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The original Hemi in racing
One other notable thing occurred
in 1953 that must be mentioned. An engineer who was involved
in resolving problems with the Fire Power, who had become a key
member of William Drinkard's team, made a proposal that Chrysler
build a car around a high performance Fire Power that had excellent
handling and unique styling. It was taken seriously, very seriously.
Bob Rodger was instrumental in seeing the Chrysler 300 come to
life.
Outside of the Chrysler Corporation,
the Fire Power was used in some racing and as power plants for
other car makers. Briggs Cunningham was one notable builder that
saw the raw potential of the Hemi. His goal was to win the 24
hour race at LeMans. To qualify, he had to build 25 cars. He
received some technical information assistance from Chrysler
for his efforts, however, any engine modifications were done
solely by him with parts he either built or obtained from other
sources. He raced his cars for three years, and retired from
the circuit in 1955. He did race in LeMans in 1952, finishing
in fourth, a remarkable first effort.
For all his stoic outward appearance,
James Zeder was immensely proud of the Hemi engine. He also had
a desire to see it be used in racing applications. He had an
eye on the Indianapolis 500, the greatest spectacle in racing
at the time. He had the lab begin experimenting with the 331
Fire Power.
John Platner and Don Moore were
deeply involved in building the "Indy" engine which
received the designation of A311. It was built with 8 Hilborn
fuel injectors, big valves and ports, streamlined big exhaust
manifolds, and a sort of modified camshaft that made the engine
make "burbling" noises at idle. Under the quise of
testing tires for Firestone and Good Year, the engine was installed
in an Indianiapolis special racer. With the A311 engine, it easily
ran the same lap speeds as the specialized Offenhauser and Miller
racing machines.
The true opportunity to put the
A311 to the test came in June of 1954. Shortly after the running
of the 1954 Memorial Day 500, Chrysler Corporation dedicated
its Chelsea proving grounds. The first four finishing Indy drivers
were invited to bring their racers over to christen the 4.7 mile
long oval race track. With wide lanes, and banked curves, the
drivers were able to hold their cars wide open all the way around.
The single fastest lap that day was made at 179 miles an hour.
Then the Kurtis Kraft tire test car with the Hemi A311 made a
couple warm up laps. Coming out of the 4th turn, the driver opened
the engine up. It screamed by the centrally located pits and
timing stand. Its deep Hemi bellow could be heard all the way
around the long track. When it went by the next time, it was
rolling at 182 miles an hour. And then did it again, and then
again. Mr. Zeder and his engineers were delighted. They knew
that a stock block engine with push rod technology could easily
compete at Indy, and most likely, easily win.
It was not to be. The news of
the test was given wide publicity. In a flurry of activity, the
engine size rule was changed to allow only a 272 cubic inch limit
for stock engines. A slight increase in piston stroke easily
achiesved the 272 size. However, down on power, it didn't qualify.
It would not be the first time that rules were changed by sanctioning
bodies when Chrysler came out to play.
1953 saw Cadillac reach out and
"touch" Chrysler again. The Caddy V-8 now had an output
of 210 horsepower. To add sting, Oldsmobile had increased its
V-8 to have 165 horsepower. But it was Buick that prompted Chrysler
to move quicker. Always considered the direct competitor to Buick,
Chrysler saw GM's prestigious number 2 division introduce a 322
cubic inch V-8 that had a top output of 188 horsepower.
On the beach at Daytona in the
NASCAR speed trials Chrysler Fire Power V-8 cars got beat out
by Cadillac. The Caddy flew over the sand at 113 miles an hour.
It snapped past the Chrysler reaching 60 in 11.3 seconds. For
all its punch, the Oldsmobile took a back seat to the 1953 Dodge
which set a record of 102 miles an hour. However, it wasn't that
easy. Hudson with a big flathead 6 cylinder engine cleaned up
on the racing circuit. In another notable first, Lee Petty, who
had switched from Plymouth to the V-8 Dodge, gave the Dodge division
it's first NASCAR victory. Petty had given Plymouth its first
NASCAR win in 1949!
