Rob Eppler
My Dart Charger...home made!
I have been teaching H.S. Automotive for some 38 years now. Our program has been building many different cars throughout my career. Mostly Mopars! Since 1991 we have built and maintained [rebuilt it a few times] a junk yard 71 Demon. I rescued this car from a salvage yard in Alabama back in 1987. I paid $150.00 for this hot rod! This car was in pieces for several years. Paint/body/suspension...you know the routine. In 1990 this vehicle was in Hot Rod magazine [not finished but still there!] "High School Hero" pg. 56. Speed forward! In 1996 the Demon traveled to Detroit Autorama. [can't remember how we did] However, this year 2016 we once again took this car. [same paint & graphics] to the same show] This time first place was awarded to "Team Jefferson" A great accomplishment for our many members. [A special thanks to Chandler West for his outstanding work on the car and many accomplishments outside the vehicle....coat, and sign board inside the car for members only...and it looks awesome] Now a little about the car. It is a 360 powered [10.70 compression ratio] 904 trans & 8.75 rear axle with 4.30 gears. The intake is a modified W-5 to fit our Edlebrock cylinder heads. As usual a good set of headers keep the exhaust sounding "sweet" A small mechanical cam, .540/.560 lift and 248 degrees duration @ .050 make this small block sound off! Even thou we can only run 12.00 in the High School Nationals, the car, far exceeds this by starting out in 2nd gear! Drivers this year pushed this car down into the 11.50's @ 118! Crazy but true! I would not have believed it had I not been there to witness this. My drivers weigh 130 lbs and 190 lbs. Both drivers clicked off this mph over and over again! We did not do well this year at the Nationals held at Milan Dragway, Milan Michigan but we had a great turnout!
