Author: Kevin Garce

The heads on a 426 Hemi is what gives the engine its true power. The Hemi Heads are designed for more power than 440 heads. For this reason many people ask, can you put 426 Hemi heads on a 440? Stock 426 Hemi heads cannot be placed onto a factory stock 440 engine block without…

Most of the newer car manufacturers advertise the size of their engines in liters. When the Hemi was around it was all about cubic inches. This makes many people wonder how many liters is a 426 Hemi? A 426 Hemi is 7.0 L rounded off. The exact liter measurement of the 426 Hemi is 6.980889263397393…

The Hemi Engine was such a huge success and is iconic in the automotive industry. For this reason many people wonder who invented the 426 Hemi and designed it. The 426 Hemi Engine was invented by the Chrysler Corporation headed by President Lynn Townsend who commissioned and approved the development. Assistant Chief Engineer Willem Weertman…

With an engine as iconic as the 426 Hemi, many people want to know everything about it. This includes where it was actually built. The 426 Hemi Engine block and cylinder heads were cast and manufactured at the Indianapolis Foundry located in Indiana. The block and head castings were then sent to the Marysville, Michigan…

The 426 race Hemi came before the 426 street versions. To make the race engine more streetable, changes had to be made. Many people ask me how they differ. Let’s examine the differences between the two engines. The differences between a 426 Street and race Hemi are the street version’s lower compression ratio of 10.25:1…

During the muscle car era, the Hemi and Six Pack were Chryslers two most powerful engines. Some Mopar fanatics can debate all day about which one is faster, the 426 Hemi or the 440 Six Pack? The 426 Hemi was faster than the 440 Six Pack in the 1/4 mile and 0-60 elapsed times recorded…

I’m often asked about the 426 Hemi and its specifications. One topic coming up is about an overhead cam design. Let’s answer, is the 426 Hemi DOHC? The 426 Hemi is not an overhead cam design engine. A 426 Hemi dual overhead cam engine was designed as a prototype in 1964 but was never completed…

Few words in the muscle car world are more recognizable than the word Hemi. The 426 Hemi is so iconic its been given a few nicknames, like the elephant. Why is it called the elephant engine? The 426 Hemi is called the elephant engine due to its wide size, weight and power. It is one…

The 426 Hemi is spoken about all the time. The less celebrated transmission doesn’t come up as often. After all, it plays an important role in the transfer of all that power. Therefore, let’s discuss what transmissions came with the 426 Hemi. The 426 Hemi came with two different transmissions, either the A-727 Torqueflite automatic…

While talking to people at a Mopar event recently, the topic of the 426 Hemi came up as usual. Many of the people wanted to know how many Hemi motors were made before the 426 Hemi. There were 12 Hemi engines made before the 426 Hemi from 1951 to 1959 produced for Chrysler, DeSoto and…

The 426 Hemi started its journey on the oval tracks in Nascar. After its first year, the 426 Hemi was banned from Nascar, but why? The 426 Hemi was banned from Nascar in 1965 and 1971 due to Nascar’s newly imposed rules. In 1965 Nascar mandated all engines competing in races must be available in…

The 426 Hemi is probably the most talked about engine in the Chrysler family. One of the topics coming up in conversation is the carburetion. Some people ask, how many carburetors did the 426 Hemi have? The 426 Hemi had two four barrel carburetors made by the brand Carter. Each Carter AFB carburetor was rated…

While having conversations about Mopar engines, the 426 Hemi is one coming up often. Many people have questions including, what was the first year for the 426 Hemi? 1964 was the first year for the 426 Hemi Engine. It was a race version used for Nascar and drag racing. 1966 marked the first year for…

The 426 Hemi always seems to find its way into the conversation when discussing Mopar engines. Many people want to talk about the legendary engine. A common question gear heads ask is, what was the last year for the 426 Hemi? The last year for the 426 Hemi was 1971 ending its production which began…

Along with the sales of Hemi cars, I’ve been tracking how much 426 Hemi engines sell for. I’ve been doing this for years because it’s interesting. Also, many people want to know, what is a 426 Hemi engine worth? Original 426 Hemi engines are worth from $15,000 to over $30,000. The price paid depends on…

The 426 Hemi is probably the most known engine throughout the muscle car world. The accomplishments of the engine and how it has affected the racing world qualify it as legendary. What makes the 426 Hemi so special? The 426 Hemi is special because it was the first Nascar engine to go 200 mph. The…

The 426 Hemi in the 1960s put the word Hemi into a different category. The Hemi engine earns respect from all car enthusiasts. Although not everyone knows the exact meaning of the word. Let’s answer, what does Hemi mean in an engine? Hemi, short for hemispherical, refers to the shape and design of the combustion…

I’ve been tracking 426 Hemi car prices for many years. The Hemis were always the most expensive Chrysler when new and today that still holds true for them as collectables. Let’s examine how much an original 426 Hemi car is worth. E-body 426 Hemi cars are worth between $143,000 to over 3 million dollars. Daytonas…

The 426 Hemi is a legendary engine and many people wonder what cars were lucky enough to have one. Let’s answer, what cars had the 426 Hemi? The following cars had the 426 Street Hemi: The following cars had the 426 Race Hemi: This article will examine each one of these rare factory cars and…

The 426 Hemi Engine is known throughout the muscle car world. Car enthusiasts of all brands know about the Hemi and sometimes wonder why it’s so legendary. Let’s start by answering, how much horsepower and torque does a 426 Hemi have? The 426 Hemi street engine was rated at 425 horsepower at 5,000 RPM and…

I’ve spent years studying, admiring and researching big block Mopar specs, especially the 426 Hemi. The name Hemi transcends car brands making many people wonder about its specifications. Therefore, let’s answer, what are the 426 Hemi specs? The 426 Hemi has 426 cubic inches, a 4.25″ bore and 3.75″ stroke, 425 horsepower @ 5,000 RPM…

While reading up on the legendary 426 Hemi Engine, many people wonder how fast it was. I researched the original drag strip results conducted and published when the cars were new. Here are the results. Here’s how fast a 426 Hemi is in the 1/4 mile race: 426 Hemi Average 1/4 Mile Times and Speeds…