@@stephengacioch3249 thats for sure. When I was young teenager, 60's- 70-s used to hank out at a place called Tommys Conoco. Used to clean up parts for the guys. Was homeless and had to eat. Der Weinerstchil was next door and could get 3 dogs for a buck. Was a lifesaver
This site that Nick has done is fantastic. Brought back a bunch of memories. Some good some sad. Thank you Nick. I wish we could go up one stage and actually have a meet. That would be so cool. Do like a weekend. Hey anyone intrested hit me up. 480-658-4589. Text me and lets see if we can make something happen.
I've owned many cars from pure muscle car with 1000 bhp to 455whp Ferrari 360 and I've never felt my skin react so shockingly till I just heard a stock hemi running 6000 rpm. wow, thank you so much for sharing your passion with us. God bless
This guy's passion for engines and cars is amazing, such a shame oldfashion mechanics of this kind is a rare and dying breed. I really hope he teaches his knowledge forward. Seems like a great guy as well.
Theres alway someone that has smart ass things to say about anything. Ive done it but i realize it now that im older and dont do it !! There was a guy i was talking to his sister and he started bitchin bout my hair being to long. I said a few things but his sis told him to shut up. You no this guy was obess 400 lbs and he was bitchin bout my hair !! Lol people just cant see themselves but they see your faults
For the ones that dont know. This engine design started in 1964 . It is the only piston engine design ever to run a sub 4 second run in the 1320. It has been and always will be the king of the 1320. Long live live the Chrysler Hemi.
Nice job Nick....what's particularly nice about those original Hemis is how they can throw you back in your seat when you floor it at 100 mph....absolutely exhilarating!!
My Dad had a 1968 Dodge Charger with Factory 426 Hemi,Twin Carter AFB 4 Barrel Carburetors, a 3:23 highway posi rear end, a 727 Tourqueflight Automatic Transmission. STRAIGHT ELEPHANT. The car weighed in at 4025 lbs as he ordered it. His philosophy was extra weight was needed for the Top End. He used to say: " Let the Chevys and Fords HAVE The Hole Shot, we'll come ROARIN' BACK! I was 11 in 1968 and he taught me how to calibrate the Air/Fuel mixture on those Carter AFB's...... I've never heard a sweeter harmony ESPECIALLY when youre rollin' along on the highway and you gradually add throttle....and that second carb chimes in right about 73 mph. Now THAT is a HUMMER! I lost my Dad in 2009. His Love for Mopar Muscle was unapologetically... Straight no Chaser.
When I went to Canada to visit my sister in Toronto I got directions over to Nick's it was an amazing place..he actually took the time to give me a little tour of the shop...
I'm looking for a reason not to get carried away from American Muscle. You sir are one of them. Clearly, your garage understands this if you are leading it. The car community is extraordinarily lucky to have you in it, and the viewers are lucky to have your video producer! "Building dreams," for sure.
The big Hemi just looks and sounds fabulous. I remember when they were new and considered the best engine available Now she lives again in Nick's Garage.
When It comes to V8's this one is a masterpiece . A engine designed for racing then sold to the public. It has held so many records in motorsports. Even to this day the design still powers the N.H.R.A Topfuel and Funnycar class. Long live the Chrysler 2nd Gen HEMI!
I like alot of the muscle cars I grew up with ...I'm a ol Tin Indian fan ...but I fully agree with your statement on the Hemi ...it is one for the record books..Take care .
So refreshing to see the mopars appreciated in beautiful stock form...Everybody wants race hardware without realizing they'll never use all the power a stock engine puts out! My greatest thanks to you guys, only wish I could send you an engine to make a new vid on..I got an original Mopar 383 that needs a refresh, mopars most under rated b block...
Nick...that is TRUELY amazing! A 50y.o.,basically "factory stock",almost 500h.p. from the factory! That was a LOT of horse power back then! Even by todays standards it's impressive! Good job Nick! Please keep the vid's coming!!
MODIFIED (over-bored and higher than stock compression) with no power robbing mufflers, factory air cleaner assembly/element, alternator, etc. in place. Also, modern pistons, rings and other parts (as was the case here) are more efficient than the OEM stuff from 50 years ago.
So cool to see an original HEMI on the dyno. I was a junior designer on the original Viper project and got a chance to work with Willem Weertman, one of the original engineers and co-author of the SAE paper in 1966 detailing the street HEMI. He was a very soft spoken extremely intelligent man, one of the highlights of my design career was having him teach me about this great powerplant. He gave me a copy of the SAE paper titled "Chrysler Corporation's New Hemi Head High Performance Engines" dated April 11, 1966. I have hung onto it for all these years and if you read this Nick I would like to send a copy to you if you don't already have one.
Coming from a drag-racing family, I've seen some pretty awesome displays of pure beast performance, motor-wise. A 454 rat motor is probably my favorite Chevy power-plant, it's brutal, and a lot of performance for the buck ~ small block Chevy motors is one of my all time favorites, and that is the 327 with the extra mains. By chance I had an opportunity to get my hands on a FOMOCO all aluminum 427 motor that was hands down the most ferocious Ford motor I had the opportunity to run/own. But the Elephant is hands down the nastiest power-plant there is. I was amazed at just the rumbling of the vehicle, and the ground vibrating/shaking due to it. Other than the gas consumption, my really only other complaint about the 426 Hemi is you've GOT to be a somewhat knowledgeable mechanic, it requires constant meddling, tinkering with to keep it setup. So with that being said, my favorite BB is hands-down the 440 B block motor, this thing is virtually bullet proof, I've never seen a motor take so much abuse, and still keep right on motoring. Anywhos, that's my 2 cents on the matter, and yeah it's my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions, lmao! Peace.
djack that's right. Yes the, the RB "raised Block" 440 is a great engine to abuse. And 2nd, I like to hear everyone's opinion, which is great. Thanks for watching.
