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History So how did you come by your HEMI'(S)

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 34Larry, Oct 17, 2018.

  1. Not sure if the first was the package deal or my 56 Fury which had a broke 354 in it - that took a little figuring out....so that maybe was not really the first as I had been looking at an old 56 Dodge dirt track car with a hemi in it since about 1973. After finally figuring it out it was a D-500 car I finally brought it home about 2008. Before that the package deal was for some cars with 331's that I had to take to get a mid 60's mopar convertible off the original owner. One of my little Red Ram's came into our wrecking yard from a pretty good restored Dodge and it took me forever to get the old man to let that engine go...to me...as he thought the more door should have another life. Lot's have come and gone.....missed out on two complete 56 Chrysler's New Yorker's with the 354's on two different deals only to buy both years later.
     
  2. Joel W
    Joined: Jan 4, 2010
    Posts: 152

    Joel W
    Member

    A couple from my dad and a couple from me- dad bought a 392 from a "gaaser" many years ago. The people took it to the machine shop, then did not pay the bill. Machine shop got tired of it being around and hauled it to scrap. People were hounding the iron guy for the engine, but he took a liking to dad and he got it bought right. He also traded a core 392 to a cousin for a cherry 32 plymouth pb coupe body, and this fall we bought core engine back from him.
     
  3. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,503

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

    I would tell everyone but I am still buying them from this source (not as many as years ago) and don't want to lose my resource. ;)
     
  4. Joel W
    Joined: Jan 4, 2010
    Posts: 152

    Joel W
    Member

    My first 392 is a engine dad bought from a salvage yard and the engine has been through a flood. He thought I might be able to save a few parts. 3 sleeves and typical rebuild items, it is ready for assembly. I wanted a block for another engine, and was not having luck locally. I found a standard bore block through Craigslist 500 miles away. Called and the guy was from a town 15 miles away from me, and had recently moved to Texas. Hauled the block from Iowa to there. His dad had plans to build a model a coupe with hemi in the late 60s, and this is what was left of it. I bought it, he delivers it back to Iowa on his next trip 6 months later. On the flip side we have a Gaylord ski/drag boat that had a 392, but another guy wanted the hemi, and I wanted a milder build, so a deal was stuck where he bought the boat and i purchased the off-falls for a deal. (Previous boat prefer was Ronnie Rapp for those who recognize the the West coast drag racer)
     
  5. ] I had to buy a guys 48 F1 project that was blown apart into a 1000 pieces. It was set-up for both a flathead or a 392 both motors completed with speed equipment. I hung the truck together, finished it to point where it was ready to turn the key and sold it. Ended up with a little extra cash, the hemi, and some more parts to swap.

    Now the 392 has 4-2's on a Cragar and Marine valve covers.....and I wish I had the truck back!

    F 1 008.jpg Roadster body 005.jpg
     
  6. foolthrottle
    Joined: Oct 14, 2005
    Posts: 1,402

    foolthrottle
    Member

    I can remove this if you don't like it.
     
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  7. rjones35
    Joined: May 12, 2008
    Posts: 865

    rjones35
    Member

    Please delete this post if it's inappropriate.

    I was just at a guys place earlier today buying a few parts. He had a few hemis sitting around and a lot of parts for sale.

    There's an ad on Craigslist Kansas City, he's in Ottawa. (I know we're not supposed to put a link on here...) But he had a lot of old school go fast parts.
     
  8. manyolcars
    Joined: Mar 30, 2001
    Posts: 9,176

    manyolcars

    I got my first 392 from a guy. For the second one I got on my 1946 Harley and rode thru a certain neighborhood systematically until I found a 58 Imperial. Paid $50 for the entire car. Found a good ring compressor in the trunk. still use it
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2018
  9. Thor1
    Joined: Jun 6, 2005
    Posts: 1,664

    Thor1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Late on a Wednesday night at the end of this past July I was cruising Craigslist and came across a post for a '57 392 Hemi that had been posted an hour earlier. The owner said it had less than 1500 miles on it since it was rebuilt some years ago but he was going to pull it out of his T bucket in favor of a small block Chevy. It is complete except for the carburetor and alternator and came with headers and two extra sets of heads.

