December 2006 LXOM: Powerwagon896

**DMAG** · 12-04-2006, 08:21 AM

written by Powerwagon896

First of all I want everyone to know what a great bunch of people this is. In my short time here, I have felt welcomed and have learned a wealth of information about my car. I could not have achieved the performance gains I have with out a lot of trial and error if not for this site.

A little about me. My name is Dan Fennell, on October 19 1950, I was born into a blue collar existance and spent the first 8 years of my life near a wide spot in the road in Western Pennsylvania called Fennelton. That's right, the name of this teeming metropolis with 2 stores and a post office is derived from my family name. Several generations ago my ancestors founded a church there and the community grew around it.

I can remember outhouses and pot bellied stoves for heat in the winter. We did have running water in the house, but on Saturday nights we heated water on the propane kitchen range for our weekly baths. My big brother and I had to "share" the hot bath water. He got to go first. YUK! My father installed complete indoor plumbing and a coal furnace shortly before we left the area.

When I was 8 years old my father moved us to the Chicago area. I livied there from 1959 to 1967. That was a great place for a budding gearhead to grow up. In the mid 60s "Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge" was unleashing race cars on the public streets thinly disquised as passenger cars.

In 1967 we moved to the Pittsburgh area where my fertile, pliable young mind was further warped by the presence of "Yenko Chevrolet" special order performance packages pounding the streets and hi-ways of the area. Yes, I "cut my teeth" banging gears during the hay-day of the "Muscle Car" era.

When I was about 11 years old, my father brought me a $4 Westclox "Scotty" pocket watch that did not work. As any aspiring young gearhead/mechanic would do, I tore it apart and after several attempts I got it to work, some of the time. That was followed by a disection of a 2 1/2 HP Clinton horizontal shaft engine that was given to me. It ran fine, but I had to see "what made it tick". I liked to never got the valve timing right on that one as there were 2 cam gears on the back of the case plate. I prevailed however, and the engine lived to power a friends wooden go-cart for some several weeks before it moved on to other things. All of this eventually led to tinkering with cars and motorcycles, but more on that later.

My employment/adult life is a colorful history that is probably comperable to our esteemed brother Rev Hammer as far as it's varied content and entertainment value.

I have had the folowing carreer experiences:

1968-1969: Production carpenter, Serro Scotty travel trailers.
1969-1972: Laborer/heavy equipment operater in the Homestead Works of US Steel (USW union)
1974-1976: Heavy eguipment operator/semi driver/maintenance mechanic International Hydronics (Oil Atomic & Chemical Workers Union, served as Shop Chaiman)
1976-1980: Hauled livestock (mostly cattle) in "possum belly" semi trailers for the better part of 4 years. I drove 3 different 400HP Cummins powered Peterbilt tractors and accumulated a driving record that would cascade from the printer and fold onto the floor when I went to the DMV. (mostly speeding on the interstate, damned 55 MPH speed limit)
1978: Auto glass installer
1979: Over the road common carrier truck driver. (Teamsters local 135)
1978-1979: Residential and commercial reglaze
1979-1981: Railroad trackman, traveling tie gang Conrail (Brotherhood of Mantenance of Way Workers)
1982-1984: Union warehouseman/plate glass cutter (Painters & Allied Trades, served as Shop Steward)
1984: Union new constuction glazeir (Painters & Allied Trades)
1984-1987 Glazing Superintendant
1988: Delivered fertilizer
1988-1989: Contract Glazing Manager
1989-1991: Estimator, architechtural aluminum, Kawneer Co
1991-present: Journeyman pipefitter General Motors (UAW)

I spent the summer of 1971 living on a BSA motorcycle sleeping where ever nighfall found me. I guess you could call that "homeless" but I didn't think of it that way. In 1982 I had 3 "steady" girlfriends. One where my apartment was in Columbus Indiana, another where I worked in Indianapolis and one in between in Whiteland Indiana. I kept a few changes of clothes strapped on my 64 Panhead motorcycle and ran a "trap line" on my bike seeking additional female companionship where and when I found it, returning home to my apartment only when I really needed to do laundry. God I was such a "slut" in those days.

Since those more adventurous days, I have been married to the same wonderful women for 20 years, we have been together for over 21. We have 2 wonderful (most of the time) children, Jessica (19) and Joshua (17).

But enough about me. After all it is the cars that brought us all here so here is my "automotive history".

