64 non-Hemi 426 "NASCAR" engines

[64BEL]

The Hemis weren't readily available in the beginning in '64, as Ski and 33 IMP said. The cracked blocks at Daytona were replaced by one of the engineers driving a new truck load down to Daytona from Detroit at the 11th hour.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I am a big believer in stress relieving blocks. 100,000 miles normal use is one way, Cyro is another and HF vibratory is another.
I have used all three. I never felt it prevented catastrophic failures, as that relates to IMO an inadequate design, a flaw while casting, or overload while in use.
However as rushed as the hemi was, and as "easy" the fix was, I can't believe mopar put all their eggs in the stress relieving quick fix column on a race so image costly.

 

[j-c-c-62]

And I'll bet that not every team was given new Hemi's. And I'll bet not every team could afford a bunch of new hemis if they weren't on the freebies list.
And a wedge just might have been just as competitive on a short track.

That is a reasonable bet. But the all of the 8 losing mopars in 1963, the best finishing car was RP in 6th, why would any of the 12 Mopars in 1964 at the first race Daytona 500 choose a Stage 3 proven loser when the Hemi cars were running circles around everyone else. I would bet at least 8 of the 12 Mopars in the 500 had Hemi's. They would not have gotten the driving talent they got with a Stage 3 motor. I see can't see any apparent advantage of a RB wedge over a Hemi on a short track.
The running joke at the 64 Daytona 500 was the drivers all wanted a Le Mans start, so they could all foot race to get in a Hemi race car.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Nascar I believe had a min weight at that time, and total weight back then I suspect mattered less than weight distribution, meaning whose car was lighter meant little on the banked ovals. Car size because of aero did matter as they were discovering at that time. The Hemi was probably the heaviest engine at that time.

Yeah, I'm talking on the Street...
We ALL KNOW the 421 dominated Nascar in 62-63 and won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb etc...yeah, lightweights were in 63. (Swiss Cheese) Some 62s had the aluminum bumpers etc...I don't know. I have heard it go both ways...
I wish I had a 62 SD...hell I missed out on a 74 Trans Am SD in 94 because I didn't know what it was...
I'd love to own a Super Duty...62 especially...I'd even take a a 389 Trophy in a Cat...
I just sold this year and last year three 63 B-bodies...one was a 300 car..straight 6...was going to put my Maxie Clone in it...but things have changed due to Family med issues.

 

[super-bee_ski]

And I'll bet that not every team was given new Hemi's. And I'll bet not every team could afford a bunch of new hemis if they weren't on the freebies list.
And a wedge just might have been just as competitive on a short track.

Yeah, that is (was) the point...Heck...the 440 Six Pack properly tuned in street version gave some Hemi Guys fits...
But yeah, they just were not that common back in that era...and I'm betting the BEST NHRA and NASCAR team (s) got what they had...back then.
Gosh, imagine a 426 wedge w/ 13.5 to 1 compression?

 

[dvw]

The Pontiac head wasn't superior at the time. For sure the block lifter bores were weaker. So why did they win? Aero, cheater cubes? Certainly a SD Pontiac head didn't match a Max Wedge head. Neither did a FE or a 409. So why were the the Max Wedges slower?
Doug

 

[33 IMP]

The Pontiac head wasn't superior at the time. For sure the block lifter bores were weaker. So why did they win? Aero, cheater cubes? Certainly a SD Pontiac head didn't match a Max Wedge head. Neither did a FE or a 409. So why were the the Max Wedges slower?
Doug

I think a hi-riser 427 Ford head would be comparable to a max.
In 62, Pontiac had a 421, Ford was a 406, Chevy a 409 (weak!) and Mopar a 413.
In 63, Pontiac had the smallest displacement of the bunch, and still won. I'm not sure why.
Maybe..... better drivers? Or better teams?

 

[33 IMP]

[QUOTE="j-c-c-62, post: I can't see any apparent advantage of a RB wedge over a Hemi on a short track
Maybe off the short track turns, more low-end torque, just like in a street car comparison of a wedge and hemi. By the time the rpm of the hemi starts to overcome the torque advantage, it's time to hit the brakes for the next corner. I'm not saying it happened like that, I am saying it's a possibility.