Hi, just wanted to say hello to everyone here at MMA

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Jun 10, 11 2:05 pm

So rather than a brand or product name (like Edelbrock) Koffel is the name of a bloke who builds engines, and is very good at it? I bet he charges handsomely for building one.

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Fri Jun 10, 11 2:17 pm

Clivey wrote:So rather than a brand or product name (like Edelbrock) Koffel is the name of a bloke who builds engines, and is very good at it? I bet he charges handsomely for building one.

#

gripper = deposit i had put down on the gbh roadrunner midweek went to london to pick up a sixpak system from bill at slipstream and got the horn on the koffel cuda at that time it ran circa 10.1s.2s but not enough dusteroonie for both... and never back then would borrow money, now i just think Bananarama! and hock myself stupid..

Les Szabo · Post by **Les Szabo** » Fri Jun 10, 11 3:07 pm

baccaruda wrote:Hi Les,

Great thread you have running here!
Your name has been mentioned on many occassions around the track!
The 'Hot Metal' Cuda was a legend and set a masive standard for all.
It was always a dream of mine and many others to run a 'NINE' with an iron headed 440!
I first tried in the mid 80's with a 440 Dodge Aspen that I purchased from Tim Fennel.
It was previously a 383/4 speed car that terrorised Essex LOL!
Tim bought a rare ex Weslake engineering 440 motor to run in the Aspen but lost interest and went All Resto instead!
So with the aid of 'Lofty' Malone, we tried to finish the car and run a TEN!
Boy was I green back then, parts were dear and hard to find.
After years of toil and trouble we gave up, and a good friend Nick Chandler took over.
Unfortunately that car was jinxed and he managed to get her down the strip but always with problems.
So, many years later I bought 'Cookies Dodge' and continued the saga.
The dart was built by Hauser at a cost that would buy a nice house back in the day!
It still is the finest/fastest street strip Mopar ever built in the UK!!!
With the help of Nick's brother Jim Chandler, we ran consistant mid tens with the ex Rob Loring iron headed 440.
At that time your old Cuda came back on the scene with Roger Povey.
He was running the car in its old set-up, box frame back half and Koffel 451 motor!
He constantly ran 10.01 but never manged a nine and eventually the motor let go!!!
Roger being a man of money and goals had the car totally rebuilt at 'ProStreet' with a nice fella called Terry.
Andy Robinson put a full tube chassis in the Cuda and a new bigger motor was built and high Eight's was the order of the day!
But with all things fast and Mopar the money runs out!
We sold the Dart and Roger sold the Cuda.
The Koffel motor is being rebuilt again and will go into a 73 Cuda, and your Old Cuda still runs Nines with an iron headed 440 LOL!

Bacca.

Hi Bacca, thanks for the opening words, I didn't think anyone really took that much notice tbh, always been a humble sort of person and just got on with my stuff. Had quite a good job at the time in Print, hence the name ("Hot Metal"), and luckily could afford to buy the right hp parts just, but they weren't easy to get hold of, not like now.

One thing I remember to this day with the '71 340 Cuda...we got parked up at one meet and started the car up to get it off the trailer, now I don't know what I did to that engine, either it was the T/A heads or the special Hedman chassis 1 7/8" headers but man when that thing started up, even I got goose bumps, it sounded massively strong, anyway, about 50yds away a Funny Car team was just unloading and the guy came over to me and asked what I had under the bonnet and started chatting?.....well, those guys did not do that normally, friendly, but not particularly into the street cars, anyhow I thought jees, we must be doing something right

I sort of remember Tims weslake engine just, round port heads and closed chambers, ..I don't think he would've sold them to me anyway.

Running 9's in the '69 Cuda wasn't easy with the weight of those 6-pk rods and the stock pistons, and I did have to use the squirt which was too easy to do really, would've much preferred to do it on the motor which I guess with further development and some fiddling I honestly think I could've acheived, was about .6/7ths off, only made 1 run at 10.71 on the motor, and then N20. It was purely down to the short time left I had with that car before I packed it in.

I remember the Koffel motors, 2 of them running then I think, was thinking about one but at £4-5000?, was out of my league on the ££'s front, plus I was only about 4/5ths off the low 10's which most were running with them anyway with my low buck set up, it just wasn't worth the expense, they were a super stock type motor with mega thin rings, super heads etc....a No N20 motor, so whatever you ran with it was more or less it.