    I texted the owner right away that night (around midnight) and then called at 7:00AM Thursday morning and left a message. He got back to me a few hours later and said that he had been getting a bunch of calls but that he was "old school and did things the proper way" and was responding to people in the order that they had called. We talked a while and from his description of the engine, his honesty, and his demeanor on the phone I told him that I would buy it but that I couldn't make it over until Friday. He said no problem and we set a time to meet.

    It was a tough day and night as I waited with anticipation for Friday to come. I figured that I would get a call from him and that someone would have offered him more money and he would have sold it out from under me. It has happened to me before a few times and I kind of expect it anymore dealing with this sort of stuff. I couldn't take it so I left work early on Friday and called him and asked if I could come over early. He said "I am retired and all I'm doing is sitting on my deck and enjoying the day, come on over!"

    Long story short the engine was exactly as described. The heads were off it and the cylinder walls look awesome, with no ridge. The engine is clean and he connected the battery up and turned it over with the starter and it is really smooth and tight. It has chrome Chrysler Firepower valve covers, adjustable pushrods, extra rockers, starter, flywheel, new spark plug tubes, an aluminum GM transmission adapter, etc. The owner told me that he had gotten a couple calls from guys that offered to pay more to buy it out from under me. He said that he didn't roll that way and that "a man who wouldn't keep his word wasn't a man at all." He had some other choice words for folks with no integrity, but I won't share that with you here. It was an awesome day! I got an engine that has only been a dream of mine up to this point, but better yet I got to meet and visit with a cool old hot rodder who restored my faith in humanity.
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2019
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  10. LSGUN
    Joined: May 26, 2007
    Posts: 1,358

    LSGUN
    Member
    from TX

    I wanted to find an Industrial Hemi years ago and ended up stumbling upon four (three 331 and one 354) that this farmer had sitting next to his fence line. I tracked him down, made an offer, then dragged them home with the help of my dad. Then a few years later I ran across a Mopar dude selling some SB and BB engines along with early Hemi stuff. I made him an offer on the Hemi stuff only and made out with a 354 crank, complete '55 331 with the 555 heads, misc. parts. I ended up selling it all a few years ago when I realized I wasn't going to get to any of it soon.

    DSC00413.jpg

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    427014_3607592905011_96727978_n.jpg



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  11. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    56 Desoto 330 Hemi with a 2 barrel.
    Had a guy show up at the school shop wanting the 350/350 and rear pulled out of a mid 70's Camaro and put into his 53 Dodge pickup that had the hemi and overdrive in it. We did the swap, I ended up with the hemi and a kid ended up with the Camaro body (which wasn't much) after he totaled his Nova backing into a power pole and bending the quarter. He swapped the drivetrain out of the Nova into the Camaro but the Camaro wasn't much.
    25 years later the Hemi is still out in my shed waiting for something to stick it in.
     
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  12. In 2008 I found a '58 Imperial in a junkyard with the short block still in it.

    It may even still be there.

    another yard he had a big pile of them saved out of scrapped cars and a '58 New Yorker (next to a '51 Merc coupe no less) but he didn't want to sell whole cars and the motors seemed to all be of very low value due to being outside uncovered for ages. All gone now, a vacant lot.
     
  13. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Second long bell 331 I got when I was driving home. About 4 blocks from my house I saw a 331 block on a engine stand with a For Sale sign on it. Guy had a 35 Ford pickup with a early 331 in it and worked for the local Chrysler dealer. The engine that was for sale was a warranty pull out. It was almost new. Disassembled, with new rings, bearings and lifters it the boxes with it. I offered him $25 with the stand and he took it. First 392 I got was a block and two cranks with a Ted Gotelli shorty girdle installed. Guy was a boat racer and had decided to step up the 426 engines and had this left over. Gave it to me as a good home. My friend Bob Smith was running a Blown alcohol FED with a 92 in it. So between the sheet metal from the 331 and Bob's cast offs I got the 392 running in my 32 Ford coupe and later in my Vega.
     
