One of the most coveted and legendary motors of the muscle car era was Chrysler’s 426ci Hemi V8. It offered mind-blowing performance, transforming an average car into one that commanded respect. The problem was they came with a healthy premium, meaning a limited number of buyers could justify the expense. This 1970 426 Hemi is freshly rebuilt and could be the final piece of the puzzle for someone tackling a period Mopar project. It is listed here on Facebook in West Chicago, Illinois. These brutes weren’t cheap in 1970, and the seller’s asking price of $50,000 confirms the situation hasn’t changed. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Tim P for spotting this iconic powerplant.
Chrysler introduced its First Generation Hemi V8 in 1951. They instantly developed a reputation for producing more power per cubic inch than most comparable V8s, remaining available until 1958. The Second Generation emerged in 1964 and became the “must-have” for anyone seeking a high-performance Mopar model. This motor is of 1970 vintage, but it is unclear what car it initially called home. The 426 from this era produced an “official” 425hp, although it was widely acknowledged that figure was conservative. It recently underwent a professional rebuild, and hasn’t found its way under a hood since. That means it has no miles under its belt and will be in excellent health. Purists will be pleased to learn it features its original Dual-Quad intake and carburetors, complete Air Grabber setup, dual-point distributor, factory exhaust manifolds, valve covers, and fan. It currently sits on an engine start-up stand, with this photo showing it in action. The Hemi produces a healthy 90 lbs of oil pressure at 1,500 rpm, suggesting there’s nothing amiss with this slice of automotive art. It is ready to come off the stand and find its way into the engine bay of someone’s Mopar project build.
The asking price for this 1970 Hemi 426 motor means the seller will have a limited market for a successful sale. However, vehicles from this era featuring one of these brutes under the hood command a healthy premium in the current market. It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not the car in question is numbers-matching, people clamor to own them. This engine isn’t cheap, but it offers astounding performance. It could also be a sound investment if dropped into the right car, like a ‘Cuda or a Charger. Would that thought be enough to convince you to hand over a significant slice of a restoration budget, or is it beyond your means?
It [i]could[i] offer mind blowing performance. Flame away but in stock form, it really wasn’t all that. Most credible road tests of the day have Hemis running low 14s or high 13s at best, as Tony DeFeo has been pointing out lately amidst all the hype over the “legendary” Black Ghost, an unrestored 1970 Hemi Challenger that fetched $1 million due to its supposed street racing supremacy in Detroit back in the 1970s, in case you have not heard.
That’s because this second generation Hemi was designed for NASCAR and sustained high RPM use, not for so much for street use. People at the time knew this and knew that a 440, or even a modified 340, would beat a stock Hemi. That, and its very high price at the time, is why so few were built.
Can anyone see the elephant in the room:) Pun aside I agree there were more streetable engines in the Mopar offering. The wedge engine is better suited to the person who wants to cruise the streets. Not as hard to set up.
I’m not wrong at all. Road Test magazine tested one in June 1970. 4-speed Challenger R/T with 4.10 gears. It did the quarter mile in 14 seconds flat at 104 miles per hour. I’m looking at the road test right now. It is in one of my old Mopar books.
They also noted that the option cost $1,227.50. That is the equivalent of $9,600 today. They also noted the car guzzled gas to the tune of 6.5 MPG.
Haha I see what you did there!
You are so wrong. Obviously you’ve never driven one. In 1970 it was the one.
Ah, but is it numbers matching?
Yes, it is numbers matching. You mission is to find what it matches to. 15 years ago, I had 2 rare Italian race bikes from the late 50’s as projects with non-matching frame/motors. After several years of internet searching and connecting with collectors, I managed to find the matching motors to both bikes. Lightning did strike twice.
I want this for my 1967 Wheelhorse riding Tractor.The cast iron Kohler 12 horse is a little tired.I’ll make it fit. I bet it sells fast.These are highly desirable and the Mopar guys pay big $.
Do you have a suggestion on a good parts place for wheelhorse stuff?