So I am I right in thinking that my old '69 is still running 9's in the UK???, or was that some years ago, as no-one seemed to know where it was a while back when I asked, that would be nice to see.

Mick · Post by **Mick** » Fri Jun 10, 11 6:08 pm

I bought a cam for my 340 off a guy called Pete Austin, he told me he'd bought his Cuda off Les and was changing the 340 for a 440.
It was a really good cam, took my Dart into the 12's with a bit of head work and extra comp.
Mick

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Fri Jun 10, 11 6:14 pm

Mick wrote:I bought a cam for my 340 off a guy called Pete Austin, he told me he'd bought his Cuda off Les and was changing the 340 for a 440.
It was a really good cam, took my Dart into the 12's with a bit of head work and extra comp.
Mick

which became pinkie mick, on yer tail again

Les Szabo · Post by **Les Szabo** » Fri Jun 10, 11 6:15 pm

Mick...That was a DC.590" solid cam in there....L

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Fri Jun 10, 11 6:15 pm

Les Szabo wrote:
baccaruda wrote:Hi Les,

Great thread you have running here!
Your name has been mentioned on many occassions around the track!
The 'Hot Metal' Cuda was a legend and set a masive standard for all.
It was always a dream of mine and many others to run a 'NINE' with an iron headed 440!
I first tried in the mid 80's with a 440 Dodge Aspen that I purchased from Tim Fennel.
It was previously a 383/4 speed car that terrorised Essex LOL!
Tim bought a rare ex Weslake engineering 440 motor to run in the Aspen but lost interest and went All Resto instead!
So with the aid of 'Lofty' Malone, we tried to finish the car and run a TEN!
Boy was I green back then, parts were dear and hard to find.
After years of toil and trouble we gave up, and a good friend Nick Chandler took over.
Unfortunately that car was jinxed and he managed to get her down the strip but always with problems.
So, many years later I bought 'Cookies Dodge' and continued the saga.
The dart was built by Hauser at a cost that would buy a nice house back in the day!
It still is the finest/fastest street strip Mopar ever built in the UK!!!
With the help of Nick's brother Jim Chandler, we ran consistant mid tens with the ex Rob Loring iron headed 440.
At that time your old Cuda came back on the scene with Roger Povey.
He was running the car in its old set-up, box frame back half and Koffel 451 motor!
He constantly ran 10.01 but never manged a nine and eventually the motor let go!!!
Roger being a man of money and goals had the car totally rebuilt at 'ProStreet' with a nice fella called Terry.
Andy Robinson put a full tube chassis in the Cuda and a new bigger motor was built and high Eight's was the order of the day!
But with all things fast and Mopar the money runs out!
We sold the Dart and Roger sold the Cuda.
The Koffel motor is being rebuilt again and will go into a 73 Cuda, and your Old Cuda still runs Nines with an iron headed 440 LOL!

Bacca.

Hi Bacca, thanks for the opening words, I didn't think anyone really took that much notice tbh, always been a humble sort of person and just got on with my stuff. Had quite a good job at the time in Print, hence the name ("Hot Metal"), and luckily could afford to buy the right hp parts just, but they weren't easy to get hold of, not like now.

One thing I remember to this day with the '71 340 Cuda...we got parked up at one meet and started the car up to get it off the trailer, now I don't know what I did to that engine, either it was the T/A heads or the special Hedman chassis 1 7/8" headers but man when that thing started up, even I got goose bumps, it sounded massively strong, anyway, about 50yds away a Funny Car team was just unloading and the guy came over to me and asked what I had under the bonnet and started chatting?.....well, those guys did not do that normally, friendly, but not particularly into the street cars, anyhow I thought jees, we must be doing something right

I sort of remember Tims weslake engine just, round port heads and closed chambers, ..I don't think he would've sold them to me anyway.

Running 9's in the '69 Cuda wasn't easy with the weight of those 6-pk rods and the stock pistons, and I did have to use the squirt which was too easy to do really, would've much preferred to do it on the motor which I guess with further development and some fiddling I honestly think I could've acheived, was about .6/7ths off, only made 1 run at 10.71 on the motor, and then N20. It was purely down to the short time left I had with that car before I packed it in.

I remember the Koffel motors, 2 of them running then I think, was thinking about one but at £4-5000?, was out of my league on the ££'s front, plus I was only about 4/5ths off the low 10's which most were running with them anyway with my low buck set up, it just wasn't worth the expense, they were a super stock type motor with mega thin rings, super heads etc....a No N20 motor, so whatever you ran with it was more or less it.

