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  #1  
Old 08-09-2006, 10:14 PM
wireweld wireweld is offline
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Default hughes engines

I was thinking about having them rebuild my 340 into a 416 stroker. Has anyone had machine work done by them and are they reliable? And what about a Hughes cam vs Racer Brown?
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  #2  
Old 08-09-2006, 11:01 PM
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cageman cageman is offline
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I see they make a 426 kit out of a 30 over 360, kinda interesting.
I think they are both good, never heard any bad about them.
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  #3  
Old 08-09-2006, 11:31 PM
kamstra kamstra is offline
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I have heard great things about racer brown, I have called Hughes and they treated me no so great when I was looking for a cam.
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  #4  
Old 08-09-2006, 11:57 PM
TK TK is offline
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Your not the only one, I have tried to deal with them three times, the first time, I had them fill in the plenum of my 95 ram, and they were OK...........the other two times, they didn't want to give me the time of the day, about a cam.
Iskendarian has my cam buisness now.
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  #5  
Old 08-10-2006, 07:54 PM
70AARCuda 70AARCuda is offline
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I have bought a couple of cams and springs from them.

I called and told them what my car is...engine size, compression...gearing..converter being used...intake...carb ...

they as what was the intend of the car....street or racing..

they suggested a couple of cams ...and I picked one...Had no problems at all...
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  #6  
Old 08-10-2006, 10:30 PM
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I have had machine work done by them. Beautiful job.
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  #7  
Old 08-11-2006, 07:19 AM
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Hughes will not grind a cam to your specific application. They can only recommend a cam that comes closest to your application.

Racer Brown will grind the cam to your specific application, not give you one that is close to your application.
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  #8  
Old 08-11-2006, 10:14 AM
custom880 custom880 is offline
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I had the problem of not being able to get a hold of Racer Brown and I went to Huges. They treated me well and I am completely satisfied with their work.
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  #9  
Old 08-11-2006, 02:15 PM
5spdcuda 5spdcuda is offline
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I've never used one of Dave's cams, but I did buy a set of his stageI heads [974 castings] about 10 years ago for use on my old Duster. The heads worked well, picked up 5mph. and took 1/2 a second of my 1/4 mi. times. Admittedly my original heads were pretty poor. FWIW he used to have his cams ground by Engle. The only issue I can think of with Hughes cams is that they tend to use a lot of lift which can cause problems if the engine wasn't built with a high lift cam in mind. As for Racer Brown cams, Racer died over a decade ago and the business was bought by one of his customers. His name is Jim Dowell and he is not only excellent to work with, but he is a Mopar guy as well. I've used two Racer Brown cams, one back in the late '60s, and another in the '90s in the Duster I mentioned earlier. Both worked as advertised as did Dave's heads. The heads which were intended for street use have been recycled on to a friends light weight Dart drag car. The car has gone as quick as 10.50s, low 13s in my Duster.
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  #10  
Old 08-11-2006, 03:51 PM
345Dart 345Dart is offline
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I ran a hughes 3038 cam in 2 different 340s and it seemed to work just fine in both, albiet they were similiar engines. I now have a RB cam in my stroker 388 and it works well with the combo too. Would I buy either again - yes.
Cams from Hughes tend to be higher on the lift for a given duration than RB and have slpit duration vs RB cams. RB grinds in his shop the cams he sells - Dave orders his from someone else to Daves specs. Not many of us are willing to give our engine/car spes to both and then get cams from each to try and prove which one worked better in their combo. Crane, Comp, Isky and others make good cams too. Most of the time it comes down to personal preferenc - and a recommendation from someone else - but please not the local parts counter guy M2CsW.
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  #11  
Old 08-11-2006, 10:16 PM
Plymouth_Kid Plymouth_Kid is offline
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I used to be that parts counter guy!:chainsaw: lol
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  #12  
Old 08-13-2006, 02:10 AM
George G. Leverette George G. Leverette is offline
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I used a Hughes cam in the 340 and it works flawlessly, a lot of vacuum, smooth idle and instant power. Is straight line performance and Racer Brown one and the same? i had a cam ground by straight line and it works as well as the Hughes cam.
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  #13  
Old 08-13-2006, 11:17 AM
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ehostler ehostler is offline
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Straight line and racer brown are not the same.
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  #14  
Old 08-14-2006, 10:53 AM
345Dart 345Dart is offline
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Default Plymouth kid

