How Fast is a 440 Six Pack or 6-BBL? 1/4 Mile and 0-60 Results
I’ve spent years researching 440 Six Packs and how fast they are. I’ve even owned a Six Barrel powered car, so I know how fast they can go. I researched original drag strip results when the cars were new. Here are the results.
Here’s how fast a 440 Six Pack/6BBL is in the 1/4 mile race:
- With a 4-speed and 4.10 rear gear ratio: the 440 Six Pack averages 13.53 sec @ 107.35 MPH.
- With an automatic and 4.10 rear gear ratio: the 440 Six Pack averages 13.62 @ 105.08 MPH.
- With a 4-speed and 3.54 rear gear ratio: the 440 Six Pack averages 14.17 sec @ 100.50 MPH.
- With an automatic and 3.23 rear gear ratio: the 440 Six Pack averages 14.81 sec @ 98.39 MPH.
- In the 1/4 mile the 440 Six Pack/6BBL’s fastest to slowest time and MPH are 13.09 sec @ 110.70 MPH to 16.01 sec @ 92.50 MPH.
- From 0-60 MPH the 440 Six Pack averages 6.7 seconds.
440 Six Pack/6-BBL 1/4 Mile Times and Speeds with Each Transmission and Gear Ratio
| Engine | Transmission | Rear Gear Ratio | Average 1/4 mile Speed & MPH |
| 440 Six Pack/6-BBL | 4-speed | 4.10 | 13.53 @ 107.35 |
| 440 Six Pack/6-BBL | Automatic | 4.10 | 13.62 @ 105.08 |
| 440 Six Pack/6-BBL | 4-speed | 3.54 | 14.17 @ 100.50 |
| 440 Six Pack/6-BBL | Automatic | 3.23 | 14.81 @ 98.39 |
Quickest 1/4 Mile Times and Speeds with Each Transmission and Gear Ratio
| Engine | Car | Transmission | Rear Gear Ratio | 1/4 Mile Speed & MPH |
| 440 6BBL | ’69 Road Runner | 4-speed | 4.10 | 13.09 @ 110.70 MPH |
| 440 6BBL | ’70 Road Runner | Automatic | 4.10 | 13.47 @ 106.63 MPH |
| 440 6BBL | ’70 Cuda | Automatic | 4.10 | 13.56 @ 106.50 MPH |
| 440 Six pack | ’69 Super Bee | Automatic | 4.10 | 13.56 @ 105.63 MPH |
| 440 Six Pack | ’70 Challenger R/T | Automatic | 3.23 | 13.62 @ 104.28 MPH |
| 440 6BBL | ’71 Road Runner | Automatic | 4.10 | 13.71 @ 101.23 MPH |
| 440 6BBL | ’71 Cuda | Automatic | 4.10 | 13.72 @ 106.00 MPH |
| 440 Six Pack | ’69 Super Bee | Automatic | 4.10 | 13.75 @ 104.52 MPH |
| 440 Six Pack | ’70 Charger R/T | 4-speed | 3.54 | 13.95 @ 101.00 MPH |
| 440 Six Pack | ’69 Super Bee | 4-speed | 4.10 | 13.98 @ 104.00 MPH |
| 440 Six Pack | ’71 Super Bee | Automatic | 4.10 | 14.28 @ 99.35 MPH |
| 440 6BBL | ’70 Cuda | 4-speed | 3.54 | 14.40 @ 100.00 MPH |
| 440 6BBL | ’70 Sport Fury GT | Automatic | 3.23 | 16.01 @ 92.50 MPH |
Fastest 0-60 MPH Times
| Engine | Car | Transmission | Rear Gear Ratio | 0-60 MPH Times |
| 440 Six Pack | ’69 Super Bee | Automatic | 4.10 | 6.3 sec |
| 440 Six Pack | ’70 Charger R/T | 4-speed | 3.54 | 7.2 sec |
The above speed test results are taken from automotive car magazine road tests, books and videos when each car was new from the factory.
I included articles from each year the engine was produced, 1969-1971, and placed them in year order.
Each article is listed below with 1/4 mile and 0-60 test results. Also included is interesting pictures, funny quotes, videos and facts from the actual road tests conducted.
Therefore, grab your coffee or choice of beverage, depending on what time of the day it is and have fun reading.
Race Results Showing How Fast It Is
I spent years racing a 6-BBL car at the drag strip. I’ve spent much time gathering, researching every article, resource, book, magazine and video which had original road tests.
The resources used include the following:
- Super Stock & Drag Illustrated
- Car Craft
- Hot Rod
- Hi-Performance Cars
- Motor Trend
- Car Life
- Popular Hot Rodding
- Cars
- Super Stock
- Road Test magazine
- My personal racing experience.
Super Stock & Drag Illustrated Magazine – June 1969 – 1969 Plymouth Road Runner A12
1/4 mile time and speed with a 4-speed and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.09 @ 110.70 MPH
13.09 is faster than any 426 Hemi was able to muster with all the original road tests. Hold on, because it gets better.