So I am I right in thinking that my old '69 is still running 9's in the UK???, or was that some years ago, as no-one seemed to know where it was a while back when I asked, that would be nice to see.

lez there aint no way that ole 440 was goin 9.s on mtr there are very few 440,s that have dibbed a 10.50 unless the car has a anorexic problem,

Les Szabo · Post by **Les Szabo** » Fri Jun 10, 11 6:52 pm

Cannonball wrote:
Les Szabo wrote:
baccaruda wrote:Hi Les,

Great thread you have running here!
Your name has been mentioned on many occassions around the track!
The 'Hot Metal' Cuda was a legend and set a masive standard for all.
It was always a dream of mine and many others to run a 'NINE' with an iron headed 440!
I first tried in the mid 80's with a 440 Dodge Aspen that I purchased from Tim Fennel.
It was previously a 383/4 speed car that terrorised Essex LOL!
Tim bought a rare ex Weslake engineering 440 motor to run in the Aspen but lost interest and went All Resto instead!
So with the aid of 'Lofty' Malone, we tried to finish the car and run a TEN!
Boy was I green back then, parts were dear and hard to find.
After years of toil and trouble we gave up, and a good friend Nick Chandler took over.
Unfortunately that car was jinxed and he managed to get her down the strip but always with problems.
So, many years later I bought 'Cookies Dodge' and continued the saga.
The dart was built by Hauser at a cost that would buy a nice house back in the day!
It still is the finest/fastest street strip Mopar ever built in the UK!!!
With the help of Nick's brother Jim Chandler, we ran consistant mid tens with the ex Rob Loring iron headed 440.
At that time your old Cuda came back on the scene with Roger Povey.
He was running the car in its old set-up, box frame back half and Koffel 451 motor!
He constantly ran 10.01 but never manged a nine and eventually the motor let go!!!
Roger being a man of money and goals had the car totally rebuilt at 'ProStreet' with a nice fella called Terry.
Andy Robinson put a full tube chassis in the Cuda and a new bigger motor was built and high Eight's was the order of the day!
But with all things fast and Mopar the money runs out!
We sold the Dart and Roger sold the Cuda.
The Koffel motor is being rebuilt again and will go into a 73 Cuda, and your Old Cuda still runs Nines with an iron headed 440 LOL!

Bacca.

Hi Bacca, thanks for the opening words, I didn't think anyone really took that much notice tbh, always been a humble sort of person and just got on with my stuff. Had quite a good job at the time in Print, hence the name ("Hot Metal"), and luckily could afford to buy the right hp parts just, but they weren't easy to get hold of, not like now.

One thing I remember to this day with the '71 340 Cuda...we got parked up at one meet and started the car up to get it off the trailer, now I don't know what I did to that engine, either it was the T/A heads or the special Hedman chassis 1 7/8" headers but man when that thing started up, even I got goose bumps, it sounded massively strong, anyway, about 50yds away a Funny Car team was just unloading and the guy came over to me and asked what I had under the bonnet and started chatting?.....well, those guys did not do that normally, friendly, but not particularly into the street cars, anyhow I thought jees, we must be doing something right

I sort of remember Tims weslake engine just, round port heads and closed chambers, ..I don't think he would've sold them to me anyway.

Running 9's in the '69 Cuda wasn't easy with the weight of those 6-pk rods and the stock pistons, and I did have to use the squirt which was too easy to do really, would've much preferred to do it on the motor which I guess with further development and some fiddling I honestly think I could've acheived, was about .6/7ths off, only made 1 run at 10.71 on the motor, and then N20. It was purely down to the short time left I had with that car before I packed it in.

I remember the Koffel motors, 2 of them running then I think, was thinking about one but at £4-5000?, was out of my league on the ££'s front, plus I was only about 4/5ths off the low 10's which most were running with them anyway with my low buck set up, it just wasn't worth the expense, they were a super stock type motor with mega thin rings, super heads etc....a No N20 motor, so whatever you ran with it was more or less it.