The 1954 model year saw the first
stages of performance improvements in the Hemi engines from the
Corporation. Chrysler Fire Power V-8s now had 195 horsepower
by bumping up the compression ratio to 7.5 : 1. As well, it had
another version with a four barrel carburetor that put out 235
horsepower. That beat out Cadillac which did make an increase
to 230 horsepower. Buick increased its punch to 200 horsepower.
Not to be left out, DeSoto also increased compression to boost
output to 170 horsepower. But, Oldsmobile bored out the 303 to
324 cubic inches with an output of 185 horsepower. In line, of
course, Dodge bumped the compression ratio for an increase to
150 horses.
Taking note of the previous year
racing success, and shared information from Chrysler, independent
supplier Offenhauser manufactured an aftermarket manifold for
a four barrel carburetor that would fit the Dodge Hemi V-8. Whether
this was done in conjunction with, or because of, Dodge's selection
as the Indianapolis 500 race pace car has never been clarified.
This became a dealer installed option. With the manifold and
4 barrel, the 241 cubic inch V-8 was estimated (no actual figures
were given) at 180 to 185 horsepower.
Lee Petty drove a 1954 Hemi powered
Chrysler to victory in Daytona and went on to win the NASCAR
Championship. The big Chrysler also dusted the Cadillac in NASCAR
speed trials, setting a record at 118 miles an hour.
The 300: a Hemi showcase and
the first production car with 300 horsepower
One of the biggest advances in
automotive history was introduced in January 1955. It should
have come as no surprise since Chrysler had already built a 300
(claimed) horsepower engine from the 331 Fire Power in 1951!
It was used in the K-310 concept vehicle built by Ghia in Italy.
In 1952, another concept car, using a similar engine powered
the Ghia built C-200. Clear indications for the future.
Chrysler Corporation held its
1955 model year introduction five days after Ford and nine days
after Chevrolet, in what was believed would be like saving the
best for last. Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" seemed
to have just dropped from outer space onto the Chrysler Corporation
vehicles. If you put the 1954 cars alongside the 1955s, you would
swear that there was no way that they could have been built by
the same company. At my Dad's dealership, floor traffic was the
heaviest that it had ever been. Yet, the real show stopper was
yet to come.
January 7, 1955 was the date
that dealers were allowed to place the C-300 on their show room
floors. It was an absolute marvel. The first day, it was almost
a mob scene! At our store, the show room was jammed all day long
and every day thereafter for a whole week.
Bob Rodger's suggested concept
in 1953 came through as he had envisioned. The Chrysler C-300
was the first production car to have 300 horsepower. It was unique.
It was special. It generated enormous interest. It was the hottest
thing on wheels at that time. It blew everybody away. It wasn't
inexpensive by any means either. Base price was $4,035. Pretty
steep in comparison to a fully loaded Plymouth that could be
had for $2,246!
On the street, people would turn
and stare when a 300 went by. Curiosity seekers would follow
a 300 and bombard the operator with questions when they parked.
When one did park, a crowd would gather around it. Hard to imagine,
but that automobile created a special niche that was very unfortunately
let go by Chrysler itself.
To achieve 300 horsepower, Chrysler
followed established performance techniques. High flow heads
with larger, cleaner ports and valves that were operated from
a speciality camshaft, through solid valve tappets, bumped up
compression to 8.5 : 1, combined with dual exhausts, and two
four barrel carburetors. It was not exotic either. It was totally
reliable, required no real special effort to operate, delivered
a smooth but firm ride, and had some of the best brakes in the
entire industry.
In one of the first road tests
of the C-300, Tom McCahill, writing for Mechanix Ilustrated,
wrung out the big Chrysler. He was effusive in his praise. He
consistently got to 60 miles an hour in under 10 seconds. Out
of his several timed runs, his average was 9.8 seconds. That
was like a bomb shell! A record like running the four minute
mile. He put the C-300 on a certain highway that he used and
got up to 130 miles an hour before he ran out of road. He wrote
about that by stating: "it was as strong as Grant's Tomb,
and 130 times as fast."
In NASCAR, on the beach at Daytona,
a completely stock C-300 confirmed Uncle Tom's finding by posting
a 128 mile an hour timed run. It was the fastest vehicle there
taking top speed honors. Tim Flock, driving a C-300, won the
NASCAR Championship. All fitting tributes to the engine that
Chrysler advertised as "the most powerful production car
built in America" with "the greatest, safest power
in any American car." Which it was!