I got my parts from a local lawn mower repair shop.3 decades ago.Mine is a 1267 Wheel a matic. It’s a creeper with the hydro trans. Great around bushes.Fun fact 12 is 12 hp the 67 was for 1967 the mfg year date.I bought it for 50.00 with a snowblower attachment. Guy I bought it from in 1990 purchased a new Honda tractor and wanted this one gone. Couldn’t move the damn thing since it didn’t run but me and my buddy figured it out . There is a towing valve under the seat on the Hydros.Turn it a half a turn and you can push it. Put it back in place and it locks the diff.Weighs almost 700 pounds with the cast iron12hp Kohler. It has a Carter 1 bbl carb and I got her tuned where it’ll idle really really low and it sounds soooo cool .
Didn’t Tim Taylor do that? Arh, arh, arh,,
While it might be a desirable engine, The cost to rebuild one of these if you had one would not run more that 3-5K unless you were building it to compete in like the indy 500 or there abouts. So 50K for this one is going to collect a lot of dust before it sells at that price. Seller should price it about 5% over build cost for a quick sale. Even if I owned a Charger I could rebuild the numbers matching motor a lot cheaper.
But price all the parts on this motor, intake, carbs, air filter set up, exhaust manifolds, distributor, etc. and the price isn’t really out there. If it’s a total numbers matching engine it’s going to be bought.
You would be very surprised to see what a rebuild costs today. I just did a 340 with some very good components and it was almost 10k. The machine shop that did the work had a 426 hemi on the shelf and offered it to me at 50k. This one is right on the money. I can’t afford it but someone will.
George, you really have no clue by that statement. 3-5 k to rebuild a 426 Hemi? Maybe in 1973. You couldn’t put together a 318 for 3 grand. Lol
3-5k?? LOL!!!
A fantastic piece of history. I didn’t realize what I had when I was 16 years old. I loved how easy changing the spark plugs was, considering the garbage plugs of the 60’s and 70’s.
8 to 10,000 miles and they were toast.
I sold my Charger for a tour of southeast Asia in 1970. I used to help work on the UH-1’s that I flew back then. The crew chiefs were always entertained by my stories of the Hemi’s. I know that I converted a few “Ford sycophants.” (LOL)
That UH-1 was a good helicopter!
It wasn’t so much the plugs, as the lead deposits ruined many. Many don’t realize, that the plugs are in tubes( like the Slant 6) that are doused with oil, and if not sealed properly, makes an oily mess.
Never understood the hype. Guys back in the day when I was much younger referred to these a rod slingers. Several of these passed through the junkyard I worked in in the 80s and all but one had a rod out the block. On the otherside of the coin they were the cats meow for the dragster crew and everyone of these we acquired was sold to race builders. Blocks were welded and tons of machining was done to make them the beasts they were in that form. Knew tons of guys that dumped their everything into these. They were never cheap per say and really didn’t hold up well. As said above 440s, 340s were better choices and I was told that by several penastar princes a long time ago, but to be a Chrysler God, you have to have one of these in something in your car kingdom. I never had one or drove a car equipped with one but did junk several that were deceased when they passed through me. I guess I could buy this put it in my ratty Challenger convertible and sell the car for 45k…lol
I think some of the hype comes from the fact that virtually all of the most powerful cars on the planet for the last 50 years have been powered by this same basic design.
It will sell. These were bullit proof motors back in the day . Even Drag racer’s would drive them track change the gear run it and win races. Nascar would run several races in a row before a rebuild. All while burying the compition. It’s no wonder they were banned for such dominance.
You have nailed it. What a piece of engineering for its day.
Saw these in action in the 70’s at Lions Drag Strip Long Beach, CA . Fire spouting demons. Real crowd pleasers!
In my neighborhood there were 2 chargers with Hemi power. I ran one Hemi charger that was well tuned with a LS6 70 nova (swapped) and had it by 2 cars. BUT the Hemi pulled me down and just kept going. They come on strong on top end.
Wow, they go for that much!
There was one sneaking around my neighborhood back in the day, supposedly unbeatable, that is is until my small block 400 in my Firebird smoked that pig like Sunday morning toast. Ok, so truth be told I did have some heavy work done to my little sleeper!! Lol
Just ask Don Garlits, you can catch him at his shop/ museum on I-75 in Ocala Fl
Don Garlits – R.I.P.
Don Garlits is 91 years young and still enjoying life!
