Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi - what makes this V8 engine so revered? | Tyrrell's Classic Workshop

Of the 165,000 first-generation Challengers sold, the 1970 models are widely regarded as the best, and of those, the one to have would be this, the R/T 426 Hemi hardtop with the 4 speed 'Pistol Grip' manual. Only 137 were ever made so to have one land in Iain's workshop is a rare treat indeed! If the 'Hemi Orange' paint scheme doesn't stop you in your tracks then the glorious sound of that 7L V8 Chrysler Hemi engine surely will!
Iain delves in to the history of this Hemi engine and it's NASCAR roots, and explains why the quoted figure of 425bhp may be downplaying this model's true performance, from an engine that's easily capable of much more. After a technical breakdown of the key differences between the Hemi combustion chamber and the more conventional design of that period, it's time to tune the engine, before unleashing this beast to see how it handles an English B-Road.
This fine example is up for auction with The Market by Bonhams:
themarket.co.uk/en/listings/d...
00:00 - Introduction and history of the car
04:49 - Engine Combustion Chamber comparison
07:49 - Engine tuning
08:50 - Road test
16:23 - Outro
Thank you once again to everyone for the overwhelming reception of these videos and for all the support of likes, subscribes and wonderful comments.
This video was brought to you by Aston Lark - www.astonlark.com/tyrrellswor...
Filmed and edited by Whipp3dCream - whipp3dcream.com/
Interested in purchasing a classic car? Check out Iain's guides with Supercars Monaco - / @supercarsmonacotv7831
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IMAGE ATTRIBUTION:
Jeffrey Hayes (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..., „NASCAR Hall of Fame (51417360107)“, crop by TCW, creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Kalvin Chan (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..., „Petty Plymouth Superbird (12830944615)“, crop by TCW, creativecommons.org/licenses/...

[@JohnDavis-ed5sg]

I like the fact that this is not a car snob channel, all types of cars are interesting and worth comment by an expert. Excellent!

[@ZEPRATGERNODT]

Great comment...

[@mopsnuf]

While I 100% agree with your comment, I would like to point at a few of the cars that have been subjects of Iains breathtaking explanations: Lambo Miura, Jarama and Espada, 300SL Merc and the 1-of-1 Lagonda Vantage. Mr. Tyrrell is a highly gifted and knowledgeable storyteller, mixing his passion for some of the most acclaimed cars of all time with more mundane enthousiast cars like Saabs, Clio Williams and to some extent these lovely muscle cars. All without snob! It cements the channel as the absolute top in automotive on KZbin. The quality is consistently off the charts.

[@markbennett2170]

@@mopsnuf Very well said! He is the creme de la creme of KZbin car channels. Check out Curious Cars, he reviews some great americana.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

I agree!

[@acp4343]

Watching him tune the carbs made me think that any kid that has Iaian for a grandfather is the luckiest around

[@jasonleedham5678]

So good to see a fellow Brit appreciating a muscle car, too many ready to dismiss them, for what they were, these cars were astonishing machines

[@rogersmith7396]

They go for eye watering prices now, like old XKEs.

[@stephenscholes4758]

**astonishing** lol

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

The same people who put down American muscle cars will fawn over capris, when it’s clear as day just by looking at them that they were just fords small, low quality, sh!t box version of a mustang for the Euro market.

[@stephenscholes4758]

@@Jonathan_Doe_ "low quality"...does that imply the Mustang was high quality? Oh dear 🤣 I have said it before on here, if you were a working man with a family back in the day, in terms of transport you would want to be in America first, no question. But that is where it ends. America has never made anything other than working mans machines, or hasn't since the 1930's. You say the Capri was low quality. Of course it was. But if the Brit wanted high quality engineering there was Jaguar, Aston, etc etc. America has never existed in that market, never made a truly desirable car.

[@davidca96]

the only downside with our 70's cars was the steel wasn't protected well the way cars are now so any driving in salty conditions would rust the body/frames out horribly. They were fine in warm climates though.

[@70stunes71]

I owned one of these Challengers, as well as three of the factory six pack cars. The 440 six pack was right behind the performance of these Hemi cars. Phenomenal torque

[@Mac10Daddy]

You’re exactly right. The 440 six packs would keep up with the HEMI’s until the end. Those HEMI’s would pull harder than any engine up in the higher RPMs

[@SolamenteVees]

A few thoughts from a Mopar lifer; the 426 Hemi wasn’t done at 5,000 rpm and that A-833 transmission makes such wonderful whirring sounds… respect from the Arizona desert.

[@Forgotten_performance]

Great to see someone talking about classic muscle cars without over exaggerating bad handling stereotypes! Really sounded great hearing the HEMI roar towards the end!

[@MrUltraworld]

I weighed a 426 Hemi once, it weighed nearly 900 lbs. I was stunned.

[@aaroncostello8812]

Amazing car. The base price of a 1970 Challenger R/T was $3,711. The Hemi was an $800 option, which is why not many people chose it over the $200 440/6. This car would have been VERY expensive for a Dodge back then.

[@christopherekin1747]

Not expensive for a Dodge expensive for most cars of that era.

[@warmstrong5612]

The $800 quick change sparkplug option.

[@zertur]

"Enough with the nerdiness"... I'm sorry but this channel is 1st class "nerdiness" all the time and THANK YOU for that!

[@michaelshaules1833]

As an American I find it interesting to see a Brit perspective of American iron. The family car when I was learning to drive was a Mopar 1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring. Not the massive powerhouse of this Hemi but it instilled an appreciation of Chrysler cars. Great classy intelligent video series as usual. Cheers from San Diego California

[@matty6848]

Mike you can’t beat the good old American V8s. I’ve always been a fan of American muscle cars. Dodge Charger, Mustang, even the V8 pick up trucks.just good sturdy solid cars that will run all day.!