Not to be forgotten were the
sister Hemi engines from the DeSoto and Dodge divisions. The
DeSoto Hemi was bored a little bit to make 291 cubic inches.
With a four barrel carburetor and dual exhausts, it made 200
horsepower. Over at Dodge, the smallest version of the Hemi was
also bored a little bit to make 270 cubic inches. A special modification
engine package that was dealer installed pushed output to 193
horsepower and 245 foot pounds of torque.
The 1956 Fire Power saw some
changes to continue to be at the head of the horsepower race.
The 331 cylinders were bored out 0.130 of an inch which gave
an increase in cubic inches to 354.06. The camshaft specifications
remained the same as did the valves. Compression was raised in
an altered set of heads to 9.0 : 1. The exhaust manifolds were
changed to encourage higher flow rates. It gave the 300B a rated
horsepower of 340. Additionally, an optional set of heads that
were installed at the dealer level bumped the compression ratio
to 10.0 : 1. That gave the 300B a 355 horsepower rating. It also
made it the first production engine to exceed one horsepower
per cubic inch. Chrysler wasted no time to point that out. Tom
McCahill was again enthusiastic about the 300, calling it "motorized
dynamite, a connoisseur's car not meant for timid driving"
and "Unmatched in a class by itself."
Mr. McCahill, who owned several
300s for his personal cars, of which was one of the first 1955
C-300s, also praised the suspension and handling qualities of
the 300B by adding: "these cars hunker in to a corner like
a starving dog clamped on a bone." The engine wasn't all
there was to the 300: he called it the "best handling car
I have ever driven straight from the show room." Over several
timed runs, Uncle Tom got an average 0 to 60 mph times of 8.2
seconds.
With the new 355 horsepower V-8,
the 300B allowed Chrysler to again clean up the beach at Daytona.
It set a new record of 139 miles an hour. Tom McCahill pointed
out that running on wet sand was not a real good way to determine
speeds. He was correct in stating that it in no way provided
the best surface for traction. His own speed tests on a dry asphalt
road got very near 140 miles an hour with the 340 horsepower
engine. Buck Baker was crowned NASCAR Champion driving a 1956
Chrysler 300B.
The Hemi also powers DeSotos
and Dodges
Chrysler also paid attention
to the two other Hemi engines in its corporate stable. The DeSoto
got a new raised block with a 3.72 inch bore and a 3.80 stroke
it made 330 cubic inches. With a power pak option, it had an
output of 255 horsepower. But it wasn't quite over for the 1956
DeSoto Hemi engine. Introduced as a late edition, the new Adventurer
model had its own unique Hemi.
A small bore increase to 3.78
inches in the 330 came out to 341 cubic inches. Output rose to
320 horsepower - pretty close to the Chrysler Hemi. DeSoto brought
a couple of cars to the Daytona Speed Week; however, after the
Adventurer made a run of 144 miles an hour, it mysteriously had
major engine problems and did not return. Perhaps a politically
correct move so as to not embarrass the 300? Shortly after, a
DeSoto Adventurer convertible was chosen to pace the Indianapolis
500.
Sister Dodge also introduced
a new raised block that had a bore of 3.63 inches combined with
a stroke of 3.60 inches which translated into a 315 cubic inch
displacement. In standard trim, it was rated at 218 horsepower.
There were two other factory options available. One was a 230
horse offer, and the other gave out 260 horsepower. As well,
in what seemed to be a standard at Dodge, a dealer-installed
option which consisted of a twin four barrel carburetion manifold
was also offered. No figures were made public, however, it was
generally accepted that this engine made 290 to 295 horsepower.
In the newly introduced D-500 trim, that option turned the Dodge
car into a racing terror at drag strips all over the country.
It also propelled the 1956 Dodge down Daytona's beach at 130
miles an hour.