This will go, maybe on an offer, but right up there. I just did a Chevrolet 409 complete rebuild. Block was a std bore, so just cleaned it up and reused the 11:1 pistons. Cost right up at 8k with machine shop costs thru the roof. When you build 426,421,409 and 427’s the costs go up….it’s the times…
We ran a 426 in a 37 Willys coupe, injected on alcohol. 3700lbs on a basic, stock hemi except for the cam and injectors. Ran 9.20 all day long back in the mid eighties
“A pre-war Willys rides up like Cutter through ice” – movie Hot Rod 1979
Find a shoe horn big enough and stuff it into an A body.there are kits available now to do it.
If you think $50K is a “good” price on this Hemi you don’t know anything about Hemis. Check Indy Cylinder Heads website, you can get a complete built Hemi with 515 – 1060 hp for between $23.5 – $33K. $50K you should be able to build an engine that would set records in SS/AH built by Barton, Line, or Wescott.
But would it be numbers matching?
You obviously don’t know about OEM pricing for sure. I can buy a Dart Block for roughly $3,000 , it’s aftermarket, just like your 23, 000 motor, but try and find original parts! Good luck, a good OEM bare block will set you back around $10,000 alone! Heads in good shape, intake, carbs, dist. etc. all very expensive and you can’t put that aftermarket motor in an all-original Cuda to make it correct. But that numbers matching $50,000 motor will! Apples and oranges. This motor is for a date correct build, not a restomod like your aftermarket motor. So yes, people will pay for this for sure.
I don’t want to start any problems here, but why is this number matching so absolutely imperative to anyone other than a investor / collector who will never drive it anyway. To me, is a car that has been been repainted, doesn’t wear its original sheet metal still a numbers matching car worth 3 or 4 hundred thou. Was the paint from the same original batch that was mixed in the 60s/70s. The ones that are truly original are the survivors untouched and driven and with the original drive train that should be the ones that command the higher money not the 1/2/3/ hundred thou. dollar restored cars that killed what was once a hobby for all. Now a junker is $15.000 Leave the numbers matching cars for the TV auctions.
Apparently, MY hemi stories differ greatly from most here, focusing mostly on it’s racing heritage,,and hype. I remember hemis from the 50s that were oily, poor running slugs that dripped gasoline,, and relegated to heavy beasts or trucks. It wasn’t until genius’ like Tom Hoover( who I never heard of), Garlits, or Kiekhaefer, that turned them into the best motors to beat, and a variant of the original hemi is still the basis for all fuel cars today.
Naturally, to me, this is pure phoofery, come on, people, $50grand, what is wrong with people today? You really have that kind of scratch FOR JUST THE MOTOR?
Newsflash, hemis are not this miracle motor from heaven, fact is, a 440/6 pack will eat it for lunch. I got a kick out of a neighbor that bought a RAM with a “hemi”, I said, “got a hemi, eh”? (sarcastically) and she said “oh yeah”,,,like it’s something special. I didn’t have the heart to tell tis’ nothing special, until time for replacement, that is. I predict philosophers will have a field day in the future, telling the little ones what fools we must have been.
The craziest use for a vintage hemi? One, a 331, was used on the loudest air raid siren made at 138 db.. It was never used.
I think we can all agree that these car prices are insane. I believe the only time these prices should be so high is when and if you can find a totally original car , as if in a time capsule for all these years, that’s impressive. But the rest are just rebuilt and to me not all that special beyond what they are. The time is approaching when younger people won’t spend this kind of money, and I am glad to be a spectator when that happens . Lol
Ahh the HEMI
My first was a 1951 Chrysler Saratoga 331 2 Barrel 180 HP What a beast, 3 tons of automobile. Had a Fluidrive
Someone mentioned Carl Kiekhaefer, yep raced a pair of them in 1951 La Carrera Panamericana back in the day, they ruled.
I have had a few here and there. 354 392’s then the 426. I still have rebuild kits here abouts for standard engines. Not much good for rebuilds but to ring and bearing I am good to go.
Early units were for heavy power units, used in heavy hauling, oil field work, stationary engine units. Most 392’s that were raced came from these places.
The 426 depending on intended use when new determined the power level sought. They were never weak but big and heavy had disadvantages. Teardown and make ready for serious power, yep they are Horse Power Monsters.
There is a reason that the 426 Hemi has mystique.
That engine will sell. A test of wills……