you are right - my bad - take the advise of the 17yr old - put in a "3/4 race cam" - whatever that was/is?? never understood that term.
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  #15  
Old 08-14-2006, 04:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 345Dart
you are right - my bad - take the advise of the 17yr old - put in a "3/4 race cam" - whatever that was/is?? never understood that term.
Very common in the late '50s, early '60s. a "3/4 Race" cam was a lumpy/ lopey performance cam with street manners. a "Full Race" cam was strip only; no street manners. These were over the counter items at most auto parts stores. Certainly not high tech/high quality items but a kid with a couple hundred bucks could improve his chances at a stop light Gran Prix.

The first car I built was a ............naw, too boring for this group.........but it would pound Sting Rays on the street. No strip time because the safety inspection couldn't be passed. Oh, it had a "3/4 Race" cam.
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  #16  
Old 08-14-2006, 05:48 PM
sanborn sanborn is offline
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Dick, your memory is getting bad. For $200 back in the late 50s and early 60s, we could build a darn whole engine(almost).

My 1962 Honest Charley catalog shows a 3/4 race cam for a SB GM for $24.95 w/ lifters. Now, Jahns race pistons(cast, of course) cost a total of $62.95/set, the Grant rings were $11.92. Intake manifolds were about $90.00 depending on what you wanted, AFBs were $34.65 each, linkage was $11.00.

For about $400, you could have a serious street engine.

But before you youngster's mouths water too much, keep in mind the minimum wage was about $.40/hour. So---in today's dollars that would be about $5-6K.

In that same catalog were Chassis Research dragster chassis for $212.00 bare, rolling they were $628.00.

Somehow, racing was more fun back then.

Opps, it's time for my "old farts" pill!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  #17  
Old 08-14-2006, 09:18 PM
5spdcuda 5spdcuda is offline
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Racer Brown and Straightline are not the same. Racer Brown is owned and operated by Jim Dowell, Straightline is Scott Brown. Both have good reps.
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  #18  
Old 08-15-2006, 02:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sanborn
Dick, your memory is getting bad. For $200 back in the late 50s and early 60s, we could build a darn whole engine(almost).

Somehow, racing was more fun back then.

Opps, it's time for my "old farts" pill!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL!! my $200 included tires and a clutch!

Hey, that "old farts" pill doesn't taste so bad. Those were good times. Back yard/shade tree hot rodding was where it all happened. A '53 Merc flathead with dual Stromberg 97s in a '49 Ford was radical on the street. Ah yes, "Happy Days"......................................
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  #19  
Old 08-15-2006, 07:25 AM
sanborn sanborn is offline
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Happy Days======

Beer was $3.00/case, $4.50/case for the rich kids.

Gas was $.20/gallon unless you used Gulf "Crest" which was about $.30/gallon. The premium gas back then was called "Ethyl" which had octane of about 100-102. The "Crest" had octane of about 105.

We thought a "high class" meal was to go to a drive-in where the car hops were on roller scates and wore short-shorts. A big meal at a drive-in cost less than one dollar.

The trunks were huge in some of those cars---we could get 6-8 kids in the trunk so we could sneak into the drag races. The back seat were large too, but we only wanted two back there(sometimes).

Yes, they were Happy Days----but Viet Nam changed all that.
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  #20  
Old 08-15-2006, 09:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sanborn
Happy Days======

Beer was $3.00/case, $4.50/case for the rich kids.