It is so cool that you kept the motor stock to appreciate what all those designers worked so hard for years ago. I also like that you share the experience with your friend, that is what life is all about. Great video.
I love that you built this all stock! Valve job, point distributor, iron manifolds, belt drive and all, it's great to see how the factory masked the ratings by under-revving the engine for the 'official' horsepower! Sure it's 'only' 425hp at 5000rpm... Wink wink... I can almost hear the salesman back in the days, whispering, 'you should see what it does at 6000 ;) '
This motor sounds like it doesn't start to sing till about 5900 rpm, which you would expect considering the size of Hemi head ports. Bravo, well done Nick!
In the 60's, we lived in Bloomfield Hills. My father was an executive with Chrysler when I was a kid... and we lived in the Woodward Ave. times....what a time that was.
There is nothing that compares to the sound of a revved Hemi. In 1982 I worked at a repair shop where the head mechanic had a 64 Valiant Coupe with a 426 Hemi. He regularly raced 1/4 mile at the track on weekends. As a Chevy guy, I was mesmerized by that Hemi. For that era, I think Chevy, Ford and Mopar all had great big block's, but whereas Chevy owned small blocks, Mopar owned big blocks. I always loved it when they fired up that beast up and revved up that Hemi.
Regarding how much horsepower the 426hemi produced, the following statement was attributed to Cotton Owens, NASCAR driver and mechanic. Someone was prodding Cotton and asked him if the engine truly made 425 horsepower. His answer "Yes, at about 3000 RPM." Nick, nice build. Enjoy.
Friggin awesome!!! A stock engine putting out that kind of power dependably, is something that few other companies have done... Chrysler from that era, had the engineers who knew how to make things work!!!
@SpaceAce100 that's awesome, they made some awesome engines for sure. the smell of 50's and 60's Chrysler interiors and the sounds of the engines will stick with me for life, my dad owned tons of them from fury's, chargers, super bees, gtx, roadrunners etc. The little spinny thing is called a rotor btw.
Awesome vintage Dodge engine making vintage Dodge power ..but man how the times have changed, when a guy can buy a modern 6.2 L supercharged Dodge engine that makes 840 ponies, and a naturally asperated 5.0 Coyote engine that makes 500hp on E85. We're living in amazing times my friends.
Very nice. Way underrated from the factory. Thanks for building it bone stock and recording it for all of us. And awesome you are building a driver for it to live in
Sitting in the drivers seat, pulling the motor up to 4500 rpm in first gear with a 4.88 rear diff , then stand on the throttle grabbing second gear at 6100 rpm............ repeat process thru rest of gears! Priceless
Excellent job Nick! Love this video! Always wanted one of those engines in my 1969 Dodge Charger. Currently has a 383 4 barrel. Have always dreamed of a 426 Hemi!
In 1969 I was an 18 y/o kid and US Marine lusting for a 426 Hemi car. I even bought a 392 (old school of course), Hemi engine from a junkyard later on, thinking I was going to put if into a 70 Challenger that I bought, only to find out that it was nearly impossible for me to do, and a ton of money and work for anyone else to do. Here I am at 70y/o still dreaming and lusting. But, I did get my hands on a modern SRT 392 Challenger. I’ve also had 3 5.7 Hemi cars. I loved every second of owning that SRT 392 Challenger though. It was the fastest true street car I’ve ever owned. I made a few mods(sensible) but it was mostly stock. ultimately all of the mania and thievery around these cars forced me to trade it for a truck, Hemi of course. I love my Hemi Big Horn but I do miss the difference in performance and the aura of my former car. Maybe, if I live long enough, and the social climate changes, I’ll get me a Hellcat or even another SRT 392. At my age and health though, I’m not really interested in becoming a target for carjackers or thieves. Still, I love me a Hemi, old or new. Keep the faith. “Mopar or no Car”!!
This is why I love this channel. All when I was growing up, we knew it was underrated, and the general consensus amongst my merry band of gear heads was that this was a 500hp engine, more with some mods. And here we are. Basically stock motor and right at almost 500hp. The beautiful thing is that this power plant can put out these kinds of numbers over and over again without worry to the block, heads and internals. Although not quite the mystique and bragging rights of the Hemi, it does remind me a lot of the big 440 I have in my 1971 Super Bee. You can wail on the thing all day and it never overheats or complains, and then ease up on it and drive it like a commuter car and it doesn't mind gently rumbling through your neighborhood. This is why Mopars are such fun cars!
Music to my ears. If I could afford either, no doubt in my mind I would pick an old school muscle car over a modern day muscle car any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. I could care less if a modern car is faster, handles better, or stops better. It's just the sound, the old school mechanics, and the raw horsepower. Thank you for sharing. JohnG
Well done Nick, beautiful job on this superb Mopar. I think this is probably the same basic engine King Richard used in 1964 to win Daytona. I always suspected it would dyno at more than the advertised 425. You proved it. Great work.
