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MUTANT BEE “This car started with a dream that the ugly duckling of Mopars could become something spectacular.”—Ben Grasso That thing got a Hemi? Yes, it does. Starting out, this motor was the highest specific-output V-8 ever offered by the Chrysler group. To spice it up even more, eight 58mm throttle bodies were used, as well as a COMP camshaft to improve flow. The New Hemi In 2003, Chrysler came out with its all-new 5.7L Hemi small-block. This motor is an option in many models, and when available, is chosen about 50 percent of the time. With these inspiring numbers, Chrysler upped the ante with its beefed-up 6.1L, rated at 425 hp. This was more power than any other V-8 from Chrysler to date, and its 69.8:1 hp-to-liter rating even surpasses the legendary 426. The new Hemi was the first to use a cylinder deactivating system in North America. Chrysler does this by electronically deactivating the lifters, spark plugs, and fuel injectors so that fuel and power are not wasted when they aren’t needed. It switches between 8 and 4 cylinders based on the demand the driver puts on the engine. In 5.7L variants so equipped, Chrysler has observed up to 20 percent better fuel economy without sacrificing any of the fun-to-drive appeal. (Just ask Hunkins, a new convert who thoroughly enjoys his 2007 Hemi Magnum.) Through the last couple years, the demand for aftermarket parts is being met with a slew of options such as supercharger kits, turbocharger kits, camshafts, headers, intake manifolds, computer chips, and custom pistons. Expect to see more options in heads, and watch the 6.1L’s success as a choice for early Mopar Pro Touring engine transplants. 28 www.popularhotrodding.com He had been looking for the perfect motor for this car to power through the turns of a road course, along with all the modern suspension goodies. “I see the old Chevys updated with the LS motors, and the Fords with their mod motors; I was always jealous. I’ve been waiting for the day us Mopar guys would have a small-block to modernize our drivetrains. My prayers were answered, and in my opinion, the 6.1L Hemi is the best small-block Dodge has ever produced, second best to the 426 all around.” Those are strong words from such an avid Pro Touring Mopar enthusiast. This motor meant Ben could carry the current technology theme through the engine bay of this project, and many more in the future. Now that the 6.1L Hemi has been around a couple years, the aftermarket industry is catching up Originally equipped with leaf springs, Lateral Dynamic’s B-body three-link suspension components, complete with Watts link, clean up the rearend. This setup is designed to be beaten on at the track—exactly Ben’s intentions. with parts to make them perform. Ben’s next project will use Vortech’s supercharger kit in his 6.1L-based 426ci stroker that will power a ’69 Road Runner called “Dark Runner.” Beyond all the bells and whistles installed throughout the engine bay, Ben recessed the taillights and removed the excess trim around the tail. To be consistent with the modern theme, he treated the light frames to a satin black finish and reshaped the tail panel to accept latemodel Dodge emblems. interior, and undercarriage, the most impressive modifications lie beneath the paint. Ben started off with a stockbodied car, that needed a little help. The guys from Year One came to the rescue with fresh quarter-panels, a rear window filler, and trunk floor. This sheetmetal freshening gave Ben a clear vision of the car’s potential. Coupled with Plum Floored Creations, Paintshop101 gave the Super Bee a whole new flair with a relocated and heightened hoodscoop, Coronet R/T-inspired sidescoops, and most striking, the modified front fascia. Considering how it came equipped, it’s hard to imagine that Dodge wouldn’t employ this design if they had the chance back then. Ben and company elegantly grafted foglights and a chin spoiler to the front sheetmetal to give it that Pro Touring look he sought. For further cleanup, Ben shaved the door handles, revised the driprails, and tightened up the weatherstripping. These modifications don’t jump out at you like a large rear spoiler or complicated graphics would, and that’s how he imagined it. When you’ve put this much work into a car, it’s hard to swallow the idea that it could all be gone in the blink of an eye. The night after the first photo shoot, tired from driving across the state to unload his car, Ben parked his trailer in front of his house. “My heart sank as I noticed the door to the trailer was down! I ran to the trailer and caught a reflection of metallic Factory speedometer? No, but it was meant to look that way. Car owner and builder Ben Grasso designed a new face for this gauge to extend the limit to 200 mph within the factory bezel. SEPTEMBER 2008 POPULAR HOT RODDING 29
