From www.DragRacingOnline.com Next year marks the 50th anniversary of an engine that revolutionized not only drag racing, but the entire automotive industry as well: The legendary 392 HEMI®. To help celebrate the anniversary, Mopar is launching an all-new 392 Hemi crate motor for a new generation of performance enthusiasts. This engine -- built with all new components -- is a complete engine assembly from the throttle body to the oil pan, and cranks out 525 horsepower in it most potent form. Three different versions of the new 392 are available from Mopar: P5153604 Carbureted, 540 horsepower and 490 lb.-ft of torque P5253605 SEFI, 525 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque P5153603 - 392 HEMI Long Block HEMI Crate Engine The original 392 Hemi engine was introduced in the 1957 Chryslers and Imperials. It replaced the 354 cubic-inch version of the original Hemi launched in 1951. Compared with the 354, the 392 was completely revised and improved, with larger valves and ports, a beefier block and crankshaft, and improved bearings. In short, the 392 Hemi, often referred to simply as the 92, was perfect for drag racing. More than a few racers bolted on six or eight carburetors, slipped in a hotter cam, tipped some nitro into the tank and went racing. Don Garlits ran a 392 in his Swamp Rat I at record speeds of over 180 mph on nitro with no supercharger. Garlits also used a 392 Hemi to officially break the 200-mph barrier when his Swamp Rat went 201.34 mph at Atco, NJ, in 1964. [11-01-06]
I was all excited over this untill I found that it is just the current model "hemi?" with a 392" displacement. Bummer
Makes looking for parts fro this engine on the internet a lot harder again because typing "392 Hemi" will give new engine stuff as result aswell. I found the same issue with looking for a '57 Chrysler 300-C for instance. "chrysler 300C" at Google gives mainly newer cars as results...
It's actually kind of sad that these American Auto manufacturer's have to relive past glory as opposed to creating new glory. It just doesn't have the same feeling.
Do not be sad all... Here's a secret... http://www.rodandcustommachines.com/rcmmain.html second item under "they're here"
It should have been a 391 Hemi or a 393 Hemi. Calling it a 392 is just raping a legend in my opinion. With the US auto makers in such touble I suppose it's just a matter of "grasping at straws"to stay afloat. Maybe they'll give one to Garlits to see how fast/quick he can make it go. Frank
Not bragging ,but the idea of building a Hemi conversion for the LA series Mopars was given in friendship to Phillip Lofton (Rally Enterprises) by yours truly . He and some engineer type even had a prototype head on display at Famoso several years back,since then Philip has dissapeared from the scene. I'm glad to see that the idea is still around !
When I was building my hemi some years ago I ordered some stuff from Phillip Lofton. He charged my card right when I placed the order but it was months before I saw anything at all. I got some parts but he only deliverd part of it and quit answering my calls. I called from a different location and he answered to tell me he'd get me the stuff but he never did. Thankfully I had paid with Visa and was able to dispute the charges and get my $ back for the undelivered items and get them ordered elsewhere. There's a lot more to the story but that's the basics. Be warned about this guy!
The small block hemi head hasn't taken off like R&C liked, so they threw their resources at building the new/old hemis. Saw firsthand, going to be a great project.
I think I'm about to vomit...here I thought they were doing the right thing and re-casting the originals...but no, they had to destroy yet another legendary name/moniker with a half-assed attempt at boosting sales...the worst thing is I'm sure none of the schmucks in the boardroom who're coming up with these ideas actually A) give a fuck about the original motor, B) work on cars, C) realize how much this hurts/pisses off guys like us, D) care about "nostalgia" and "tradition" as long as it fills their pockets and gets them a bonus check...
The first thing I thought was " yeah, but they'll just fuck it up with computer controlled shit". Didn't have to read too far to confirm that and worse.
'Course it makes more HP and TQ than the original while using less gas and putting out much lower tailpipe emissions, not to mention never leaving you stranded after dark when it's 15 and snowing....
Are the LA conversion heads for real? Have any been produced and installed? I've heard they were "coming soon" for years.
I saw a purported raw casting at Famoso a couple years back . At the time they had no finished product but the target price was around $8500. Shortly afterward Lofton's hemi parts business went bust apparently. I had some dealings with him when he first started out and except for a 3 month wait on a set of pushrods , I was treated fairly . I have heard others were not so fortunate.
Rod and Custom has some sitting on the shelf... saw them with my own two eyes 2 weeks back. They may scrap he project due to lack of interest in them and huge interest in their new hemi block project. Give 'em a call after SEMA. Talk to Mike or Jeremy
I don't wanna quit whining...and that "old junk" has potential with modern manufacturing techniques, for christ's sake it was cast 50 years ago, you don't think they could improve it and re-issue a TRUE 392 that was better than the first? Keep your advertising for new developments, not rehashed old names to sell more cars...
Never got past the prototype stage. Sure they will have a hemi 360 but with the new heads they had to redesign everything. New intake, new pushrods, new this, new that. The price just went up, up, up. $10K for a hemi conversion on an LA block is not for the masses.
I doubt the original block and head molds still exist. New tooling would need to be made up, and that would be so expensive they'd never recoupe the cost for such a nitch market product.
When Hot Rod cloned the plymouth they ran on the beach back in 57 just the modern machining practises produced 50+horse more than the origional had and that was using the same components as the origional car.I have the magazine packed away here someplace it was done a couple years back
The Jalopy Journal
