Enthusiast
Engines etc... and Power Wagon & Sport Utes magazines. Some of you may be
knowledgeable of these two magazines and some may not. CCE has been published
bimothly since 1984 and PW & SU is an off-shout which is now quarterly.
It has recently come to my attention the friction of the net on various
homepages concerning Chrysler's Magnum V8 engines, both 5.2 and 5.9-liter, and
the companies offering performance buildup products. I'd like to set the
record straight from a perspective which hindered the car restoration phase
and the gap between then and now.
Many of you Mopar aficionados of these new toys are probably use to the
Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars and haven't noticed that technology breeds
higher prices because of EPA and CARB, whereas the GM and Ford people have
been there and done that. Whether it's a Buick Turbo V6, LT-1 or LS-1 and
5.0-liter Mustangs, the R&D and factory and aftermarket has responded well
over the years. While The Magnum V8 has been the biggest kept secret since its
intro in 1992. I know, because we were the first to test a 1992 Li'l Red
Express Dakota 5.2-liter Magnum V8 which is now my current daily ride.
I have just come back from the SEMA show in November. I spoke to many
companies concerning Dodge trucks and Jeeps which we cover in Power Wagon &
Sport Utes magazine. Jim McFarland, a long time tech and editor of Hot Rod and
Popular Hot Rodding magazines, who now works for HyperTech explained to me the
problem in developing their HyperTech Programmer for Magnum engines compared
to GM and Ford programmers. I won't go into depth, but he drove home a valid
point. Technology when it comes to Chrysler V8s today better performing won't
come CHEAP!
Many of you probably don't have an understanding that when GM introduced
their LT-1 V8 back in 1992, it wasn't until late in 1995 when R&D started to
reveal this EFI engine's potential in stock and modified form. Likewise the
LS-1 owner is now facing that same problem. Because the car manufacturers
don't want to give up their codes and technology which they rightfully
developed easily to SEMA members for aftermarket development the technology
price goes up. Please be patient. I said a long time ago concerning restoring
an old Mopar. "If it's the last part you need to complete your project pay the
price". If you cannot live with that then drive an econobox its that simple.
This might sound crast to some but I want to be brief.
Currently neither Chrysler Car Enthusiast Engine etc... or Power Wagon &
Sport Utes is on the net, but by March 1st we can be reached at
www.rhopublishing.com. Until then if you want any other info contact John at
(215) 639-4456 Monday thru Friday 10am-4pm EST. Thank you for allowing me to
bring this insight to you .
Best regards,
Robert Oskiera
Editor of
Chrysler Car Enthusiast Engines etc... Magazine
Power Wagon & Sport Utes Magazine
1580 Hampton Road
Bensalem, PA 19020-4610
(215) 639-4456
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