Why do people drool over an HEMI engine? (or 'abuse' the HEMI)

[Ghoste]

And I only mentioned Barton because I thought I remembered hearing something from his past in the Legend Of Ray that he had a 69 Charger with a 426 in it at some time and that it was supposed to be a real house cleaner on the street.

[skip68]

So Ron, are the new HEMI crate 472 engines detuned ?     If so, why ?   Just wondering.

[Nacho-RT74]

well I will drool over an Hemi of course, but being I'm not on the money, won't even dream on it.

In fact I don't care a 440 really. I'm happy with my 400 and would it be happy with a 383 too.

My dream car is a 69 SE, 383 will be RIGHT fine ( 4bbls difinitelly ). SE R/T 440, will be GREAT, HEMI ? well I like A/C, soooo if I get an Hemi won't be my driver like my 400 is actually, so will be just a car to get fun quite often, and just because the A/C factor. Of course Big Block ANYTIME.

( dream is still free )

RD, the Dragsters comparision was just because there is a reason for use Hemi on them... right ?

My parents car ( mercedes 280S 75, 116 body ) DOES HAVE HEMI CHAMBERS TOO LOL, so in some way I have an HEMI LOL

[firefighter3931]

So Ron, are the new HEMI crate 472 engines detuned ?     If so, why ?   Just wondering.

Chuck, the crate hemis are built to be user friendly ; hydraulic cams, pump gas compression etc....so yes they are de-tuned in that sense. Still, they make an advertised 525hp/540tq which is plenty for any street driven application or show poodle. 

The reality is that a race engine isn't a whole lot of fun to drive on the street and needs constant tinkering. Dialing it back to make it more "streetable" is the best way to go for a true street car. 


Ron

[RD]

give me a wedge head 440 and I will show you a man with enough horsepower and 10K extra in the bank.

[Belgium R/T -68]

When I'm ready with the charger I will build my own Hemi (with the help of Ron I hope ) to put in my chally because it's
something I dreamt about during my moparyears. Not for the horsepowers, just for the fun. It's a 30 year old dream. 

[Dodge Don]

Also, Don wasn't Ray Barton originally from around your way?

My teenage mis-spent youth days were in Calgary. Had a fantastic scene back then. The whole downtown core was full of muscle cars cruising and a little racing. Long before they turned the city into a rubics cube of one way streets.

[Finn]

I love the 440s myself but man oh man a hemi at idle like posted in the last few pages...

[jb666]

I love the 440s myself but man oh man a hemi at idle like posted in the last few pages...

I hear that. Those were great clips!!

[SFRT]

I like the way a hemi sounds when its blazing. My 440 is faster than my friends Hemi Superbee,( we have raced) but the sound when he gets on it is just spine tingling. like someones slaughtering a Tyrranosaurus. Crazy sound. When he takes off under full steam time stops.

In my insane need to spend money and ruin my life I am seriously considering doing the Stage V hemi head conversion on the scow's 440 once the crossram fantasy proves a stupid idea.

[CB]

What about the 440 6pack versus the 'almighty' HEMI?
Did it receive also the respect, which the HEMI had, under the racers?
Was the 440/6 a 'less rich' mans engine to challenge the competition?
Thanks for all the words of wisdom on this matter!
CB

[tan top]

a well tuned 440 six pack 69 and a half car  with 4 :10s would often run away from a stock Hemi & or one that was in bad tune , in the 1/4 or stop light to light   

[last426]

I think, like many things, they are desirable because they are so rare.  I have been into Mopars for about 35 years now.  In my life, I have only seen 3 hemis randomly on the street.  A roadrunner at Tahoe, a 70 Charger R/T in Sacramento and an old couple driving a Superbird in Lancaster with magnetic car leasing signs on it.  Now, I am from Reno and that was not a hotbed of racing, but we did have a few decent cars -- no hemis that I knew of.  To see my hemi, go here. http://www.marlia.com/charger/index.html Oh, I have no trouble keeping it in tune with the hydraulic lifters.  Kim

[Ghoste]

CB, the 440 Six Pack did very much achieve the same respect.  It is perhaps a little less iconic than the Hemi only because it is less known outside the car circle.  Within gearhead world how many times have you heard someone talking about a "Hemi Six Pack"?   It happens because many people with only a partial Mopar knowledge get the two intertwined; maybe because they think Chrysler couldn't have made more than one legendary engine?  The NHRA were hounding Chrysler for shipping lists on the Six Pack when it came out in 69 because they thought it was another backdoor Super Stock package car and were reluctant to believe Dodge when they told them it wasn't a limited production thing, it was a full bore model meant for as many as were ordered through regular channels.
The Hemi has a longer and more storied history but the 440-6 is not to be denied it's proper respect.

[dodgecharger-fan]

and just to confuse the matter that much more, the Australian Chryslers could have a Six Pack Hemi.
Completely different than what Ghoste was talking about, it is a 6 cylinder car with a hemispherical head... and did/does its fair share of legendary things over there.

Does the V34 Charger still hold a record? Anyone?

[Mefirst]

To answer Rons post...

-Your absolutely right, the 440 I had is was not a good example to compare with the Hemi I have now.. Then again I do still think that my argument about the different character/personality holds true, when comparing a 440 and Hemi engine in stock (or race build)...


and a little to this thread...

When talking about power.. -Which engine would make the most power for money spent? I do believe the Hemi engine is the one that would win.. -Yes, the Hemi would/might cost considerably more, not gonna argue about that, BUT a high powered 440 is not cheap either, not to forget you need to mod the block so it can handle al the power...

Another thing... If its so "easy" and "cheap" to make high power from a 440, as some of you argue, then why am I not able to find any stories or posts in forums about them??? I have read allot of stories about +1000Hp N/A pump gas Hemi engines that work on the street just as well as at the track, but I have yet come across a 440 based engine producing those power numbers N/A and runnig on pump gas... -May be I'm blind I do know of several balls to the wall smallblock engines that make well over a 1000Hp (well not with pump gas) but not a single 440...

So to you guys who argue about it, well prove it and show us/me how much "easier" or "cheaper" it is to build a N/A (pump gas) 1000Hp 440 block (iron/aluminium what ever..) based engine

/Tom

[Ghoste]

Let's not forget the Silver Bullet was a Hemi. 

[Mefirst]

Let's not forget the Silver Bullet was a Hemi. 

It started out as a 440 test Mule car, but the next owner soon noticed that a Hemi made more sence, cause it made more POWER

[Ghoste]

Didn't it have the Hemi by the time Chrysler backdoored it to Jimmy Addison?  I knew it was a 440 GTX originally but I thought the Hemi was in there before they passed it on?

In any case, it's Woodward records and Car Craft infamy were all made with the Hemi. 

[Mefirst]

Ghoste* I read some story about it that I found on the interweb. I may remeber wrong though. Ill try to find that story again...


/Tom

[SeattleCharger]

someone spoke of them bringing it back for marketing.   you can't drive around today without seeing a pickup, magnum, new charger, or something that doesn't have a hemi badge on the side.  I didn't know these new hemis don't even have hemispherical heads, so why can they call them hemis?

[WingCharger]

HEMI=BADASS

'Nuff said.

[SeattleCharger]

 

[Finn]

Those valve covers look like shoulder armor.

[Ghoste]

I didn't know these new hemis don't even have hemispherical heads, so why can they call them hemis?

Part of the chamber is hemishperical.  Truth be told, the 426 isn't a perfect hemisphere either.