It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve

[njsteve]

I also gave the car a present: I installed the old, NOS 1972 Mopar tach I had laying around for the past 25 years or so. Since the factory tach is a little on the wild (and inaccurate) side whne you hit the gas, this tach provides a little better estimation of what the engine is actually doing.

[DarrenX33]

I said it before and I'll say it again now to you... Never take those off! Couldn't look more perfect.

[njsteve]

I brought the wheels and tires to my friend's garage to change the valve stems and mount the new fronts and balance them all. (It only took 8 ounces each to balance the rear tires! They are not exactly round anymore after all these years.)

While I had the old front tires off the rims I noticed that the 15x4 Cragars have stamped in large block letters, inside the rim, the following text: "FOR DRAG RACING USE ONLY - NOT FOR HIGHWAY USE". This phrase is continued around the entire inside of the rim. I didn't have my camera with me or I would have gotten a photo of it.

[DarrenX33]

Bummer. Now you can only drag race the car.

[Verne_Frantz]

That sounds strange that a 4" Cragar would be for racing only... I wonder if those were made lighter (lighter gauge)?

On another note Steve, are you sure you want to leave that redline on that SUN set where it is????? ..............(or were you just testing us)?

BTW, those wheels and tires are perfect for that car. IT's 1971 again

[njsteve]

Scarily enough that is the actual redline. Hemi's don't have a problem making power up there with an open exhaust, they just run into bottom end oil starvation problems if you don't have the oiling system sorted out. After 20 years of beatings, I think she's sorted out by now!

[olredalert]

------Mopars just look right with Cragars. I dont know why that is, it just is!!! I had two 66 Hemi Satellites over the years and I put Cragars on both of them within a week of buying them. Your Dodge just couldnt look better with any other aftermarket wheel........Bill S

[njsteve]

I got an email from a very observant member who noticed that the wheel offset appears to be different now. Very good eye! Here's the reason: When I found the car it had a narrower Dana rear end with a Direct Connection inboard leaf spring relocation kit. (Another racing modification by the guy that did the "beer drinkin engine assembly." So the wheels sat a little more inboard than now with the correct width rear.

They are definitely my old Cragars. I pulled one of the caps off and it had the same broken edges under the center cap - the very reason I gave them away in the first place back then, and the same gouges in the inner sidewalls where the tire hit the wheelhouses due to...you guessed it, the narrowed rear and the inboard spring mounting kit!

Just another bizarre chapter!