After adjusting the outboard carbs to open sooner than the stock setup, the 6 Barrel ran the following best time:
- 13.02 @ 111.52 MPH
Bear in mind, and this is a stock setup with street tires and mufflers. All they did was make the outboard carbs open sooner. They didn’t change the carbs. Hold on, because it gets better.
Next they removed the air cleaner element. What happened next is astonishing. The next three 1/4 mile races resulted in the following:
- 12.98 @ 11.52 MPH
- 12.92 @111.66 MPH
- 12.91 @ 111.80 MPH
The 1/4 mile times and speeds achieved were remarkable. Now don’t forget, Ronnie Sox, MR 4-speed himself, was the Captain.
Of course having the best manual transmission driver of the era definitely helped. Although don’t forget, this Captain’s car weighed 3,765 lbs.
What kind of difference did Ronnie Sox make? The best time the other magazine drivers were able to muster before the air cleaner was removed was a 1/4 mile time of 13.24 @ 110.70 MPH.
That’s still pretty impressive, but Ronnie made approximately a .20 difference in the quarter mile time.
Some interesting road test facts:
- The 1st times were about 13.42 @ 109.75 dumping the clutch at 2,000 RPM and shifting at 6,000 RPM.
- The best driving technique was to ease the car out slightly higher than idle and flooring it about 15 feet out and shifting at 5,200 RPM.
I also had the best results using the same technique with my 6-BBL Cuda. Although I shifted at a higher RPM with a bigger cam than from the factory.
With a .504″ cam, mechanical outboard carbs and headers, I ran 12.60s with street tires. Otherwise, the engine was bone stock with no head work at all.
That day the Road Runner ran almost 40 runs down the strip with almost no cooling time, no fresh water or ice treatment. Here’s what they had to say:
“The 440-6 BBL is undoubtedly one of the finest engineering accomplishments in the recent history of Chrysler Corporation”
Car Life Magazine – July 1969 – 1969 Dodge Super Bee A12
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.75 @ 104.52 MPH
0-60 times
- 0-30 MPH: 2.5 sec
- 0-40 MPH: 3.3 sec
- 0-50 MPH: 4.2 sec
- 0-60 MPH: 6.3 sec
- 0-70 MPH: 7.5 sec
- 0-80 MPH: 8.0 sec
- 0-90 MPH: 9.9 sec
- 0-100 MPH: 12.5 sec
They said they were shifting the car at 5,500 to 6,000 RPM. As we know from the previous test results with Ronnie Sox, maybe they should have been shifting at a lower RPM.
They were able to run a top speed test but ran out of road. They reached a top speed of 122 MPH with the engine revving at 6,000 RPM.
This article had some great quotes including the following:
“So here it is, the Six Pack Dodge: a drag strip terror; a Hemi equalizer; and a 3,800-lb., 117-in. wheelbase slalom car”
“the result is nearly the equal of the Hemi in street performance, roughly $400 cheaper”
“the average enthusiast is better equipped to fiddle with a pepped up street engine than a detuned racing mill”….meaning the Hemi
Hot Rod Magazine – August 1969 – 1969 Dodge Super Bee
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.56 @ 105.63 MPH
The time and speed above are in stock street trim and without changing the spark plugs.
They manually shifted the automatic at approximately 5,200 RPM instead of leaving it in drive.
They then changed the rear tires to a 7″ slick and ran the following:
- 13.37 @ 106.00 MPH
A few notable quotes from the article:
“This is one of the most surprising cars we’ve ever tested, and one of the most gratifying”
“Stares from passers-by are guaranteed”
“It isn’t every day you see a bubble-hooded, tail-striped, hubcapless, high-sitting new coupe just arrived from the factory already in that condition”
Let’s settle the score about which one is faster in my article, The 426 Hemi vs The 440 Six pack: Which is Faster?
Hi Performance Cars – September 1969 – 1969 Dodge Super Bee
1/4 mile time and speed with a 4-speed and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.98 @ 104.00 MPH
The article stated they came off the line at 5,000 RPM but had surprising traction. All the other road tests, including ones by Sox, stated it’s best to ease it out of the hole.
This could be a clue why they ran so slow.
Car Craft Magazine – November 1969 – 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 3.23 rear gears:
- 13.62 @ 104.28 MPH
It should have been illegal to offer 3.23 gears with this engine. Even though, 13.62 is pretty good with those gears.
Hi-Performance Cars – February 1970 – 1970 Dodge Charger R/T
1/4 mile time and speed with a 4-speed and 3.54 rear gears:
- 13.95 @ 101.00
0-60 MPH:
- 0-60 MPH: 7.2 sec.
The staff did mention their drivers weren’t a good fit for this car. They implied the engine was unfamiliar to them and they had trouble shifting with the huge Shifter.
They also said the 3.54 gears are better suited for an automatic and the 4-speed needs better gears for performance.
Magazine quotes:
The Charger 440 Six Pack R/T is a fun car to drive…best of all it’s a guaranteed head turner
It’s responsive and commands respect.
