I am looking at building a 52 chevy with my dad (his first car was a 52') and doing it rad rod style. Thing is I have a very cool little red ram hemi sitting in the shop that I have been keeping for a project. Would one of these look right in the 52' with a multi carb intake?
Only if the carbs are sticking through the hood, it has fender well headers and a straight axle. Lots of altitude!!
Its what my dad keeps calling traditional rods. It usually starts with that and goes into "back in my day..." I have a Mig, torches, and a BFH. I can make it fit! The red rams are actually a lot smaller than the other hemi's which will help also. Here are the dimensions of a stock 241 fully dressed with a tall oil bath air cleaner. Width ( oil filter installed, with exhaust manifolds ) Height ( bottom of oil pan to top of air cleaner ) Length ( back of flywheel housin g to front of FAN )32 3/4 31 28 3/16 Here are the dimensions for a longblock SBC with a short water pump. Width (exhaust manifold to exhaust manifold) 30" Height (front of oil pan to top of air cleaner) 27" Length (back of the flywheel housing to water pump) 27" Not really an apples to apples since the chevy is missing things like the fan and spacer, the hemi uses a tall old oil bath air cleaner, and who knows what exhaust manifolds are on each.
It should fit, the chevy cavity is large.....what size red ram? 241 or 270....should not be a problem....steering box may be an obstacle,..........315/325 are a wee bigger in overall size.....Hemis are not any longer than the standard fair...just W-I-D-E-R. the oil pan is like a ford though(cross-member?) The smaller red rams are smaller in length than a chevy...but wider across. got any pics?
Its a 241 from a 54' Coronet I believe. The motor is currently completely apart. Its not that wide compared to the SBC. I also have a nice 833OD, and several mopar 3 speeds that I could use...
my old 52 chevy 2dr sedan gasser had a 392 w stack injection , WAY cool ,stock steering works, but forget about stock fenderwells, the firewall needs to be set back, some floor tunnel mods are needed as well, mine went thru numerous motors from the hemi to several BBC's and finally back to a series of sbc's, the last was a mild 355 for street use b4 I sold it in 1986 after rebuilding due to a wreck, explains my attitude towards strt axles/drag shocks and street use, a dip in the road caused the front end to lift off the road at near 120 MPH, came down and the tie rod bent \----/ on landing ,off into the ditch (and tree) i went. , no more full race 90/10 front shocks on the street for me or street racing either for that matter , lol, still miss that car tho
That would look sick! The only problem I can think of is if you have power steering...but if you switch to manual box a V-8 fits easy. Show us progress pics when you get to it!
It will fit no problem as far as width...you could slide a 426 Hemi in there if you trimmed the firewall ribs down and cut out the parking brake assembly. The car has no heater/vent tubes under the hood right now, and the engine bay is HUGE without 'em! The oil pan and steering are the things that would concern me most about this swap. That, and the fact that these cars have a very tight trans tunnel, so a manual tranny might work okay, but an automatic could give you some fit problems. If the motor has a rear sump with a shallow front, you might be okay. Of course, the stock mounts I just put in the car won't work, so I can remove those for ya! (I kinda liked the idea of the CFI motor in this car, though!! )
The 241 is much smaller than a 392. Its not too far off a SBC. I have the 305, and its a good running driving motor, and most of the crossfire injection system. Are the engine mounts in the car for a SBC? I thought they were for the stock 235...
on mine the fenderwells were cutout for header clearence, the firewall may have been more for engine setback more than clearence, the stock center steering pivot can be spaced down for more clearence but not much,mine had a custom pan setup
No you should put the hilborn injection on it with the sraight axle and and fender well headers. If you need help with stuff for that engine, let me know I'm getting mine all figured out for my 36 3 winder. Motor mounts and oil pan can be difficult in that car since it has a crossmember and the front or mid oil sump and the motor mounts have no place to mount since the are hardly no extra holes on the block. Oh and any distributor for a 318 will fit right in. A small block chevy water pump is a close fit. Rodger
They are...they'd have to come out if you used anything except a Stovebolt...but they just bolt in so no big deal. I installed them last week, but no biggie to nab 'em back out if they're only gonna be in your way!
I'm putting a 383 mopar in a 50 chevy. If that will fit with room to spare that little ram sure will.
Doooooooooooooooo It!!! I mean, as long as it fits and lines up properly within the engine bay. Go for it and keep us posted on the progress.
Getting the car is still up in the air. But if it happens, I want to. I need to find a multicarb intake for the baby hemi...
A red ram hemi would look right anywhere. I only ever owned one, in a 54 Dodge ragtop. and I loved it, hated the tranny though.
Want to spend some $$$? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/WEIA...ryZ34198QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I've seen pristine Offy 3x2 intakes for the little Dodge that would probably work better for less $$$. If I remember right the Dodge doesn't have the normal engine mounts cast into the block. It had a strange saddle arangement that the water pump sat on. It wouldn't be hard to make a plate to mount it though. I say do it!
The Jalopy Journal