1957 was a banner year, especially
at the Chrysler Corporation. Industry leading styling combined
with industry innovative engineering sent the public clamoring
back to Chrysler Corporation dealer showrooms in droves. A hotly
debated issue concerned the body quality of all Chrysler divisions
in 1957. In actuality, the 1957 styling was intended for introduction
in 1960. Virgil Exner pushed to get the 1960 style introduced
in 1957. Engineering did not have much time, so a whole lot of
corners were cut to get the cars on the production line. Fit
and finish left much to be desired. Inappropriate rattles, squeaks,
wind noise, and terrible water leaks were built right in! Each
car sold to a friend in 1957 turned them into enemies within
a few short weeks! However, in all fairness, it should be pointed
out that by doing so, Chrysler then dropped itself to the approximate
level of the norm of the rest of the American auto industry.
Ford was no better, and may have actually been worse. Chevrolet
seemed better because they produced so many cars, in reality
they were not of any better quality.
The area that the 1957 Chrysler
Corporation shone in was the hardware underneath those "rust
in place" bodies. Just as an aside, my Grandpa used to tell
my father that "he couldn't sleep at night for hearing all
the cars on the lot rusting." I don't think my Dad was too
amused.
The Fire Power was boosted again
in displacement by boring to 4.0 inches and stroking to 3.90
inches. That equated to 392 cubic inches. In standard form it
belted out 325 horsepower. Remember, this is still the same block
introduced in 1955.
For the new 300-C, the output
went up to 375 horsepower. Higher compression heads made 390
horsepower.
Along with the new bodies came
the torsion bar suspension, and the ultimate in automatic transmissions,
the Torqueflite three speed.
Tom McCahill again went enthusiastic
about the performance. Utilizing several runs, he whipped the
big car from 0 to 60 mph in an 7.8 seconds. On his "private"
public highway, he made 140 miles an hour. He praised the handling
due to the torsion bar set up, claiming that it "set into
a groove better than a needle on a record." He effused that
the 300 series were a collection of "beautiful brutes"
suggesting that they were for "hairy chested drivers."
He went on to describe the driving experience as about as "subtle
as wearing velvet boxing gloves."
With the 300C, Chrysler again
lead the way at the Daytona Speed Week. However, the performance
was off, with the fastest 300 making a one way run of 138 miles
an hour. At first the Chrysler engineers thought that the beach
surface, which varied from year to year, was the culprit. Certain
that they had a 145 mile an hour car, they took the same car
to the Chelsea Proving Grounds outside the Chrysler Headquarters.
Opened up on the 5 mile track, the 300C only made about 140 miles
an hour. The driver reported a heavy wind whistle at high speed.
Finally, it was recognized that the windshield trim for the front
of the roof stuck out nearly an inch, making it a very effective
air brake. Using clay they formed the top of the windshield into
a smooth, clean shape with no edges. The same car went out and
ran 146 miles an hour with the clay covering the windshield trim.
Not forgetting its other Hemi
engines, Chrysler boosted DeSoto and Dodge in 1957. The 1957
DeSoto was bored out slightly again to 3.80 inches with a 3.80
inch stroke, a totally "square" engine. It measured
345 cubic inches. With two four barrel carburetors, it also produced
345 horsepower, an industry first. Chrysler did not capitalize
on it as it should.
Technically, yes the 300B made
more than one horse per cubic inch, however, that was a specialized
optional engine. And yes, Chevrolet was crowing about their new
283 ci V-8 making 283 horsepower. But, in contention, that too
was a specialized engine, and a $536 option at that! Big money
in 1957. The DeSoto 345, on the other hand, was a "standard"
engine that required no special order or checking an option order
to obtain it. These were great performance cars in their own
right. An Adventurer with the 345 was good to get to 60 in 8
seconds. It was tested by Mechanix Ilustrated and Motor Trend
where both testers obtained top speeds of 140 miles an hour.
Dodge too received its share
of attention. The 315 Hemi was bored to 3.69 inches with a 3.80
stroke that came to 325 cubic inches. It was available with three
different power choices. Standard was 245 horsepower. Stepping
up with increased compression, you could get 260 horses. Optional
for the D-500 the 325 output was measured at 285 horsepower.
As had become usual practice, a dealer installed manifold and
dual four barrels boosted the 325 to 310 horsepower. However,
the new body style did not lead itself to racing as had the 1956.
Dodge cars were losing out. Quick action by Dodge management
made the Chrysler 354 Hemi available as an pricey extra cost
option. It helped performance without a doubt. However, for Dodge
1957 was an off year performance wise.