I change my own oil but that's the limit of my mechanical ability. I envy the fellas who can build/rebuild motors in this way. Real masters. I could probably tear one apart but it would never run again.
The "Elephant" is one of the true legendary engines to be feared on the streets,strips,and tracks!!! What a beautiful era in American automotive history! I enjoy my 5.7 hemi ,but it's nothing in comparison to that monster! Almost 500 hp absolute stock out of the factory? Too awesome! Go MOPAR!!
Dynoing a 50 year old stock rebuilt motor that cranked out almost 500 horsepower…sweet baby Jesus. The 426 is a legend. I’d love to have that in my Ram pickup.
I owned a 70 challenger but only had a 318 in it. I had to sell it for cheap to move from Indiana to Arizona. I sure loved that car but when you got family you have to make sacrifices. I sure made a sacrifice with that one. I wanted to put a hemi in it but once again the money reared its ugly head and I couldn't do it, was in the Navy back then and only made $344 a month. I was blessed to have what I had with that kind of chump change. Anyway its very cool to see that motor roar like that and know your putting it into my car not (MY) car but you know what I'm saying. You are a real mechanic and very impressive. Sure would like to own one of your cars. Blessings to you Nick. I knew that engine made more then they said. You built this one for longevity not racing. Cool, but its still a man eater.
Almost 500 hp out of a 50 y.o. motor rebuilt to stock is impressive to say the least! Chrysler really outdone themselves with that motor. It's a BEAST!
Nick I had the pleasure of riding in a new hemi road runner in the fall of 68 in a 69 rr,in northern indiana, a neighbor had bought one, that summer at 17 I bought a 52 Chevy club coupe and a 57 imperial that was wrecked and put that motor in the coupe and drove it but that 69 road runner which I still remember to this moment, the ride... he told me to watch the tac and tell him when to shift it hit 7 grand so quickly, even though I told him to shift earlier, so the thing is it ruined me for life, I did get to drive it as a going away gift when I got drafted, I did order a 71 home cuda burnt orange with black vinyl roof but got laid off canceled the order they may of not canceled the order, use to have the order sheet was in the Chicago LAND area, mopar man, love your work I subbed
My first car was a 1970 Dodge Challenger N code. Back in 1978 when I was 16. My friend and I would go to the Chrysler wrecking yard in North Hollywood CA. They were selling Hemi's for $300 a piece on crates. I just watched your video and it made me think about that time. To think how much they've gone up in value. He had at least 20 re builder Hemi's. My most recent Challenger on my channel is a 440 with a dyno of 468 HP. You sir know how to build a motor.
What a monster from the factory. There were roomers of this from the factory being closer to 500 hp so thank you for this real world test. Insane engine I love it.
You must have had the solid lifters. The way it was made in '68. The dual points never worked when the dealer set them with a dwell meter. I had to set them with a feeler guage or the engine would break up under power. Frank Distaso in LA did a great job getting the most out of it on his dyno.
The dual point distributor is not to be frowned upon. I had a 69 road runner with dual points and it could turn 6000 rpm. I learned to shift at about 5500 just to be on the safe side. Dual points allow more flexibility. They can be set with feeler gauge but they are best set up on a Sun machine. My Road Runner felt like it had 30 more horsepower after a guy put mine on a sun machine and reset the ignition timing. If I was quick with the shift and popped the clutch it would lay down 5-10 feet of rubber when I hit third gear. But Nicks hemi is so awesome it makes me drool.
About 15 years ago one of the Mopar magazines did this exact same test and came up with almost identical results. The only difference was that theirs wasn't bored .30 over and had stock CR. They got 475 hp and 475 lb-ft. The best thing about this test is that it's a video - totally better experience actually seeing and hearing the tests!
Yes please save as many old mopars as you can they are my favorites and deserve to stay on this earth for long as possible! I hope some day when future civilizations dig us up the first thing they find is 1970 hemi Charger! I honestly can’t think of any other car that is so loved by everyone! Even non car people are like, ha it’s the General Lee, or that’s dom’s charger and their eyes light up!
And the best part was we could fix them on the side of the road with tape, hammers, and spit. Thanks for the show. I believe that's the first time I've seen a real deal test of the Hemi.
@The Truth about Africa hurts , I appreciate the info, my friend, I am a retired Auto/truck mechanic, with multiple certifications, there are many factors to sealing an engine, besides head gaskets. Cutting the deck is one. We're not splitting hairs at this time so I'll leave it at that. Thank you.
THAT's why its called "The Keeper"!!! Awesome Nick.....been watching for awhile now and had to go back to the beginning to understand how it got its name....beautiful. I'm an old 55 y/o Mopar guy out here in California.....I get it brother.
There's something about a V8 that's just brutish. Like it's punching its way up through the revs, causing screams along the way. Eargasms all around. Petrolhead ASMR. Fantasticly done, Nick! Love from UK!
In 1978 I bought a 1972 Barracuda with 60,000 miles with some rust for $1,200. It had the 318 smallblock and a 3 speed manual trans- the Hemi race engine in a 70 or 71 was a distant dream, and no one wanted the heavier convertible that did not corner or drag race as well. With the tiny 2-barrel carb and a manual choke, I got up to 22 miles per gallon.
