Engine Seized on '69 Charger

Last night when Guy Algar was prepping to remove the engine to assess the damage caused by another shop leaving the engine unprotected, we discovered that the motor on the '69 Dodge Charger is locked up tight. It's now looking like every cylinder (not just one or two) will need replacing, making the engine rebuild for the seized engine much more complex than originally hoped. Unfortunately we're getting a list of things done incorrectly.

1969 Dodge Charger Picked Up

We just picked up this little beauty for some help getting her all together and running. We had a long trip of almost 500 miles to bring her here to our shop for work, and thankfully the trip itself was uneventful and safe - just the way we like it at Motorheads Performance!

We sure did get a lot of gawking and neck-jerking on the road and "nice car" comments when we stopped for gas - especially from the women who seemed to really like this ride! 

Guy Algar said this project will include engine work, exhaust work, wiring, A/C etc.  We'll let you know as the job progresses, as first the engine needs to be thoroughly inspected for damage after sitting at another shop for over a year outside with the intake open and unprotected after work had already been started. Unfortunately, not much was done, and much of what was will need to be redone, as we can expect that at least two of the cylinders and pistons will be seized up from the neglect which the customer was unaware of. All in all, this will be a relatively quick job which will give the owner all the power he wants!

1971 Chevelle SS Goes Home Today

Today, the 1971 Chevelle SS is going home after having the A/C system installed and brought back to great working condition. It now blasts Artic temperatures which we've been needing with the 100 degree weather we're stuck in here in South Central Texas. There were a lot of items on the list of fixes for this beauty, including a fix of a botched sound system install, new carpeting, dash pad, and fixes to instrument cluster and wiring among other things.  We'd previously performed engine work on the Chevelle, and years later the 454 with roller cam is still sounding and running great! - Guy Algar

Chevelle SS Drivetrain in Place

Guy Algar reports that the installation of the engine and transmission in the 1970 Chevelle SS went very smoothly. Sometimes it's difficult to fit a big block into an engine compartment with the hood on, but with the years of experience Guy has doing it, we've again managed without a hitch! The Chevy 396 now looks much more at home resting on the motor mounts and bolted up to the transmission. We go into the weekend having discussed a parts list with the owner, and once okay'd we'll proceed with ordering the needed parts so we can get into the next phase of the project.


1970 Chevelle SS with 500 hp 396

While the original 396 was designed to produce 375 hp and 415 lb-ft torque, this engine's been upgraded during rebuild and will put out 500 hp! And this is with cast iron heads! Did you know that some versions of the 396 were equipped with four bolt main bearing caps and are very comfortable pushing the upper 6000 rpm range!  And the 396 is the precursor to the 402, as the first 402's were bored out 396's!
For those intrigued by the thought of a 396 or 402, our sister newsletter Classic Car News, will be doing a feature story on the 396 in the next few weeks. Guy will also be sharing his tips on installing a big block engine without removing the hood in a separate article! Hope you tune in!