have you ever driven a 426 HEMI.....

[71bigblock]

The performance of these cars never impressed me. A good 440 car could easily beat any of these.

I find this very hard to believe.  I talked to a 50 year mopar man, and he laughed when I told him that I had heard that a couple of years ago too.  He has owned almost 10 hemi cars, with countless 440 cars, he said it isnt even close, stock to stock.   

[moparclown]

I think that it comes down to knowing the HEMI engine,I have heard the same thing.And if you have ever heard a HEMI run you know the sound is way different than a 440.I think it comes down to who is tuning it.

[daves70]

This pic taken at Eddyville Dragway in 1979. Stock heads, roller cam, 12.5 pistons, rat roaster with a 4500 holley and headers. All I ever had to do was set the valve lash every other week. It never went out of tune. Hemi torqflite with turbo action valvebody and converter. 4200 lbs. 6.96@104mph 1/8th mile. 10.80s@124+ 1/4 mile.

[Oldschool]

I think that it comes down to knowing the HEMI engine,I have heard the same thing.And if you have ever heard a HEMI run you know the sound is way different than a 440.I think it comes down to who is tuning it.

It was 2 major things that kept the 440's in the running with the Hemi cars. (Stock-vs-Stock)   Tuning and traction.  The 440 cars with a little less horsepower and torque hooked up quicker off the line while the more powerful Hemi's kept spinning, trying to hook up.  The 440's would pull out on the Hemi, until the Hemi hooked up.  In my races against 440 cars, if they didn't get more than 3 lengths out on me, I would run em down on the big end and get the win.  I never lost to a 440 in a stock-vs-stock race, although I was beat out of the hole.  Traction was a big problem for the Hemi cars on the old bias belted tires.....  Just my "Old" experiences.......        

[Chryco Psycho]

when you buikt a Hemi for what it is designed to do nothing will touch it , you will never see a 440 in SS/A or SS/AA & be competetive , same in Nascar where the engines were run for hours in the 7000 rpm range , But install a Hyd cam & Carter carbs & restrictive exhaust manifolds & shaker scoops & they lose their Edge on the street. Oldschool is dead on as well , in a long enough run the Hemi will always Hunt you down , I have seen it & had it done to me on the track you get to 1/2 track & look in the mirror & it is looking like an easy win with 3+ car lengths on the hemi but around 1200 ' the Hemi will go by with 5-10 MPH on you & there is squat you can do about it     

[JS27N0B]

I find this very hard to believe.  I talked to a 50 year mopar man, and he laughed when I told him that I had heard that a couple of years ago too.  He has owned almost 10 hemi cars, with countless 440 cars, he said it isnt even close, stock to stock.   

I think that you have to have personal experience with each, heresay means nothing.

[JS27N0B]

It was 2 major things that kept the 440's in the running with the Hemi cars. (Stock-vs-Stock)   Tuning and traction.  The 440 cars with a little less horsepower and torque hooked up quicker off the line while the more powerful Hemi's kept spinning, trying to hook up.  The 440's would pull out on the Hemi, until the Hemi hooked up.  In my races against 440 cars, if they didn't get more than 3 lengths out on me, I would run em down on the big end and get the win.  I never lost to a 440 in a stock-vs-stock race, although I was beat out of the hole.  Traction was a big problem for the Hemi cars on the old bias belted tires.....  Just my "Old" experiences.......        

440's actually have the same torque rating as a Hemi but at a lower RPM, this is the 440 advantage. Nothing can compete with the big breathing of the Hemi heads so they can run down a 440 car before the end of the track, or not. 
 Big cubes for torque and Hemi heads for breathing, now were talking

[Oldschool]

Big cubes for torque and Hemi heads for breathing, now were talking

That's why The Beast is a 528 CI engine.  Hemi heads + the cubes....           

[JS27N0B]

That's why The Beast is a 528 CI engine.  Hemi heads + the cubes....           

Exactly!!

[moparclown]

Hey Oldschool
I have never heard a 528 run,does it still have that sound that only comes from a HEMI?I mean when my friend comes down the road with his 426 HEMI,I know it just because of the rumble it makes.Just curious----The Clown

[Oldschool]

Hey Oldschool
I have never heard a 528 run,does it still have that sound that only comes from a HEMI?I mean when my friend comes down the road with his 426 HEMI,I know it just because of the rumble it makes.Just curious----The Clown

Yeah, it sounds like a Hemi...  528 is a little deeper rumble.   I am always surprised at how quick the 528 revs.  You would think that a stroker motor, with 2 750's, and a race prepped crossram intake wouldn't rev real quick, but the Beast almost revs like a small block, but with a much deeper tone and total volume gets LOUD when I get on it....           

[TeeWJay426]

I have had experience with both. My 66 Hemi Charger back in the day when it was driven regurlarly was very fast, however, my 71 GTX which I also owned at the same time, was quicker off the line to about 50 mph or so.... after that, the Hemi would just blow by it. The Hemi would keep pulling well past what the GTX would, and while I topped the GTX out at a shade past 130 (indicated), I never did have enough nerve to find out where the Charger would quit. The GTX was a 440 4speed with a 3.54 Dana, while the Charger is an automatic with 3.23's in it. The Hemi's were notorius for being hard to tune properly and keep that way.... doubtless the comments that they didn't run all that great stemmed from someone's personal experience with one that was neglected and improperly tuned.