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Original Message
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RE: Hemi? Better than what? |
By RJP - 11/29/2001 9:32:47 PM; IP 198.81.16.58 |
Good points, All but with regards to the Hemi. It can not be overlooked that the Hemi was raced in a MIDSIZE body [Coronet-Belvedre] with a W/B of 116" only one inch longer than NASCAR minimum. The Ford? full size Galaxies at 119" and a few hundred lbs heavier and more frontal area. IMO the Hemi wasn't as great as the critics would have us believe. Not when you look at the way the rules was stacked against Ford. How is it that a full size car with an "inferior " engine keep up with the almighty [strike fear in the hearts of....] Hemi. Fact is the horsepower wasn't as far off from the hemi as everyone thought. Car preperation is a factor but it still takes horsepower and the ability to finish to win and Ford won enough to drive that point home. Sometime around 1965-66 Bill France told Chrysler that they would have to run the full size bodys,[Fury Polara] Chrysler execs screamed foul and threatend boycott, France then said "if you can't be competitive with your full size car, its not our fault but these are going to be the rules. It was then decided [after many meetings with Ford and Chrysler] that Ford could run the Fairlane with a smaller engine [396"FE] and could run 2x4bbls with restrictions. Those rules were alot more confusing and convoluted but for the sake of simplicity this is what it amounted to. As to basic design a wedge head engine is better suited for gasoline than a hemi as it will allow more compresson ratio to be run with out detonation. One last thing P you overlooked Chevys "Porcupine" 427 that was run in the 63 Daytona 500. It was a cross between the 409 and the new MKlV engine [396] It ran away from everything on the track with lap speeds of 166-167 as compaired to the Ford's 162-163. The only saving grace is that it spilled its guts all over the track before the race was finished. |
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