WIW 1954 331 Chrysler Hemi

[matthon]

I know enough, I think, to know a 1954 331 Hemi is a good piece.
The bellhousing is not cast into the block, although my understanding is the ones with the cast in bellhousing, with a readily available adapter, can accept a Muncie 4 speed.

It is stamped C542–8-9016, and apparently from a New Yorker, and 'runs good.'

I'm not really looking for one, but they seem to pop up regularly.

What say you, WIW?

 

[toolmanmike]

If it's ready to run I would say a solid $1000+

 

[NC Engine Builder]

If you can hear it run, probably 800-1000

 

[toolmanmike]

The intake in carb is worth well over $500

 

[RustyRatRod]

I guess my 331 will sit here forever. LOL

 

[Projectile Dart]

Depends on what people are willing to pay. At Fall Fling a few years ago, I saw a guy with a trailer full of 331-396 1st gen hemis and he had them all priced between $1000 for taken apart motors, to $3k+ for the runners. He had them all sold by the time I got there and all he said was 1 guy made a deal to buy all of them at a discount and that he would drive the trailer straight over to the guys house to deliver them. That is southern California prices which tend to be higher than most of the rest of the country

 

[YY1]

Yeah, a factory 4 barrel ++

 

[toolmanmike]

I should take my 241 apart and see what it looks like inside. It has been stored inside forever but the building has been flooded twice. It's probably full of mud. That might save it. I might have to part it out. The chrome is worth more than the long block.

 

[matthon]

Priced at $3k, down from $4,500.

 

[dart4forte]

Needs a Hemi

 

[toolmanmike]

Needs a Hemi

View attachment 1716362505

Now we're talking!

 

[abodyjoe]

I guess my 331 will sit here forever. LOL

i thought you sold that?

 

[RustyRatRod]

i thought you sold that?

Nope. Still have it.

 

[matthon]

Here's the Hemi with the muncie that 'got away.'
Was advertised as a 331.
Clearly the cast in bellhousing.
Should have jumped on this asap.

 

[65 Cuda 340]

I know enough, I think, to know a 1954 331 Hemi is a good piece.
The bellhousing is not cast into the block, although my understanding is the ones with the cast in bellhousing, with a readily available adapter, can accept a Muncie 4 speed.

It is stamped C542–8-9016, and apparently from a New Yorker, and 'runs good.'

I'm not really looking for one, but they seem to pop up regularly.

What say you, WIW?

View attachment 1716362372

I reckon you know that the 54 331 Chrysler had better heads than the 51-53. Also, it had Chrysler's first four barrel (in the New Yorker Deluxe). And 235 hp, which at the time was the highest in the industry. That got eclipsed pretty quickly, though, not the least by next year's Chrysler 300, which had 300 hp from the same 331 cubic inches, with two four barrels, higher CR and a hot cam. And then 375 hp only two years after that (with 392 cubes). The "horsepower race." Heady times for those, like my Dad, who grew up in the Depression with cars that mostly had top speeds of maybe 80-85 mph.

Here's my sister and me in front of Dad's 52 DeSoto Firedome, 276 hemi bored to 291, dual two barrels, heads milled .100, dual exhaust, and Mallory Magspark ignition. He traded that on a 56 Coronet D500, 315 hemi and 260 hp. Twelve years later, he bought a 67 Hemi Charger.

 

[matthon]

A friend of mine has 4 hemis on a flatbed, 2 are 4 barrels, but I think he said they may be truck motors, which are different in some way.
I think he wants $1,500 each, but I don't know anything about a truck hemi, if they are truck, and different.
Has a cast in bell hemi on the floor.
Not sure if I want to get into a hemi that has been sitting forever.

Also has a 40's something car with an early hemi.

Also has a Coronet with a dual quad 345 DeSoto hemi.

 

[65 Cuda 340]

A friend of mine has 4 hemis on a flatbed, 2 are 4 barrels, but I think he said they may be truck motors, which are different in some way.
I think he wants $1,500 each, but I don't know anything about a truck hemi, if they are truck, and different.
Has a cast in bell hemi on the floor.
Not sure if I want to get into a hemi that has been sitting forever.

Also has a 40's something car with an early hemi.

Also has a Coronet with a dual quad 345 DeSoto hemi.

View attachment 1716362674

View attachment 1716362675

View attachment 1716362676

View attachment 1716362678

That dual-quad DeSoto hemi would look real good in my 56 Belvedere.

A few years ago, a guy who lived not too far from me offered me an even trade - his 55 Coronet 2dr hardtop (in super nice shape) powered by a 56 DeSoto 341 hemi hooked up to a GM Turbo 350 trans, for my 56 Belvedere 2dr post with its original 277 poly with power pack (4-barrel carb and dual exhaust) and Powerflite. I couldn't bear to part with my Belvedere, so passed up the deal. But the Dodge was nice, and I would have just bought it outright if I didn't already have too many cars.

 

[dadsbee]

Been carting this around since I was 16 years old... almost 47 years!