Hit that subscribe button as soon as he said his favorite motor is a Hemi, I have nothing against LS and Coyotes but Hemis got a very special place in my heart
And THAT is why Everyone Else was looking in the back window of the Mopar Engineers Garage Shop to see "What's Next?" Well Done Thanks Nick MOPAR Rules
Nick Thank you for taking the time to show a few how to do it the right way. Hopefully your apprentice will take on another young man one day and pass along all the knowledge you have shared with him. May God Bless you with discernment, Good Health and many more years.
I loved how Simple the Chrysler Big Blocks Were not much to them but lots of Pony's (: never had a 426 Hemi but I did have 383's 413's 440's in the 60's 70's 80's 90's I loved them All.
And to think some yahoo I chatted with thinks the actual published hp numbers from a 426 were overrated, he can suck it. They published the hp at 5k rpms which were not too far off, but most don't realize you keep making power well past 5k. This thing sounds like a beast.
When I was in my late 20’s I’m 66 now I had a neighbor that had two 426 Hemi crate engines in his barn he was a big Mopar guy when I moved away about 20 yrs later I heard he passed away his wife then sold the property with everything when she moved out for good I never could find out what happened to those Hemi’s 😢 Very sad 😞
Awesome career you have Nick! I have to say that I respect your staying original, but I still would have polished the ports, just for the sake of what the engine was capable of doing! I love the old school engines! I haven't seen a Timing light in decades! That's the ERA that I'm from. Thanks for sharing!
You employ sound engineering principles in all areas. Great work, great mechanic. Edit: That's also a hell of an engine, making unheard of power for its age! 491 HP even at the crank, in 1969, that motor was a gem. Would love to see forced induction with strengthened internals, the works.
Nick, Back around 1968 several of the car magazines rated street 426s more like 500 hp.. There might have even been a dyno feature. As a (nearly 50 years)long time Hemi owner, I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers are higher with better ignition and attention to carb tune. I crank my '68 Hemi Plymouth to 7,000 with no problems. When I drag raced it 40 years ago it saw 8,700 rpm a few times..driver error and never came apart. Still running the stock connecting rods and crank it was born with! I didn't see it anywhere, you might mention Street Hemis had the puniest camshaft stock at around .470 lift versus Chevys that some were nearly .600 lift.
My Street Hemi ran 11.30@124mph with a solid lifter .595/607 mopar parts camshaft, carb jetting, headers, 5.33 gears which from what I recall factoring in the weight of the car, the motor was making 630-650 hp. That might have been what it was with the .700 lift roller.. oops.
Dual point distbutors aren't the pig people think they are! Especially with a good coil and wires. One trick we used was a microswitch on the throttle that bypassed the resistor at WOT to put a full 12v to them. Also, a switch to disconnect the alternator at WOT.
When I started watching this video, I was 66 years old. When it finished, I was 18 again. Thanks, Nick!
@@stephengacioch3249 thats for sure. When I was young teenager, 60's- 70-s used to hank out at a place called Tommys Conoco. Used to clean up parts for the guys. Was homeless and had to eat. Der Weinerstchil was next door and could get 3 dogs for a buck. Was a lifesaver
This site that Nick has done is fantastic. Brought back a bunch of memories. Some good some sad. Thank you Nick. I wish we could go up one stage and actually have a meet. That would be so cool. Do like a weekend. Hey anyone intrested hit me up. 480-658-4589. Text me and lets see if we can make something happen.
@@samheckman5517 I remember the "3 for a dollar".
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 I feel you !!
I've owned many cars from pure muscle car with 1000 bhp to 455whp Ferrari 360 and I've never felt my skin react so shockingly till I just heard a stock hemi running 6000 rpm. wow, thank you so much for sharing your passion with us. God bless
426 HEMI sings the most beautiful songs at high rpms. Nothing else compares! OLD SCHOOL RULES.
This guy's passion for engines and cars is amazing, such a shame oldfashion mechanics of this kind is a rare and dying breed. I really hope he teaches his knowledge forward. Seems like a great guy as well.
Nice Hemi. It amazes
Me that people like to have snide comments about this Legendary Engine. It won everything in its era and still does today.
jim jam. Legendary, indeed. Thanks for watching.
Yeah today everyone wants nitrus , turbos and pro chargers .
Haters gotta hate, jealousy rears it’s ugly head.
Theres alway someone that has smart ass things to say about anything. Ive done it but i realize it now that im older and dont do it !! There was a guy i was talking to his sister and he started bitchin bout my hair being to long. I said a few things but his sis told him to shut up. You no this guy was obess 400 lbs and he was bitchin bout my hair !! Lol people just cant see themselves but they see your faults
For the ones that dont know. This engine design started in 1964 . It is the only piston engine design ever to run a sub 4 second run in the 1320.
It has been and always will be the king of the 1320. Long live live the Chrysler Hemi.
Nice job Nick....what's particularly nice about those original Hemis is how they can throw you back in your seat when you floor it at 100 mph....absolutely exhilarating!!
My Dad had a 1968 Dodge Charger with Factory 426 Hemi,Twin Carter AFB 4 Barrel Carburetors, a 3:23 highway posi rear end, a 727 Tourqueflight Automatic Transmission.
STRAIGHT ELEPHANT.
The car weighed in at 4025 lbs as he ordered it. His philosophy was extra weight was needed for the Top End. He used to say: " Let the Chevys and Fords HAVE The Hole Shot, we'll come ROARIN' BACK!
I was 11 in 1968 and he taught me
how to calibrate the Air/Fuel mixture on those Carter AFB's......
