Originally Posted by Cuda340
I agree that the 426 Hemi has more hp
potential than the 6.1, after it was basically a race engine built for NASCAR than was de-tuned to run on the street.
However the Street Hemi and 6.1 have the same 425 hp and are practically identical in 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. Actually if you look at old road tests of cars with the 426, the 6.1 may be a shade quicker. (That may be due to better tires and suspension).
Although the ol' 426 Hemi was "built for NASCAR" and "detuned for the Street", it was, in actuality, a rush job that...worked.
Chrysler had reached the apex of HP with their 426 Max Wedge. They were notching the tops of cylinder bores to fit the large intake valves, and were at maximum performance.
There "wasn't time" to tool up from scratch an all new "Hemi", so, they modified a 426 Wedge block to fit a new set of Hemi Heads. Mods to the Block included 4-Bolt Main Crankshaft Caps, and different cylinder head clamping.
Purists of the time protested that it wasn't a "true Hemi", because the exhaust valved were canted at 43 degrees (!) and not 45 like the intakes, and because of the modified block's "wedge" heritage. Didn't matter, because the "new" Hemi rewrote Racing History, starting with NASCAR.
Funny how some "purists" don't regard the newest (5.7/6.1) Hemi as a true Hemi because of the 28 degree canted valves. Who Cares! These Cars Rock...
Trivia Question: What was the configuration of the very first Hemi installed in a Chrysler Test Mule Automobile?
LJB