  14. Jim Hassad
    Joined: Aug 9, 2015
    Posts: 59

    Jim Hassad
    Member

    Dad received the 241" Dodge from his friend at a Dodge dealer as a "warranty replacement" in late 1952. He installed a Chet Herbert roller cam and 10:1 pistons from beginning. Ran El Mirage and B'ville thru 1958 on gas, alky and nitro. Split the block with the nitro, rebuilt it in 1955. Best run was 151 in 1958 on alky with 6 97's. Car sat for 10 years until I could drive, street use until 1994 when I took it vintage racing on pavement tracks, like Laguna Seca. Always finished at top of group, no DNF's. I have never had engine apart! I did remove a rod and main cap to check bearing wear, looked perfect, yeah for cast iron! I ran it to 6,000 rpm on track, no harmonic dampener! Head gaskets have never leaked, despite many boil overs with old copper radiator. Installed an aluminum unit 2 years ago, big difference! Anyone have a longer Hemi history?

    family-02[1].jpg P1010852.JPG JBA C&C 3.jpg SDRC timing tag.jpg family-28.jpg
     
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  15. foolthrottle
    Joined: Oct 14, 2005
    Posts: 1,402

    foolthrottle
    Member

    Jim Hassad, wheres the video?
     
  16. Jim Hassad
    Joined: Aug 9, 2015
    Posts: 59

    Jim Hassad
    Member

    I have a very short movie view of the car at B'ville taken by the Vesco family. I will post some other slides I had digitized. I also am in the process of digitizing a news clip that was made when I vintage raced at Laguna Seca and will post it soon.



    Car is shown being towed thru pits at 44 sec point.

    upload_2018-10-25_7-50-17.png upload_2018-10-25_7-51-11.png
     
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  17. Jim Hassad
    Joined: Aug 9, 2015
    Posts: 59

    Jim Hassad
    Member

    Oh yeah, notice the Sears Allstate tires on the front. NOT 150 mph rated! Oh, the good old days when ignorance was bliss!
     
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  18. krylon32
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 9,397

    krylon32
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Nebraska
    1. Central Nebraska H.A.M.B.

    Just like LSGUN found, when I was growing up in the late 50's/60's they were everywhere in Nebraska powering irrigation wells. I was always fascinated by the ones that sat vertically and direct drove the pump without a gear box. Must have been some sort of dry sump oiling?
     
  19. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Pretty cool car. I do think Sears did sell LSR tires at that time. I seem to remember seeing them around.
     
  20. Joatha
    Joined: Jul 6, 2008
    Posts: 184

    Joatha
    Member

    Out of the blue one night some 20 years ago or so, I get a call from some guy. I still haven't figured out how he got my number. But, he heard that I was a Mopar guy and he had some stuff he wanted to sell. We talked through it and it was a 354 that had been pulled out of a Willys that he had bought. Motor was already built but had been pulled. He was moving to Chicago and didn't want to take it. I asked him what he wanted for it and he said $3500. I said that I was interested but I didn't have that much money laying around and I would have to pass. I kind of sighed and put it out of my mind.

    3 weeks later, I get a call on a Saturday afternoon. Its the same guy. He says if I can get there that night he would sell me the 354 plus another hemi motor for $1000. Luckily, I had about $600 in my car fund. I went to the bank and fortunately, I was allowed to pull out a max of $500 from the ATM. So, I had the money.