I've never heard a sweeter harmony ESPECIALLY when youre rollin' along on the highway and you gradually add throttle....and that second carb chimes in right about 73 mph. Now THAT is a HUMMER! I lost my Dad in 2009.
His Love for Mopar Muscle was unapologetically...
Straight no Chaser.
ramsfire. The good old days with your dad. Good memories.
Suregrip
@@Welcometofacsistube Never lost a Race
My friend has a 426 Hemi Road Runner he purchased in 1968 one owner all original 20,000 original miles on it
Killer
That motor is a BEAST! Ran up to 6200 like it was nothin! Walk in the park! Love it!
Michael. Off camera, we have taken it to 6500 rpm.
When I went to Canada to visit my sister in Toronto I got directions over to Nick's it was an amazing place..he actually took the time to give me a little tour of the shop...
For all of us that know. It holds a world record. The only engine design to run a sub 4 second run in the 1320.
I'm looking for a reason not to get carried away from American Muscle. You sir are one of them. Clearly, your garage understands this if you are leading it. The car community is extraordinarily lucky to have you in it, and the viewers are lucky to have your video producer! "Building dreams," for sure.
The big Hemi just looks and sounds fabulous. I remember when they were new and considered the best engine available Now she lives again in Nick's Garage.
Wonderful to see and hear (thanks!) an engine built by people who work with engines, not those who work with computer simulations of engines.
To all the big talkers out there. These are the guys actually doing the work. It’s been like this forever.
When It comes to V8's this one is a masterpiece . A engine designed for racing then sold to the public. It has held so many records in motorsports. Even to this day the design still powers the N.H.R.A Topfuel and Funnycar class. Long live the Chrysler 2nd Gen HEMI!
I like alot of the muscle cars I grew up with ...I'm a ol Tin Indian fan ...but I fully agree with your statement on the Hemi ...it is one for the record books..Take care .
So refreshing to see the mopars appreciated in beautiful stock form...Everybody wants race hardware without realizing they'll never use all the power a stock engine puts out! My greatest thanks to you guys, only wish I could send you an engine to make a new vid on..I got an original Mopar 383 that needs a refresh, mopars most under rated b block...
Thanks William. Hope you get your 383 purring.
Nick...that is TRUELY amazing! A 50y.o.,basically "factory stock",almost 500h.p. from the factory! That was a LOT of horse power back then! Even by todays standards it's impressive! Good job Nick! Please keep the vid's coming!!
MODIFIED (over-bored and higher than stock compression) with no power robbing mufflers, factory air cleaner assembly/element, alternator, etc. in place. Also, modern pistons, rings and other parts (as was the case here) are more efficient than the OEM stuff from 50 years ago.
I heard angelic music when she sang on stage 😍
So cool to see an original HEMI on the dyno. I was a junior designer on the original Viper project and got a chance to work with Willem Weertman, one of the original engineers and co-author of the SAE paper in 1966 detailing the street HEMI. He was a very soft spoken extremely intelligent man, one of the highlights of my design career was having him teach me about this great powerplant. He gave me a copy of the SAE paper titled "Chrysler Corporation's New Hemi Head High Performance Engines" dated April 11, 1966. I have hung onto it for all these years and if you read this Nick I would like to send a copy to you if you don't already have one.
charlie. You were lucky to meet him. I wished I was there. Please send me a copy if you can. My email is on the "About" page on my channel. Thanks.
It confirms what has been said since the street Hemi came out. They make nearly 500 hp. Great job Nick!
Coming from a drag-racing family, I've seen some pretty awesome displays of pure beast performance, motor-wise.
A 454 rat motor is probably my favorite Chevy power-plant, it's brutal, and a lot of performance for the buck ~ small block Chevy motors is one of my all time favorites, and that is the 327 with the extra mains.
By chance I had an opportunity to get my hands on a FOMOCO all aluminum 427 motor that was hands down the most ferocious Ford motor I had the opportunity to run/own.
But the Elephant is hands down the nastiest power-plant there is. I was amazed at just the rumbling of the vehicle, and the ground vibrating/shaking due to it. Other than the gas consumption, my really only other complaint about the 426 Hemi is you've GOT to be a somewhat knowledgeable mechanic, it requires constant meddling, tinkering with to keep it setup. So with that being said, my favorite BB is hands-down the 440 B block motor, this thing is virtually bullet proof, I've never seen a motor take so much abuse, and still keep right on motoring. Anywhos, that's my 2 cents on the matter, and yeah it's my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions, lmao! Peace.
djack that's right. Yes the, the RB "raised Block" 440 is a great engine to abuse. And 2nd, I like to hear everyone's opinion, which is great. Thanks for watching.
The 426 is a damn GEM! What a sound!
It is so cool that you kept the motor stock to appreciate what all those designers worked so hard for years ago.
I also like that you share the experience with your friend, that is what life is all about. Great video.
I love that you built this all stock! Valve job, point distributor, iron manifolds, belt drive and all, it's great to see how the factory masked the ratings by under-revving the engine for the 'official' horsepower! Sure it's 'only' 425hp at 5000rpm... Wink wink... I can almost hear the salesman back in the days, whispering, 'you should see what it does at 6000 ;) '
This motor sounds like it doesn't start to sing till about 5900 rpm, which you would expect considering the size of Hemi head ports. Bravo, well done Nick!