So I am I right in thinking that my old '69 is still running 9's in the UK???, or was that some years ago, as no-one seemed to know where it was a while back when I asked, that would be nice to see.
lez there aint no way that ole 440 was goin 9.s on mtr there are very few 440,s that have dibbed a 10.50 unless the car has a anorexic problem,

Yes your probably right there, not with that exact set up, 10.5 or 4's maybe?, but we'll never know

, I did say with a bit of development and fiddling, concentrating on the whole car set up with a purely (on the motor) outlook, and without any further weight loss, there was lots I would've changed without spending fortunes either, I think it was acheiveable given time and a little of the old Les magic

It all about getting the absolute maximum out of what you got in front of you, a small change here and there 1 at a time, lots of brain damage and total devotion to getting those tenths off, its in the cars you have, you just gotta find the sweet combination.

Mick · Post by **Mick** » Fri Jun 10, 11 8:06 pm

Les
The cam he sold me was new in the box, it was a crane .528 hydraulic, Kenny Coleman did the heads and shimmed the springs up a bit to cope with the extra lift.
I have the .590 in my 440 i run at the moment .
Dunc

Les Szabo · Post by **Les Szabo** » Fri Jun 10, 11 8:35 pm

oh, ok, well thats what was in the 340 block when I sold it anyway, yeah Pete Austin, nice guy, did well with my old car and the 440 in the 10's......L

Mick · Post by **Mick** » Fri Jun 10, 11 9:00 pm

Les
The cam wasn't out of your motor, it was just one he had, i think he'd sold your motor on.
Mick

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Jun 12, 11 1:03 pm

Hi Les and All,

My mistake!
I was told back in the day that Rogers 70 Cuda was one built by you LOL!
That car lives down on the South Coast now and deffo runs low tens with my old iron heads, probably ex Hauser, they was hugely ported and not a crack in sight (ooh eer)

Roger's old Koffel motor was wrecked and I made a copy of the good head and got another 400block, she will be good to go again!
Dunc you have the ex Rob Loring 440 motor now and is deffo the best iron headed 440 I have ever seen!!!

Inlets were raised 1/2inch, but still kept at a stockish size, not Max-Wedge as you might expect!
Beleived to have run nines in Grumpy's Dart without NOS!!!

Bacca stands corrected DOH!

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Sun Jun 12, 11 1:10 pm

baccaruda wrote:Hi Les and All,

My mistake!
I was told back in the day that Rogers 70 Cuda was one built by you LOL!
That car lives down on the South Coast now and deffo runs low tens with my old iron heads, probably ex Hauser, they was hugely ported and not a crack in sight (ooh eer)
His old Koffel motor was wrecked and I made a copy of the good head and another 400block, she will be good to go again!
Dunc you have the ex Rob Loring 440 motor now and is deffo the best iron headed 440 I have ever seen!!!
Beleived to have run nines in Grumpy's Dart without NOS!!!

Bacca stands corrected DOH!

yes i think you are right bacs, i put it to hauser at the time why was the x cookies dart only running circa 10.50s with that mtr yet the grumpy car went nines,with the same engine, simples the grumpy car was mega light and hauser said the cookies car was built heavy from the off to deal with 1,500 hp tearing at it in that street eliminator, pussy whipped car now though,

Mick · Post by **Mick** » Mon Jun 13, 11 2:16 pm

I was pitted opposite the little guy who had cookie's Dodge at the mopars, with a steel head 440, it ran 10.8 on the motor and 10.4 on the gas, i dont know if it's the same motor or not.
Mick

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Mon Jun 13, 11 3:53 pm

Mick wrote:I was pitted opposite the little guy who had cookie's Dodge at the mopars, with a steel head 440, it ran 10.8 on the motor and 10.4 on the gas, i dont know if it's the same motor or not.
Mick

no mick that mtr is out off the early fury that used to win the kos at 11.50.s had klotz fuel stickers on the doors rough old car, tufty had it in the dart and yes it went 10.8s no gas,

think bacs mtr was an ally rod engine big comp mega ported heads went a low 10.40.
my 440 was a steel rod 440 10.5-1 comp mechanical cam went a low 10.50 first time out never bettered it after that meet, sometimes you just hit the sweet spot straight away

most every car i ever had i had the best time out of it first time at the track thats why i dont see i hope in hell lez cuda woulda gone quiker than a 10-5-6 on mtr unless you stroked no poked it or put better heads and more comp in it,

my tube chassis chall went 8.91` 151mph 3rd ever pass first meeting in the car never beat it in 4 yrs with the car
you set the thing up right listen to the sweet spot on the rpms n shift correct and thats it