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Junkyard Gem: 1987 Dodge Ram 50 with V8 swap

Chrysler did very well selling Mitsubishi Forte pickups with Plymouth and Dodge badging in the United States, even after Mitsubishi began moving the same trucks out of their own American dealerships in 1982. The 1987 Ram 50 2WD short bed weighed in at just over 2,500 pounds, so it was reasonably perky with its 2.0-liter G63B four-banger making 90 horsepower… but there's no replacement for displacement! At some point along the line, a Chrysler small-block V8 engine found its way into the engine compartment of this truck, now residing in a car graveyard in Sparks, Nevada. This was the cheapest new Dodge-branded pickup Americans could buy as a 1987 model, though it had to compete with its near-identical Mitsubishi Mighty Max twin for sales. The 1980s were great times for little pickups in the United States, but a desire for bigger cabs and more creature comforts doomed them by the dawn of the following decade. The most interesting thing about this engine swap is that it didn't involve a Chevrolet or Ford small-block V8. Both the Chevy small-block and Ford Windsor V8s are a few inches narrower than the Chrysler LA-series V8, which makes them easier to stuff into a small vehicle. It appears that engine length was the critical dimension in this case, since the Mopar seems to have had enough side-to-side clearance to avoid any slicing of Mitsubishi steel to make it fit. My guess is that whoever did the swap happened to have the engine handy and that's why it's here. Keeping it all Dodge might have been a factor in the decision as well, though the truck's Mitsubishi ancestry makes that unlikely. It was over 100°F out when I found this truck, so I wasn't motivated to check block casting numbers to determine exactly which LA engine we're dealing with here. The easiest LAs to get cheap for the last four or so decades have been the 318 (5.1-liter) and the 360 (5.8-liter), so one of those two is the most likely candidate here. Power levels for these engines got pretty dismal during the Malaise Era, but anyone with the wrenching skills to do this swap would have applied some basic power-enhancing wizardry before the engine went in. We can see there's an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, and you might as well stab in a better camshaft if you're upgrading the intake. How much power? With a four-barrel carburetor on a dual-plane intake plus a meaner cam, 300 to 350 horsepower is easily achieved with one of these engines, even with stock exhaust manifolds.

Stellantis reveals STLA Large platform with EV and ICE support

Hot on the heels of a Jeep Wagoneer S teaser and photos of the prototype next-generation Dodge Charger (or Challenger), comes a reveal and details of what will likely underpin both of them: the STLA Large platform. It's one of multiple Stellantis flexible architectures that will be the basis of its upcoming electric cars, and apparently internal combustion ones, too. Stellantis says the STLA Large platform will be for D- and E-segment cars, crossovers and SUVs. In other words, it will be for midsize and large vehicles. For reference, lengths supported will be from 187.6 to 201.8 inches, and width will range from 74.7 to 79.9 inches. It will be highly flexible, too, with Stellantis claiming significant amounts of adjustability in overhangs, wheelbase, suspension placement and powertrain arrangement. The powertrain flexibility is quite impressive. Front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive layouts will be supported. Single- and dual-motor layouts will be on offer. Internal combustion will be available, too, either on its own or as a hybrid. Apparently engines can be fitted either longitudinally or transversely, too. Battery packs with between 85 and 118 kWh of capacity will be offered, with Stellantis claiming that sedan-style vehicles could have a range of up to 500 miles. The packs will also be available in 400- and 800-volt designs. Stellantis noted also that the platform can "easily accept future energy storage technologies when they reach production readiness." This seems to hint that the company is looking at different battery chemistries and maybe even solid-state batteries that could be added more easily in the future. Furthermore, the platform is designed to handle impressive output. Stellantis says that some models on the platform will have 0-to-62 mph times in the 2-second range. Limited-slip differentials for improved power delivery and wheel-end disconnects for reduced mechanical drag are also on the table for this platform. All of these details fit well with the information previously given for the concept Dodge Charger Daytona Banshee and Jeep Wagoneer S. The former was previewed with both battery voltage architectures and a wide range of electric powertrains with between 456 and 670 horsepower depending on specification and upgrades. And that's just for the 400-volt system; the 800-volt option wasn't detailed. We've also seen photos of the Charger chassis seemingly with provisions for gas engines, likely versions of the Hurricane I6.

The Dodge Demon isn't the only way to a 10-second quarter mile

The Demon's rear tires smoke, the front tires lift – and in under ten seconds (after having spent $85,000) you've covered a quarter mile. In short, we fully get the attention shown Dodge's SRT Demonstrator. With disruption the operative word of the times, it's good to see a representative of the movement coming from Detroit. The SRT Demon delivers disruption in spades. There is, however, a viable alternative – and it doesn't require getting on the list at your Dodge dealer. If you want to do 0-60 in under three seconds or the quarter mile in around 10, the folks at Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha – with any of their one-liter superbikes – have you covered. The gestation of what we now know as the superbike came roughly a decade after the debut of the muscle car. It was in the early '70s, as emission and safety regulations – along with rising insurance premiums – decimated the ranks of Detroit's fastest that motorcycle makers found their magical, almost mystical momentum. Honda's CB750 four was arguably the first, followed soon by Kawasaki's Mach III and Z-1. After that, it was Katie-bar-the-door, with more horsepower offered by Japanese OEMs until, invariably, insurance premiums went higher and, during the last recession, 20-somethings couldn't get affordable loans or insurance. Today, Japan's Big Four are once again engaged in a horsepower war, fueled by the rising interest in MotoGP, along with the rising profits available when selling a $20,000 motorcycle. And if that $20,000 - $10K per wheel – seems high, simple math tells you it's less than half of what you'll spend per corner if buying Dodge's Demon. The specs tell the tale. The Demon, fattened by both its flared fenders and a platform dating from the George Bush administration, supports its 4,200+ pounds on a wheelbase of 116 inches. That's in contrast to Suzuki's GSX-R1000 – redesigned for 2017 – which puts its 443 pounds atop a wheelbase of just 56 inches. To maximize its Hemi-supplied 800+ horsepower, Dodge diverts the air conditioning from the Demon's interior to the engine, which makes racing on a summer evening (you guessed it) devilishly hot. On Suzuki's GSX-R1000 – or similarly-equipped superbikes – almost all of the air at 100+ miles per hour is directed at you. To further underscore the differences, know that the GSX-R1000 and its like-minded competition can turn a quick corner, while the Demon is hard-pressed to execute a U-turn at the end of a quarter-mile straightaway.