Montclaire
Well-Known Member
Hello, I have the stunt car from the TV show Burn Notice. This is the car that was auctioned off in Coral Gables at the close of the show. It is one of only three surviving screen-used Chargers, and I believe it to be the only big block car (small block originally). The eventual plan is to completely restore the car so that it matches the hero Charger. I am trying to decided what to do with it in the meantime.
The car currently has a transplanted 440 that barely ran when I got it off the trailer - I drove the car about a block and cut it off. I haven't done a compression test so I can't say if it just needs a good tune, if the valves are bent, or whatever. Any wiring that wasn't needed to run the car was cut and an MSD system was hacked into the harness, which could also be a problem.
I am hesitant to put any work into the 440 because the Charger, according to the cannon of the show, is supposed to be a small block car. I have a 1989 360 throttle body motor and a small block 727 that I was planning to slip in . I would also retain the factory throttle body setup, a deviation from the show, but closer to the mild mannered and easy starting car depicted through TV magic.
On one hand, the 440 actually powered the car on film, and on the other, I want the car to sit and drive as it was shown through most of the show, as a more neutrally balanced small block car. If it was more mechanically sound I would drive it with the 440 until I strip it down for resto but it's going to need some decent cash to get it to that point - wiring harness, probably a carb, and a whole bunch of maint items, odds and ends, etc.
What do you think? If I keep the 440 I will need to eventually upgrade the rear, it's still the factory 8.25 and probably ready to spit out some teeth.
The car currently has a transplanted 440 that barely ran when I got it off the trailer - I drove the car about a block and cut it off. I haven't done a compression test so I can't say if it just needs a good tune, if the valves are bent, or whatever. Any wiring that wasn't needed to run the car was cut and an MSD system was hacked into the harness, which could also be a problem.
I am hesitant to put any work into the 440 because the Charger, according to the cannon of the show, is supposed to be a small block car. I have a 1989 360 throttle body motor and a small block 727 that I was planning to slip in . I would also retain the factory throttle body setup, a deviation from the show, but closer to the mild mannered and easy starting car depicted through TV magic.
On one hand, the 440 actually powered the car on film, and on the other, I want the car to sit and drive as it was shown through most of the show, as a more neutrally balanced small block car. If it was more mechanically sound I would drive it with the 440 until I strip it down for resto but it's going to need some decent cash to get it to that point - wiring harness, probably a carb, and a whole bunch of maint items, odds and ends, etc.
What do you think? If I keep the 440 I will need to eventually upgrade the rear, it's still the factory 8.25 and probably ready to spit out some teeth.