The 426 cubic-inch Chrysler “Hemi” has become known as the “Elephant Engine.” It started as a racing motor in the 1960s that would be adapted for street use, too. Typically, the street engine produces nearly one horse per cube and – with some tweaking – a whole lot more. The seller had this engine built for him in 2008 but it was never used. It was fogged and then stored in his garage ever since. Located in Horn Lake, Mississippi, this Hemi is available here on eBay. Bidding has reached $11,600 and may continue to climb.
Though Chrysler’s first V8s with hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers dated to 1951, it was not until 1963 that they approved a program to build one for a car that could win the 1964 Daytona 500. Rather than working with the “Wedge” which Chrysler also employed, they thought the Hemi was the cheapest and surest way to win. The fruits of their labors would be the 426 Hemi. And it worked – Hemi-powered cars finished 1-2-3-4 in the “Great American Race” as it would later be called.
Success on the track would lead to “Streets Hemi’s” turning up in Dodge and Plymouth intermediates beginning in 1966. The street version had a lower compression ratio, milder valve timing, different intake and exhaust manifolds, and cast-iron heads, instead of aluminum. The Street Hemi would be available in production cars through 1971, rated at 425 hp and 490 foot-pounds of torque.
As the story goes, the seller commissioned a performance shop in Mississippi to build this engine for him and its specs and noted here and here. He was going to install it in a Mopar product but never did. The completed engine, sans carburetor, has been in storage for 14 years and it’s now time for it to move on to someone who can put it to good use. Any Barn Finds takers?
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