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

@Perpetual Grin Which engine? Bigger than the GM 8.1L Vortec V8 or Chrysler’s 8.3L (8.4? I think 8.3) Viper V10?

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

@Perpetual Grin What? Mainstream American cars had 5+ liter engines all the time, some still do. I’ll give you the Viper, and the 8.1’s a truck engine, so I’ll give you that, too, but I’ve had a LOT of normal, mainstream cars and trucks, all American, and until My Fiesta ST the smallest engine that was in any of them was a 3.8L V6. Most had 5-6 liter V8s.

[@orangeisthenewblack1012]

@Perpetual Grin Tony the tory abbott destroyed the industry in australia.

[@simonelliott5956]

Great to see how diverse a mix of cars Iain's clients bring him! A great episode with yet another great car, we've gone from Saab 900 Turbos to Muira's, to Citroen CX, Foord Capri, Countach, Espada, Jags, Rovers, along with lots of others, and now American muscle! Keep it coming Iain, I for one can't get enough!

[@ToyKingWonder]

I couldn't agree with you more. No ego, no BS, no exaggeration. Just good technical information, historical facts, and real driving fun. That is why I ignore most car channels on youtube, and come here as often as possible.

[@ldhorricks]

This Man's automotive knowledge is simply Towering! I am a modest owner of a 1970 Alfa Romeo GTV and learned everything I know about the car simply by owning it and driving it...and everything that comes with it. This is one the best and most informative classic auto channels on the net. Well done sir!

[@sirswerve2493]

Thank you for explaining why this true cross flow head design is great and why it is such a great V8. Maybe even the king of the V8's!

[@xg5zm]

It will be great if you could try to capture the sound you listen on the hose for us to listen. May be compliment with your explanation of what we are listening to. Thank you.

[@4570duplex]

Outstanding take on one of my favorite genres of enthusiast cars. I was fortunate enough to have obtained my license in 1976, just post "gas crunch", when these cars were "a dime a dozen". My first car was a 1967 Pontiac GTO 400 four speed. I then discovered MOPARS, starting with a 1966 Plymouth Sport Fury 383 automatic. I then moved on to a 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T 440 auto, then a 1969 Dodge Super Bee 383 four speed and, finally, a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Hemi four speed. Not originally a Hemi car, but we dropped one into an original 440 car. I swapped carbs and manifold to a pair of Holley 1150 CFM "Dominators" on top of an Edelbrock "Rat Roaster" intake manifold, which was actually cast into the top of it (the big block Chevy was known as the "Rat" motor, the small block the "Mouse" motor). Exhaust was a set of 2 1/2" dia primary Hooker headers dumping into a pair of Corvair turbo mufflers. Internals were stock, but it was a '69 motor, still featuring the solid lifters (they went hydraulic in 1970). I ran that motor up to 6,800 rpm with nary a care in the world. "425 horsepower"??? It had half again that, at least. Alas, I sold it when I got married and started a family. Such is life. Today I drive a 1972 911 hot rod with a 3.0 liter RSR motor, but that is another story entirely. Someday I'll scratch that muscle car itch again... Anyway, thank you - you brought back lots of memories.

[@Mac10Daddy]

That sounds awesome! You have great taste in cars. I’m sure your HEMI was pushing at least 600-650 horsepower! I’m guessing you went through rear tires quite frequently lol

[@timboharty7325]

By far the best classic car Chanel on KZbin

[@bradcaldwell9158]

This car is of my era and origin.. Rare then and now, the Hemi was world class. Those in the know give it huge respect. Generally unknown and underappreciated, I thank you for giving it its due.

[@hodgie5321]

That noise........that sound .............I never tire of it - you won't get that driving a Telsa

[@kradius2169]

... You won’t get an overheating battery either that can’t finish the Nurburgring at full power.

[@kradius2169]

... or go out of warranty because you got on it too many times.

[@TheGel69]

these cars are wicked , currently redoing a 69 Chevelle SS396, pass everything but a gas station

[@norristammislideshowmulgre877]

Nice car. I'm currently restoring my 1969 Camaro 454 aprox 600hp.

[@Strike86]

The induction bellow inside the cabin on full throttle sounds like a bear attack. Absolutely stunning - so much style and power. I've always been a secret Mopar nut, if I won the lottery I'd have a Hemi-powered Plymouth in a heartbeat.

[@michaelnotigan7796]

SAE horsepower ratings, DIN horsepower ratings and Detroit doctored horsepower ratings in an effort to fool the insurance companies. It is said that the Buick 455 of 1970, along with the Chevrolet 454 LS6 engines were the only two that could give the 426 Hemi a run for it's money. It's a source of pride for us "yank" muscle car fans that the top master tuner, Mr Tyrrell, has a deep respect for american muscle. And what a car this Hemi Challenger, is!

[@johndavidwolf4239]

It is not just SAE vs DIN, SAE at that time also came in at least three "flavors"; "SAE net, "SAE gross", and "SAE brake". All which gave a different number.

[@audieconrad8995]

What a year for American Muscle!

[@rennkafer13]

And the Ford Boss 429.

[@Liplip40]

👍 haven’t spent much time with the 455. That said, the LS6 left an impression for sure. Hemi is the Hemi.

[@houtanarefi3325]

Buick 455 Stage 1, nick name "Hemi Killer" are absolutely torque monster engines, I have one and sometimes it really shocking me on accelerations.