    I had not seen the motor at this point but I checked it out and deemed it worthy of the money. The second motor was a 331 that was completely apart and missing a good bit but it had a bunch of the accessories to go with it. I loaded both up and started to head home. The guy stops me and says, "Are you interested in a car?" I responded that I didn't have any more money. He said, "Doesn't matter. You can have it if you want it. You just have to get it out of storage and haul it away yourself." It turns out to be a 41 Plymouth 2 door sedan. He was going to just leave it at the storage place and let them sell it so he figured he would avoid some drama if he got me to dispose of it for him.

    So, the next morning I get up and call a tow driver I know and ask if he's available - he is. So, I head to the storage place and the car is out of the storage unit. In fact, the owner of the place was pissed because the car was in the way. I talk him off the ledge and tell him that I bought the car from XX last night and I'll have it out of here shortly. I call the tow driver and an hour later he is loading the car up for me.

    I didn't have room for the 41 so I ended up selling it for $1500. So, I am $500 ahead already. I kept the 2 hemi's and stuck them in the garage. I later acquired my 1930 Model A Sport Coupe and the 354 is destined for that car. I never did figure out anything to do with that 331 so I ended deciding it was time to sell it and that happened back in the summer. I got about $600 for it. That puts me over $2100 ahead so far on that deal.

    Now, I just need to finish up my 68 Barracuda convertible so that I can start work on the Model A.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2018
  21. Sorta forgot about my 56 Savoy with the early 53/54 Little Red Ram and three on the tree in it....yep ran across it at an old mopar guys yard....took a little trading to get it....it's a yard run around'r car at the moment....yep....know it didn't come in there...it was a bolt in using the early water pump engine mount that still fit the spot where the 6 was on the 55/56 frames... 56 side (2).JPG
     
  22. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Craigslist ad.

    I went out to buy a 1956 354 Chrysler, and came home with two.

    Now I have three sets of rods, and three cranks.

    I find 331's and 354's for sale, on a regular basis, so they are out there.
     
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  23. Perry Hvegholm
    Joined: Apr 16, 2018
    Posts: 118

    Perry Hvegholm
    Member

    I haven't actually acquired my Hemi just yet. It's a gen II and I know it's out there waiting on me. I have simply not been successful, as of yet, in convincing someone to swap me their 426 straight across, for an old, toasted oil hog 318 or a tired motor home 440.
     
  24. flatheadgary
    Joined: Jul 17, 2007
    Posts: 1,012

    flatheadgary
    Member
    from boron,ca

    in the mid '90's i stopped to get gas at a station. a guy pulled up next to me and had a cardboard sign on a string around his neck. it said '56 hemi 331 for 300.dollars. i asked how much of it was there. he said it was complete. it was just taken apart. all the machine work had been done and he was looking for a small de soto hemi, so this one had to go. it didn't take long for me to decide what to do. it is still in my shed waiting.
     
  25. paul philliup
    Joined: Oct 3, 2013
    Posts: 213

    paul philliup
    Member
    from ohio

    Like a lot of people I wanted one but for racing. In the mid 80s I bought a old fuel altered and ran a alcohol injected small block chevy in it. The guy I got the injection from became a life long friend and his dad had raced comp back in the 70's. His dad had a complete 426 injector to pan that was never ran. A friend bought it to put in a mud bogger which he ran it hard for a few years. He then wanted to sell it and made me a great deal. I'm on my 4th HEMI now it being a 57 392. IMG_20161211_081402431.jpg IMG_20170610_120359306.jpg
     
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  26. paul philliup
    Joined: Oct 3, 2013
    Posts: 213

