Exit, Stage V



 
Steve Magnante isnt the type to leave anything alone for very long, so any writing about his stuff is apt to be out of date
before it's published. This car is no exception. It's an original E-code Dart, 1 of 29 with the solid cam 273-4bbl.
Not being a number guy, this didnt stop him from building the car he actually wanted.

 

 
 		           Although the car sees alot of parts swaps and test sessions, the axle most commonly found under the back is a Dana 60 with 35 spline axles and a 3.54 geared Detroit Locker held in with SS springs.
McCreary L60-15's are employed to handle the torque.
A 727 multipliues the torque with the help of a 2200 stall converter.
Chassis mods are minor with an 8-point bar and frame connectors to add some rigidity.
           Front suspension was upgraded with 73-up disk brakes and new shocks.
     Hemi-specific mods include the MP offset MC adapter, which moves the master cylinder 1.5" to the left, and notching the passenger inner fender for valve cover clearance. A stock spool-type trans mount was used along with custom made elephant ears to keep the engine below the stock hood.

To keep the theme going, A100 van seats were added, while the rest of the interior remains stock.

Back in the day, moving the battery actually meant something.
The original style SS battery weighed 95lbs! It only lasted a year, and now a modern battery provides the juice.
    

Under the hood, theres a wonderland of top-notch aftermarket parts.
A 69 440 block was bored .030 and employs ARP studs.  A 4340 ex-fueler crank offers a 4.375 stroke and swings Crower lightweight billet rods. Arias pistons were used and are one of the few companies that make a high silicone piston the correct size.
A Crower billet roller Hemi cam provides a stout 626/631 lift and 298/304 duration. A bronze gear and hardened washer mate the billet cam to the oil pump/distributor drive. Oiling is handled by a Milodon 7 qt pan and hi volume pump and spark is ensured by an MSD Pro-Billet distributor, MSD 6AL and Blaster 2 coil.
On top of all this are the infamous Stage V aluminum Hemi conversion heads. The heads are specifically designed to bolt on to an RB block, feature 169.5 cc chambers, hardened seats, and require a few minor mods. Poor oiling is cured with Chevy-style roller lifters and hollow pushrods. Some minor grinding is needed for pushrod clearance as well.  A Street Hemi intake and 2 750 Edelbrock carbs complete the assembly.

It's all kept cool by a 4-core 22" rad, Edelbrock high output water pump and 7 blade aluminum fan.
Exhaust is handled by Hooker 2.25" Hemi headers.

 
 

Using the 3.54 gears and 2200 converter, the best time has been 
11.48 @ 122 on pump gas. No doubt, more gear and converter 
would get the car near 11-oh on pump gas. Not too shabby for
a magazine writer ;)

 
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