[@ruk2023--]

I love these huge American V8's, so big that you can actually hear the fuel exploding in each cylinder.

[@audieconrad8995]

Rolling earthquakes!

[@Plastpackad]

...and the slurping sound from the gas tank.

[@bogfinken]

How many gallons per mile?

[@rogersmith7396]

Yeah you can with a one liter diesel too.

[@38.peemapontasanaset17]

@@bogfinken You might as well spray it along the road.

[@ToyKingWonder]

What a delight. Iain delving into those two big four barrels and coaxing the most out of them. Being a Mopar fanatic myself, Iain is spot on with everything he is saying--as usual. As a young boy, my favorite two cars were Porsche 911s and Jaguar XK-Es. Growing up in Denver, there was a surprising amount of those vehicles running around. I remember going to see "Vanishing Point" and watching a 440 powered Challenger best a Jaguar XK-E, and I was highly offended! It all changed for me in 1975. My dad's employee owned a service station on the side and tuned muscle cars and did general car repair. Everyone there had a muscle car. I looked in the bay and there was a blue and primered machined sitting there, and I asked if it was a Dodge Charger. No, he said, it's a Super Bee. And it's a 426 Hemi car. Would I like to go for a ride? Of course! I remember him taking it out and positioning it on the driveway to pull out onto the street. I had my seatbelt on. And he turned to me, dead serious, and said, "Lock your door". When we took off, the whole world changed. His was no 425 hp car. Iain mentioned hood lifting...this was major hood lifting. It felt like a mighty force was shoving me back into the seat. I could not believe it. My eyes were literally watering off my face! He slowed down, went down a side road, onto another larger road, and nailed it again. We got back, and I was shaking . My dad said I was white as a ghost, but not from terror, from pure adrenaline. That one, wonderful moment made me go crazy for muscle cars. I still have my relatively mild! 383 Charger from high school, and a 1971 Super Bee with a 440--as well as all sorts of interesting items. Oh, and I still love Porsches, and drive my son's 911SC whenever I can! Thanks again Iain, wonderful show!

[@deanoallen5096]

You have some balls driving that beast on bias ply tires!! I love your channel!!

[@markadams7597]

My dad owned a couple of these mighty muscle cars (road Runner and Superbird) back in the day. The Hemis were very temperamental, having to be tuned every few drives. Of course, to go over 150+ mphs made it all worth the efforts. "Beast" is right, particularly with the wooden pistol grip. The Hemi Birds would throw your teeth in the back seat!! And, the 426 accelerated quickly above 120 mph! Dad set up the idle to around 1800 rpm (causing the bird to idle moving at 20+ mph). That R/T should bring around $250+K (USD). Great vid, Ty.

[@stephenholland5930]

It should have gone for around that, but sold for a very reasonable £95000.

[@martinhobson3545]

Again something fascinating from Ian, could of gone on longer for me. As has been said no prestige car snobbery from Ian just subjective and informed presentation

[@edwinblank58]

There is also a forgotten engine from the the UK, the 2.5 and 4.5 Daimler Hemi V8.

[@Z-u-m-a]

'Fantastically quick' - classic understatement.

[@cepheus7850]

I really enjoy when Iain goes into nerd mode and really explains everything in detail. The combustion chamber explanation was great, and watching Iain smile as the engine was blowing his hair around was great. Fun video, really cool car, and of course that excellent shade of orange. 👍

[@indyzed9897]

Nice to see someone of this caliber appreciating American muscle cars

[@nicholassmith7048]

I don't believe I've heard Iain react so joyfully to an acceleration pull before.

[@soaringvulture]

Well, that's a 426 Hemi in 2nd gear. It sucks the air right out of your lungs.

[@seadog686]

That's muscle car magic for ya'! Even restrained Brit's loose some of their composure when exposed to it.

[@garrisonnichols807]

When I saw that blue bus driving towards you I got scared but then I remember you're in Britain. You guys drive on the other side of the road 😄 I hope you like our American cars. I sure do!

[@randylear8264]

I have owned my 70 Challenger since 1979. It is equipped with a 340. Many called it the baby Hemi. I also own a 70 GTX with the 440 six barrel since 1981. Both cars are so much fun to drive. Raw and brutal when the gas is mashed. Very docile and sedate when it just idles along. The Hemi was and always will be on a league by themselves. Todays muscle is very different than these beast from yesterday. But we need to thank them for without them we would not enjoy the muscle we have today. Thank you for a great video.

[@charlie1832]

I guess after this episode Mr. Tyrell can be called an enigma

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

Thank you very much for being able to see what this car is and what it was for rather than simply making fun of it for not being able to do the things European performance cars were designed to do. Almost NO ONE in Europe seems to understand that muscle cars weren’t designed to corner, a good-handling car in those days wouldn’t hook up and go down a dragstrip very well, and verse-vice-a. That’s a VERY special car (with the paint and gator-grain top, I bet it’s one of less than a dozen, particularly if it has any other weird options), and on decent tires was faster down a strip than anything else in the world at that time, while being affordable to most Americans who wanted one badly enough to justify the price.

[@stephenscholes4758]

Yeah but only working class Americans like these things; middle class Americans drove Volvo's and BMW's...the rich - Mercs and Jags. You talk about performance, but not about safety and build quality - two things where high end Euro's are unapproachable

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

@@stephenscholes4758 Yeah, as evidenced by all those tough old European cars still on American roads- oh, right, aside from diesel Mercedes and Volvo 240s, there aren’t any…

[@stephenpage-murray7226]

@@stephenscholes4758 Euro and build quality should never be used in the same month let alone the same sentence!

