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Old 03-11-2008, 09:15 AM
Dr. Righteous Dr. Righteous is offline
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Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: RURAL Tennesse
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Default New Hemi Swap??

I really didn't pay much attention to the new hemi until recently. We ran across a killer deal on a '04 Durango we couldn't pass up. It has the 5.7L Hemi 3.92:1 gears, 5spd automatic. It is amazing how well this 5200 lbs beast moves out.
Reviews say it does in the mid 15s quarter mile with those tall gears. I would have to agree. The really amazing part is the mileage. 15 mpg around town and 21 on the highway so far. Considering the weight of the vehicle and the power the engine produces that is really outstanding.
I have been kicking around engine ideas for my '72 Satellite, was thinking of a stroker 360 Magnum because I like the modern serpentine belt driven accessory setup and the roller cam. But gas mileage would keep it parked most of the time. Now consider the new Hemi. Park that thing in a 3800 lbs B-body. Great power, good mileage. That is a very hard combo to beat.
If you have the green, you can do a crate motor but you should be a able to score a junk yard hemi for a couple grand also.
Anyone considering such a swap??
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Old 03-11-2008, 10:32 AM
peg leg peg leg is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Default Well!!!!!

A friend and I are putting a 5.7 Hemi in a '49 Dodge business coupe, as we speak. The owner found the engine at a salvage yard, and it came out of a pickup with only 12K on the clock. He paid $3200, with tranny and electronics, which I think is a good deal.
I think a new Hemi is a good choice for all your reasons, but also the in-your-face attitude of having it in an older car. It even looks good in there! We had to fab the tranny cross member, and the owner had to buy aftermarket engine mounts, but it was actually a pretty easy install.
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Old 03-11-2008, 10:51 AM
Dr. Righteous Dr. Righteous is offline
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Location: RURAL Tennesse
Age: 58
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Default

$3200 SOUNDS expensive but consider what an engine BUILD would cost for the same performance. Plus you get silky smooth idle driving. I have read that a A518 truck tranny will bolt right up. This give you a OD tranny without the need for a TCM. There are also kits out there for conversion to carbs if someone wanted to run a carb on that engine. I believe you can get all the electronics necessary from MoPar to make the swap work with EFI.

The last hot MoPar I built was a '69 Coronet. I wanted a real daily driver that had good performance but got descent mileage. I managed 16mpg hwy out of a 10:1 383, with mildly lopey street cam and a 2800 rpm stall converter. This combo needed 4:10 gears to be really fast in the quarter. But that would have killed it as a hwy driver, so the 3.23:1 gears stayed. Even though 16 mpg HWY was good, around town it was about 12 mpg. Also it HAD to run 93 octane or I had back all the timing out of it. At the time premium was $1.50 a gallon (ahh, the good old days) and it was killing me. Got bored with the it and sold it.
In retrospect, I actually MET the performance goals I set for that car. It was quick, and got descent mileage. It was good, but with the rising price of gas, it wasn't good enough. What good is a hot MoPar if you can't afford to drive it??? I never have been in favor of garage queens. I don't have room for a car that exists just to polish it.
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