Gas was $.20/gallon unless you used Gulf "Crest" which was about $.30/gallon. The premium gas back then was called "Ethyl" which had octane of about 100-102. The "Crest" had octane of about 105.

We thought a "high class" meal was to go to a drive-in where the car hops were on roller scates and wore short-shorts. A big meal at a drive-in cost less than one dollar.

The trunks were huge in some of those cars---we could get 6-8 kids in the trunk so we could sneak into the drag races. The back seat were large too, but we only wanted two back there(sometimes).

Yes, they were Happy Days----but Viet Nam changed all that.
Ain't nuthin' wrong with your memory! I also remember sneaking into the drags with a trunkful of kids. One time, there was a big crowd and they had hired Sheriffs to do traffic detail. As we approached a parking spot, we were directed to another which had a Sheriff standing right next to it.............and he stood there, directing traffic for almost 45 minutes. My passengers were bumping around in the trunk and making noise. Every now and then, the Sheriff would turn around and look at my car, which I was leaning against with my hand on the trunk. I think he knew, but just wanted the aliens to sweat a bit. He finally walked away and the trunk gave birth to a herd of sweaty teenagers. Damn! STINK! Of course, it was all my fault.
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  #21  
Old 08-15-2006, 11:55 AM
The_Dakota_Kid The_Dakota_Kid is offline
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I wouldnt buy one from them, the guy on the phone, may know way less than the customer about camshaft selection. I have a friend who just purchased a roller for his 500 inch braket motor. although the cam specs are ok and look good they have some wierd guidlines. Like lash is .018 int, and .032 exh, what the deal with that, they also reccomend him install it at 112 ICL, needless to say it's lazy, he's going to try a few things before he pulls it or advances it etc. Its down in ET over the old MP590 solid cam, and this is a much bigger roller. I think the reason they wanted him to install that cam ICL was that it runs out of power near 6k, box stock edelbrocks on a 500 inch engine, they were tring to manipulate the power band, but this is just my guess.

There was a guy on here Fast68Plymouth Dewayne Porter he's a very, very knowlegeable guy and is a comp cams dealer. he spec'd all my cams, including a custom .780+ roller that still being assembled.

Then there is Scotty Brown At Straight Line he's smart one too know how to make power.

Even Racer Brown I think his name is Jim. I have talk to him he seems very helpfull and nice.

Fact is the hughes stuff is pricey, and why not get a custom cam for your application at that price, talk to these guys there is more to it than Hughes just getting one "close" to your application.. things like Rocker gear? What valve springs? will they clear the rocker gear etc.. Comnpression, rpm range, converter, head flow, exhaust system, NOS, gearing, induction, weight of vehicle...etc.... A custom cam can make all the diff, what if it is a F.A.S.T race engine with resticitve exhaust etc?
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  #22  
Old 08-15-2006, 03:33 PM
Chumley Chumley is offline
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Default Hughes Engines

Hughes does tons of custom cams and has more (double in some cases) shelf grind cams for Mopars than anyone else in the industry. Custom cams are usually only $15 more than shelf grinds.
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  #23  
Old 08-15-2006, 08:24 PM
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I'll still take a Racer Brown cam over the Hughes cam any day. I have better confidence in the fact that Jim will custom grind the cam himself at his shop in Baltimore. Hughes just specs it out and sends it to their vendor.

I also prefer the Racer Brown ramp rates and profiles over what Hughes has to offer.
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  #24  
Old 08-15-2006, 10:23 PM
wireweld wireweld is offline
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Question

For someone like me, who just wants to cruise around and has no intention of drag racing, won't the hughes cam work? Or am I missing something? Also my other question was,if I have them build me a shortblock is their work good?
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  #25  
Old 08-15-2006, 11:09 PM
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You won't be disappointed with the quality of their work, when it comes to the short block.

As far as the cam goes, Hughes won't sell you a bad cam. I just prefer Racer Brown.

If you do some research, you may find a MOPAR shop closer to you, to save on the shipping expenses.
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