I have been looking at an a body with a built 354 Hemi in it. I know very little about the potential of these engines. would I be wise to keep it or pull it and sell it and go with a 440. any and all insights and opinions appreciated.
354 Hemi Good? Bad? Ugly?
- Thread starter kelso1
- Start date
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ssba
Well-Known Member
What year A-body?
famous bob
mopar misfit
will not likely rival a 400-440/stroker, if ur wanting a lot out of it. will likely sell quick for a street rod type deal, unless ur asking the moon for it. jmo-bob
famous bob
mopar misfit
on the other hand, how many people can say they got a hemi dart?! about 75% of the people don`t know an old hemi from a gen 2 if there fixed up the same cometically----bob
The early Hemi's are outlawed by NHRA, since nothing can compete with them. You figure it out.
Look at Hot Heads Research and Racing Inc. http://hothemiheads.com/ .
I have two 354 Hemi's. If you want to change engines, I'd be interested in swapping parts, I have big block K frame, 440, and other parts.
Look at Hot Heads Research and Racing Inc. http://hothemiheads.com/ .
I have two 354 Hemi's. If you want to change engines, I'd be interested in swapping parts, I have big block K frame, 440, and other parts.
Single carb, 9-10.5 compression, decent exhaust and the right cam can get you in the 400 HP neighborhood. I have a 56 331 Hemi on the stand now that should be in the 350 range. Interesting engines from the past. Reliable, durable and parts still readily available. If it does not have the Chevy water pump conversion, I highly recommend it. It's a PITA trying to find an early Hemi water pump. I have the Hot Heads timing cover on mine which adapts a small Chevy water pump. 65Valiant is another member here who has a 354 in his......wait for it........65 Valiant. lol It's a dang nice car too.
ssba
Well-Known Member
I personally would have rather seen it in a older car but those engines are
great engines with tons of potential. Plenty of power even in stock form for a dart
to feel weightless when she gets to breathing. And they breath easy.
If it is running and drivable seems it would be a waist to change it now.
Real question is how you like it?
great engines with tons of potential. Plenty of power even in stock form for a dart
to feel weightless when she gets to breathing. And they breath easy.
If it is running and drivable seems it would be a waist to change it now.
Real question is how you like it?
Those old Hemi engines are great. They can make some impressive power. The 354 Hemi was the first engine that I've seen to make more than 1 horsepower per cubic inch stock. They had a 355/360 horsepower version in the 55 c-300 (not to be confused with the 57 300 C).
I was at the Mopar Nationals one year where Don Garlits was talking about the old hemis and when the 413 came out to replace it. The 413 couldn't make the horsepower that the old Hemi did.
He was invited to race at a race track one time. The track owner wanted Don to break the 220 mph barrier on his track and offered him $1000 to race. Don brought the rail with the 413 in it and raced it, but couldn't do any better than 217/218 MPH. At the end of the day when he went to the owner's office in the control tower to pick up his pay, the owner was sitting behind his desk, had a gun sitting on the desk and said, "Garlits, you're saving your motor for the nationals next week, I'm only paying you $500. Don said that you can't argue with a gun so he took the $500 and left.
Well after thinking about it, Don decided to put the old 392 Hemi back in the rail for the next race. He wanted to see how much power it would make and upped the boost and timing on it and made a pass, and it didn't blow up and ran real fast, He then kept upping the timing and boost each run trying to blow up the Hemi, and it keep running. He ended up breaking the 220 MPH barrier that day. He said the other track owner probably thought for sure that Don did not break 220 on his track on purpose after that, when he was just trying to see how much he could get out of the old Hemi and couldn't blow it up.... Don stated that the old Hemis had more power potential than the "new" big block.
that was a great story, I would love to hear him talk about it again, as I've probably forgotten most of it, but it was interesting to hear.
Ask rustyratrod about the old Hemis, he has one that he's putting together.
I was at the Mopar Nationals one year where Don Garlits was talking about the old hemis and when the 413 came out to replace it. The 413 couldn't make the horsepower that the old Hemi did.