MUTANT BEE Borrowed from a BMW E63, Steve Enochs of Paintshop101 adapted these headlights with a custom set of brackets to fit into the nose of his Super Bee. This set is complete with low-beam and projector-type high-beam lights to illuminate in all kinds of driving conditions. green, so I began to breathe again knowing the car was at least still there,” says Ben. Not realizing the damage inside, or what the legal protocol was for a police report, Ben stood at the rear of the trailer until the police showed up. After backing the car out of the trailer, Ben noticed what the idiot thieves were after. “They took what must have been a crowbar to the dash, trying to get the head unit out, but were unsuccessful and only broke it, busting up the N.O.S. dashpad and thrashing the aluminum surroundings,” Ben confirms. They gave up on the idea of getting the stereo, and looked to the 15-inch subwoofer in the rear deck. “For a sub, they damaged the console, scratched the door, and of course damaged the dash, being too stupid to successfully steal the stereo. It is probably a good thing I did not catch the thieves. You don’t screw with a man’s car.” On top of this tragedy, photographer McGaffin broke his foot while on duty behind the camera taking most of these photos. One would imagine this whole incident would take you back a couple steps mentally, but Ben charged on, and got the car back to show quality fast. It is not uncommon to have two photo shoots for a car, and when discussing it with PHR Editor Johnny Hunkins, Ben joked that the car was cursed. “We all laughed that something was bound to happen with our previous luck,” Ben says. There was a sense of relief when the second photo shoot was over and there were no incidents. Just as Ben was starting to relax, he got a call from his wife saying her car had been keyed! Needless to say, Ben was a bit upset, but at the same time found the coincidence entertaining. It goes to show you that your attitude and sense of humor can save a situation. We have full faith in Ben that Plum Floored Creations will continue to produce outstanding cars with the unique touches his Mutant Bee project has. Ben is looking forward to more car building, and raising the bar on Mopar muscle reconstruction. 30 www.popularhotrodding.com BY THE NUMBERS 1970 Coronet Super Bee Ben Grasso, 30 • Buckeye, AZ Dyno numbers: 598 hp at 6,600 rpm, 510 lb-ft of torque at 5,300 rpm Engine Type:.............................................. 2007 Chrysler 6.1L Block:............................................................stock iron Oiling:..............................Weldtech aluminum oil pan, Pure Power 8900R remote oil filter, oversized cooler, Pure Power racing motor oil Rotating assembly:.............................................stock Cylinder heads:.................................stock aluminum Camshaft:.............. COMP .547-inch lift, 273 degrees duration at .050-inch lift Valvetrain:.............................................COMP springs Induction:................ individual 58mm throttle bodies by TWM Induction, dual oval ITG foam filters Ignition:.............. Mopar Performance programmable standalone ECU Cooling:.....factory water pump, radiator from Custom Aluminum Radiator Warehouse, dual Spal fans Fuel system:...........................Stage II SRT-4 injectors with TWM fuel rails Exhaust:....TTI ceramic-coated equal-length headers with Dr. Gas 3-inch X-pipe and Street Boom Tube side-exit exhaust Fasteners:............ MMS & Accessories stainless steel button head Allen bolts Drivetrain Transmission:.........Richmond six-speed: 3.27:1 First and 0.80:1 Sixth gear Clutch/shifter:...McLeod 10.5-inch dual disc, aluminum flywheel, stainless pistol grip shifter by Weldtech Rear axle:...................Ford 9-inch with Strange axles and 3.90:1 gears on a limited-slip carrier by Lateral Dynamics Chassis Front suspension:...................... Mopar Performance 1.22-inch torsion bars, 1.5-inch sway bar, Flaming River fast-ratio steering box, 2-inch drop spindles, QA1 shocks Rear suspension:................Lateral Dynamics B-body three-link rear suspension kit with Watts link, QA1 coilovers, 1.25-inch sway bar, US Cartool subframe connectors Brakes:.................Wilwood polished master cylinder, 14-inch GT rotors and Billet Superlite six-piston calipers with Lateral Dynamics adapters, front; Wilwood Pro Series Ford 9-inch big brake kit with 13-inch GT rotors and Billet Superlite four-piston calipers, rear INTERIOR Seats:..............................1970 Charger seats covered by Legendary Auto Interiors Dashboard:........200-mph speedo in factory housing Stereo:......Scosche’s EFX Hyperformance Car Audio 4-channel 800-watt amp, 15-inch subwoofer, 6x9- and 5.5-inch speakers installed by Audiomagik of Phoenix, AZ Wiring:................ factory replacement wiring harness from Year One Column:......................Flaming River steering column with Revolution steering wheel Comforts:........Vintage Air Gen III custom installation by Paintshop101 EXTERIOR Body:............. hoodscoop relocated and heightened, sidescoops added and pulled into door panels, lengthened rocker panel, bumpers reworked, front spoiler and foglights Paint:...................................SEM’s Color Horizons line “Nuclear Gator Green” Wheels & Tires Wheels:.............Centerline Lazer II two-piece wheels in 18X8-inch and 20x9.5-inch Tires:.................Yokohama S drive 235/40R18, front; 285/20R20, rear
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