As we follow along with Gil Goldstein and Project Hellbird, we get to see some of the modifications necessary to get the new Magnumforce K-member and the 4L85E transmission to fit into the 1970 Superbird.
As we previously mentioned, the team at G&G Automotive wanted to do their best to keep from cutting into the classic Mopar, but this is the world of custom automotive and sometimes you have to do what you have to do. We know the purists will have an issue with cutting up a good car, but this isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time, so all we can do is sit back, let these guys do their job, and let’s all see what becomes of this insane build.
Projects like this really come down to a simple question: who did you build your car for? So let’s see what’s been happening lately with Project Hellbird!
Magnumforce K-Member Installation
Goldstein had made a call to Clint and Jeff at Magnumforce for a K-member for this project, and he made all of the modifications to it so it would mount the Hellcat Hemi. That part went pretty smooth, but then Goldstein ran into some issues when mounting the K-member to the Superbird’s front subframe. The support brackets for the suspension stop wrapped under the frame rail, and that kept the K-member from sitting flush with the rails.
Not to worry, this is standard on B-body Mopars of that generation, and with the Magnumforce K-member those brackets aren’t needed. The additional support was good for the B-bodies in case the suspension bottomed out, however, the additional support would have to come out because it interfered with the way the K-member is mounted. Goldstein suggests that anyone doing a similar installation pays particular attention to these brackets as they no longer serve a purpose with this type of installation.
Goldstein said, “In our situation, the combination of a bump in the frame rail and support metal over it caused the new K-member to sit away from the rail almost a half an inch on the rearmost end, preventing it from seating fully on the frame rail. If not corrected this would have made the K-member subject to failure at this point, forced the rear of engine to a downward angle, and made correct caster angle and alignment impossible.”
With this being the first Hellcat transplant that we are aware of, Goldstein knew going into this project that there was going to be a need for some engineering as well as a few modifications. He’s making sure he does it right, because the Hellbird is meant to be a driver, not a show car – or a paperweight sitting in the garage collecting dust.
Another modification that was necessary to the Hellbird was the oil pan. It needed to be modified to clear the new K-member and still have room for the rack and pinion steering gear. But Goldstein and team made simple work of it and after all the cutting and powdercoating it was difficult to tell that the oil pan had ever been modified at all.
4L85E Transmission Installation
As most Mopar enthusiasts know, there isn’t really an overdrive solution from Ma Mopar other than the 518 four-speed automatic. It can be a formidable replacement to the trusted 727 Torqueflite, however, the 518 would require a lot of modifications to bolt up behind a 700 horsepower Hellcat Hemi. The modern Hemi shares a small-block bell housing bolt pattern, but if you really think about it, there’s something odd about bolting up a computer controlled Hellcat to the archaic 518.
To provide the Hellcat with an acceptable transmission that can provide electronic control, adjustments, overdrive, and still be able to handle 650+ lb-ft of torque, the 4L85E was one of the only choices for a Mopar. The current eight-speed Torqueflite would be a wonderful addition to the Hellbird build, but so far that would mean far more work than you can imagine.
There are so many sensors and electronics for the eight-speed transmission that it would likely be easier to skin a Hellcat Charger with the Superbird shell than to perform a complete engine/transmission swap.
The 4L85E for Hellbird is a product of Zero Gravity, and the electronics are being controlled by Powertrain Control Solutions’ (PCS) transmission controller. But rather than using a four-speed 4L85E, G&G Automotive opted for the six-speed valve body kit from Zero Gravity, making the Hellbird a high-performance musclecar with the ability to take it on long trips. We’ll be interested in seeing what kind of fuel mileage the Hellbird can get, we were able to get 25 mpg with a Hellcat Challenger despite it’s 22 mpg rating.
But all of this additional performance from the transmission was going to come at a cost to the Superbird’s narrow transmission tunnel – a deficit from the start with early Mopars. To get the 4L60E to fit under the car, that floor pan and transmission hump needed some sever modification done. Break out the jigsaw and get to cutting, the floor panel came out and made way for the new transmission.
As you can see, a lot of floor panel needed to be removed to clear the 4L85E transmission case. The team will have to fabricate the transmission hump and that process will begin shortly. But before that happens, they have to fabricate a crossmember for the GM transmission, and the team is already hot and heavy on that process. We got a couple of teaser photos, but you’ll just have to stay tuned for the next installment of Project Hellbird – and we’ll show you the completed crossmember and the Strange Engineering Ford 9-inch that’s going into the car.