He was invited to race at a race track one time. The track owner wanted Don to break the 220 mph barrier on his track and offered him $1000 to race. Don brought the rail with the 413 in it and raced it, but couldn't do any better than 217/218 MPH. At the end of the day when he went to the owner's office in the control tower to pick up his pay, the owner was sitting behind his desk, had a gun sitting on the desk and said, "Garlits, you're saving your motor for the nationals next week, I'm only paying you $500. Don said that you can't argue with a gun so he took the $500 and left.
Well after thinking about it, Don decided to put the old 392 Hemi back in the rail for the next race. He wanted to see how much power it would make and upped the boost and timing on it and made a pass, and it didn't blow up and ran real fast, He then kept upping the timing and boost each run trying to blow up the Hemi, and it keep running. He ended up breaking the 220 MPH barrier that day. He said the other track owner probably thought for sure that Don did not break 220 on his track on purpose after that, when he was just trying to see how much he could get out of the old Hemi and couldn't blow it up.... Don stated that the old Hemis had more power potential than the "new" big block.
that was a great story, I would love to hear him talk about it again, as I've probably forgotten most of it, but it was interesting to hear.
Ask rustyratrod about the old Hemis, he has one that he's putting together.
I see that Rusty has posted while I was writing mine....
Ask yourself. "Why did Chrysler abandon the max wedge program for the 426 Hemi in 64?"
The Hemi heads flow better and have more potential. They adapted the old Hemi style combustion chamber to the 426 block and made the best engine ever.
All of the top fuel and funny car racers are running Hemi engines based off of the 426 design. No matter what body style they have covering it, there is a Hemi under it throwing it down the track in 4-5 seconds....
Why aren't they using engines made by the company that the bodies come from? BB Chevy, Ford, BB Mopar, etc... Because the Hemi is the best, period....
If Don Garlits tried to blow one up intentionally and couldn't, and in the process was the first to break 220 MPH in the quarter mile with it, that's got to tell you somethin'....
The Hemi heads flow better and have more potential. They adapted the old Hemi style combustion chamber to the 426 block and made the best engine ever.
All of the top fuel and funny car racers are running Hemi engines based off of the 426 design. No matter what body style they have covering it, there is a Hemi under it throwing it down the track in 4-5 seconds....
Why aren't they using engines made by the company that the bodies come from? BB Chevy, Ford, BB Mopar, etc... Because the Hemi is the best, period....
If Don Garlits tried to blow one up intentionally and couldn't, and in the process was the first to break 220 MPH in the quarter mile with it, that's got to tell you somethin'....
dodgedifferent2
Well-Known Member
i personally believe the early hemis are for the hot rod/street rod area.
now... where can i get a 30's style dodge ttruck .........*wanders off in daydreams*
now... where can i get a 30's style dodge ttruck .........*wanders off in daydreams*
famous bob
mopar misfit
who told u that they were outlawed? that's`s nuts, a 426 prepped the same way will out h.p. an older hemi any day. there sure a lot of them running in California at the cackle drags and stuff like that. A speed shop owner I know runs an alum. version of one right now, it`s in the top of his class, but still won`t run like later 426 type hemi-no comparison!
what is the big block k frame out of?
BigBlockMopar
BigBlockMember
Lol, 3 years later the topic simply continues as if nothing happened 
Looking at the OP's avatar I think this is the one:
Looking at the OP's avatar I think this is the one:
That's a beauty, loved to have that motor myself! Congrats.
Lol, 3 years later the topic simply continues as if nothing happened
Looking at the OP's avatar I think this is the one:
lol, when it comes to MoPars, time stands still.
They are just cool!
Here's a early Hemi I picked up for a friend. It had been through 2 floods and is no good to rebuild. It has a lot of cool chrome though. Joe is planning to paint it up, build a flange for the carb studs and put a clear top on it. What a cool base for a table in his Mopar man cave! It's a 241 Red Ram.
diymirage
HP@idle > hondaHP@redline
Lol, 3 years later the topic simply continues as if nothing happened
Looking at the OP's avatar I think this is the one:
now i get what post #14 is all about
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