[@stephenscholes4758]

@@stephenpage-murray7226 Which American approaches the build quality of Merc-Audi-BMW? In the classic world, throw in the engineering quality of Lancia and Citroen

[@stephenpage-murray7226]

@@stephenscholes4758 You’ve never owned a euro or had to fix them. Not a vehicle yo own outside of warranty. Ex BMW owner myself. And you must be king about Citroen as most shops here won’t touch ‘em.

[@grayfool]

There's something about a big ol' muscle car. Not a fan of many US car but this stuff is something else. Cool.

[@curlybrownliz]

I can't remember the last time I saw a KZbin video with no dislikes. Clear explanations of the technical side of things, no egos or video filling clips, just a passionate, knowledgable man talking about cars.

[@mikeprostayko2951]

Loved this car since watching the film Vanishing Point in the early 70's. That exhaust note is amazing.

[@paulredding5864]

Same here, and then there's Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry 😎

[@johntechwriter]

"This is a serious, serious engine." Praise from Caesar. At 8:44, as Iain revs the engine while leaning over it, I'm sure I was not the only one afraid he'd be sucked into the intake manifold. How I would love a conversation between Iain and a top American NHRA tuner about ways to make a street-legal Hemi go faster.

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

It's great to see you cover so many bases of petrol headism.

[@craigkearns6425]

An impressive 0-60 time then and, arguably, now too. Imagine it fitted with modern grippy tyres? The more impressive thing about its acceleration is that at 60mph it’s only just getting started, the standing quarter mile times on HEMI equipped cars are still truly amazing today.

[@stephenholland5930]

Yes, that would've been on cross ply tyres like the Goodyear Polyglas fitted to this car. The US was much later than Europe in the use of radial tyres.

[@rustybearden1800]

When have you ever, during this series, heard Tyrrell whoop and holler while nailing the throttle? Love it, love it love it!

[@Canadiancarguy1987]

I got to be Honest never in my Life i would ever think I'd see one of these cars in Tyrrell's Shop!

[@eltonlouiewolf-wilson8345]

If its got wheels and a motor, I have a feeling Liam has tinkered with it!

[@autodidact537]

The only problem is that the 1970 Hemi Challenger with its wonderful engine is that it has sloppy suspension, wayward steering & scary brakes. This is why there are so many after market companies making upgrades for these cars hence the term "Resto-Mod."

[@michaelgoodson1797]

My uncle always said yep these go like hell burning fire in a straight line but if u asked it to turn b prepared to use the ditch and tree's as your brakes cause the brakes sucked too lol

[@tobymcnicol922]

Didn't seem overburdened with such niceties as seatbelts either 🤔

[@mescko]

@@tobymcnicol922 Because he isn't wearing it most likely. Lap belts were US law as of 1/1/'64 and shoulder belts from '68.

[@donkeller6399]

A pleasure, this video. Captivated me, took me back to my High School days, watching my dad tinkering with his Challenger, then allowing me to drive it. A deep memory evoked when you “hooted” as you opened it up-that resonated with me. 🙏

[@ianc8999]

I really enjoyed the nerdiness, but then the sound of that V8 being unleashed was brilliant.

[@liverpoolscottish6430]

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." You have to admire the American's approach to performance- big lazy engine- magnum torque and plenty of 'shove!' Epic. Great video Ian, I really enjoy the diversity on your channel. Keep up the great work!

[@liverpoolscottish6430]

@Poly Bun Great turn of phrase, "Like a coffee can full of rocks......" Most excellent! :)

[@TheAndre8900]

Just think of Rover and the lifespan of the original 3.5 V8.

[@orwellknew9112]

That was fun. Good to see you enjoying some classic American Muscle from the muscle car era. There is something very special about those cars. As a young lad, I used to dream about owning one some day. In America, youngsters like me bought those kits to put together plastics replicas of all the cars of the day. With the kit, some glue and paint, you could have your own 70;Challenger RT with a 436 Hemi under the hood. Fast forward 70+ years and now have my own muscle car. I look on these days as the second muscle car era. Now, I have a 2013 Mustang with a 6 speed manual and a Roush supercharged Ford Aluminator under the hood. Lots of suspension upgrades to make it handle the best a solid rear axle car can. The stock cold air intake hides the supercharger whine completely, so it’s a bit of a sleeper. I surprise a lot of people that think it’s a stock 5.0 Mustang GT. I could get it up over 800 hp very easily, but I’d have to go with a bigger/open intake, letting blower whine out..

[@VirtualGuth]

I love the diversity of vehicles featured on the channel. As a viewer from the States, I'm fond of muscle cars and appreciate them for what they are. I grew up in small rural towns. In the late 70's, my car-crazy high school friends all owned American cars with V8 engines while I was the only kid drawn to sports cars. Rather than American iron, I bought a Triumph Spitfire for my first car. At almost 60 years old, I have only ever owned one American car. That was a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro convertible, more of a "pony car" featuring the base 327 cu in V8 engine. These days I enjoy driving a Honda S2000.

[@LOTPOR0402]

Vanishing point

[@rolfsvensson5777]

That was the movie!

[@Bill_N_ATX]

They called them Elephant Motors. They were a beast. And that’s an incredibly rare car. It would be worth a fortune in the US, I can’t imagine what one in the UK would go for.

[@Bill_N_ATX]

@HVAC Quality Assurance , I hope he meant replacing the points and plugs, checking the timing, and maybe cleaning and adjusting the carbs. Touching a thing on that car would criminal. It would be like putting the Mona Lisa in a new frame. I don’t think anyone who owned that car would allow anything to be changed.

