Restoring my 69 Dodge Charger

08/04/2025

Help Raymond Kohn 's Northeast Ohio Dukes bounce back! Their page was hacked and they lost 150k followers. Follow their new page for exclusive content on General Lee jumps and car prep. Share this post to help them get back on track! Thanks, Jeff

08/01/2025

WOW! I was going through my old receipts looking for information about my previous engine build and found this relic!

The bill for rebuilding the 440 my first time around was $840.00 for labor and some parts...

This time around it's going to be pretty much 10X that amount for labor only this time around if I go with the option of rebuilding the 440 and not going with a Gen3 swap.

The times have changed!


#440

07/29/2025

Who is your "go-to" shop for 440 engine parts?

Who should I stay away from?

And most importantly WHY?

It looks like I will need EVERYTHING from a complete rotating assembly to aluminum heads.

07/15/2025

Looks like I have a lot to consider again. "IF" you had to choose one, what would you choose and why?

A modern Hemi Gen III swap vs. completely rebuilding the 440 (was a 318 car so it is non-matching )



#440

07/15/2025

is going to be down and out for a while..

This was not the news that I was hoping to hear.


So far here's what the engine shop has found..

Cracked cylinder head.. from the valve cover area to the water jacket.

One head has a cracked valve seat.

Magnafluxed the crank and believes there's a crack. Needs to investigate further.

The cylinder head exhaust guides and intake are worn 2.5-5 thousandths of clearance.

Recommend new heads.

The bearings on the bottom end show wear.

The big ends of the connecting rods measured erratically.. different sizes would need to be resized the big ends.

He believes the bore on the he block side and the block itself is good.

The fuel pump lobe is scored on the cam. Recommends a new hydraulic cam with hydraulic roller lifters..

He's going to do a little further examining and give me some recommendations..

07/09/2025

I scored an awesome sign tonight from my hometown of Dracut, MA to add to my collection.

I have always kept my eyes out for some sort of ephemera or sign related to the old track that only existed for a short period in time. (1946-1955)

Track History below

credit from "Lost Dirt Tracks" page.

DRACUT SPEEDWAY

Built on the property of ex midget driver Alex Benoit’s land with assistance from another driver, the track went under construction during the end of the war and opened once the ban was lifted on racing.
Over 6000 fans attended the first race meeting and the success continued. Stands were constantly filled and fans would be forced to wait outside.
Midgets would first run weekly racing at the start and as the 50s rolled around it turned into jalopy events.
The track would also hold other special events such as rodeos, professional boxing, and even semi pro football. It became a hot spot for sports around the area.
Stock cars started to dominate the schedule like most tracks in the area.
In 1955, during a stock car event, a wheel came off a competitors car and hurtled into the crowd. It struck and killed a 19 year old girl. So distraught was the owner he immediately closed the track down.

Town: Loon Hill Rd, Dracut, Massachusetts - USA

Size: 1/4 mile

Operated: 1946 - 1955

07/02/2025

This is great news! is back! Let's go!

Our path forward is clear: launch the right products, those that our customers truly want, and reflect the authentic DNA of our iconic brands.

That’s why Tim Kuniskis has been appointed Head of American Brands and North America Marketing and Retail Strategy. Tim will work across the brand portfolio to build and enhance the connections customers have with our products, marketing efforts, and dealer network.

But that’s not all…SRT is back! We’re proud to announce the return of Street and Racing Technology (SRT), our iconic performance division, under Tim’s leadership. SRT will unify high-performance engineering across our American brands, pushing the limits of power, precision, and passion.

The road ahead is fast, bold, and full of horsepower! Get all the details: https://bit.ly/4nzUFyw

06/30/2025

06/30/2025

Happy Monday, here is a link to the full length video of removing my fully dressed engine in real time from below the car.. It really is fairly easy to do once you have everything disconnected and have access to a lift.

If you don't have a lift Chris Birdsong from Junkerup 's manufactures brackets that he sells to use with a regular old cherry picker.


Restoring my 69 Dodge Charger

Here is my first attempt at a YouTube video! 🤓 it's not great.. but maybe it helps someone out considering how to install or remove their engine in a B-body...

06/29/2025

Another General Lee Jump! 06-28-2025. Raymond Kohn and the Northeast Ohio Dukes crushing it and keeping the Dukes of Hazzard relevant! If you don't already follow their page, you should! They are also an AMD dealer if you need any parts give them a shout!

06/29/2025