426 Street Hemi – Pulpaddict

’65 DODGE CORONET DELIVERED MID-SIZE & MAX-PERF!

Dodge’s entry in the Musclecar marketplace may have been short on sex appeal, but the ’65 DODGE CORONET DELIVERED MID-SIZE & MAX-PERF!

’65 DODGE CORONET DELIVERED MID-SIZE & MAX-PERF!

Dodge covered all bases, catering to performance enthusiasts in 1965. New Dodge Coronets could be ordered with 365-horsepower 426 Street Wedge engines with four-speed or TorqueFlite. Unlike the GTO and 4-4-2, Mopar middleweights were void of eye-catching decor. But they were strong enough to get the job done. A total of 2,100 Coronets with 426 Street wedge engines were built for the 1965 model year. The ’65 DODGE CORONET DELIVERED MID-SIZE & MAX-PERF!

If Dodge engineers and product planners had gotten their way, the 426 Street Hemi would have been introduced along with the 426 Street Wedge with the 1965 mid-size and full-size product line. But that was not to be. Only Street Hemi development vehicles were ever built. In the summer of 1965, at the 1966 model Long Lead Press Preview at the Chelsea Proving Ground, there was one production-ready prototype 426 Street Hemi Coronet 500 hardtop, above & right, available for test driving. It was truly awesome

Both Dodge and Plymouth carried over successful Super/Stock programs based on shorter wheelbase Code A-990 intermediates powered by 426 Hemis with aluminum heads and magnesium intake manifolds. Factory built with 60-percent-lighter, acid-dipped steel front fenders, scooped hood and doors; they were fitted with Corning lightweight side glass. Four-speed or automatic NHRA-legal Super/Stock racecars could be ordered at any authorized dealership. Dodge built 101 426 Hemi Coronets; Plymouth produced 102, and Dodge built 2,100 426 Street Wedge Coronets, below.

’65 DODGE CORONET DELIVERED MID-SIZE & MAX-PERF! When building Hemis for Factory Experimental, the wheelbase was shortened to 110 inches. The rear wheels were moved forward 15 inches and the front wheels by 10 inches, providing an incredible improvement in weight distribution. Each FX car was also treated to a special Plaza Fiberglass Mfg. “diet” which included scooped hood, front bumper, front fenders and doors, trunk lid, and dashboard. Average weight loss was 80 pounds. Other weight reduction tricks included an 18-pound steel front K-member and Dart/Valiant front spindles and brakes for a 50-pound advantage.

’65 DODGE CORONET DELIVERED MID-SIZE & MAX-PERF!

For wall-to-wall information on the complete 1965 Dodge mid-size portfolio, including the ’65 DODGE CORONET DELIVERED MID-SIZE & MAX-PERF!, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @

https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/03/25/1965-dodge-mid-size-car-fact-sheet/

’70 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: WINGED WARRIOR

Not to be outdone by Dodge, the ’70 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: WINGED WARRIOR continued Mopar’s assault on the Musclecar marketplace and NASCAR’s Super Speedways!

Plymouth’s ’70 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: WINGED WARRIOR was basically a midsize Road Runner with a wing and a nose job. Also produced by Creative Industries, the Charger-Daytona-influenced Superbird proved to be a more complex build than the Charger Daytona. It required Dodge Coronet front fenders and a hood to work with the steel “nose cone”. The Superbird’s unique, tall, raked wing was proprietary. A vinyl roof was used to hide many of the seams around the backlight. It filled the void left when ’69 ½ Charger Daytona production ended.

Designed to cheat the wind on Superspeedways, Superbirds and carryover Charger Daytonas dominated NASCAR. Pete Hamilton drove his Hemi Superbird to wins at Daytona, Atlanta, and Talladega 500s and, together with Richard Petty, gave Plymouth 21 wins. Dodge clinched the Manufacturers’ title, and Bobby Issac won the Drivers’ Championship.

’70 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: WINGED WARRIOR Sox & Martin accounted for 75 percent of Mopar wins in NHRA Pro Stock competition in the 1970-1971 seasons. They also campaigned a Hemi Superbird in C/MP, driven by Dave McCandless. It was on the cover of Hi-Performance CARS, September 1971.