[@clintmullins4406]

@HVAC Quality Assurance you watched him “tune” it. He set the carbs and performed a basic tune up. Plugs, timing, fuel settings etc.

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

American classics tend to be cheaper in the UK as the demand is far lower. Also they dont really fit the roads and fuel is expensive.

[@peterdevreter]

Thats the only reason why i have never bought a transam (my dreamcar as a kid) the smokey and the bandit 1 front grille. The fuel costs are unbearable.

[@carado1984]

No one is doing to daily drive those cars so if you can afford one then fuel price shouldn't be a concern. That car is hypercar money which you also aren't buying if fuel price is a concern.

[@norristammislideshowmulgre877]

Also in 1970 the 1970 Plymouth Superbird held the world land speed record of 223mph.it took almost two decades befor it was beat it took a Corvette engine and a 4 speed automatic transmission to beat it.Mopar is number one.

[@DwainDwight]

Iain - thank you for sharing, best car you have featured, a dream car. and in orange. very original too.

[@tanyacharbury4728]

Great video. Thank you! Hello from northern Nevada where cars generally like this (not exactly like this) tend to be seen in relatively larger concentrations, not least due to the culture, generally dry weather and hence relative rarity of rust. Once a year, in Reno, near where I live, there's the Hot August Nights multi-day muscle car festival where cars like this are celebrated. I think that might be an informative and enjoyable visit for a certain British gentleman.

[@andrewlucas6214]

The holy grail of muscle cars. To my eyes, one of the most beautiful cars ever. Would like to see you revue a de tamaso pantera some day, another of my favorites.

[@jayjaynella4539]

That and the Charger 67-71 series. Super lovely cars unmatched even today.

[@stephenholland5930]

@@jayjaynella4539 That’s 3 generations of Charger across those years.

[@lindaoffenbach]

Quite a surprise this, and the first time the Hemi actually being well explained as far as I know. American muscles are an acquired taste of course but I do very much respect the utter power performance of them. I must say that I was being kept distracted by all those lovely coloured Espadas. You have already covered the Espada but all colours of them are so beautifully varied and intense.

[@rogersmith7396]

They were designed for kids with money, hence the Hot Wheels styling. Not a thing in the rest of the world. The high point of US economic performance, un necessary cars.

[@aspectdetailing]

Only a true expert can explain something complicated and make it easy to understand

[@rob51e]

One of the best chanels on KZbin, Ian is a treat to listen to, eloquent and a wonderful demeanor, I would love spend a day with Ian at his workshop.

[@gmain1977]

Great to see some muscle on on here. These were street raced and drag raced when new. Imagine in 60s and 70s cars doing low to mid 13s from factory. Some ran in 12s and 11s. Well explained in the video as well. Well done! Top job👍🏾👍🏾

[@danielslocum7169]

@@chadhaire1711 i believe that you are correct.that e.t. was among the quickest at the time though;the exceptions being factory super stocks such as the ford thunderbolt and hemi darts , which ran 11s stock.the street hemis were detuned to run on pump fuel in the hands of joe public.many memi cars were not geared properly for the .25 mile either.remember,highway speed was 70 without any overdrive.that said......a cam swap,headers,and a 4.10 gear would make the street hemi scream while shifting at 6500 rpm,taking no prisoners.

[@gmain1977]

@@danielslocum7169 raw power

[@danielslocum7169]

@@gmain1977 yes;the chrysler hemi was,and still is king of the american v8s. having said that.....it could still be beat [like anything] under certain conditions.in the right hands though.....that was ,and is extremely unlikely.

[@deniseb3897]

The 340 cubic inch small block V-8 that Chrysler put out in the late 60's was referred to as the "Baby Hemi" by many. It didn't have the Hemispherical heads like the 426 Hemi, but it's acceleration characteristics were similar in the sense that it's power was very much in the high rpm region. It just loved to scream in the higher rpm region. An early ad for it said, "6000 rpm for $3000". 10 1/2 to 1 compression, 2.02 inch intake valves, high rise 4 barrel intake with a Carter AFB, forged rods, forged crankshaft and forged aluminum pistons. My first car in 1976 was a 1970 340 Dodge Dart Swinger with 42,000 miles on it. Totally stock with street friendly 3.23 gears in it's Sure Grip 8 3/4" rear end it would do the 1/4 mile in 14.6 seconds at 96 mph. I kept the stock size 14" wheels on it with the factory hub caps so even with it's 2 side by side functional hood scoops it surprised many other cars. Probably not the best car for a 16 year old but damn it was a thrilling ride. Oh, it also came stock with 4 piston disc brakes on the front which saved my butt on numerous occasions. Frightening how many of the old muscle cars came with 4 wheel drum brakes.

[@carmudgeon7478]

Stopping power can be superior on drum brakes because of more swept area. Because of the better venting characteristics have made discs such an overwhelming choice, most assume drums are useless, but look under an 60000 kilo truck and you see drums.

[@randysmith7850]

I had a Challenger back in the 70's. Even with the much more mild mannered 318 it was a fun car to drive. 50 years later I wish I had kept it!

[@stephencook754]

Surprised as well! My daily driver throughout college was a 1970 Challenger RT with a 383 Magnum. We drove it along the entire US west coast one summer, going as far as the midpoint of the Baja peninsula. They definitely are a bit on the crude side, but so full of character.

[@ezacher4634]

Crazy how much they go for now. I had a 70 Mustang in high school. One friend had a 383 Challenger another a 428 mach 1, 66 Mustang gt, Olds 442 etc. No high schooler running around in then unless it's Dads.

