From the pages of http://www.hotrod.com[align=center]
Yes, This Thang's Got A Hemi In It. But This One's A Chevy With Real Hemi Chambers.
An injected, blown, all-aluminum, hemi-headed, Arias 10-Liter Chevy with over 900 hp on tap.
Could you possibly cram more bragging rights into one motor?
An unbiased publication is more utopian ideal than gritty reality. True journalistic objectivity would require people to overcome the partiality inherent in human nature that has led to the emergence of Democrats, Republicans, Coke, Pepsi and just about everything else in life. Our current masthead comprises musclecar buffs, late-models guys, brand loyalists, and those who just like everything. Diverse, yes, but we'll confess that no one here exhibits a particular proclivity toward Pro Street, as we struggle to purge ballerina-pink paint jobs and the ignominy of fake blowers from our collective memories.
However, as slaves to the universal lust for horsepower and nostalgia, sometimes exceptions can be made. As we reported in the April '02 issue regarding this very car, "The typical Pro Street '40 Willys is a bit hackneyed at this point, but this made the difference: an 8-71-blown 10.0L Arias!" Owner Mike Nordahl of Willyz Replacement Parts finished it up several months ago and the results are staggering: 910 hp and 846 lb-ft on pump gas. "We could turn this baby up with a few minor changes and race gas to 1,600 hp," says Mike.
Just in case the valve covers didn't provide enough of a hint, truly appreciating what makes an Arias 10-Liter cool requires a quick history lesson. In 1975, Arias Pistons founder Nick Arias Jr. whipped up a clean-sheet big-block Chevy aimed at taking down the dominant Hemis in Top Fuel. The new block raised the camshaft 5 inches to make room for a mammoth stroke, and the motor incorporated the hemispherical-chamber cylinder heads that Nick Jr. had created a few years before. Unfortunately, its success never equalled its promise, production was very limited, and it soldiered on in drag-boat and tractor-puller applications.
With the glass Willys weighing 2,920 ticks on the scale, each horse must overcome just 3.2 pounds of heft.
Then, six years ago, Nick Arias III melted a hemi-headed Chevy in a AA/Gas Lakester at Bonneville. He asked his pops for advice on building a killer engine combo, and Nick Jr. busted out the neglected tooling from the old 10-Liter of yore. A legend was reborn, and as in decades past, the product of racing endeavors inspired a new line of street hardware with the introduction of a new all-aluminum New Century block and cylinder heads.
Then, after a customer failed to pay for a '40 Willys body/chassis package he had ordered, Nordahl adopted it for his own project. "I've seen street rods with Keith Black motors," says Mike, "but since I'd never seen one with an Arias, I decided to build one for the street."
Packing a motor of such elephantine proportions took some serious surgery. "The engine was extremely difficult to fit in this vehicle. Essentially, the car was cut open, the motor installed, and the car was reassembled around it. We cut out the entire firewall and positioned the motor so the blower scoop came out in the right place. On a Willys, the hood gets wider the farther you move back, so we had to get the setback just right. The inner fender is a removable section now, so the valve covers can come off with the motor still in the car, and we louvered it to help extract engine heat." Of course, the body pieces are all available through Willyz Replacement Parts.
Most Pro Streeters have 'cages but don't need them. This one's the exact opposite.
So what does it run? Sadly, without a hint of safety equipment, even the most lenient safety inspector wouldn't be apt to sign Mike off with an Arias motor staring straight back at him. He says, "When people see the car, they say, 'Oh man, that thing has a top alcohol motor in it.'" Fortunately, he does have some amusing tales of marauding the streets like a hooligan. "I was out on the freeway one day with my son-in-law and pulled up next to an 18-wheeler. The driver gave me the thumbs up and my son said, 'show me what this thing's got, dad.' I dropped it down to Third and as soon as I hit the gas at 60 mph, it fried the tires and I was four car-lengths ahead of him." Considering that's with outrageous 31x18.5 Hoosiers, it's a feat that deserves big-time props.
For those who want in on the fun, Mike will build a 10-Liter any way you'd like. In fact, he's already done three just for fun. "When I build motors, it's like therapy to me. Some guys put together 2,000-piece puzzles, but I build motors." And word has it this car found Arias senior catching the bug, and there just may be big- and small-block hemi Chevy crate engines in his future.
So there you have it, just another hackneyed Pro Street '40 Willys. Although our bias does its best to ignore over-the-top offenders that lack timeslips and practicality, sometimes you can't help but make exceptions.
Nothing says nostalgia like a set of Halibrands.
PowertrainEngine: The 604ci monster is based on an aluminum Arias New Century block, with a 4.500-inch bore and 4.750-inch stroke. A Cola crank, billet Lunati 7.100-inch rods, and forged Arias 10.0:1 pistons round out the short-block. The Chevy hemi heads have been ported by Joe Mondello, and a very mild 255/250-at-0.050 Lunati hydraulic-roller cam and Arias rockers bump the valves. Lee Performance Products (Lake Elsinore, California) hid its EFI system under the Weiand 8-71 blower. Feeding it all is an Aeromotive fuel pump, a Triangle Engineering fuel cell, and 76-lb/hr injectors. Exhaust exits through custom 2 1/4-to-2 1/2-inch stepped headers and dual Hooker mufflers.
Power: A dyno-proven 910 hp and 846 lb-ft.
Transmission: It's a '98 GM 4L80E auto overdrive built by The Toy Shop (Pomona, California), spun up by a TCS 3,500-stall converter. Manual shifting is performed with a B & M Quicksilver shifter.
Rearend: The Moser 9-inch rearend carries 31-spline axles, 4.30:1 gears, and a limited-slip.
ChassisFrame: Reproduction '40 Willys
Suspension: There's a Mustang II conversion up front and a four-bar setup out back. It rides way low thanks to Firestone airbags all around. The steering rack is narrowed, and a 1 1/4-inch sway bar keeps the front tied down.
Brakes: Wilwood 11-inch discs are used front and rear.
Wheels: Halibrand Oval Track two-piece aluminum wheels measuring 15x6 up front and 15x14 in the rear.
Tires: The big 'n' littles look is accomplished with P195/60R15 BFGs up front and 31x18.5-15 Hoosier meats out back.
StyleBody: Fiberglass body pieces from DTR were modified to house the Arias 10-Liter. The grille and trim package is right out of the Willyz Replacement Parts catalog.
Paint: It's House of Kolor Kandy Purple by J & M Auto Body & Paint (Wilmington, California). Ron's Color Works (Upland, California) laid the pinstripes.
Interior: Gray leather and tweed lines the cockpit and an Airtique A/C system cools the cabin. A Blaupunkt stereo and subwoofer drown out the rumble. Occupants sit in Cerullo seats and wear quaint lap belts. A Billet Specialties steering wheel guides the Willys down the road and VDO gauges relay the vitals.
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