Living With a Big Block in Britain
Narrow lanes, damp winters and unleaded fuel. Six things worth knowing before your first British summer.
A 440 does not care about your postcode, but British conditions ask a few specific things of an American car.
Fuel first. Most original engines were designed for leaded petrol with high octane. Hardened exhaust valve seats solve the lead question permanently and every car we sell has them. For octane, super unleaded at 97 or 99 RON is sufficient for most rebuilt engines running slightly reduced compression; genuinely high-compression period motors will want an octane booster or a timing adjustment.
Cooling is the second issue. American cars were built for open roads, not the M25 in August. An aluminium radiator, a decent mechanical fan with a working shroud and a 180-degree thermostat will keep a big block comfortable in traffic.
Rust is the third, and it is the one that actually destroys cars. British winters mean salt. A muscle car should not see a gritted road, and if it must, it needs a thorough wash underneath afterwards. We supply every car with a full underside inspection report.
Brakes, width and fuel consumption round out the list. Drum-braked cars need forward planning. A Charger is 77 inches wide, which is fine everywhere except a Cotswold village. And you will average 14 miles per gallon, which is the price of admission and not a fault to be fixed.