[@rogersmith7396]

@@ezacher4634 My friend had a very used 428 Cobra Jet. The motor would just shake it. None of these old cars were built very well. I think he got his cheap but restored it would be worth a lot. He would start in second at a stop light, did'nt need first.

[@ericl452]

@@ezacher4634 One of my classmates in highschool had a 426 Hemi Challenger. I remember him doing a burnout all the way from the front of the school to the exit of the parking lot, about 200 feet. It was awesome. I drove a chrome bumpered MGB at the time that could barely chirp the tires.

[@MariyanTsonev]

Driving such a beast in school/college - must have been awesome time to live.

[@duckhive]

what colour was it, if I may ask?

[@robertdryburgh1457]

I was a passenger in one of these hemi Challenger R/T's when it was almost new. The power was awesome. The owner asked me if I would like to drive it.but turned down the offer. I was too afraid to drive it.

[@JulesN580]

This is the most interesting Hemi perspective that l've ever seen - superb. As a child growing up largely in the UK, our family referred to big American cars as 'Vasties' , and after moving to Australia, l would gaze longingly at the racks of metallic Hot wheels (we were only allowed Matcbox) cars outside a local store. The second time that we moved to Oz, in the mid 70s, l remember us running around Telamarine airport checking out Cortinas with 3.3 and 4.1(!) litre motors... with the similarly sized Holden Torana SLR 5000 equipped with a 308 ci / 5 litre V8! A young petrol-head's dream. Many years later, in my early 20s l worked as a Production runner/driver on a movie, and was in the very exciting (to me) position , to be able to then afford my very own V8 piece of Americana; a Metallic green1970 Chysler VG VIP, with a Fireball 318 (5.2 litre) and 727 Torqueflite auto. It was no Hemi Challenger, but did my friends and l have fun with that beast? You betcha!

[@bubba26]

These engines are *SO DAMNED HEAVY* though. I still see an orig '69 Hemi Coronet (super B) every few years when I go back to visit mom. I remember dragging with her, right in front of my high-school in my 351 Mustang. He couldn't get near me for about a half block or so. Of course, when he did catch up, it sounded like I imagine Hell would sound like with a hangover. That thing is still around though.

[@nicholaspetergagg7769]

Fantastic machine ,great styling and blistering perfomance-

[@nyplantingsgardendesigners5645]

Growing up, this was the king of all cars. Instant legend. Still is in my opinion. Even my BSA Lightning has a hemi!

[@S-T-E-V-E]

I'm glad to see you're not a car snob and appreciate American classics as well! I feel we were robbed in the UK of high horsepower affordable cars in the 60's 70's and 80's, I weep to see some of these classic American muscle cars go for under £20-30k at auction in the US when we pay £100k for a Sierra RS Cosworth etc.!

[@mescko]

This particular (Hemi) car is one of 70 made and is worth a mid 6-figure range.

[@S-T-E-V-E]

@@mescko I know that!

[@thefalloutshelter7799]

beautiful Muira in the background……love the color

[@melanieraphael5144]

Another great episode Iain! Great to see and hear this beautiful American muscle car. This channel is always so interesting. Thank you

[@christopherjones512]

I like Chrysler OVER Ford

[@Countach100]

It's funny to me to hear Iain admiring American cars. I grew up in Detroit admiring Rolls Royces and Jaguars. Thanks again, Iain.

[@14sgdpg82]

just imagine watching that driving past you in 1970 remarkable engineering wish we never left the powerhouse era great video

[@dailyreader506]

Chrysler Corp was very much ahead in suspension design as well. Of all the North American cars they definitely handled much better than others. Torsion bar front ends and well thought out leaf springs in back (even on the Imperial). I was able to drive a 1973 Newport (similar body to the Imperial) on a long lonely Northern Ontario highway in 1978 once. It had a 400 cubic inch V8 (6.55L). 125 mph for just around 75 miles. Yes a 36 min ride. Smooth as glass ride. Car took it in easy stride. Now I understood why the Chrysler 300 was so admired. Chrysler engineers were the best of the best. Their max wedge engines were something to experience as well. Great episode.

[@NLBassist]

Great video Iain,. Being a musician yourself, you will agree Ferrari V12's are classical music and US V8s are rock 'n' roll. I even think the sound of V8s influenced the distorted guitar sound. And of course some Italian makers like Bizzarini used US V8 blocks!

[@davidburne9477]

I have a synthesiser patch I developed for my Moog Grandmother - it’s called Falcon GT (after the 351 Cleveland Falcon GT rom Australia) and it builds from a lumpy growl to a howling basso voice. Would have been a nice addition to the soundtrack….

[@thromboid]

@NLBassist I so agree! Have often thought that my favourite hard rock guitar tones were somehow reminiscent of a V8 at full throttle.

[@RS-syrinx]

I love coming home from my rock band's gigs and listening to nothing but my V roar! It's music to my ears!

[@Weissman111]

Excellent - a double bill of Tyrell's Classic Workshop and Harry's Garage.

[@alasdairboyd7299]

Anyone else looking for Harry’s Esparda?👀

[@TheAslakVind]

@@alasdairboyd7299 I did actually!

[@roscothefirst4712]

Great video, the 340 cubic inch chrysler V8 was the small block choice here in Canada for high performance Mopars. I could only afford the more pedestrian 318 in a 1973 Plymout Satellite, but it had headers and a high flow Edelbrock intake manifold with a Carter 4 barrel ( later changed it to a Holley). It was a much bigger and heavier car than the Challenger, but still only had two doors. Pretty good traction in the snow with wide snow tires. Didn't corner very well, but the shocks were worn out. Anything above 110 mph the front end would start to lift dramatically. My 205 cm cross-country skis could easily fit sideways in the trunk.

