Mutant bee - MilesSpeed.com
Mutant bee - MilesSpeed.com
Mutant bee - MilesSpeed.com
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MUTANT BEE<br />
“This car started with a dream<br />
that the ugly duckling of Mopars<br />
could be<strong>com</strong>e something<br />
spectacular.”—Ben Grasso<br />
That thing got a Hemi? Yes, it does. Starting out, this motor was the highest<br />
specific-output V-8 ever offered by the Chrysler group. To spice it up even<br />
more, eight 58mm throttle bodies were used, as well as a COMP camshaft<br />
to improve flow.<br />
The New Hemi<br />
In 2003, Chrysler came out with<br />
its all-new 5.7L Hemi small-block.<br />
This motor is an option in many<br />
models, and when available, is<br />
chosen about 50 percent of the<br />
time. With these inspiring numbers,<br />
Chrysler upped the ante<br />
with its <strong>bee</strong>fed-up 6.1L, rated at<br />
425 hp. This was more power<br />
than any other V-8 from Chrysler<br />
to date, and its 69.8:1 hp-to-liter<br />
rating even surpasses the legendary<br />
426.<br />
The new Hemi was the first to<br />
use a cylinder deactivating system<br />
in North America. Chrysler<br />
does this by electronically deactivating<br />
the lifters, spark plugs,<br />
and fuel injectors so that fuel<br />
and power are not wasted when<br />
they aren’t needed. It switches<br />
between 8 and 4 cylinders based<br />
on the demand the driver puts<br />
on the engine. In 5.7L variants so<br />
equipped, Chrysler has observed<br />
up to 20 percent better fuel<br />
economy without sacrificing any<br />
of the fun-to-drive appeal. (Just<br />
ask Hunkins, a new convert who<br />
thoroughly enjoys his 2007 Hemi<br />
Magnum.)<br />
Through the last couple years,<br />
the demand for aftermarket<br />
parts is being met with a slew<br />
of options such as supercharger<br />
kits, turbocharger kits, camshafts,<br />
headers, intake manifolds, <strong>com</strong>puter<br />
chips, and custom pistons.<br />
Expect to see more options in<br />
heads, and watch the 6.1L’s success<br />
as a choice for early Mopar<br />
Pro Touring engine transplants.<br />
28 www.popularhotrodding.<strong>com</strong><br />
He had <strong>bee</strong>n looking<br />
for the perfect motor for<br />
this car to power through<br />
the turns of a road course,<br />
along with all the modern<br />
suspension goodies. “I see<br />
the old Chevys updated<br />
with the LS motors, and<br />
the Fords with their mod<br />
motors; I was always jealous.<br />
I’ve <strong>bee</strong>n waiting for<br />
the day us Mopar guys<br />
would have a small-block to<br />
modernize our drivetrains.<br />
My prayers were answered,<br />
and in my opinion, the<br />
6.1L Hemi is the best<br />
small-block Dodge has ever<br />
produced, second best to<br />
the 426 all around.” Those<br />
are strong words from such<br />
an avid Pro Touring Mopar enthusiast.<br />
This motor meant Ben could carry the<br />
current technology theme through the<br />
engine bay of this project, and many<br />
more in the future. Now that the 6.1L<br />
Hemi has <strong>bee</strong>n around a couple years,<br />
the aftermarket industry is catching up<br />
Originally equipped with leaf springs, Lateral Dynamic’s<br />
B-body three-link suspension <strong>com</strong>ponents, <strong>com</strong>plete with<br />
Watts link, clean up the rearend. This setup is designed to<br />
be beaten on at the track—exactly Ben’s intentions.<br />
with parts to make them perform. Ben’s<br />
next project will use Vortech’s supercharger<br />
kit in his 6.1L-based 426ci stroker<br />
that will power a ’69 Road Runner<br />
called “Dark Runner.”<br />
Beyond all the bells and whistles<br />
installed throughout the engine bay,<br />
Ben recessed the taillights and removed<br />
the excess trim around the tail. To be consistent<br />
with the modern theme, he treated<br />
the light frames to a satin black finish and<br />
reshaped the tail panel to accept latemodel<br />
Dodge emblems.<br />
interior, and undercarriage, the most<br />
impressive modifications lie beneath<br />
the paint. Ben started off with a stockbodied<br />
car, that needed a little help. The<br />
guys from Year One came to the rescue<br />
with fresh quarter-panels, a rear window<br />
filler, and trunk floor. This sheetmetal<br />
freshening gave Ben a clear vision of<br />
the car’s potential. Coupled with Plum<br />
Floored Creations, Paintshop101 gave<br />
the Super Bee a whole new flair with a<br />
relocated and heightened hoodscoop,<br />
Coronet R/T-inspired sidescoops, and<br />
most striking, the modified front fascia.<br />
Considering how it came equipped, it’s<br />
hard to imagine that Dodge wouldn’t<br />
employ this design if they had the chance<br />
back then. Ben and <strong>com</strong>pany elegantly<br />
grafted foglights and a chin spoiler to<br />
the front sheetmetal to give it that Pro<br />
Touring look he sought. For further<br />
cleanup, Ben shaved the door handles,<br />
revised the driprails, and tightened up<br />
the weatherstripping. These modifications<br />
don’t jump out at you like a large<br />
rear spoiler or <strong>com</strong>plicated graphics<br />
would, and that’s how he imagined it.<br />
When you’ve put this much work into<br />
a car, it’s hard to swallow the idea that it<br />
could all be gone in the blink of an eye.<br />
The night after the first photo shoot, tired<br />
from driving across the state to unload<br />
his car, Ben parked his trailer in front of<br />
his house. “My heart sank as I noticed the<br />
door to the trailer was down! I ran to the<br />
trailer and caught a reflection of metallic<br />
Factory speedometer? No, but it was<br />
meant to look that way. Car owner and<br />
builder Ben Grasso designed a new face<br />
for this gauge to extend the limit to 200<br />
mph within the factory bezel.<br />
SEPTEMBER 2008 POPULAR HOT RODDING 29