1968 Harly Davidson 250cc "Sprint" motorcycle: Yes I had a motorcycle before I had a car. I saved up my money for the down payment working in a Sunoco station after school and bought it new in my senior year of high school. I had a "left turner" total it out for me about 3 months after I bought it.
1957 Chevy 4 door sedan, 301 cu in small block: This is the car that started my "Hot Rodding" career. My dad gave me a clapped out 57 Chevy that had a Powerglide transmission that leaked so bad we filled it with STP so it wouldn't run out so fast. On a hot day in July it would go about 1 1/2 miles before the first shift when I first started it up in the morning. It had a sweet 301 (283 bored .120" over) short block that I yanked out of it and slapped into another 57 that I bought with a 3-speed manual complete with a "Spark-o-matic" floor shifter. (who remembers those?) It had Corvair bucket seats and a blown engine. I bought it for $40. After a manifold/Carter 4 bbl swap and dual exhaust, that sucker would peg an 8000 RPM tach when revved in nuetral. I shifted it at 6000 RPM and it was the fastest 57 Chevy in Irwin PA amongst the young gearheads @ the time.
1968 Oldsmobile 442 2 barrel 400, TH350: A beautiful car, but a real turd performance-wise.
1967 BSA 650: I turned this into a screamer. It had a cylinder head that I bought off of a flat-tracker. I had to go to the local Chrysler parts counter to find valves to fit it. I stripped it down to about 350#s and it was scary fast up to about 110 MPH. I soon found out that BSA stood for "Bastage Stopped Again" I traded it and $200 for the 64 Panhead.
1970 340 Dart Swinger, 4 speed: This is what hooked me on Mopars! I still have pleasant dreams about that car. With my cousin and my skinny (at the time) butt in it, it weighed 3000#s on the scales at the local scrap yard. I did some tuning, clutch and transmission shifter upgrades, chained the motor down to the "A" frame to prevent clutch linkage binding on shifts and terrorized most of the big blocks around the Allegheny valley.
1968 Chevy long wheelbase van: (Hippie era)
1962 Ford Econoline van: This one was interesting. It was painted 5 different colors of primer and had a 289 Hi-po in it. Lord knows why.
1968 Chevy van with a powerglide
1973 B300 Dodge Maxi Van: The "apex" of my working class hippie days.
1964 Harley Davidson Panhead: 86 cu in stroker, Close ratio tranny gears, ported (by me) heads with oversize intake valves, S&S 1 7/8" carburator, the works. I still have this. At it's best, it would do 7.79 ET in the 1/8 and get well into 4th gear. (the speed traps didn't work that day, but well over 90 MPH)
1968 International Scout
1953 Chevy 1/2 ton: Best darned vehicle I ever owned as far as upkeep expenses.
1970 Volkwagon Bug
1978 Dodge 1/2 ton 8' stepside
1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo "Z": Darned fast for it's day. I snagged wifey in that car.
1977 Plymouth Fury station wagon: I paid $400 for that one and the air conditioning worked after I charged it with freon. The gas gauge didn't work, a ghetto ride deluxe!
1994 and 2 1995 Pontiac Transports: Good light duty tow vehicle when they had the 3.8 V6 in them.
1977 Dodge 2500 Ram
2004 Silverado 2500HD 6.0
2004 Trailblazer EXT 5.3: (another turd)
2005 Dodge Power Wagon # 896: (hence the username) When I loaded Superchips in this 4.56 geared monster, I just had to find out what that 5.7 Hemi would do in a lighter vehicle.
And last but not least, 2006 Dodge Daytona Go- ManGo #3005.

So, that brings us to the present. I bought the Daytona in March of 2006. I met Hemi31 on Dodgetalk forums and he refered me to this greatest of LX sites.

On the site, I learned of Netsrac's Montreal M&G/drag day. I wanted to see what the Mango (I didn't call it the "Manago Express" then) would do in the 1/4 mile. I remembered that mid/low 14s was considered respectable for the stock 60s/70s muscle cars, so I was shooting for a 14.3 With the Mango. This was the result.

Now I was hooked! I wanted a 14.3 and I got a 13.86. Now I wanted a 12!

So, that's where we are today. PowerWago896 and the "Mango Express" in the quest for the 12 second, N/A, 5.7 MDS enabled, well mannered daily driver.

I think I shall soon accomplish that.

Thanks for this great honor and a great site.

**DMAG** · 12-04-2006, 08:22 AM

Congrats and GREAT write up! What a storied life you have lived so far!

**Jaak** · 12-04-2006, 08:31 AM

Congrats Dan!!! Well fought LXOM! And a great story!!!!

**Token** · 12-04-2006, 08:38 AM

Congrats. Dan

Was good to meet you in Montreal this past summer, great write up, and quite the list you've got there.

Keep it to the floor.

**Aikidoka** · 12-04-2006, 09:10 AM

Great write-up Dan. I had a great time the 2 times I've hung with you at Englishtown. Looking forward to doing it all over again next season. Congrats on the LXOM win. It was a lot of fun watching it.