    paul philliup
    Member
    from ohio

    Update on number 4 getting ready for my 39 Plymouth IMG_20181128_171252907.jpg
     
  27. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    1962. My bud Al Mise was a Machinist Mate, Navy, U.S.S.L.A. Heavy cruiser. His boss was Machinist Chief, also owned a blower service in Long Beach. He was tight with Joe Reath, sold me the 331 out of Joe's dragster, fresh, with O-ringed heads, lots of parts, priced so low I had cash on me to buy it! Brought it home (apart) in the trunk of my channeled 'A' Coupe, to San Jose. Built it with 6-71 blower, triple V belts. Put it in my '46 Coupe.
    Some years later, a bud was closing his hot rod shop, sold a '34 sedan to his employee, who had an electrical fire on the way home! Burned the whole loom together...
    Gomer called me and said he was desperate, could I just go look at it, and call him? Sure.
    The '34 was in San Jose, so I went the next morning. (Gomer's shop was in Fremont)
    'Lurch' ('34 new owner) had spools of wire, I had electrical stuff 'cuz I wired 'street rods'. Looked at it, told Lurch "Let's fix this, today." So I completely wired the '34, with LOTS of good help...had it finished (nicely) by 7 or 8 P.M.
    Gomer called me the next day, frantic about "What will I have to do???"
    "Nuthin'," I told him. He was in awe..."Mike, if you want the blown 354 in my '29 roadster, everything except the blower & manifold, bring me $100. Just for the Mickey Thompson valve covers. The 727 adaptor's yours, too..." Got it.
    Thanks, Gomer. I was glad to bail him out anyway. Gomer's a great guy.
    Swap meet: Said hello to a young guy in the Hearse club, he said he had a DeSoto Hemi complete, but apart. $200. My nephew Phil was there, so we got it for him, to go in his channeled 'A' coupe we were building.
    Phil got a deal on a shop, so was selling the 'A' coupe project. He got $6500 for the 'roller'..."Uncle Mike? I want to give you the hemi and the Dodge steering box for helping, thanks." Nice! DeSoto 276, has the large flange on the 2bbl intake that just has to be cut for a 4 bbl. (maybe I'll buy a 4 X 2 intake...)
    About that time, my pal Larry of Early Auto calls, his tenant (rented 2 shops from Larry; Dick Powell, west coast boat drag racer) took my advice and went to the Dr. to check tiredness, doc came in the room and Dick was dead. I was saddened, good friend, for years.
    Larry was cleaning out Dick's stuff, opened the top desk drawer and found a handwritten will... My name was first.

    1.) Mike gets the 354 Hemi with the trick pan and 2 X 4 intake.
    2.) Bob H. gets my '34 pickup
    3.) Jeff P. gets the Dodge Red Ram in the '34 pickup
    Etc./ List was long, lots of stuff.

    So now I have my 354, all ready for my...'27 Tub? No... '27 roadster on '32 rails? Maybe...
    Tub gets 'new' flathead (for now) but the DeSoto fits there SO nicely...it's got its own '37 LaSalle box. With adaptor.

    So many hemis...so little time. And little cars!
     
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  28. NWRustyJunk
    Joined: Jan 2, 2017
    Posts: 481

    NWRustyJunk
    Member

    Traded a buddy a 66 Fury body for a 52 DeSoto parts car, car was disassembled in the 80s for a restoration that never happened. Came with the complete 276. IMG_20190307_164944986.jpg
     
  29. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Bought a 52 Chrysler New Yorker for $400 in the mid 80s. It ran and drove but had a lousy paint job, a few broken windows and was generally not a show car. This was when it was on the cusp of turning from a second hand car into a collector car, about like an 80s car today.

    Found out a previous owner had changed the engine because the old one had a cracked block. Looked him up and bought the engine, don't remember how much but it couldn't have been much. Probably $50. On inspection the 'cracked block' turned out to be a leaky core plug.

    Fixed up the old Chrysler a bit, put on some used wide whitewalls, cleaned it up, replaced the broken windows, tuned it up and got it running nice. My father fell in love with it and I gave him a good deal, $750. He gave me a couple hundred down and "forgot" to pay the rest.

    One time when my back was turned for a few days, my brother sold the spare hemi for scrap iron. By the time I found out it was gone it was too late to get it back.

    O well easy come easy go.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2019
  30. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,913

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    "Rusty" - Are you back on speaking terms with your brother yet?:mad:
     

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