’70 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: WINGED WARRIOR

Of the 1,935 Superbirds produced, only 135 (77 automatics; 58 four-speeds) models were fitted with 426 Street Hemi engines. The 426 Street Hemi engine received a new hydraulic camshaft and valvetrain. It replaced the previous solid-lifter camshaft and had the following specifications: 284/284-degree duration with .490/.480-inch lift and 60-degree overlap.

For more information about the ’70 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: WINGED WARRIOR and Plymouth’s midsize lineup for 1970, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/03/04/1970-plymouth-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

The Motown Musclecar scene from 1962 to 1974 is documented in DAY ONE, available at https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day One by Martyn L. Schorr

1970 CHALLENGER: MAGNUM FORCE FROM MOPAR

Dodge’s all-new answer to Ford, Mercury, Chevy and Pontiac Ponycars was the 1970 CHALLENGER: MAGNUM FORCE FROM MOPAR.

1970 CHALLENGER: MAGNUM FORCE FROM MOPAR

In many ways, 1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Southeast Asia continued casting a pall over a much-divided country and thinning the ranks of young enthusiasts. Carmakers’ racing budgets were being drastically cut and engineering resources reassigned to prepare for restrictive emissions and safety legislation. And, Ponycar sales had been plummeting and would register new lows at the end of the model year.

Yet, Motown launched its most aggressive ever portfolio of power. With the industry working on two-to-three-year product development cycles, there was no stopping the performance products scheduled to go public. In some cases, like the new E-Body Challenger (and Barracuda), they had been in the works for more than two years. They represented huge tooling expenses and Chrysler’s only route to staying competitive in what had been a scalding hot market.

Dodge’s Challenger, like its Barracuda brother, was offered in two body styles, a two-door hardtop and convertible. The Challenger’s exterior design was done by Carl Cameron, who was also responsible for the exterior designs of the 1966 Dodge Charger.

1970 CHALLENGER: MAGNUM FORCE FROM MOPAR

Dodge and Plymouth beat Chevrolet and Pontiac (new Gen II Camaro & Firebird were delayed, often referred to as 1970 ½ models) to the marketplace with clean-sheet Challengers and Barracudas. An impressive menu of 318 and 340 small-blocks (including tri-power variants: Challenger T/A & AAR Cuda), three 383 and two 440 big-blocks and the 426 Street Hemi wowed enthusiasts. Buyers had a choice of close and wide-ratio four-speeds or excellent TorqueFlite automatic and 8 ¾-inch or 9 ¾-inch Dana Sure-Grip rears. Whatever your appetite for performance, a slick new Challenger (or Barracuda) coupe or convertible could be tailored to your taste.

Twins under the skin, they were built on new E-Body architecture utilizing A and B-Body components. But there were differences. The Barracuda was built on a 108-inch wheelbase platform, while the Challenger had a 110-inch wheelbase. Both offered the same powertrain choices and very similar performance, although the Challenger was a little more luxurious.

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about every new 1970 Challenger model can be found at OVER-DRIVE magazine, https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/04/20/1970-dodge-challenger-fact-sheet/

All high-performance Challenger and Barracuda models are covered in DAY ONE @ https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day One by Martyn L. Schorr

1969 DODGE MAXIMUM MUSCLECARS

1969 DODGE MAXIMUM MUSCLECARS included the Six-Pack Super Bee, Charger 500, and the winged Charger Daytona, all available with the 426 Street Hemi!

1969 DODGE MAXIMUM MUSCLECARS

For the 1969 model year, Dodge carried over most of its high-performance models, and 340, 383, 440 and 426 Street Hemi engines. For increased durability on drag strips, “A33 Track Pack” and “A34 Super Track Pack” options with 9 ¾-inch Dana Sure-Grip rears were available for four-speed high-performance cars without AC.

The highest-profile 1969 DODGE MAXIMUM MUSCLECARS were the low-volume ’69 ½ winged and streamlined Charger Daytona, Charger 500, and the Coronet-based Super Bee. The winged Daytona was the first stocker to be clocked at over 200 mph on Superspeedways; also set Flying Mile records at Bonneville. The Super Bee, with new tri-power 440/390 and 426/425 Street Hemi powertrains, built from the midsize Coronet platform was Dodge’s response to specialty Supercars like the GTO Judge. Like the streamlined Charger 500 and Charger Daytona, Creative Industries in Detroit also “built” the Super Bee.

