HEMI MYTH

[dreemz]

Interesting article in this months' (August) Hot Rod magazine paying tribute to the hemi. Some of the people interviewed include Jay Leno and Don Garlits. It gets interesting when they interview Marty Schorr. He states that when he would receive a hemi press car to test drive they would almost never run right. He says a good running 440 would take it. It gets even better in the article when he says that to get the hemi running right he would take the car to Joel Rosen at Motion Performance! Although they would not put on headers(as that would alter the stock appearance) he would rejet the carbs and recurve the ignition amongst other things. Very cool how JR was the go-to guy at the time. He obviously knew how to set up a car. It would lead one to think that just about the most brutal street machines of the time were coming out of Baldwin Chev http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

[Mr70]

You mean <font color="red">MOTiON</font> Performance. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[njsteve]

I wouldn't doubt the tune up story. Hemi's are (and where) the "Paris Hiltons" of their day http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif (very high maintenance but good for a night of fun if you could get them warmed up). Even the factory back then put out a rejetting diagram to help people get the things running right. (they use 8 different size jets in the eight different positions in the 2 carbs based on intake runner length.)

[NCGuy68]

Yep, the street Hemis were a bit 'touchy' from the factory. However, when dialed in and tuned properly they were hard to beat even on the street. Just ask Richard Petty or Ronnie Sox.

[olredalert]

-----Street Hemis needed more compression and more cam. The few guys who did that correctly were very hard to get by with any other street-used car back in the day..........Bill S

[kwhizz]

One of my friends had a new 66 Coronet Hemi car.....we didn't think much of it at the time because it burned oil, smoked,fouled plugs, and more importantly my L-79 car was much faster......the best running Hemi car around was Austin Coil's car.........those were the day's......if you didn't like what you had .......just go to the dealer and order something else.......talk about kids who "Didn't" know they were in a Candy Store........Crazy Times....Take me back......I'd buy all the candy in the store before Charley got there...

Ken http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif

[Bill Pritchard]

One of the reasons you see so many very low mileage Hemi cars is because most people just couldn't get them to run 'right'. Cars of much lower stature would run circles around them. Many owners would get disgusted and the cars would just sit.

[Charley Lillard]

[ QUOTE ]
One of the reasons you see so many very low mileage Hemi cars is because most people just couldn't get them to run 'right'. Cars of much lower stature would run circles around them. Many owners would get disgusted and the cars would just sit.

[/ QUOTE ].....and then they would grow a Mullet.... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[SamLBInj]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One of the reasons you see so many very low mileage Hemi cars is because most people just couldn't get them to run 'right'. Cars of much lower stature would run circles around them. Many owners would get disgusted and the cars would just sit.

[/ QUOTE ].....and then they would grow a Mullet.... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[SamLBInj]

I remember Racing a guy with 70 Hemi RR for 500.00 with my LT-1 super tuned 78 Z/28 back in high school. I blew my clutch at the line, I coasted to the finish line at 5mph just passing the Hemi as it had vaporlocked and shut down.
What a race http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
I remember Racing a guy with 70 Hemi RR for 500.00 with my LT-1 super tuned 78 Z/28 back in high school. I blew my clutch at the line, I coasted to the finish line at 5mph just passing the Hemi as it had vaporlocked and shut down.
What a race http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I know just what you mean. Without an electric booster fuel pump, the 2 carbs drain the fuel lines of fuel at full throttle at anything over 5000 rpm. The car just leans out and slows down rapidly. Add to that, the fact that at full throttle the oil pump drains the oil in the oil pan into the valve covers in 10 seconds, but the rear return holes in the head cant drain the oil back into the pan fast enough and you had a lot of spun bearings in hemis back then. Very tempermental and very heavy but when you sorted them out, they ran very well.

[njsteve]

.....and then they would grow a Mullet.... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]



If only I still could, I would! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[GRB]

I remember the 440 six pack gave them a run for their money but there was't and still isn't any word as magical as HEMI was. Not to me anyway. To this day I will stare, transfixed under the hood of an old hemi until someone pulls me away. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[JoeG]

My friend had a '66 Plymouth Hemi that was running good , but you had to tweak it with the weather--I actually had put an order in for a '67 GTX Hemi-- and the salesman did everything ,but stand on his head to talk me out of it, to no avail---I guess guys thought they were going to Rule The Streets right off the show room floor--And brought the car back for service when they got beat at a light to light by a 390 Mustang---They had to be looked after to run like bears and a lot of guys were just not willing or able to do that.--

[njsteve]

I have had a bunch of hemi cars over the years and out of all of them, I've kept the only one that would ever run worth a damn. I've had her almost 20 years now. She has a great set of carbs, the original set of headers from the 1970 Chrysler "Hustle Stuff" catalog, stock cam and compression, Mopar Performance electronic ignition and mini-starter to replace the gear reduction unit and an auxiliary Carter electric fuel pump. I've switched to other stuff over the years but they never improved her over this setup, so I always switched back. And she starts with a click of the key, cold or hot. All in all, a happy little 4040 pound car.

[JoeG]

I use to flip over the Dodge catalogs with scat pack options---This is one of my '71 catalogs---The '70 is just to big to scan, but they even offered a cool can in one package--The Top Eliminator------That was HI-PO dealer Trench fighting at its best http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif------------Very Nice Hemi njsteve http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif-----The Hemi could be tempermental, but worth it--IMO-- http://www.yenko.net/attachments/148596-dodge.jpg

[Mr70]

Don't do it JoeG.
http://gifts.uget.us/images/Products/WOP/images/WOP31329.jpg

[GRB]

I dreamed about hemis all night. This thread is going to end up costing me!!!

