black_89_vette

My dad always used to tell me about his 426 hemi powered 66 charger. I believe most of what he tells me about it.

I have a 383 stroker at 400 hp/500 tq fly. I also have a 150 TNT nitrous kit attached, which I figure from basic math , that it would put me in the 550 hp range.

I know the hemi's were grossly underrated on horsepower. By the book, it says only 425, but I've heard from many sources that they were at almost 500 hp.

Thing is, he keeps telling me "I wish I had my charger, I'd show you a thing or two"

I just tell him, that with the technology that the vette has over the charger, and of course the traction, that I would have beaten him. I also say "oh, I got nitrous too Dad, that for sure would beat ya."

He said that with a friend driving, he ran like a mid-high 11. I kinda wanna raise the BS flag here. I don't think it was on slicks either, but if it was on slicks, would it have hit a mid-high 11?

vader86

I would say no, especially judging from '66 tire technology.

bogus

if his charger was running mid-high 11's, it was way far from stock.

his 66, if more stock, you would kill that car. it was heavy and had horrid traction.

now... lets look back on horse power... that 425hp was SAE GROSS! measured at the crank with no accessories. In 1972, the SAE changed the rating to NET, which was measured with all accessories and full exhaust.

For example, a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, 302 2V, had 210 hp, Gross, in 1972, the same motor, no changes, was 136 Net.

Don't get too carried away with the huge hp numbers of the 60s... for the most part, they were lies, wrapped in untruths, surrounded by falsehoods.

black_89_vette

I cannot remember where, but I've heard that people have dyno'd those old hemis and they put out well over the 425 part.

Yeah, his was apparently stock, which is kinda wanting me to raise the BS flag a little high.

Is there a reputable place that shows somewhat actual 1/4 times for old hotrods including the 426 hemi powered cars?

What if the charger did have slicks on it? Would a "425 hp" car run a mid-high 11 on a slick?

AGENT 86

My freinds 426 hemi road runner snapped my neck like no other car iv'e been in :eek:
Lots of money and lots of horsepower made for one scary ride.
I'm sure it could get into the 11's
:cheers:

*89x2*

yep :iagree: :flag

SS409 425HP

Come on guys! Give us "old timers" a break. I will not argue that the tire technology, suspension, and many other items were "archaic" compared to whats available today. But, I have to say that I had more fun driving my '63 Impala SS with the dual quad/ 425hp/409 option than any car I've ever owned. I know that a "modern" corvette would beat it easily. I couldn't tell you how many times I had that 409 go completely sideways on a narrow city street while racing a GTO or something similar. It actually took some driving skill to keep these heavy muscle cars under control. It was alot of fun back in the 60's and some of us old timers get carried away with our stories. All we ask is to just "smile and put up with us". After all, we still have one thing in common with you younger guys ---------- we all love fast cars!

LT4BUD

Hemi's were pretty awesome...who is say what is stock

At the drags it was pretty common to see SS/A run in high 11's at 120mph or so....

Seems like "pure" stock, depending on which car they were in, you looked at mid 12's to low 13's

I had a friend with hemi Dodge who could pull wheelies coming out of the local Big Boy......

SurfnSun

With your motor it wouldn't even be close.

11 sec cars were RARE things back then. No stocker, less a ZL1 in race trim , would make 11s.

Rick93Z07

A '66 Hemi Charger with all the "right" options (strippo, deep gearing & locker) and 1966 vintage street tires was good for mid to high 13's....and that's if the track conditions are perfect. They will NOT suck the headlights out of the newer, popular '68 Mustang 428 SCJ which ran mid 13's. If dad's Charger was totally stock, it would fall somewhere between a stock '91 L98 and a '92 LT1 Vette in the 1/4 mile. As you probably know, the L98 Vette usually ran high 13's and the LT1 ran mid 13's.

With tweaks and non-stock tires, all three of these cars run faster than stock (duh).

In certain respects, the Hemi Charger motor definitely had more "untapped" acceleration potential compared to a '90's vintage Corvette and could run 11's for with minor mods & upgrades. Big gains are possible with either Vette by installing "similarly deep" Dana 44 gearing, but stoplight speed bursts ain't what Vettes are about.

The Charger feels much faster because it's a very crude, scary & unpredictable chassis. Throw a set of '66 bias plies on your Vette and move 1000 pounds to the nose of the car and see how it feels at WOT!! The Charger is ill-equipped to harness the Hemi power. The Corvette is just the opposite..you can fall asleep at full song due to it's good design.



[Modified by Rick93Z07, 10:27 AM 2/14/2004]

CFI-EFI

Of couse, this is an unwinable discussion. Dad's car probably would have given you a run for the money. I won't be so bold as to predict the outcome. If you want help putting it all into perspective, listen to the old Beach Boys song, "Shut Down". Yeah... it was only a 413 vs a 327, but it gives some insight to the "cubic inch rule". AAH, the good old days! The older we get, the better they were.

RACE ON!!!

Corvette Kid

From one old fart to another......... :iagree: Humor us! :lol: :lol: :lol:

CORKVETTE1

those earlier hemi cars like the 66 you mentioned only ran high 13s to low 14s stock that was it when you got up to the 70s ones like the cuda it was 13.1 with a high mph maybe low 12s or high 11s stock but we are talking about two different animals comparing a 66 hemi charger to a 70 hemi cuda is like comparing a 84 vette to a 2003 z06 understand :cheers:

CFI-EFI

Is that another CROSSFIRE putdown???