On February 19, 1969, Creative Industries received the first one hundred 383 Coronets for Code A12 conversions to 440/390 Super Bees. Later, 440 engines were installed at the Chrysler assembly plant. There was also a Code A12 Plymouth Road Runner, powered by the same tri-power engine and fitted with a matte-black finish lift-off fiberglass hood.

1969 DODGE MAXIMUM MUSCLECARS Early A12 conversion engines utilized Edelbrock aluminum tri-power manifolds engineered and designed by Chrysler. Chrysler cast the six-barrel manifolds once the 440/390 became an RPO on other models. When the vacuum-activated end carbs opened, the total airflow for the three Holley two-barrels was an impressive 1,000 cfm! Dual four-barrel 426 Street Hemi was an option.

For more information about 1969 DODGE MAXIMUM MUSCLECARS and the complete Dodge hi-performance lineup, check out Over-Drive Magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/05/31/1969-dodge-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER

Bigger than a Ponycar and larger and more luxurious than a Musclecar, THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER in 1966 turned heads and blew off the competition.

The biggest big news for 1966 was the 426 Dodge and Plymouth Street Hemi. After teasing us with on-again, off-again streetable 426 Hemi cars in 1965, the option was officially announced. Rated at 425 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 490 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, the Street Hemi was, essentially, a detuned race Hemi with milder 276-degree solid-lifter camshaft, 10.25-to-1 compression and dual inline Carter AFB four-barrels. It boasted the same valve and port size cast-iron race Hemi heads and added new cast-iron long-branch exhaust manifolds. Since race heads did not have provisions for exhaust heat crossover, heat was piped from an exhaust header to the intake manifold.Early plans focused on making the 426 Street Hemi available in full-size models. I actually drove a prototype ’65 Dodge 426 Hemi Polara in June 1964. I remember telling an engineer: “The only Hemi Polaras you’ll sell will be to the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies!”

Mopar Supercar enthusiasts, drag racers and stock car racing fans rejoiced when the Street Hemi was announced. With the engine available as a production option, NASCAR’s Bill France reversed his 1965 Hemi ban. On Sunday, February 27, 1966, Richard Petty won the Daytona 500 in his Petty Blue ’66 Plymouth and David Pearson’s Cotton Owens ’66 Dodge placed third. Both were Hemi powered.We evaluated a number of candidates for Hi-Performance CARS Magazine 1966 Top Performance Car Of The Year honors, including THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER. Citing Street Hemi availability and unique, four-place fastback styling, Managing Editor, Fred Mackerodt, and I chose the all-new Dodge Charger. “When you combine the 426 Street Hemi’s impressive horsepower and torque with the engineered suspension and handling package, you end up with one of the most roadable middleweights in production”We tested Poly Red and Poly Silver 426 Street Hemi and 383 four-barrel Chargers at the Chelsea Proving Ground and lived for a couple of weeks with a Poly Silver prototype Street Hemi with 383 badging. My personal favorites were the automatic Street Hemi and four-speed 383, rated at 330 horsepower. “The Street Hemi will propel a Charger to 60 mph in approximately 5 seconds and trip the quarter-mile clocks in the high-13s at speeds close to 108 mph.” Times for THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER were based on driving well-tuned, factory-prepped Chargers at the Chelsea Proving Grounds, and we didn’t expect off-the-showroom examples to match that performance.In addition to its performance and styling, we really loved the Charger’s interior. “There are four matching vinyl-covered contoured buckets, many yards of carpet and vinyl trim and the neatest set of gauges we have ever laid our eyes on. With the rear seats folded flat, the rear armrest flipped over to pad the console and the storage panel dropped, it looks as though the Charger is a rolling billboard for a carpeting company! There’s carpeting from the backs of the front buckets to the rear bumper.

For more about THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER and 1960s and 1970s Musclecars, check out https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day One by Martyn L. Schorr