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Street Hemi Production

GrabberOrange69

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Were moving and I'm packing my magazine stash...like thousands of issues since I started subscribing in the late 70s..Hot Rod, PHR, Car Craft, etc; I haven't thrown a single issue away (yes, pack rat).

I had removed these 2 pages out of a 1980 PHR for reference long ago, hopefully you can zoom in:
Resized_New_Doc_2018-12-30_09.26.46_1.jpeg
 
I got into a debate with someone about the Street Hemi, he kept telling me that the 1965 Belvedere was available with the Hemi, and I told him the first year for the Street Hemi was 1966. He responded, "no, you're wrong because I've seen guys with 1965 cars with a factory Hemi."

I kept trying to tell him there was a difference between the Street Hemi and the Race Hemi, which was available to drag racers in 1965, but that car was never sold at the dealership with a Hemi. He kept telling me I was wrong, I gave up.
 
I got into a debate with someone about the Street Hemi, he kept telling me that the 1965 Belvedere was available with the Hemi, and I told him the first year for the Street Hemi was 1966. He responded, "no, you're wrong because I've seen guys with 1965 cars with a factory Hemi."

I kept trying to tell him there was a difference between the Street Hemi and the Race Hemi, which was available to drag racers in 1965, but that car was never sold at the dealership with a Hemi. He kept telling me I was wrong, I gave up.
I know that is the "official" history of the Hemi, but in 1965, at our neighborhood 4th of July party, our neighbors nephew (cousin), showed up with his "new" car. That car was a 1965 Dodge Coronet, Fire Engine red, 4-spd, with a Hemi, and it came as it was delivered ? It was not an A990 model either, as it was a 2dr Hardtop ? That day was my 1st ride in a muscle car, as he loaded us kids up, and took us for one hell of a ride around the block. I was pinned into the back seat on take off ! I know that the records don't show availability on this, but we all know things happened at the factory, if you had an "in" ? There is a magazine ad, that I have seen, that does say this was available. I will try to get a copy of the ad to post. Mystery, or Myth ?
 
I'd have to find it, but the story I heard was that people with the coin could buy a car with the race hemi as early as 1964, but it was not a 'factory showroom car', nor was it the Street Hemi. The Street Hemi made it's debut in cars like the 1966 Charger, Satellite, Belvedere, etc. So yes, you could buy a car with a 426 Hemi before 1966, but it was not the Street Hemi, it was a race engine.

From Allpar:

When the 426 Hemi was introduced in 1964, it was strictly a racing engine. On February 23 of that year, four Hemi-powered Mopars swept the Daytona 500, finishing 1-2-3-4. It caught the racing world by surprise, and prompted NASCAR to impose stricter production rules on Chrysler. Instead of producing a few blueprinted Hemi motors each production year, they would have to produce several thousand and sell them in street-legal cars.

Chrysler didn’t throw in the towel on the hemi after this (although they did sit out the 1965 season), and the Street Hemi soon showed up in 1966 B-body Dodges and Plymouths. (There was still a race version; a December 16, 1964 service bulletin, showed the 1965 Plymouth Belvedere with the “Super Commando 426,” rated at 425 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 480 lb-ft at 4,600 rpm with 12.5:1 compression.)
 
Thanks "grabber", but i try to expand and there's too much blurring. D---- it! Have an all original 66Belv II auto hemi just down the street. Was bought yrs ago in Canada at auction,beautiful car.
 
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