The Willomet Charger

[Willomet_Motor_and_Fab]

I set mine up for road racing/autocross as well. I've got 315-35-17 tires in the back. I fit them into the stock wheel wells with some messaging of the outer wheel well. You can go larger if you take the lip down or roll it. Front I fit 275-40-17 but had to flare the fender by two inches and roll the lip. Car handles pretty awesome.

Good notes - appreciate that. I’ve about got my mind right about needing to flare the front to clear the 305, and whatever I do for the rear would be mostly cosmetic to match the front. I’m 99% committed to USCT mini tubs in the rear.

I keep looking at the K&K Insurance Chargers for inspiration.

David

[jwells1993]

awesome build so far

[Willomet_Motor_and_Fab]

awesome build so far

Thank you.

Outer plates are in process of getting tacked, and the interior plates will follow shortly after.  No more clecos.

David

[Willomet_Motor_and_Fab]

Just catching up progress.

Front frame rails are just about fully welded.  These will get blended and corners rounded.  Inside:


Driver outside overlay after wire-wheeling:


And a parting shot, all cleaned up.


Lots of hours on this sub-project, and I'm idling the Charger for a few weeks as I prepare my suburban for its next adventure.  I'll pick this back up after SEMA.

David

[68pplcharger]

Well it will be ready for a 2,500 hp monster when you're finished. 

[tan top]

  good stuff 

[Willomet_Motor_and_Fab]

The Trail to SEMA is done (episodes start airing 12/12), and I'm back on the Charger.

The passenger rail is welded and blended. I spent Saturday dialing in the welder, and getting back in the groove. It's been 4 weeks since I've struck an arc.





And then there's this. Working with some new contacts and partners I met at SEMA, there's a real possibility I'll be able to push the engine back a significant amount. In addition to recentering from the factory position, the weight balance should be much more favorable.



I've been working on a revised plan for the rear chassis and the front suspension, and hope to have some clear updates on that in the next couple of weeks. Again, I've learned a lot in the last few weeks, and it's better informed my approach to the suspension design.

In the meantime, I'm working the litany of open detail fab projects - firewall, finish weld and blend the rockers, etc.

David

[TexasGeneral]

 

[slantscamp]

Oh man. LS power. This just got even better. Brace yourself for all the hate, but keep up all the good work brother.

[Mike DC]

  
No LS hate here.  

This project car is being built for handling.  We're hitting the 2020's and Mopar still won't mass-produce an aluminum V8 (around 90 lbs lighter weight on the front end).  

Mopar is 25 years behind everyone else on this.  If Ford's engines had been 25 years behind the times in the muscle era, they would have been selling Boss Mustangs with flathead V8s.  

[cdr]

 
No LS hate here.  

This project car is being built for handling.  We're hitting the 2020's and Mopar still won't mass-produce an aluminum V8 (around 90 lbs lighter weight on the front end).  

Mopar is 25 years behind everyone else on this.  If Ford's engines had been 25 years behind the times in the muscle era, they would have been selling Boss Mustangs with flathead V8s.  

 Really , the Hellephant crate engine is 25 years behind

Mopar is bringing back the "426" moniker on its next 1,000-hp crate engine. Yup, you read that right: The Hellephant, a play on the fact that the old 426 Hemi was called the elephant engine, will hit four digits for horsepower and bring along 950 lb-ft of torque. It was introduced today at the Las Vegas SEMA Show. Mopar actually installed the new powerplant in a '68 Charger it's calling the "Super Charger." It goes on sale in the first quarter of next year.

The supercharged 7.0-liter (426-cubic-inch) V8 gains displacement through a bigger bore and stroke (4.125 x 4.0) and the block is all aluminum, as opposed to the Hellcat motor's cast-iron lower end.

Read more: https://autoweek.com/article/sema-show/mopar-breaks-1000-hp-barrier-hellephant-hemi-crate-engine#ixzz5Zd8KqIze

[JB400]

I doubt that I'll be seeing the hellephant in a mass produced Charger, Durango, Jeep, or any other production based vehicle anytime soon.  Ls's are in practically everything now that isn't a cheap econo vehicle.

[Mike DC]

   
To find an affordable alloy V8 for a project car:

Chevy:  pick-n-pull

Ford:  pick-n-pull

BMW:  pick-n-pull

Toyota:  pick-n-pull

Rover:  pick-n-pull

Mopar:  $5000 aftermarket block


Yes, Mopar is behind on this.

[6pkrtse]

Awesome build & some trick work . And I thought I was be tricky by hiding 2"X3" box tubing inside my Challenger rockers panels & tieing into the front rear sub frames. Had me until I saw LS powered , lost all interest in this build now.

[alfaitalia]

No "hate" from me....but as said above....it takes the wind out of the sales of a great project to me....just my point of view of course. Helliphant/ Hellcat aside there are plenty of ways of getting Mopar power under that bonnet....even if its from elsewhere in the Mopar family....
....still amazing fabrication work though.

[INTMD8]

Nice work!!   

Lots of extra steel being put into this car, rigidity should not be a problem!

That being said I share the sentiment of some of the others. (and I work for an LS speed shop)  Would love to see at least a modern Hemi in this instead of the LS.   Don't think she will be a lightweight either way.

That and your truck LS looks like it's an iron block anyway (unless that's just for mock up)

[Alaskan_TA]

Just another Charger at SEMA with a Chevy engine............  

How many times has that been done?  

[Charger-Bodie]

Just another Charger at SEMA with a Chevy engine............  

How many times has that been done?  

Yup. Just like a hot rod with 350/350 ford 9 inch.

[Homerr]

.

[nvrbdn]

Wow, there is an insane amount of welding going into that frame. Awesome work. Great fabrication. Fun to see it all come together.