In the 60's, we lived in Bloomfield Hills. My father was an executive with Chrysler when I was a kid... and we lived in the Woodward Ave. times....what a time that was.
There is nothing that compares to the sound of a revved Hemi. In 1982 I worked at a repair shop where the head mechanic had a 64 Valiant Coupe with a 426 Hemi. He regularly raced 1/4 mile at the track on weekends. As a Chevy guy, I was mesmerized by that Hemi. For that era, I think Chevy, Ford and Mopar all had great big block's, but whereas Chevy owned small blocks, Mopar owned big blocks. I always loved it when they fired up that beast up and revved up that Hemi.
Regarding how much horsepower the 426hemi produced, the following statement was attributed to Cotton Owens, NASCAR driver and mechanic. Someone was prodding Cotton and asked him if the engine truly made 425 horsepower. His answer "Yes, at about 3000 RPM."
Nick, nice build. Enjoy.
I had a Dodge Cornet with 426 hemi and I would give most anything to have it now. This video was great! Fond memories!
Friggin awesome!!! A stock engine putting out that kind of power dependably, is something that few other companies have done... Chrysler from that era, had the engineers who knew how to make things work!!!
Sweet noise to my ears......426 Hemi. Long live Dodge Muscle engines!
@SpaceAce100 that's awesome, they made some awesome engines for sure. the smell of 50's and 60's Chrysler interiors and the sounds of the engines will stick with me for life, my dad owned tons of them from fury's, chargers, super bees, gtx, roadrunners etc. The little spinny thing is called a rotor btw.
Awesome vintage Dodge engine making vintage Dodge power ..but man how the times have changed, when a guy can buy a modern 6.2 L supercharged Dodge engine that makes 840 ponies, and a naturally asperated 5.0 Coyote engine that makes 500hp on E85. We're living in amazing times my friends.
Very nice. Way underrated from the factory. Thanks for building it bone stock and recording it for all of us. And awesome you are building a driver for it to live in
Morgan & Colleen Brady. Thanks for watching....
That Hemi is a work of art and Nick is Mopar da Vinci. I didn't know a big engine could spin over 6K.
Olds manual "...dip the head bolts in container of motor oil...". So same as his more precise oil can...very sweet. Knows his stuff, to say the least.
Sitting in the drivers seat, pulling the motor up to 4500 rpm in first gear with a 4.88 rear diff , then stand on the throttle grabbing second gear at 6100 rpm............ repeat process thru rest of gears! Priceless
Excellent job Nick! Love this video! Always wanted one of those engines in my 1969 Dodge Charger. Currently has a 383 4 barrel. Have always dreamed of a 426 Hemi!
That's Ok, the 383cid was a Beast, in and of Itself!!
In 1969 I was an 18 y/o kid and US Marine lusting for a 426 Hemi car. I even bought a 392 (old school of course), Hemi engine from a junkyard later on, thinking I was going to put if into a 70 Challenger that I bought, only to find out that it was nearly impossible for me to do, and a ton of money and work for anyone else to do. Here I am at 70y/o still dreaming and lusting. But, I did get my hands on a modern SRT 392 Challenger. I’ve also had 3 5.7 Hemi cars. I loved every second of owning that SRT 392 Challenger though. It was the fastest true street car I’ve ever owned. I made a few mods(sensible) but it was mostly stock. ultimately all of the mania and thievery around these cars forced me to trade it for a truck, Hemi of course. I love my Hemi Big Horn but I do miss the difference in performance and the aura of my former car. Maybe, if I live long enough, and the social climate changes, I’ll get me a Hellcat or even another SRT 392. At my age and health though, I’m not really interested in becoming a target for carjackers or thieves. Still, I love me a Hemi, old or new. Keep the faith. “Mopar or no Car”!!
This is why I love this channel. All when I was growing up, we knew it was underrated, and the general consensus amongst my merry band of gear heads was that this was a 500hp engine, more with some mods. And here we are. Basically stock motor and right at almost 500hp. The beautiful thing is that this power plant can put out these kinds of numbers over and over again without worry to the block, heads and internals.
Although not quite the mystique and bragging rights of the Hemi, it does remind me a lot of the big 440 I have in my 1971 Super Bee. You can wail on the thing all day and it never overheats or complains, and then ease up on it and drive it like a commuter car and it doesn't mind gently rumbling through your neighborhood. This is why Mopars are such fun cars!
So much fun to watch this man work on those truly awesome engines.
Thanks Nick. You're a Pandemic Buster with these great videos from so long ago.
This guy is unbelievable nothing like a beautiful old school V8 damn
Music to my ears. If I could afford either, no doubt in my mind I would pick an old school muscle car over a modern day muscle car any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. I could care less if a modern car is faster, handles better, or stops better. It's just the sound, the old school mechanics, and the raw horsepower. Thank you for sharing. JohnG
Well done Nick, beautiful job on this superb Mopar. I think this is probably the same basic engine King Richard used in 1964 to win Daytona. I always suspected it would dyno at more than the advertised 425. You proved it. Great work.
I change my own oil but that's the limit of my mechanical ability. I envy the fellas who can build/rebuild motors in this way. Real masters. I could probably tear one apart but it would never run again.
Not really, as long as you can follow directions, have the tools and the goops, you should be fine.
The "Elephant" is one of the true legendary engines to be feared on the streets,strips,and tracks!!!
What a beautiful era in American automotive history!
