You see, Bill tends to lean towards much earlier iron, like his stunning 1934 Plymouth that was parked nearby, also HEMI-powered. A group of Bill’s friends kept nagging him to build a ’60s or ’70s muscle car like a Charger or Challenger. But when Bill laid his eyes on this Polara, he knew he found his next build. He fell in love with the rounded fenders and unique front end that made it stand out in a sea of typical muscle cars.
Under the hood, the big Polara has the grunt to keep up with today’s modern muscle .
Bill started out with a Gen-1 392 Chrysler HEMI, the bottom end was built to handle boost from the polished 8-71 BDS supercharger. It’s mounted on a Hot Heads intake manifold, the fuel is mixed by a pair of Quick Fuel carburetors topped off with a BDS air scoop. Backing up the HEMI is a heavy-duty 727 Torqueflite automatic transmission, while an 8 ¾ rear end on gets the power to the ground.
Several upgrades were made to support the HEMI, including a huge aluminum radiator to keep things cool . A complete Aeromotive fuel system and an MSD ignition box and coil make the horsepower happen!
The interior has a classic 1960’s dashboard with factory engine turned trim panels and large center console. Bill updated the gauges and steering wheel for a little Street Rod flare, a carry over from his previous builds.
This the view most people see when Bill is driving his Polara,and there is one thing this car is not short of , body lines . At every angle there is always something new to see,from its ahead of its time forward leaning C-Pillars to the fancy tail lights that look like push-buttons from a telephone.
We’re looking forward to Bill’s next HEMI powered creation. How can he top this one?
Mike Salemme is from Northern New Jersey and has been an auto technician for over 30 years. Muscle cars are his passion, and he has been involved with Drag Racing — either driving or building race cars since he could drive. Mike has since put down the wrenches, and turned to writing to share his passion of cars with the world.
