A NEW HEMI FOR AN OLD MOPAR

Let’s face it, most of us are working within the confines of a set of unwritten, yet clearly defined, rules of hot rodding. Stance, engine choice and wheels are for the most part selected from a menu of items that come “pre-approved” by our peers. Sure these rules work most of the time, and they provide a degree of certain acceptance when you’re building a traditional pre-’49 hot rod. But all in all, it also makes us a group of conforming nonconformists. However, for some hot rodders (and they are in the minority) building hot rods is about pure ingenuity, a total lack of peer pressure and joy of mixing parts from various sources and making it all work.

Drilled and Thrilled

Rich Oakley is not your average hot rod builder. There is no room for cookie cutter cars in the Retro Rides by Rich shop in Archdale, North Carolina. In fact, he prefers to be one step ahead of the norm when it comes to building his personal rides. Loosely inspired by the Tony Nancy 22 Jr., his Model A highboy comes equipped with an attitude. “The car has a loud, rude nature. That’s what I like about it, the way it shakes, smells, and of course, the noise,” Oakley says. It has an aggressive stance, and those six Holley 94 carburetors are an indication that the roadster might have a chip on its shoulder.

Late Bloomer

Sooner or later, everyone gets bitten by the tuning bug. It just takes longer for some people than others. Take Winnie Ramirez, for example. “I bought the NSX the first year it came out,” Ramirez says. “I heard that it was basically like a Japanese Ferrari and not too bad on gas. The minute I took a test drive, I had to have one.”

The Legendary Mopar Engines of the Muscle-Car Era

During the muscle-car wars of the ’60s and early ’70s, few companies produced motors that were surrounded by the kind of aura that ebbed and oozed like a fog around Mopar. Engines like the 426 Hemi, 426 Max Wedge, and 440 Six Pack were among the most coveted and feared of the era. It says something of a car company’s commitment to power and performance when a multi-carbed 440 big block is not the most wanted engine in a manufacturer’s lineup. So it was with Mopar, because for many, the 440 was the engine you got if you couldn’t afford or couldn’t find the car you wanted with a Hemi.

The Underrated 440 Engine

It’s not that the 440 was a bad motor—far from it. It made gobs of power and torque, and any car that had one, be it a wagon or a ’Cuda, was not to be taken lightly. It’s just that for all the 440 was, it wasn’t a Hemi. If it’s possible to feel empathy for a motor, we do. It’s as if you’re the top quarterback in the NFL and Joe Montana comes out of retirement to play for your team—no matter how good you are, you know who’s getting the call when the game is on the line.

The New Hemi’s Impact

Yes, the poor 440. Long after the horsepower wars ended, it was finally beginning to feel safe. Then, of course, Mopar released the new Hemi. For Mike Crowell, owner of a ’70 440 Challenger, the allure of the new Hemi was too much. After seeing a Street & Performance-transplanted Hemi in an F-100 truck, the desire for Mopar’s newest just became too strong. Although he’d be giving up nearly 90 ci, as well as power and torque, Crowell asked S&P if it could perform a similar installation in his car. The 440 never stood a chance.

The SEMA Challenge

There was a catch, though: the 2003 SEMA show was only three and a half weeks away, and the car had to be completed by that date. But S&P was up for the challenge, and it completed the car on time and in good working order, despite a significant amount of custom fabrication. Fortunately, the lessons it learned in this installation are a benefit to those of you who also have Hemi on the brain.

Making the Hemi Accessible

Many of the original prototype parts developed are now regular-production items, and S&P can help you put a Hemi in a Challenger, another Mopar, or whatever you want. To find out more, give Street & Performance a call. For measurements of the new engine and the corresponding transmission to see if they’ll fit in your car, visit the S&P website.