Supercharged 406 cid Small Block Chevy Engine

Jan 06, 2024

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It was hard not to notice Scott Mueller's 1934 Ford hot rod during our time at Sick Week 2023. After all, it was one of the more colorful cars out of the more than 350 present for the week-long drag-and-drive event in Florida. We got the chance to speak with Scott about his car and engine setup during the fourth day of the event when competitors were taking on Gainesville Raceway.

"I had this car back in the ‘80s and I built it up over the years," Scott Mueller told us. "My friends kept on saying go faster and race it more, so I bought a Whipple supercharger and a nice 406 cid small block Chevy engine. This car was painted in 1993. I love it and I’ve had the car forever. It's a rolling project. A rolling hobby. Sometimes, times get tough, so you put it away or you get busy, but you always come back to it. Drag and drive is a lot of hours driving, not sleeping and then doing it again, but it's so nice."

Scott was at Sick Week competing in the Unlimited Iron class along with some heavy hitters, so he wasn't expecting to win the class, but rather just have a good time enjoying some track time, some fun drives and quality time in his hot rod with like-minded folks.

His small block Chevy engine features a Dart block, a Bryant crankshaft, a Whipple supercharger, and All Pro racing heads.

"It makes about a 1,000 horsepower on E85 flex fuel, which is definitely the way to go," Mueller says. "It's 85% alcohol, so the car runs mint, but I could just dump in regular gas anytime. Here at Sick Week, I just take my gas out, put regular gas in and drive 300 miles to the next track and just switch the gas for racing.

"For the small block Chevy, I went with a Dart block and this block has been in here for like 15 years. We just put a Bryant racing crank with a big block snout in to handle the supercharger itself. That was highly recommended since I added a bunch more horsepower with the Whipple and the All Pro heads. Now, I have 400 more horse than original. Now, it's a handful and a whole other bird.

"I’ve got a three butterfly Big & Ugly. On this, I only use two of the butterflies because actually three is too much air for a small block Chevy. The All Pro racing heads are insane. The airflow is perfect. I also have a Whipple supercharger, which gained me 150 horsepower just by bolting it on compared to my old 6-71. You can't beat it. I also have a custom radiator from Griffin."

According to Scott, due to the Whipple and the All Pro racing heads, the whole pulley system went up two inches. He actually had to get part of the tank carved out for the belt to fit between the radiator and the blower belt.

That enhancement aside, the Chevy-powered Ford runs smooth and consistent on both the street and the track.

"The car generally runs 8.12 on only 18-lbs. of boost," he says. "We’re not pushing it, but it's also 167 mph in a car that's not aerodynamic. At the top end it's a little hairy. For the street, one of the best things besides the Whipple and the cylinder heads is the Gear Vendor Overdrive. I could cruise 75 mph at 2,600 rpm using my regular flex fuel. I’ve got a 9.5" Ford rear end with 4.11 gears with 33" tall Hoosiers. It's mostly a streetcar. I drive it everywhere. This week, we haven't had any issues whatsoever. I run a simple setup, nothing crazy."

Despite a "simple" setup, Scott's small block Chevy engine is capable of 1,000 horsepower and deep 8-second, quarter-mile passes. In fact, he says 7s are next.

"It's a good cruising car that's pretty fast," he says. "I should be passing 7.99 soon. I’m certified to run 8.50. I have run 8.12 before at 167 mph. I tried to slow it down. Every time I go down the track, I let off at the top end. Every single time. I’m pretty consistent."

Over the five days of Sick Week, Scott's 1934 Ford ran ETs of 8.68 at 159 mph, 8.62 at 124 mph, 8.58 at 138 mph, 8.69 at 127 mph, and 8.82 at 123 for an average of 8.68 at 134 mph.

Engine of the Week is sponsored by PennGrade Motor Oil, Elring – Das Original and NPW Companies. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected].