Yeah, your thinking current times like last year or somthing.....This is back before a lot of the big name shops stepped in and started making good parts for us poor Mopar folks...

UMMMM NO! I have been running 8's or faster with BBM's for the last 15+ years. Hell I have a 3660lb 64 that runs 8's with parts that have been on the market for over 30 years. It aint rocket science and as I have told my kids there entire life you simply have to have the "want to" bad enough to make it happen. Some folks juts don't have that desire

You can make as much power as you'll ever want with a gen 3, all the parts are available. As for the history of that challenger, probably just an ex-bracket car roller they got locally for cheap, the guys with zero brand loyalty use whatever is easiest. I royally doubt they specifically sought out a mopar, 9 time out of ten they just use whatever mustang they can find.

They are as rare as hens teeth near me....Or I am just socially isolated. ..My Duster is one of the quicker Mopars at the track, and I am only a 9.4 car...

One thing that's so appealing to the chevy stuff is availability. If I want to try a different intake manifold for my mopar, I have to go buy a new one. If I had a chevy, I'd just call one of the local racers who most likely have one on the shelf I can borrow.

I've contemplated many times selling out and building a nitrous 632 '98-'02 Trans Am.

Same here...a 632 kit that I machine and assemble is like $10k.....plus a carb. Wouldn't be the first time I have seen one of these in a Mopar....And honestly, its time for Mopar to step up and make a 4.9 BS block and let us have some fun....I would buy one...

And this is how these beliefs are perpetuated:
"I have the fastest Mopar at my local bracket track, therefore I have my car 100% optimized" I'm sure this is very far from being the case.
It takes roughly 850 horsepower to run 8.90s in a 3000lb car, a properly built 500 cubic inch engine with 440-1 heads is fully capable of producing those numbers. No new parts necessary, like Al stated, the parts to do it have been available for a very long time

Well, then we just don't have the people here doing them. The guy running low 5's last year blew up the Indy motor and scattered it, and I can only think of 2 other 5sec NA Mopars, a D100 Truck and a 91 B1 Daytona, maybe add my buddies W9 Dart to that list this year......Cause just about everything else is Chevy powered and just a few of us Mopar nuts. I wish I could figure out what has been holding mine back from going that fast....But I have been ok where I am at.

There are some fast Blown Mopars at our track, but the fast NA Mopar crowd seems light. Its almost like they would rather let them sit and collect dust vs risk it letting go some day.

Its all about want to, if you have it you will make it happen. If you don't you will complain about anything and everything. Most Mopar guys would rather sit around and opine about how difficult it is to be a Mopar guy. Or reminisce about the past. Rather than actually look around and use whats available and been available to make more than enough power to run 8's or 7's NA for DECADES. Its nothing new for sure. One trip to the track is all that's needed. Hell there is a Mopar race here this weekend that will be full of similar attitudes.

Its why we see no real evolution in the parts we have. Most would rather complain about the cost etc, and how much cheaper it is to build a brand X. Without ever having done it and knowing the actual cost. I have and the costs are not that much higher and for many parts are exactly the same. The secondary market is most definitely different. Although there are Mopar guys who try a lot of stuff and are happy to sell used parts. Those same folks wonder why we have not had a new cylinder head design in DECADES, yes it has been DECADES since the last new BB Mopar cylinder head design hit the market. Again those same folks would rather complain about the valve layout or cost than actually bother using them. This is all nothing new and yes I am beating this long dead horse. Just something that tends to get under my skin. Like a bunch of old hens cackling about the latest gossip.

Oh yeah I am in the process of building one of those BBM's now. I did consider going to a BBC this time but for many of the reasons listed above I decided to go Mopar again. And I suspect I will once again have one of the fastest S/ST cars in the county again when its done. But thats another subject people like to [censored] and complain about without ever having tried it.

Cause I know you all liked the Challenger Sooo much.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KzuueJs9cU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JA0HXSKH0I

Quit the G.D. whining and build something capable of your goals!
Like you have been told, no reason the foundation of what you already have can't reach your goals.
I mean sh!t, look at HardcoreB. He outperforms you all over the map, and he did it with less displacement, less compression and a set of SR heads.
If you don't have the knowledge to figure out how to reach your goals yourself, then employ someone who can, but catalog camshafts and 440 source valvetrain isn't going to get you there

Not trying to brag, but my 2850 Lbs. S/P bracket car on pump E85 runs 5.50 at 125.+ MPH in the 1/8 mile and 8.86 at 150 MPH in the 1/4 mile, 505 C.I. with 15.0 to 1 compression with a set of decent 440-1 heads and a 400-3 intake with
a single1000 CFM E85 Dominator conversion carb
I haven't lean on it hard to max it out so maybe another .1 to .15 and maybe 1 to 1 1/2 MPH left in this motor.
I'm hoping to switch to a 572 C.I.KB aluminum block with a set of B1 heads and a tunnel ram with two Mark Sullen E85 Dominator conversion carbs and some NOS(150 to 550 HP )for some no prep racing this summer

Dude, my chit is just fine...My new short block is almost done....Still hoping to go 5's this year, but on pump gas. Don't worry about my junk. I have plenty of choices to run this summer.

But I do think the LS hate is funny...I like anything fast really, but especially Hemi's.......And if you don't like LS motors, don't watch anymore Steve Morris vids....He just redesigned it to take 3500HP and street it...