I enjoy my 5.7 hemi ,but it's nothing in comparison to that monster! Almost 500 hp absolute stock out of the factory? Too awesome!
Go MOPAR!!
Dynoing a 50 year old stock rebuilt motor that cranked out almost 500 horsepower…sweet baby Jesus. The 426 is a legend. I’d love to have that in my Ram pickup.
Is it possible to have one as a everday driver? Im thinking about buying one
The Chrysler engineers of that era were due the greatest respect, and Nick understands that. Excellent.
I admire the authenticity
I owned a 70 challenger but only had a 318 in it. I had to sell it for cheap to move from Indiana to Arizona. I sure loved that car but when you got family you have to make sacrifices. I sure made a sacrifice with that one. I wanted to put a hemi in it but once again the money reared its ugly head and I couldn't do it, was in the Navy back then and only made $344 a month. I was blessed to have what I had with that kind of chump change. Anyway its very cool to see that motor roar like that and know your putting it into my car not (MY) car but you know what I'm saying. You are a real mechanic and very impressive. Sure would like to own one of your cars. Blessings to you Nick. I knew that engine made more then they said. You built this one for longevity not racing. Cool, but its still a man eater.
One day someone should do a documentary about the engineers who designed this marvelous master piece.😊
Almost 500 hp out of a 50 y.o. motor rebuilt to stock is impressive to say the least!
Chrysler really outdone themselves with that motor. It's a BEAST!
Nick I had the pleasure of riding in a new hemi road runner in the fall of 68 in a 69 rr,in northern indiana, a neighbor had bought one, that summer at 17 I bought a 52 Chevy club coupe and a 57 imperial that was wrecked and put that motor in the coupe and drove it but that 69 road runner which I still remember to this moment, the ride... he told me to watch the tac and tell him when to shift it hit 7 grand so quickly, even though I told him to shift earlier, so the thing is it ruined me for life, I did get to drive it as a going away gift when I got drafted, I did order a 71 home cuda burnt orange with black vinyl roof but got laid off canceled the order they may of
not canceled the order, use to have the order sheet was in the Chicago LAND area, mopar man,
love your work I subbed
Donald Powers. Thanks for watching.
My first car was a 1970 Dodge Challenger N code. Back in 1978 when I was 16. My friend and I would go to the Chrysler wrecking yard in North Hollywood CA. They were selling Hemi's for $300 a piece on crates. I just watched your video and
it made me think about that time. To think how much they've gone up in value. He had at least 20 re builder Hemi's.
My most recent Challenger on my channel is a 440 with a dyno of 468 HP. You sir know how to build a motor.
What a monster from the factory. There were roomers of this from the factory being closer to 500 hp so thank you for this real world test. Insane engine I love it.
The rumor has been confirmed. 425hp at 5000 RPM, But near 500hp at 6000 RPM. Great Work!
You must have had the solid lifters. The way it was made in '68. The dual points never worked when the dealer set them with a dwell meter. I had to set them with a feeler guage or the engine would break up under power. Frank Distaso in LA did a great job getting the most out of it on his dyno.
The dual point distributor is not to be frowned upon. I had a 69 road runner with dual points and it could turn 6000 rpm. I learned to shift at about 5500 just to be on the safe side. Dual points allow more flexibility. They can be set with feeler gauge but they are best set up on a Sun machine. My Road Runner felt like it had 30 more horsepower after a guy put mine on a sun machine and reset the ignition timing. If I was quick with the shift and popped the clutch it would lay down 5-10 feet of rubber when I hit third gear.
But Nicks hemi is so awesome it makes me drool.
It you mark on road......mine two.....
About 15 years ago one of the Mopar magazines did this exact same test and came up with almost identical results. The only difference was that theirs wasn't bored .30 over and had stock CR. They got 475 hp and 475 lb-ft. The best thing about this test is that it's a video - totally better experience actually seeing and hearing the tests!
Yes please save as many old mopars as you can they are my favorites and deserve to stay on this earth for long as possible! I hope some day when future civilizations dig us up the first thing they find is 1970 hemi Charger! I honestly can’t think of any other car that is so loved by everyone! Even non car people are like, ha it’s the General Lee, or that’s dom’s charger and their eyes light up!
Nick is just so awsome skilled with his hands and mind . Two words , bad ass, Nick has earned this title. I luv him.
Beautiful !! Absolutly beautiful !! I have always been in love with the 426 hemi sense i was little guy !! Great job !!
I'm happy Nick has one sweet keeper for sure, can't wait to see the finished ride.
Something to think about is this guy was a kid overseas when this engine was made.
GREAT video!
And the best part was we could fix them on the side of the road with tape, hammers, and spit.
Thanks for the show. I believe that's the first time I've seen a real deal test of the Hemi.
Greg Lyle,
The real deal tests for the Hemi's were at the Track on Sunday afternoon, what won on Sunday was sold on Monday.
Nick,
That's the same way I do my head gaskets, spray on the copper coat. Nothing better to seal them with.
@The Truth about Africa hurts ,
I appreciate the info, my friend, I am a retired Auto/truck mechanic, with multiple certifications, there are many factors to sealing an engine, besides head gaskets. Cutting the deck is one. We're not splitting hairs at this time so I'll leave it at that. Thank you.
These were detuned from the factory. Easily a 600-650 hp on tap with a piston and cam swap. 100% raw horsepower!!!
