FACTORY SUPERCHARGING: An Extra Belt of Power
July 25, 2017
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Magnante
Turbochargers thrive on heat. Plumbed into the red-hot exhaust gas tract, exotic ‒ and expensive ‒ metals are required for durability. By contrast, belt-driven superchargers ignore the inferno of the exhaust system. Instead, they grab onto the spinning crankshaft and pump air into the engine. Like a turbo, the volume of air (and fuel) ingested is more than the engine can inhale on its own, but without extreme heat exposure, the supercharger cost less to make.
Though turbochargers currently lead the forced-induction parade in terms of worldwide factory-installations, belt-driven superchargers were king in the years before the widespread availability of titanium and other exotic metals. The leading pre-WWII American supercharger systems used on cars like the Duesenberg SJ and “shark-nose” Graham were driven mechanically via systems consisting of gears and driveshafts.
But the post-WWII era brought flexible rubber drive belts that greatly simplified things. Let’s take a quick look at a few of Detroit’s more popular post-WWII supercharged engine offerings.
In 1957 Ford relied on the McCulloch VR57 centrifugal supercharger to boost its 312 “Y-block” from 245 to 300 horsepower with 6 pounds of boost. Available in Thunderbirds and standard passenger cars, McCulloch blown Fords wore the letter “F” in the first position of the VIN. To accommodate the different battery locations, passenger cars (like this 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner “F” with a retractable roof that sold for $330,000 at the 2013 Scottsdale Auction) mounted the supercharger on the driver-side of the engine; T-Birds placed it on the passenger side.
Studebaker used a McCulloch VS57 supercharger in 1957, as seen on this 275-horsepower 1957 Golden Hawk that crossed the block at the 2017 Scottsdale Auction. Unlike the ribbed-case VR57 model used by Ford, this VS57 has a smooth case and single-speed drive. This same basic supercharger also helped the 1954-55 Kaiser Manhattan’s 226ci Flathead 6 jump from 118 to 140 horsepower. Alas, it was not enough to save the company.
Studebaker dropped the McCulloch supercharger option after 1958, but revived it in 1963 for use on the fiberglass Avanti sports car’s 289 V8 (also optional on Super Hawk and Super Lark). This time around, it was called the R2, and the supercharger fed a Carter AFB 4-barrel instead of the Stromberg WW 2-barrel of the 1957-58 era. Output was up to 289 horsepower. By 1962, Studebaker had purchased McCulloch and renamed it the Studebaker Paxton Products Division. Sold at the 2014 Reno Tahoe Auction, this 1963 Studebaker Avanti featured its original 289ci RS2 225 Paxton supercharger.
In 1972, legendary Mopar dealership Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge whipped up the Demon GSS. With its 340 small block, insurance underwriters didn’t target it for deal-breaking premiums. But with a dealer-installed Paxton centrifugal supercharger (a direct descendant of the original McCulloch VS57, but now under the ownership of Indy 500 icon Joe Granatelli), HEMI-like acceleration was on tap for cars like this 1971 Dodge Demon GSS built by Mr. Norm, which crossed the block at the 2013 Las Vegas Auction. About 200 Demon GSS models were built in 1971-72.
The 707-horsepower Dodge Hellcat HEMI and its forthcoming big brother, the 840-horsepower Demon, rely on belt-driven superchargers. Dodge SRT engineers evaluated turbocharging but disliked the inevitable lag time between foot-stomp and scoot. The belt-driven 2.3-liter (2.7 on Demon) huffer makes instant boost. The incredible power of the engine in this 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat undoubtedly contributed to its $825,000 sale for charity at the 2014 Las Vegas Auction.