426 Hemi
I have been running Hemi's for decades, since the early 1970's and I have a pretty good feel for them and what they like and how they run. Folks say that the 440 will run with a Hemi on the street -- it will for 1000 feet or so, but then the Hemi starts taking advantage of the head design and will pull away in high gear -- every time.
Then folks say that you can make a 440 run with a Hemi. That is true if you make mods to the wedge and not to the Hemi. But if you make the same mods to the Hemi, it will widen the gap on the wedge. Not knocking the wedge engines - I love them. It's that the Hemi head design is a superior design for making serious power.
My current car is the 9th Hemi car that I have owned. I have had everything from numbers matching stock ones to SS/BA 1965 A-990 Coronet. I have pretty much raced them all in one form or another. I can say this with confidence - I have never had a similar build wedge motored car from any brand drive around me on the big end. Never.
That is why I settled on the current build - my 1969 Hemi Cuda. It will run easy mid 9's in full street trim, N/A, pump gas, at 3500 pounds. The previous engine was 528 CI and lasted from 2003 - 2014 and it was still running fine when I pulled it out for a refresh. It now has 572 CI and makes an easy 840-850 HP. Tough to get that out of a wedge this easily. Anyway, that has been my experience with the Hemi's..
I have been running Hemi's for decades, since the early 1970's and I have a pretty good feel for them and what they like and how they run. Folks say that the 440 will run with a Hemi on the street -- it will for 1000 feet or so, but then the Hemi starts taking advantage of the head design and will pull away in high gear -- every time.
Then folks say that you can make a 440 run with a Hemi. That is true if you make mods to the wedge and not to the Hemi. But if you make the same mods to the Hemi, it will widen the gap on the wedge. Not knocking the wedge engines - I love them. It's that the Hemi head design is a superior design for making serious power.
My current car is the 9th Hemi car that I have owned. I have had everything from numbers matching stock ones to SS/BA 1965 A-990 Coronet. I have pretty much raced them all in one form or another. I can say this with confidence - I have never had a similar build wedge motored car from any brand drive around me on the big end. Never.
That is why I settled on the current build - my 1969 Hemi Cuda. It will run easy mid 9's in full street trim, N/A, pump gas, at 3500 pounds. The previous engine was 528 CI and lasted from 2003 - 2014 and it was still running fine when I pulled it out for a refresh. It now has 572 CI and makes an easy 840-850 HP. Tough to get that out of a wedge this easily. Anyway, that has been my experience with the Hemi's..