With quality problems looming
extra large early in the 1957 model year, not much money was
allocated to restyling for 1958. To its credit, Chrysler engineering
was engaged in a crash "reverse" engineering project
to improve quality so as to end the death threats that had been
received. They were successful, in many respects, especially
for ending the water and dust leaks. Somewhere, along the way
going into 1958, a little bit of sting was lost, and Chrysler
no longer actively sought the performance image; perhaps it sought
to not draw as much attention to that due to the high incidence
of poor quality control exhibited by the 1957 models. Most of
the Corporation cars stood pat for 1958, so the public still
saw quality problems in the same style cars.
The first-generation Hemi
fades away
The former fierce growl of the
Hemi was about to be silenced. 1958 was the last hoorah. The
300D had the same engine as the 300C, except the D was rated
at a standard 380 horsepower. Experimenting with fuel injection,
Chrysler had Bendix build an electronic system that produced
390 horsepower from the 392 Hemi. It was troublesome and only
16 cars had it installed; all were changed to carburetors for
free by Chrysler.
One of the design changes was
a new windshield that rolled up into the roof, eliminating the
troublesome trim of 1957. However, it really didn't make that
much difference. The Hemi had reached its safe limit for boring
out. As well, the manufacturing process for the 1958 engine run
had changed. The hardened crankshaft was replaced by a drop steel
forged unit. The optional "chassis package" was not
offered. The rear axle ratio options were drastically reduced.
At the Daytona Speed Week, the
300D was obviously not what the earlier marques had been. It
won the flying mile, but was beaten by Pontiac for top speed,
although the Pontiac was still not up to the 139 mile an hour
mark set by the 300B in 1956. Tom McCahill still called it "America's
best sedan." He could whip the 300D to 60 in 9.0 seconds.
A sign of the times in that the 1957 and the 1956 could outrun
the 1958. The "D" managed a top speed of 135 miles
an hour.
There was only one other Hemi
engine left in 1958. That belonged to Dodge. It was the 325 cubic
inch model. It was sad because it was relegated to mundane hauler
duties in two different tunes. The first had a rating of 252
horsepower and was standard in the Coronets. The step up was
265 horsepower and that was the standard engine in the Royal.
The top engines were now wedge heads. Dodge had two in different
configurations.
DeSoto made no pretext in 1958.
Its Hemi bellow was forever silenced. Now it made due with two
wedge head V-8s that were "corporate sized," displacing
the same as Dodge.
For 1959, Chrysler Corporation
no longer offered the Hemi in its Chrysler marque cars. However,
the Hemi wasn't quite gone yet. The standard engine in the Crown
Imperial (yes, the top of the line) was the 325 horsepower 392
Hemi V-8. But that was the end for the first generation Hemi
engines, at least the ones built by Chrysler.
For a great display of some real
cherry first generation Hemi V-8s stop by the Don Garlits Museum
of Speed in Ocala, Florida. Don loved those engines. All of his
"Swamp Rat" dragsters were powered by the Chrysler
Hemi. He also built several stock appearing Fords that had the
Hemi stuffed under the hood. They are on display too.
So great was the potential of
the Hemi V-8 that two specialty manufacturers sprang up, devoted
to building only that engine! A host of aftermarket parts were
manufactured solely for the Chrysler Hemi engines. The Hemi headed
Chrysler based V-8 engine is solely responsible for virtually
all the drag racing records in the world. You cannot compete
in the top fuel categories in any class in the IHRA or the NHRA
unless it is a Hemi V-8! Reportedly the horsepower generated
on specialized high potency fuel reaches upward of 6,000! I think
James Zeder is still smiling, wherever he is (Zeder passed away
in 1975 at the age of 75). Bill Drinkard is probably with him
and just as proud too.
While they may be rather rare
today, there are still some undiscovered first generation Hemi
V-8 engines out there waiting to be reborn. They were not just
used in cars, either. Dodge trucks had them. Many farm applications
like sprayers and water irrigation pumps had them. They also
powered several manufacturers' boats. And in a very special application,
they cranked up the Federal mandated civil defense sirens in
big cities, towns, and villages all across America in the 50s
and 60s. Check those wrecking and junk yards closely. You never
know.
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Origin
of the Mopar Hemi engine and Ardun Heads |