[Willomet_Motor_and_Fab]

I was out of the shop for a few days hunting some Texas white tails, and I see there's a little bit for me to catch up on.

Sit tight!  This is my main focus for 2019.

Oh man. LS power. This just got even better. Brace yourself for all the hate, but keep up all the good work brother.

There's a whole story on how I got the engine, but it doesn't matter.  It's a compact and efficient platform that is simple to setup, and generates sufficient torque and horsepower for the application.  Currently, the iron block is a mockup and likely the Rev0 engine, while an aluminum block will be the Rev1.

No LS hate here.  

Me either!  As I've gotten older, I've become substantially less brand loyal.  This was never going to be a restoration, so there were no rules to follow.

I doubt that I'll be seeing the hellephant in a mass produced Charger, Durango, Jeep, or any other production based vehicle anytime soon.

That's in line with the discussion at SEMA.  Cool engine, and I'd enjoy running it, but it's way out of my league cost-wise.

   
To find an affordable alloy V8 for a project car:

Chevy:  pick-n-pull

Ford:  pick-n-pull

BMW:  pick-n-pull

Toyota:  pick-n-pull

Rover:  pick-n-pull

Mopar:  $5000 aftermarket block


Yes, Mopar is behind on this.

That seems about right.  My LQ4 was essentially free (traded work).

Awesome build & some trick work . And I though I was be tricky by hiding 2"X3" box tubing inside my Challenger rockers panels & tieing into the front rear sub frames. Had me until I saw LS powered , lost all interest in this build now.

I love that solution.  Very clever for those with still-solid rockers.  I'm sorry you've lost interest, and would still appreciate any additional insight you might have as the build progresses.

Just another Charger at SEMA with a Chevy engine............  

How many times has that been done?  

I would love to have this car at SEMA - it would be great for the business.  And while I've seen a bunch of LS-powered things, I can't recall seeing a mid-front engine pro-touring LS Charger on 305/325 rubber.  (Without a hint of sarcasm) I might have missed it, but I think this car would be unique.

Nice work!!   

Lots of extra steel being put into this car, rigidity should not be a problem!

That being said I share the sentiment of some of the others. (and I work for an LS speed shop)  Would love to see at least a modern Hemi in this instead of the LS.   Don't think she will be a lightweight either way.

That and your truck LS looks like it's an iron block anyway (unless that's just for mock up)

Lots of steel for sure, and I'm working to keep the weight add to a minimum.  Total add should be 175-250lbs over the stock unibody.  The iron block is a Rev0, and I'll move to alloy at the next revision.

No "hate" from me....but as said above....it takes the wind out of the sales of a great project to me....just my point of view of course. Helliphant/ Hellcat aside there are plenty of ways of getting Mopar power under that bonnet....even if its from elsewhere in the Mopar family....
....still amazing fabrication work though.

Appreciate the feedback, and I understand the sentiment of prefering a mopar engine.  Since it came with no engine, I've been starting from relative scratch on the power platform, and have found myself quite comfortable in the "there are no rules" camp.  Part of it is my exposure to LS things, but that platform also satisfies a series of requirements that a new hemi cannot, and space efficiency is the most obvious of those criteria.  There are also some partners that are very LS-focused and are actively supporting the engine program, but that came second.

.

I got a great chuckle out of this.  Best reply, ever.

Wow, there is an insane amount of welding going into that frame. Awesome work. Great fabrication. Fun to see it all come together.

Thank you, sir.  I'm excited to be back working on it regularly.

Again, next up are closing several fabrication tasks in preparation for a new rear chassis and front suspension.  Lots to do.

David

[Willomet_Motor_and_Fab]

Happy new year.  Let's catch up.

The torque boxes are expanded slightly, and taper down to interface with the inner chassis supports.  This is all .075" 14ga, as there's already plenty of 1/8" in the rockers and torque boxes.




Closed in, and I'm holding off on welding and blending until I get the inner chassis members measured, tacked, and ready.




A good view of my office for the last few days.


Before I can measure for the inner chassis members, or even the rear suspension, the engine and trans have to be placed.


As we looked at earlier, the engine needs a deep setback to achieve the desired weight balance.  It may come forward an inch or two from this position, but the shifter location is already close to ideal (for me).


The assembly is offset to the passenger side by 1/2".


Next up: fabricating the inner chassis members and motor and transmission mounts.

David

[Challenger340]

The LS Engines, and the aftermarket performance parts availability for them, are BOTH excellent    Good Choice for this type of project  

[mike69440]

That's going to be a rigid and BEEFY Charger.

Excellent Chassis work!  I like what you did for the torque box.

One question,
The engine Craddle/ K-Frame.

Why such a heavy fabrication and not a Tubular K-Frame, either aftermarket or of your own design?   

[Willomet_Motor_and_Fab]

The LS Engines, and the aftermarket performance parts availability for them, are BOTH excellent    Good Choice for this type of project  

I've learned a lot about them in a short period of time, and I'm excited to get it fired and make some power.  Right now, it's all vroom vroom noises from me.  I may just run it on the regular LQ4 low compression boring junk for shakedown of the suspension, and make the engine build something all its own.

That's going to be a rigid and BEEFY Charger.

Excellent Chassis work!  I like what you did for the torque box.

One question,
The engine Craddle/ K-Frame.

Why such a heavy fabrication and not a Tubular K-Frame, either aftermarket or of your own design?   

Thanks!  That K member is the Magnum Force Transformer unit, and it is super heavy duty.  At 3/16", it's overbuilt for sure, and is a very good universal design.  It will very likely be replaced with a new design I'm working on that is substantially lighter, and I'm looking forward to pulling that weight off the front of the car.

David