THAT's why its called "The Keeper"!!! Awesome Nick.....been watching for awhile now and had to go back to the beginning to understand how it got its name....beautiful. I'm an old 55 y/o Mopar guy out here in California.....I get it brother.
There's something about a V8 that's just brutish. Like it's punching its way up through the revs, causing screams along the way.
Eargasms all around. Petrolhead ASMR. Fantasticly done, Nick! Love from UK!
In 1978 I bought a 1972 Barracuda with 60,000 miles with some rust for $1,200. It had the 318 smallblock and a 3 speed manual trans- the Hemi race engine in a 70 or 71 was a distant dream, and no one wanted the heavier convertible that did not corner or drag race as well. With the tiny 2-barrel carb and a manual choke, I got up to 22 miles per gallon.
Hit that subscribe button as soon as he said his favorite motor is a Hemi, I have nothing against LS and Coyotes but Hemis got a very special place in my heart
Any Hemi is a keeper especially when Nick built it.
This video puts a smile on my face. Good old honest horse power. No tricked or gimmicks ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I'd say they don't make em like they used to but dodge just unveiled the demon that's rated nearly 900hp. Mopar' still got it
Really liked the build to factory aspect - this engine runs!!!
And THAT is why Everyone Else was looking in the back window of the Mopar Engineers Garage Shop to see "What's Next?"
Well Done
Thanks Nick
MOPAR Rules
I've watched alot of Nick's Garage, but this is still one of my favorites!
Freedom. Thanks.
This was my favorite Hemi. It had the best sound the best rev everything about it was fantastic. Old school is not so bad.
Thanks!
Thank you for your support, Joe!
Nick Thank you for taking the time to show a few how to do it the right way. Hopefully your apprentice will take on another young man one day and pass along all the knowledge you have shared with him. May God Bless you with discernment, Good Health and many more years.
4040pmora. Thank you very much 4040pmora.
50 year old technology, gotta love mopar! great job! honor to watch!
I wish I had a 1970 Challenger T/A to use as a table😂 beautiful engine, can’t beat it even today I wouldn’t take anything else.
I don’t think it’s possible to like two people more than Nick and Manny without meeting them than I do you could just tell how cool they are!!
I love watching the little grin on Nick's face. What a proud "papa".
I loved how Simple the Chrysler Big Blocks Were not much to them but lots of Pony's (: never had a 426 Hemi but I did have 383's 413's 440's in the 60's 70's 80's 90's I loved them All.
And to think some yahoo I chatted with thinks the actual published hp numbers from a 426 were overrated, he can suck it. They published the hp at 5k rpms which were not too far off, but most don't realize you keep making power well past 5k. This thing sounds like a beast.
If anything, most muscle care engines were under rated to avoid insurance premiums.
When I was in my late 20’s I’m 66 now I had a neighbor that had two 426 Hemi crate engines in his barn he was a big Mopar guy when I moved away about 20 yrs later I heard he passed away his wife then sold the property with everything when she moved out for good I never could find out what happened to those Hemi’s 😢 Very sad 😞
8:54 valvetrain sounds really good. Much flutter not much clutter sounds all nice and flowing through 5:39
- Yes ! One more time before we all die.. Good times.
Waited a real long time for someone to do this.
Thank you sir.
426 legend, making 491 hp on old school fuel and air.
Awesome career you have Nick! I have to say that I respect your staying original, but I still would have polished the ports, just for the sake of what the engine was capable of doing! I love the old school engines! I haven't seen a Timing light in decades! That's the ERA that I'm from. Thanks for sharing!
ME too lol!! Can not work on new cars at all.
Truly amazing Nick. I had goose bumps watching. Keep making history please. Dave
You employ sound engineering principles in all areas. Great work, great mechanic.
Edit: That's also a hell of an engine, making unheard of power for its age! 491 HP even at the crank, in 1969, that motor was a gem. Would love to see forced induction with strengthened internals, the works.
Wow Nick, I thought I was the only one that paints Head Gaskets. Old School for sure. Thanks Nick
Ut
Sam. It is a sealer I apply on the head gasket.
You can really hear it start to sing from about 5500 and on up...great job!
I like how Nick has them paint over the exhaust manifolds, just like the factory did.
Nick, Back around 1968 several of the car magazines rated street 426s more like 500 hp.. There might have even been a dyno feature. As a (nearly 50 years)long time Hemi owner, I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers are higher with better ignition and attention to carb tune. I crank my '68 Hemi Plymouth to 7,000 with no problems. When I drag raced it 40 years ago it saw 8,700 rpm a few times..driver error and never came apart. Still running the stock connecting rods and crank it was born with! I didn't see it anywhere, you might mention Street Hemis had the puniest camshaft stock at around .470 lift versus Chevys that some were nearly .600 lift.
My Street Hemi ran 11.30@124mph with a solid lifter .595/607 mopar parts camshaft, carb jetting, headers, 5.33 gears which from what I recall factoring in the weight of the car, the motor was making 630-650 hp. That might have been what it was with the .700 lift roller.. oops.
@Marty McFly your preaching to the wrong person. Preach to utubers who seem surprised
Dr. Nick, I have watched this video so many times that I have lost count, it is a classic, cheers.
Dual point distbutors aren't the pig people think they are! Especially with a good coil and wires. One trick we used was a microswitch on the throttle that bypassed the resistor at WOT to put a full 12v to them. Also, a switch to disconnect the alternator at WOT.