Sort of surprised by my buddies 69 Hemi Roadrunner

[AR67GTX]

He went on a road trip with a HS buddy of his who is a shop owner, mechanic and sometimes racer to a nearby car show. He drove his Hemi and his friend took his 67 427 Chevelle which is pretty well built with aluminum heads, headers, 4 bolt block, good sized solid lifter cam and a tremec 5-speed. The Hemi is stock except from a hydraulic roller cam and MSD distributor. He said the roads were empty so they pulled up side-to-side several times to have a go at it and the Hemi pulled the built 427 every time, not by a huge amount but a car length or so. Only problem was his speedometer broke at 120 mph. Knowing how well that Chevelle is built and sometimes raced I was a little surprised his basically stock Hemi took him.

 

[toolmanmike]

Not surprised at all.

 

[Beekeeper]

If one only looks at the size and volume of the stock ports on a hemi head it’s easy to see why they pump more air than anything on the planet then you light the fuel from the center of the chamber then you have the built in scavenging effect with the valves lined up to pull more air and fuel in just flat the best design ever and still is today.

 

[Runcharger]

Biggest thing holding back a street hemi was the ridiculously small camshaft.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Biggest thing holding back a street hemi was the ridiculously small camshaft.

Yup... But back then they had trouble controlling valve stability at the RPM's where Hemi's thrive... And the stock Hemi valve springs were causing Hemi camshafts to fail frequently.... A Roller in a Hemi and real serious valve springs is a huge step up....

 

[BSB67]

I'm surprised.

But without real data, It's hard to know if the the hemi is something special, or the 427 has some other issues.

 

[ruffcut]

Why do you think a Hemi is used in NHRA Top Fuel? Hmmmmmmmmm

 

[Michael_]

Looks like the Chevelle needs a hemi swap.

 

[BB BELLA]

69RR/426 1/4@13.5 wow thats quick!lmao
66vette/427 1/4@13.4 thats quicker! still very slow by todays standards!
Don't get me wrong I'm not bashing mopars just that a simple mod can drop these times by seconds!
you need to compare Apples to Apples!
what tires,who's driving,how hard ya wringing it!

 

[Runner 68]

I'm surprised.

But without real data, It's hard to know if the the hemi is something special, or the 427 has some other issues.

You're not a closet Cheby lover are you BSB?
What do you mean "If the Hemi is something special". Of course it is, for the reasons stated above among others.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

I'm surprised.

But without real data, It's hard to know if the the hemi is something special, or the 427 has some other issues.

The hemi is special,,,,,,,,,either you want one or,,,,,you have one!

 

[PRND21]

From experience I will say that a Tremec isn’t easy to shift quickly. But, I’d take the Hemi Plymouth any day.

 

[Beekeeper]

Why do you think a Hemi is used in NHRA Top Fuel? Hmmmmmmmmm

And they are all Allen Johnson billet blocks as well he has the market cornered

 

[Beekeeper]

I can’t help but grin every time Al post pics of that blown street hemi in that early b body
Just bad ***!

 

[WileE]

Both good engines. Hemi... better.

 

[moparedtn]

I can’t help but grin every time Al post pics of that blown street hemi in that early b body
Just bad ***!

Aye - and so festive and colorful!

 

[s/w theo]

Just goes to show, an engine with the right combo of parts will run VERY well, not just Hemi's. I have a friend who had a pretty much bone stock 318 3 speed manual in his 72 Duster Twister, & all he did to it was headers, duals & H.V. oil pump. No other mods, still a 2 bbl carb, & it was a freak!

 

[F4R/T]

Chrysler had their stuff together, those heads are crazy! Big monster breather, more hemis have powered top fuel cars across the line than any engine I bet, even under a ford or Chevy lid.

 

[AR67GTX]

The Hemi was built by someone in the area that was supposed to know his business with Hemis and was said to have dyno’d on the stand at 500 hp. I’ve ridden in the car a few times, but usually on city streets while strong, didn’t seem real strong with 3.54 gears and stock manifolds. And I know one of the best things you can do to a Chevy 427 is put a set of headers on it and a good condition L72 will be getting close to 500 hp. The other stuff on the engine - heads, intake, cam - is that much more. He also races a 427 Corvette and has been a working mechanic his whole life so I know that Chevelle is no slouch. But apparently that Hemi really turns on and pulls hard as the rpms and road speed build up. It lived up to its reputation.

 

[68 HEMI GTS]

Chevelle must be a slouch, it should have beat the hemi given the work done to it. I wouldn’t call it exactly a fair comparison. And a hemi with a Hyd roller isn’t going to do the normal pull to 7k thing and that’s where they really get it done. That being said you gotta drive a stick car. The wrong driver can easily turn a 12 sec car into a 14 sec car. Hemi does kinda make a bbc look small though