Plug and play. When it comes to project cars, the play part is easy. Once the build is done, you fire it up, put your right foot down, and turn the tires into smoke. It’s the plug part – getting whatever engine you put into your ride connected to all of the right hardware in all the right spots – that can be difficult. Fortunately, there are a couple of things at this year’s SEMA show that should make it less problematic.
Mopar’s new Crate Hemi Engine Kits come with a variety of parts to go with 5.7-liter and 6.4-liter Hemis (2014 or newer) being installed in Dodge, Plymouth, and other makes/models from 1975 and earlier (Mopar used a couple on its Dodge Shakedown Challenger and Jeep CJ66 SEMA exhibits).
The Mopar 345 Crate Hemi (PN 77072455AC) and 392 Crate Hemi (PN 77072454AC) Engine Kits retail for $1,795 each and are covered by a two-year/unlimited mileage warranty. They’re optimized for manual-transmission cars, but Mopar has solutions available for auto cars, too. According to FCA, both packages include:
-Power distribution center
-Unlocked powertrain control module with factory calibration (output for 5.7-liter Hemi with kit is 383 hp/425 lb-ft; output for 6.4-liter Hemi with kit is 485 hp/472 lb-ft)
-Engine and chassis wiring harnesses
-Accelerator pedal
-O2 sensors
-Ground jumper
-Charge air temperature sensor
-In-depth installation information sheets
You can buy the kits separately or with the engines they’re designed to fit. A brand new 5.7-liter Gen III Hemi (PN 68303088AA) goes for $6,070; its 6.4-liter cousin will set you back $9,335.
If you need more hardware to go with your installation, Mopar will be happy to provide it. It also offers power steering and air conditioning expansion kits, as well as rear sump oil pan packages and other bits of hardware. Hit the FCA link below for the full list of additional parts and prices.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
