Plymouth 426 Hemi – Pulpaddict

’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

’69 PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS

Over-Drive Magazine’s Fact Sheets cover everything you want to know about midsize models from base coupes and sedans through ’69 PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS.

Plymouth, like its brand-mate, Dodge carried over most of its high-performance models and 340, 383, 440 and 426 Street Hemi engines for the 1969 model year. 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 ’69 PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS were the Road Runner and GTX, available with engines up to and including the 426/425 Street Hemi. However, Plymouth, like Dodge, ushered in 1969 ½ with a tri-power 440 Wedge engine option, ideally suited for maximum street performance. Introduced in late-1969 and carried over for 1970 models, the tri-power 440 Wedge, right, was designed to offer the enthusiast an alternative to the heavier, more expensive 426 Street Hemi for competing against the hottest models from Ford, Chevy and Pontiac.

Plymouth’s 440 6 BBL boasted new-design 10.5-to-1 compression pistons and an all-new induction system featuring three two-barrel Holley carburetors on an aluminum high-rise manifold cast by Edelbrock. The two outer carburetors were vacuum-controlled. After initial production, Chrysler took over manufacturing the intake manifold and it carried Mopar #3412048. Output was 390 horsepower at 4,700 rpm and 390 pound-feet torque at 3,200 rpm. Plymouth branded this option 6 BBL, while Dodge promoted it as Six-Pack. An Air Grabber (#N96) option was available to duct fresh air directly to the air cleaner which was sealed to the hood. Fresh air induction was controlled by a lever – Carb Air – under the dash

Mopar factory drag racers campaigned both 426 Hemi and tri-power 440 Wedge cars throughout the 1969 season. Photos here of Dan Grotheer’s Plymouth powered by the 440/390 Wedge were taken in 1969 at the Chrysler Proving Ground, Chelsea, MI.

For more information about midsize models & ’69 PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS, please visit https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/06/04/1969-plymouth-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS

Dodge and Plymouth freshened their midsize models for 1967 and increased high-performance options. Big-Block 440 and 426 Street Hemis powered the hottest 1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS.

1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS

The top-dog 426/425 Street Hemi was carried over and joined by a 440/375 Wedge ideally suited for the street and track. New 440 four-barrel models were much cheaper to buy, insure, and live with than Street Hemis. Mopar Hemi race engines continued to distinguish themselves in competition. Richard Petty, driving the #43 Plymouth Hemi, won the 1967 NASCAR Grand National Championship.

Dodge’s mid-sized Coronets and Chargers were also slightly facelifted for 1967. The Coronet received a version of the grille seen on the 1966 Charger. it also featured a very slightly revised rear-end treatment. Dodge’s luxury-performance fastback Charger could also be ordered with top performance options.

The new Coronet R/T was at the top of Dodge’s midsize line. It was designed and marketed as a pure performance model, constructed to compete with GM’s Musclecars and Ford’s Fairlane GT. Its powerplant choices outshone the competition with a 440 CID V8 standard and with the famous 426 Hemi as optional. The R/T was basically a Coronet 500 with more powerful engines, heavy-duty suspension, brakes, and running gear.

When I was the editor of Hi-Performance CARS Magazine, I really liked the new 440/375 big-block, available in midsize 1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS. We had a new Dodge R/T that was a magazine project. Pacers Automotive, Oceanside, NY, and Motion Performance, Baldwin, NY did the work and we played! When stock it ran 93.16 mph in 15.13 seconds. With headers, Hurst shifter, dyno-tuning, 4.56 Sure-Grip gears, and 7-inch cheater slicks, the best run was 103.70 mph in 13.60.

For archival Dodge facts, figures, and history of 1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS, please visit OVER-DRIVE Magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/07/08/1967-dodge-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

The medium-sized Belvedere and its derivative models were slightly facelifted. The horizontal grille blades were thinner and housed dual, side-by-side headlights with small grille extensions between them. The parking lamps were moved into the bumper. The taillamps were redone. All mid-sized Plymouths were identical except for exterior trim and grille changes. The upscale Satellite and new GTX variants with 440 Wedge and 426 Street Hemi engines showcased Plymouth’s efforts to dominate the Musclecar marketplace in 1967.

For archival Plymouth facts, figures, and history of 1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS, please visit OVER-DRIVE Magazine @https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/07/05/1967-plymouth-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/