performance up-grades that never made it to the production car.
PC

[Hemiparts]

Where can these be found ????

[Paul Ceasrine]

HemiParts
I think there to be printed in one of the fall 'Musclecar' magazines.
First one I read, was the 1969 440 Cuda M-Code (automatic only)
Came through, as you know with a somewhat restrictive exhaust
and E-70 x 14" tires.
Standard gears 3.55,,Options 3.91 or 4.10
With 3.55 Gears; 13.92 @ 103
With 3.91 Gears; 13.70 @ 105
With 4.10 Gears; 13.55 @ 106

Note; With E-60 x 14" GoodYear tires on the 4.10 gear car.
It ran a13.35 @ 108, with adjusted tire pressure.

Note: A proto-type M-Code 440 4-speed car was produced in the Cuda.
With 3.91 gears (only one tested). Ran 13.56 @ 107

PC

[Glenn Hayes]

With E-60 x 14" GoodYear tires on the 4.10 gear car.
It ran a13.35 @ 108, with adjusted tire pressure.






I wonder what it could have run with a pair of current 26x9" Slicks.....

[Paul Ceasrine]

Yes,
A fastback with 4.10 gears, and GoodYear E-60 x 14's.
I would imagine adjusted tire pressure, meant 20 lbs. or so.

General Info; Tread width of E60 x 14 = 7.50" (26.10" tall)
General Info; Tread width of E70 x 14 = 6.25" (25.92" tall)

Imagine the possibility, of that 440 with Super/Stock rear springs, and
an adjustable pinion snubber, and 50/50 rear shocks.
A 'Drag Traction Package' with the E-60 x 14's.
Maybe low 13,00's

X-Tech,
I can think of many possibilities with that car. But your right on, with
the 440 6-barrel and fiberglass lift-off hood with a cold air package
Other smart things would have been, a trunk-mounted battery, aluminum intake manifold and aluminum water -pump housing.
With the battery, you move 30 lbs. of weight off the nose, and put it over the right rear tire. An aluminum intake good for another 25 lbs or so, and the water pump-housing another 15 lbs.
Fiberglass hood, minus the hinge-hardware, probably 50 lbs.
A cold-air package utilizing the small (back of hood positioned) faux-vent scoops. Whether the car had a Tri-carb 6-Pack package, or aluminum DP 4-barrel. it would be some monster.
Only thing that needed tweaking, would have been the exhaust system. A 3-piece cast iron unit for the drivers side would have been a possibility.

[Paul Ceasrine]

One more I found, on the 1969 cars
1969 Cuda Coupe, 4-speed w/E70 x 14's (Weight #3183 lbs.)
383/330HP engine (Standard stock engine w/440 camshaft, #906 cycinder heads and 625 AVS carb)
Standard gears; 3.23,, Options; 3.55 or 3.91 (Note: 4.10 gears were not part of the standard option list on the Cuda 383)
w/3.23 Gears; 14.67 @ 95 mph
w/3.55 Gears; 14.44 @ 96 mph
w/3.91 Gears; 14.19 @ 98 mph
w/4.10 Gears; 13.99 @ 100 mph (Test car only, with G-70 x 14" GoodYear Polyglass GT tires, (6.90" width x 26.81" tall)

A 69' Cuda Fastback with the 4-speed was also tested (Weight #3279 lbs.)
w/3.55 Gears; 14.42 @ 97 mph
Though the car was heavier (96 lbs. than the lighter Coupe), it was a shade quicker. All of the weight was over the back-end (heavy full glass panel) giving it better off-line traction.
PC

[chris3racing]

There was tons of information exchanged between MOPAR cars and the Corporation in the early days. MOPAR published letters and books with all the information in them. When I started building our Duster, a couple of years ago, I found out about the books and newsletters. I got a hold of a copy of a book on just the suspension modifications. At the Drag Race Reunion in Henderson I was discussing the information in the book with a factory, MOPAR car builder and he told me that if a team car designed something that worked, meaning kept them in front of the other manufacturer's, then the Corporation would send out letters to all of the "team car" giving them all of the information necessary to build and set-up the parts. As he said the Corporation did not care which car was in the winners circle on Sunday as long as it was a MOPAR. They swapped and changes tons of pieces on those cars from week-end to week-end.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Don't know if any of you guys remember the Chrysler Performance
Blue & White book (really an encyclopedia with all the special part #'s and trick stuff).

P-F Flyer.
No, the 67' Cuda with the 383/280HP engine was only available
with 3.23 Sure-Grip Posi.
The front disc brakes were mandatory on that car with the 383.
The 3.55 and 3.91 gears were not available on that car.
But, a little trick. If you ordered the special 'Tow Package', you could get
stiffer rear shocks (1 1/8" piston), and short-helper leaf spring, and
4.10 gears.
Not sure if a heavier clutch disc was provided on the 4-speed,
but Dino said the A-727 transmission came from the factory with a
B & M valve body RV/Towing shift kit on that option.
PC
A-727 transmission came with a B & M valve-body shift kit

[ddartdude]

Are they going to have anything on the D/Darts?

[cicero819]

Paul, can you imagine what type of fine piece of driving whomever did the test with those 14inch tires. My cousin bought a 68or 69 Dart with automatic and the tires would just melt once you stabbed the gas pedal. Must of been Ronnie Sox.