RE: Big block.
Alright, I'm not looking to be a smartass or to start a fight with anybody... I'm just wondering if anybody has seen this swap done. I'm sure it's just a matter of time.
But to set the record straight:
The 426 hemi (the "hemi") is the greatest "performance" engine ever designed.
A real hemi made ~550 in stock form, and could easily be warmed up to 650. With a few component changes, 750 was not a problem. I've seen them blown making 800, and on nitro running 1000+.
At 650, this new truck engine would grenade. I doubt you could even get there, because the automatic transmission couldn't take it. A real hemi block can take unlimited output and stay together.
A real hemi has adjustable rockers and a spherical chamber. A real hemi has two valves and is not compromised for emissions. A real hemi was the first auto engine made with 6 bolt mains.
A real hemi needs "TLC," because it needs to be tuned by somebody who knows what they're doing. But they can be tuned to handle any changes. Try making any minor changes to the new engines, and the ECU will have a fit. You better like the stock performance, because you can't change the calibration.
Nostaliga? It's not about nostaligia. It's about running the greatest engine ever made. It's about speed. The new engines are just slightly modified 4.7L's. They're just throwing out (and disgracing) the hemi name for marketing purposes. The engineers within Chrysler knows there's no comparison to a real hemi.
I've built wedge engines that put out more than the new engines, and I've built a real hemi. I also worked on the design team of the "new hemi." If you think these hokey new engines have "awesome" performance, you have never driven a hemi. If I wanted just any new non-descript, cookie-cutter engine design, I'd buy a Ford.
What I DO like is the way the new Challenger looks...We just need to figure out how to put a hemi in it.
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