[@dwaleboyagean4372]

Brings tears to my eyes. I'm a Mopar man and have a newer challenger. Awesome episode.

[@jazzcat5950]

This dude's the best. Like Scotty Kilmer and Car Wizard and a few others but no match to Tyrrell.

[@dbrandon4528]

Love it. The 426 HEMI is a legend and as stated severely under rated from a HP stand point.

[@patriottothecore6215]

The engine whisperer strikes again! Brilliant as ever.

[@proscriptus]

B- and E-body Mopars are surprisingly fun on a twisty road. The torsion bar front suspension is predictable and damps well, and of course with the Hemi you can steer with the rear end. I mean, it certainly handles as well as, say, an Austin-Healey. And there's nothing like the sound and fell of secondaries opening up. Unlike an Austin-Healey, a Hemi won't overheat.

[@BillWoodillustrator]

Love those old US muscle cars that reminds us all of hot wheels toys. Too many Europeans are dismissive of American iron, but you put it into context comparing it’s performance with the Daytona. I think I’ll watch the car chase scene again from Bullit when I get back home.

[@rogersmith7396]

A lot of the old cars were designed for long distance driving with comfort the priority. They don't beat you to death like European cars. There is a backlash brewing against race suspension and Recarro seats for the average goomer. Of course that is the reason lots are buying trucks. No one in his right mind would buy a truck when I was a kid.

[@christopherekin1747]

The 440 in the Charger in Bullit was in stock form. The 390 in the Mustang had a recurved distributor, rejetted carburetor, headers and could still not keep up with the stock 440.

[@regfenster]

Dismissive is most probably why this muscle is rare and not really understood in the UK. Cars like this are built for the American market where the cities are built around the motor car, that more or less means long wide straight lanes that cars like this flourish in. When compared to UK roads and bare in mind some of the B class roads were originally laid by the Romans for horse and cart use along with some of our eldest cities and their road networks a thousand years old in some instances and fuel more or less twice the price per gallon here you can understand why US muscle is just impractical here and through most of Europe for that matter. That is not to say that American vintage muscle is not admired, because it is.

[@donthomcsi]

I watch you for the exotica but this was a pleasure too. I remember the days when you could actually watch the gas gauge go down and chevron custom supreme 104 octane was 41cents a gallon. My wife had a HemiCuda that was lost in a flashflood in Texas never to be seen again. I drove for Hertz in the time of the Hertz Shelby's, that was fun and later raced mini's in autocross. Things seem to have come around again. Thank God I'm not that age now or Vanishing Point could become a reality.

[@rogersmith7396]

You can watch the gas guage go down on my 454 truck at idle. Need to run it once this year before cold sets in. See Hoovies Garage on the Hertz GT 350.

[@habibnetanukefuel795]

Mopar or no car, what a great soundtrack. Thankyou Mr T

[@chrisvillanueva1691]

Oh my!!! Can we see that gorgeous blue Miura?!!!!!!

[@chuckysue777]

Fantastic to see cars like this reviewed here through the eyes of someone with broad car & era experiance. I love the old exotics but cars like this that equally deserve their place in history is a treat. Please keep this global and timeline mix coming .

[@rogersmith7396]

Europeans usually laugh at American pushrod engines. They were simple, cheap, and reliable. Understressed.

[@erik149]

Thank you for the great video. The pure design of the 1970 model year is hard to beat. Sounds exactly like the white OA-5599 from the 1971 Vanishing Point movie, maybe because carburetors add a special note to the engine sound.

[@Auto-TaT]

My favourite matchbox toy as a kid! Really enjoyable episode, thanks.

[@csonkaperdido]