Hot Rod Magazine – May 1970 – 1970 Plymouth Road Runner
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.47 @ 106.63 MPH
Sox and Martin road tested 6 Plymouths, one of them was a ’70 Road Runner with the 6-BBL. Ronnie Sox was the driver.
In total he ran this car 10 times and averaged 13.61 @ 106.10.
Of the 6 cars, the 6-BBL had the 2nd best time behind the ’70 Hemi Cuda which ran a best of 13.39. That’s less than a tenth of a second apart.
The Hemi Cuda averaged 13.54 for the 10 runs, less than a tenth apart from the 6BBL.
Considering the test Road Runner weighed 140 lbs. more than the Cuda, if you remove the extra weight, the 6BBL was faster. Both cars had 4.10s with automatics.
Also, both cars had the same driver, Ronnie Sox.
Quotes from Ronnie Sox about the 6-BBL Road Runner:
“Performance-wise, one of the best cars Plymouth offers”
“The 6-barrel is really a sweet motor”
“With the Air Grabber and the Beep-Beep horn, a ball to run around in”
Popular Hot Rodding – May 1970 – 1970 Plymouth Cuda
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.56 @ 106.50
This article compared the ’70 Six Barrel Cuda to a ’70 Six Pack Challenger. I didn’t include the Challenger results because they ran open headers.
Mysteriously the Challenger ran way slower than the stock tire and muffled Cuda.
It’s because funny car driver Don Schumacher happened to be at the drag strip that day testing his funny car Cuda. They decided to let Don race their Cuda which resulted in much better times than the Challenger.
Find out how much an E-body is worth in my article, How Much an Original 440 Six Pack Car is Worth: Recent Prices.
Motor Trend Magazine – May 1970 – 1970 Plymouth Cuda
1/4 mile time and speed with a 4-speed and 3.54 rear gears:
- 14.40 @ 100.00 MPH
Road Test Magazine – May 1970 – 1970 Plymouth Sport Fury GT
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 3.23 rear gears:
- 16.01 @ 92.50 MPH
A 16 second 1/4 mile at only 92 MPH isn’t very impressive. The magazine testers weren’t impressed either and expected more out of the powerful engine.
I’m not surprised considering this car weighed 4,216 lbs. and was equipped with 3.23 rear gears. 3.23s can’t get a Hemi Cuda to catapult fast so what would you expect with such a heavy car?
Even though, this powerplant will get this car moving faster than any other engine available. It’s a shame they didn’t have 3.54s or 4.10s but this is a “luxury sports car” kind of.
Even though it’s slow, I have to admit this is a great looking car for its size and am glad Plymouth offered it with the engine as an option. Check out the video below.
Hot Rod Magazine – February 1971 – 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic and 4.10 rear gears:
- 14.28 @ 99.35 MPH
The magazine blames the slow time and speed on the cars weight. They said their test car was 4,130 lbs. It’s a good thing it had 4.10s instead of 3.23s like the heavier Fury GT had.
The photo below shows the Charger launching off the line.
Car Craft Magazine – January 1971 – 1971 Plymouth Road Runner
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.71 @ 101.23 MPH
Things didn’t start off well for the Road Runner, and the driver had shifter linkage issues. When they got everything straightened out, the car ran consistent 13s.
Super Stock Magazine – April 1971 – 1971 Plymouth Cuda 440 Six Barrel
1/4 mile time and speed with an automatic transmission and 4.10 rear gears:
- 13.72 @ 106.00 MPH
Learn the best way to identify an original Six Pack Engine in my article, How to Identify a 440 Six Pack Engine.
Wrapping Up
The fastest 1/4 mile time recorded for the Six pack is a nudge faster than the ones recorded back in the day for the 426 Hemi.
Although the average Hemi times are faster, it’s not by much. It’s only one or two-tenths of a second faster.
In a quarter mile that equals 1 or 2 car lengths. With the Six Pack’s torque (equal to the Hemi’s reported), it could take the Hemi off the line in a street race.
Many of the old-school racers verify this fact. Of course the 426 Hemi is superior and faster and would pass 6-BBL car somewhere between 2nd and 3rd gear.
We all know the Hemi has more potential which is why its design is in every Top Fuel Dragster and funny car.
The 440 Six Pack has nothing to be ashamed of and will hold its own off the line. From stop one light to the next, the driver will be smirking at the Hemi driver every time.
Any questions or if you have more information you’d like to contribute, send us an email found on our contact page.
Read More 440 Six Pack Articles!
440 Six Pack Horsepower and Torque – Rated and Real HP
Cars With a 440 Six Pack From the Factory
What a Six Pack is on a 440 Mopar Engine
Article Resources
- Hemmings: Chrysler 440 Six pack
- Car and Driver: From the Archive
- Google Books: Muscle Car Confidential
- Automotive History Preservation Society: The Automotive History Preservation Society’s Magazine Archive
- Car and Driver: What We Lose When We Lose What Car Craft Was
- Wikipedia: Car Craft
- Wikipedia: Motor Trend Group
- DodgeGarage: Six Pack Super Bee Still Stings After 50 Years!
