Saw " Mystery 444 Hemi "...Anyone else ?

Was owned by Dick Landy...

Quite an interesting story of Engineering, Research and

Development, Corporate neglect, contract negotiation,

and the drama saga on the One and Only:

Mopar Twisted Chamber Ball Stud 444 Hemi A279

Mystery Motor ...Lab Engine G - 303

The drama saga continues......

Interested to learn of anyone else's knowledge on this..

I was at The Forge Invitational when I saw this

444 Hemi like none I had ever seen or worked on

before.....

Sitting in Tom Hoover's original Blue 1969 Cuda

Coupe.....

 

tell the whole story ffs.

When did you see it and where are the pics?

 

I read an article on the "BS" Hemi years and years ago. At that time they stated that it sat in a corner of Landy's shop. AS I recall they mentioned it was actually pretty far along in the devolepoment phase but not far enough along to undergo endurance testing. Apparently it got the ki bosh relatively early in it's life - meeting it's demise in late '69. Apparently at least one BS hemi was fitted to an engineering mule - a '69 B-body Plymouth automatic.
Here's some highlights from the article (Hot Rod - March 1986 page 71)
If we are talking about the same motor it was slated for assy line production between '71 and '73. It was based on the LOW DECK blocks - two displacements were being considered 400 (396?) and 440. Marketing raised the cubes to 444 as an image enhancer.
It went on to say as many as a dozen were possibly built and as few as 3.

The "twisted chamber" may have been a reference to the exhaust ports that were compromised to use existing head bolt patterns.

For those that are wonderign what the heck we are talking about....imagine a 426 style hemi - built on a low cost platform utilizing a Big Block Chevy style rocker arm set up.

Affectionately referred to as the "BS" hemi....we can only wonder it's power potential with those lightweight style rocker arms.

That's all I know - I had to look up most of those facts from the article - I do remember it captured my imagination the second I read it in '86 - nearly 18 years after it's demise.......I can only wish/dream I had some FIRST HAND knowledge of it!

 

My business partner is not a big gear head...he knows cars but not details. He recently saw a private collection in texas. the owners pride car has a "prototype" "one of a kind" hemi in it. But like I said he did not know details.

I am trying to get tour. If I do I will let you know. AND ILL TAKE PICS.

 

I've seen the ball stud non running Hemi here in the KC area.....

 

Ta-da!

 

There is an example of one sitting in a 69 Barracuda that made it to Chryslers at Carlisle in 2006.

I'm trying to find a picture...


For now:
http://www.moparaction.com/Article/BallStudHemi/ballstudhemi.html

 

Real pretty engine. I can not see where the sparking plugs go?

 

different motor, but I know where there is a one of 55 factory aluminum head hemi that was built for and sold to race teams. has a magnesium cross ram on it... dont really remember many more details, but the guy has it in a yellow 71 cuda convertable. I'll try to get a pic next time I see it

 

Sparking plugs next to exhaust port. Cool engine. Dandy Dick rules.

 

The short story is that mopar was planning on working on replacing the whole big block and hemi line with one low deck motor. The 383 stroke (3.38") crank in in a 440 bore (4.32") was slightly less than 400 cubes, so they went with a 4.34 bore which got them a 400 with the short stroke and 444 with the long.

The heads were basically a big block chevy valve configuration, cheaper than a hemi by far, and maybe more expensive than a wedge.

The program didn't make the cut, but from it came the 400 wedge to replace the 383, (but no 444 wedge?)

 

Bruce Hartel has one never fired. He worked at R&D back in the day.

 

Thanks for the photos....that is the Mopar Twisted Chamber Ball Stud
444 Hemi A279 Mystery Motor !

Here's some brief points that I learned from the current owner at
The Forge Invitational Show last year in Sevierville, Tennessee at
the Great Smokey Mountain Convention Center:

Chrysler's Engineering V P - Ronnie Bright issued a mandate for a lighter
and smaller Hemi to be developed.

The final copy was 108 lbs. lighter and 6 1/2 " narrower than the 426 Hemi.

To be continued...My practice clients getting impatient.....thanks again.....
You will be amazed to learn of this 444 Hemi saga....

 

Theres one on EBay now! last bid I noticed was 8700.

 

Spread bore four barrel intake, interesting, they must have planned it as a streetable torker.

 

WOW! Pretty crazy!

 

Looks like an interesting package. I wonder what kind of power they were shooting for in the development?

 

All this and a Fram filter? I hope it's never fired.
Were the molds destroyed?

 

I think they just used that to match the engine colour...

 

Hey 52 Pickup....Would defnitely like to see a pic of this reputed one off Hemi !

Thanks in advance for this contribution !

 

This place is amazing.

 

One and Only One Mopar Twisted Chamber Ball Stud Hemi A279 A 444 Hemi
Mystery Motor is reputed to have survived after the molds and some
approximate 40 others were sold for scrap per management order.

The story that was relayed to Me was this: Prior to the " scrap order " the
A279 Hemi had been sent by Chrylser to Dick Landy for research and
development....especially in enabling higher rev capability for power
band analysis focusing on valve train components specifically.

Apparent changes in departmental management ....let the only 444 Hemi
fall thru the cracks for a period of time of a few years.....

To be continued......clients.......boy am I ever going to be ready to kick back
and enjoy the " BIG GO " ! LOL !

 

I am all over it.....looking into this one's authenticity....

 

The engine had stronger cylinder walls and better intake and combustion
characteristics....and was less expensive to build than the 426 Hemi. Twelve
sets of castings A279 were made and three " LAB " engines were built and
both " Mule " and " Dyno " run. No horsepower figures were in the documentation that I was given. The "444" in the Little Cuda formerly owned
by Tom Hoover is the Lab Engine G-303 and now has 481 c.i.d.

When they fired this 444 Hemi up at the end of the Pigeon Forge Invitational
Factory Racing Car Show....it shook the building with music that was uniquely
special ! ! !

So why aren't the Twisted Chamber Ball Stud 444 Hemi in all big block Mopar
applications today ?

Why is this A279 G303 reputed to be the only surviving example of a production ready engine that Shoulda, Coulda, and Woulda been ?

You have to go back about 40 years and......?

Also....the shipping the motor to Landy Research Industries precedes
Mr. Arruzza's 20 years of trying to influence Dick Landy to sell it to Him.

Also....some well considered negotiations with Chrysler.....amazing stuff....

 

I searched Ebay...all 4 categories under Auto....did not find by searching
for Ball Stud Hemi.

Your guidance please....

 

ebay item # 280258487077

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chry...018QQitemZ280258487077QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

So the Ball Stud 444 Hemi at the Forge Invitational Factory Race Car Show
might NOT be the one and only as reputed ! Hmmm the plot is thinkening
within the first 24 hours of H.A.M.B. gearhead scrutiny !

Does Anyone know....does the guy who used to hold His shoe up to His ear
on T V .......is He finally retired or ? You .....ummm " Maxwell Smarts "....
that's His name ! It's Maxwell Smarts ! This sounds like a job for Him !
Does anyone have His number ? LOL ! Whatdayasay .....let's get to the
facts.....just the facts please....as Joe Friday of DragNet would classically say !

I am definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer....and yes I did pursue
killing a lot of my brain cells during My youth.....so I come from this place of
inquiry.....

But if one guy says..." This is the One and Only " And somebody else
says..." Another guy also has one " ......

Does Any of My fellow H.A.M.B. HokeyAsser's have some guidance on
how We proceeed to get to the facts ?

 

Now We have an apparent Third Ball Stud Hemi !

Thanks for the Ebay link !