This car DOES NOT MAKE 425 HORSEPOWER... It makes over 500 in stock trim, and there's been plenty of dyno tests to prove that. Sometimes the manufacturer would simply lower the "redline" of the tachometer, but they didn't have any rev limiters... Or, if they were rev limited, the limit would often be 1000rpm higher than the redline on the tachometer.. Or "rev counter" in British. I'm so glad he opened by explaining this... Because many, many car snobs speak about muscle car engines as truck motors, tractor motors etc. NOTHING could be further from the truth. Some of these "big block" V8's are remarkably high revving.. Not just for their size, but in general. Most, if not all of the top-of-the-line muscle car engines were capable of 6000rpm, and it's not like power dropped off a cliff... That's how the OEM's fudged the hp numbers most of the time. Put the theoretical max revs at 5000 rpm, and rate the engine at the power output at 5000rpm. In many cases, the power curve was still rising. Here's a quick, simple way to tell with almost 100%certainty if an engine was rated below its actual potential... Hp and torque figures on a dyno ALWAYS cross at 5252 rpm... So if the "peak" hp is quoted at a number below 5252rpm, and the hp number is lower than the torque number - as is the case with these Hemi engines - chances are that the REAL peak hp is equal to or above the torque number. It's not foolproof - but it's pretty damn close. These Hemi engines would turn 6000rpm all day long and they were damn near bulletproof even at the top of the rev range. Ford was also very sneaky with hp numbers... A friend of mine has a Ford Galaxie 500 with the 427 engine that Ford ran in Nascar... And back in the 60s, Nascar really was stock cars racing. The cars on the track Sunday were on an assembly line with all the other cars, not purpose built "silhouette" cars built in a racing teams garage and having literally NOTHING in common with the road car version. So the OEM's had to build a certain number of cars for homologation... The Galaxie 500 w/ the 427 was the homologation special and it was FAST. There were very few modifications allowed, and one of, if not the most important "modification" wasn't even a modification... It was what's called "blue printing" the engine... Or "balance and blue print"... Both mean the same thing. The stock engine, straight off the assembly line at Ford, was sent to one of the top race engine shops in the world - Holman & Moody. H&M would take the engine apart piece by piece, and then they weigh literally every single part of the motor, especially all components of the rotating assembly. Rotating assembly is defined as all the parts of the engine that actually move - crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons... Once each part was weighed, they would balance the engine by sanding off tiny amounts of material in very specific locations so that each piston weighed EXACTLY THE SAME as the other 8 pistons... They would balance the crankshaft in a similar manner that we balance wheels and tires, spinning it up to its max rpm and removing tiny amounts of material from the crankshaft so it would spin with absolutely zero vibration. They balanced the connecting rods, and the tolerances were extremely small... Hundredths or thousandths of a gram in some extreme cases. The result was the engine gained hundreds of revs, or more. Vibration is what causes catastrophic engine failures at high rpm...and the smoother the engine could rev, the higher you can rev it Higher revs always equal more hp... That's literally the definition of horsepower... How much actual work is done over a specific amount of time. "Work" =the rate of acceleration, or the top speed. Torque is a measure of force at one instance - time has nothing to do with the torque an engine makes. HORSEPOWER IS TORQUE - JUST MEASURED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. If you want high hp, you either build a HUGE low revving engine with gobs of torque, or you build a smaller engine with less torque, but really high revs. Put it this way - hp is what determines the top speed of the car. Take 2 identical cars and put different engines in each. Car#1 has a 2 Liter engine that revs to 10,000rpm and produces 400hp. Car #2 has a "big block" V8 that only revs to 5000rpm, but also produces exactly 400hp. Everything else is identical except perhaps the gearing of the transmission and/or differential - but gear ratio changes have NOTHING to do with max speed, as long as the gear ratio of each car isn't so high that the car hits the rev limiter before it can reach top speed...as long as the gears are correct for each application, and allow the car to reach top speed before it becomes Rev-limited... It can't hit the Rev limit in top gear is what I'm saying - nor can it prevent the engine from reaching its peak power... If the gearing is optimized for each car, the top speed won't be affected by the gearing. That is assuming the weight of both cars is also identical, for the sake of argument and to equalize everything EXCEPT the displacement of the engines... the 2L car has ballast added to make it weigh exactly the same as the big block car so that rolling resistance is identical, aerodynamics are identical, and horsepower is identical. The top speed of each car WILL BE IDENTICAL. It doesn't matter that one engine makes more torque - because horsepower is the measurement of how much actual work (speed) the engine is capable of. Torque is a measurement of the twisting force the engine makes. An 800hp 3.5L V12 from an F1 car, dropped into a Nascar that had an 800hp 6.0L V8 will have the exact same top speed as the V8.

[@christiandiemond9595]

Having grown up with those cars and taking my road test for my drivers license in a similar vehicle, they were so much fun.

[@laurinjoelschafhausen]

How good the steel rims with the poly tires and the hub cab look. Just wow. Fantastic representation as well, really enjoyed the video.

[@petere3015]

Such a sweet video! I was present when my father was about to buy the hideous 1971 Dodge Dart. Along with my mother we convinced him to buy instead the Challenger with the pistol grip shifter, albeit with the 383 Magnum engine. The most wonderful car my family ever owned. Even though it was less powerful than the Hemi, it was an amazing muscle. This video brought such fond memories.

[@stephenholland5930]

Cool story. What colour was it?

[@zosoachilles]

If I could have dinner with a car enthusiast, Iain tops the list. Nothing pretentious or showy, just subtle yet intricate knowledge of every vehicle. This is the value Pinot Noir of car enthusiast channels.

[@ColinHarvey78]

Soundtrack is stunning. Not a real V8 fan - but this thing sounds stunning. Also, that gear lever!

[@Richard4point6]

I imagine that it's a cultural thing..."not a V8 fan.". You like V6s, inline 4s? How sad.

[@Michael_Michaels]

The Challenger and the Cuda are my favourite muscle cars!! Excellent! Thank you for this wonderful share, kind sir!

[@gryfandjane]

Another interesting thing about the Hemi is the valve train. Actuating valves in that arrangement, while having only a single camshaft in the “V”, required splayed pushrods and unusually long rockers. It’s pretty clever geometry.

[@vinvinmountbatten4241]

This car is the main character of the 1971 film « Vanishing point », in which someone bets to drive across the US in limited time. That’s when I fell in love with that V8 rumble as a child. Thank you Mr Tyrrell !

[@stephenholland5930]

Although all the Challengers used in the film had 440 Magnum engines. Don't forget the chick on the motorbike too 😉

[@WillyMcCoy50]

Another exacting review of a car I wanted when they were new. SuperBee's, RoadRunners, Charger 500's and GTX's could be seen in my neighborhood every day. Thanks Tyrell! 😊

[@juliandrake3159]

Love the enthusiasm! I was a teenager in the 1980s and grew up around these cars. I had friends who had a '70 Barracuda, a Dodge Coronet Convertible and one even had a Dodge Super Bee with the 396 engine and manual gearbox. What great cars they were. Wish I could have bought all of them and saved them in a garage to sell now as they fetch big money.

[@45green1]

Thrives on being thrashed, I love that line 😊

[@roscoejones4515]

If I could buy that car at auction, I would be SURE it had Tyrrell's autograph on the underside of the hood before I shipped it home!😉

[@rogersmith7396]

Insist on "The Hose".