100-mph Chaparral Project Update: Engine and Deck Complete
Work on restoring a 1986 Chaparral Villain, which began approximately six weeks ago and has been covered on speedonthewater.com (See Related Stories below) reached two major milestones late last week. The 23-footer’s engine rebuild/upgrade and deck restoration are now complete.
Looking good—the restored deck for the 23-footer is complete.
“I picked up the engine from White’s (White Performance & Machine) on Thursday,” said Chris Uzzolina, the owner of the boat, who lives in Charlotte, N.C. “The final numbers were 640 hp at 6,700 rpm and 571 foot-pounds of torque at 5,600 rpm. We have kept the timing conservative to prolong the engine’s life, as well as because marina fuel is not always the best. The deck is complete with new gelcoat and the hull is under reconstruction now.
“I am happy with the engine build, but I will only know for sure when it’s in the boat and running,” he added.
Shown with a flame arrestor in place for protection while in storage, the 427-cubic-inch engine reportedly makes 640 hp.
Bore and stroke for the naturally aspirated engine, which is based on a 427-cubic-inch Dart block are 4.125” x 4”. The fuel system includes a Holley HP 850 carburetor and 170 gph Holley HP fuel pump. Additional major parts in the engine build include Mahle pistons, Melling bearings, a custom-grind Howard solid-roller cam, an MSD billet distributor with a high-vibration coil and Eddie Marine manifold custom-ported to match the AFR Eliminator cylinder heads.
“Progress is picking up and I hope it stays strong,” said Uzzolina, who said one of his intial goals in the project was for the boat to run 100 mph. “As you can see we I held back that we were going with blue gelcoat on the deck. I figured I would keep some of the little surprises till the end.”
Editor’s Note: Speedonthewater.com will follow this project and provide updates throughout its major stages.
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