[427TJ]

I have an old Cars magazine in which there's a test of a '68 Hemi Coronet. Marty Schorr wrote the article and he said then that a tuned 440 car could take a Hemi in a street race. I could dig up the article if anyone's interested.

[JoeG]

I've seen it happen,and not just to the Hemi---But the phrase you have to underline here is street race---lot of factors to figure in street racing------track conditions and properly set up cars are a different story----The 440 did muster a lot of its power early and with that torsion rear setup they did alright on street tires---Somedays you eat the bear, and somedays the bear eats you-----------I knew Rick (mr70) was into animals, so I just thru that in http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif-

[Verne_Frantz]

My opinion:
The Street Hemi was and still is...eye candy....and myth. It was developed for Nascar and put in passenger cars to qualify for Nascar sanction. They were all de-tuned. Even in the late '60s, the word on the street was "don't worry about a Hemi...they're all dogs and out of tune...easy to beat". But still, they put fear in your heart when you looked at one. The size of those valve covers just said..."this must be one mean f'er".
Kind of like a half-cute blond with BIG ***s. Gives you that tingling sensation in your balls, and will cost you plenty, but when it's over it just didn't perform like your mind imagined.
It was that way then......and it's that way now.

[JoeG]

Gee-- That's very erotic Verne---They both did make you smile--------------- http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Verne_Frantz]

Yeah Joe, except today they BOTH cost a LOT more.
I'm content with what I have...........on both counts.
(except I want that race car done)

Ran 2 Hemis on the street with a 396 in my '62. Beat them both. Daddy's boys with new muscle who never heard of a dwell/tach or a timing light.

But got my clock cleaned by a stock 440 six-pack! OK, so he had 46 cubes and about 300lbs advantage..... Still felt like crap after that.

You know what the "street" was like then Joe.... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[427TJ]

[ QUOTE ]
Kind of like a half-cute blond with BIG ***s. Gives you that tingling sensation in your balls, and will cost you plenty, but when it's over it just didn't perform like your mind imagined.

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny how there are many things in life that fit that description...

[Belair62]

He said a blonde not Rosy Palm...your old girlfriend TJ ! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[SamLBInj]

[ QUOTE ]

Kind of like a half-cute blond with BIG ***s. Gives you that tingling sensation in your balls, and will cost you plenty, but when it's over it just didn't perform like your mind imagined.
It was that way then......and it's that way now.

[/ QUOTE ]
Just another 10 second run http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[SamLBInj]

[ QUOTE ]
He said a blonde not Rosy Palm...your old girlfriend TJ ! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Rosy Palm and her 4 little maidens...We should start a whore house, we can run it by hand until we get some girls http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[SamLBInj]

[ QUOTE ]
He said a blonde not Rosy Palm...your old girlfriend TJ ! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
You know what "Something" is?
Put one hand on top of the other, the part thats sticking out, now thats "Something" http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

[427TJ]

[ QUOTE ]
He said a blonde not Rosy Palm...your old girlfriend TJ !

[/ QUOTE ]

She spelled it 'Palms' because she was ambidextrous.

(For the http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hmmm.gif guys, ambidextrous means "able to use both hands with equal ease.")

Then there was good ol' Pat McGroin. She was a real tiger too.

Better quit before I get scolded by one of the green-name guys. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/BelairSucks.gif (Finally get to use one of these!)

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
My opinion:
The Street Hemi was and still is...eye candy....and myth. It was developed for Nascar and put in passenger cars to qualify for Nascar sanction. They were all de-tuned. Even in the late '60s, the word on the street was "don't worry about a Hemi...they're all dogs and out of tune...easy to beat". But still, they put fear in your heart when you looked at one. The size of those valve covers just said..."this must be one mean f'er".
Kind of like a half-cute blond with BIG ***s. Gives you that tingling sensation in your balls, and will cost you plenty, but when it's over it just didn't perform like your mind imagined.
It was that way then......and it's that way now.

[/ QUOTE ]

How's that tingling feeling now? I think pennicillin cures it. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

The best I've run with my Charger was 12.77 @ 111 and backed it up with two 12.80s the same day -back in Bradenton, Florida in 1994 on an average 95 degree day. That was on street tires through the exhaust. I then retired it before I broke anything else (I blew out a freeze plug on the last run and watered down the track). That pistol grip Hurst shifter is a dangerous weapon: you break the console lid going into second gear and smash the dashboard going into third (If done properly).

At least now I have bragging rights to a "12-second car". http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Verne_Frantz]

There's no doubt they have the potential if the owner knows what he's doing. I'm sure your's runs a lot better than most did back then.

As for that tingling feeling, it's a good thing........

[NCGuy68]

[ QUOTE ]
As for that tingling feeling, it's a good thing........

[/ QUOTE ]

Gezzz...you guys need to get out more.

Although it was never 'public knowledge', Petty and Sox/Martin dialed in some strong street and drag cars at the time in my neck of the woods. With factory help, they gave very helpful advice to Hemi, Six-pack, Wedge, and even 340 owners. Fun times to say the least.

[JoeG]

The third gear shift is what separated the men from the boys--- http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Belair62]

....and the skin from the knuckles