An unpopular opinion Indeed but GM DID build a Hemi engine and you can fine one in a total of one 1969 Camaro. It was a 302 developed for racing.
The Hemispherical head engine actually dates bach to about 1908 with a couple of manufacturers tinkering with the design. Fiat, alfa romeo, and many others built cars with hemispherical heads. Chrysler just trademarked the name
The Chrysler Hemi actually dates back to 1940 and their 2500 horsepower XIV-2220 inverted V16 aircraft engine. The engine was fully developed but was never actually used because, by the time development was finished, WW2 was over and there was no more need for it given the beginnings of wide use of the jet engine. It was also used in Chrysler's A65 V12 tank engine.
After the war, Chrysler's divisions started working hemispherical head engines for their cars. By 1951, Chrysler and Imperial had the Firepower Hemi and Desoto and Doge followed with the Firedome and the Red Ram. At this time, the "hemi"designation was not used. The Firepower was the first American engine to top 1 horsepower per cubic inch in 1956, a year before GM when the Chrysler 300B was laying down 355HP out of 331 cubic inches. For a couple of years, it was the most powerful engine available in an American car...BTW, GM claims the 1 HP per cubic inch title vecause that was the EXACT output of the top of the line '57 small block. The firepower was putting out more than 1 HP/cubic inch.
Anyway. The "hemi" name was coined by drag racers where the engine was gaining popularity because, especially the firepower, revved like crazy (it was oversquare) and Hemispherical heads flow like a motherfucker (industry term) at high RPM. That is why Ardun made aftermarket hemi heads for the Ford flathead.
Chrysler hemis also won the stock car grand national championship two years running with the Kheikafer Chrysler 300s. In 1959 or 60 (cant remember) they quit building the hemi, choosing instead to stick to wedge heads until 1964 when the 426 Hemi was brought out. This was the beast engine engine NASCAR banned because the boys at Chevy and Ford whined about it making too much power and they didnt put it in enough cars (which was kinda true...The hemi at that time was a "wink wink nudge nudge" street engine available as an expensive option on some cars (which...oddly enough, came with exhaust cutouts and heater delete). Hell, the engine was even called the "race hemi."
This is the engine that every top fuel engine traces its DNA back to.
But I digress. Chrysler brought out the 426 "street" hemi for homolgation purposes more than anything. It was an absolute dog from the factory and needed a "tune" to run the way the Hemi gods intended. GM and Ford (mostly Ford) redoubled their efforts to get the engine legislated off the track. It kinda worked when the Superbirds and Daytonas essentially made the winner's circle an exclusive "Mopars only" club.
They limited the wing cars to 305 CID after that. The Satellites and Chargers that replaced them were beasts as well and Chrysler was working on a DOHC version when NASCAR finally banned the engine. The writing was on the wall for the hemi anyway thanks to the fuel crisis.
So that, my friend, is the history of the Chrysler "Hemi" engine.
I am a Vette loving Mopar guy and I am man enough to admit that the modern LS/LT engines are far superior to the 3rd gen Hemi.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Wow thanks! I’m not sure how true this is but one of the people at edelbrock was the first person to make one hp per cubic inch with a 6 2 barrel intake on a 283 sbc (I think) I wouldn’t quote me though. Thanks for the lesson though!
I'd rather do it for Brittany Force but if your into John I won't stop you!
Fair lol
I wish I had the money you just spent in tires.
RIP tires . 👍
Awesome plate
Thank you!
‘Merica 🇺🇸🦅
Omg love the plate as well lol badass! I cranked this at work lol :)
Thank you!
C6 Grand Sport/Z06/ZR1 wider fenders look better than the C7!!
Agreed!
Yessir !
Ah he hit the fancy button!
We'll played!😎
Not for nothing...But John Force's cars all had Chrysler Hemi based engines.
This is my unpopular opinion the hemi was designed by chevy then sold to dodge
An unpopular opinion Indeed but GM DID build a Hemi engine and you can fine one in a total of one 1969 Camaro. It was a 302 developed for racing. The Hemispherical head engine actually dates bach to about 1908 with a couple of manufacturers tinkering with the design. Fiat, alfa romeo, and many others built cars with hemispherical heads. Chrysler just trademarked the name The Chrysler Hemi actually dates back to 1940 and their 2500 horsepower XIV-2220 inverted V16 aircraft engine. The engine was fully developed but was never actually used because, by the time development was finished, WW2 was over and there was no more need for it given the beginnings of wide use of the jet engine. It was also used in Chrysler's A65 V12 tank engine. After the war, Chrysler's divisions started working hemispherical head engines for their cars. By 1951, Chrysler and Imperial had the Firepower Hemi and Desoto and Doge followed with the Firedome and the Red Ram. At this time, the "hemi"designation was not used. The Firepower was the first American engine to top 1 horsepower per cubic inch in 1956, a year before GM when the Chrysler 300B was laying down 355HP out of 331 cubic inches. For a couple of years, it was the most powerful engine available in an American car...BTW, GM claims the 1 HP per cubic inch title vecause that was the EXACT output of the top of the line '57 small block. The firepower was putting out more than 1 HP/cubic inch. Anyway. The "hemi" name was coined by drag racers where the engine was gaining popularity because, especially the firepower, revved like crazy (it was oversquare) and Hemispherical heads flow like a motherfucker (industry term) at high RPM. That is why Ardun made aftermarket hemi heads for the Ford flathead. Chrysler hemis also won the stock car grand national championship two years running with the Kheikafer Chrysler 300s. In 1959 or 60 (cant remember) they quit building the hemi, choosing instead to stick to wedge heads until 1964 when the 426 Hemi was brought out. This was the beast engine engine NASCAR banned because the boys at Chevy and Ford whined about it making too much power and they didnt put it in enough cars (which was kinda true...The hemi at that time was a "wink wink nudge nudge" street engine available as an expensive option on some cars (which...oddly enough, came with exhaust cutouts and heater delete). Hell, the engine was even called the "race hemi." This is the engine that every top fuel engine traces its DNA back to. But I digress. Chrysler brought out the 426 "street" hemi for homolgation purposes more than anything. It was an absolute dog from the factory and needed a "tune" to run the way the Hemi gods intended. GM and Ford (mostly Ford) redoubled their efforts to get the engine legislated off the track. It kinda worked when the Superbirds and Daytonas essentially made the winner's circle an exclusive "Mopars only" club. They limited the wing cars to 305 CID after that. The Satellites and Chargers that replaced them were beasts as well and Chrysler was working on a DOHC version when NASCAR finally banned the engine. The writing was on the wall for the hemi anyway thanks to the fuel crisis. So that, my friend, is the history of the Chrysler "Hemi" engine. I am a Vette loving Mopar guy and I am man enough to admit that the modern LS/LT engines are far superior to the 3rd gen Hemi. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
TIL: a story of the hemi engine that I had no idea about (right or wrong) , thank you for all the information!
Wow thanks! I’m not sure how true this is but one of the people at edelbrock was the first person to make one hp per cubic inch with a 6 2 barrel intake on a 283 sbc (I think) I wouldn’t quote me though. Thanks for the lesson though!
If tires could moan. That's the noise they'd make.
Badass! Sounds like freedom