Richard Petty Superbird Driven First Time Since 1970

[v10enomous]

Turn up the volume and strap yourself in for a cargasm.

https://grrc.goodwood.com/festival-o...Er3PQ4X0sMM.97

[The Stig]

wow great ride ..

[Vprbite]

What made it a 200mph car back then? It wasn't FI, right? Just high compression and big displacement V-8?

[v10enomous]

What made it a 200mph car back then? It wasn't FI, right? Just high compression and big displacement V-8?

NO FI just massive power and torque and the aero. Every car guy needs to experience a 426 Hemi car at least once.

[daytonprowler]

King Richard like wingy.

[Vprbite]

NO FI just massive power and torque and the aero. Every car guy needs to experience a 426 Hemi car at least once.

Yeah. High compression though, right?

[MalingatorGTS]

I sold a modern 426 Stroker Charger SRT8 and then got my Viper. Even a modern 426 is a blast! Mine was around 11/1 CR. Made just over 525 at the rear wheels and was equal across the full powerband....but I love my Viper even MORE!

The HEMI was the reason factory Ford and Chevy told drivers not to race against one. The Superbird changed so many things it's hard to compare most any race car of its time to it. While not everyone understands the nose and wing, they worked and blew everything else out of the water! Insane to think most people today are intimidated to drive 200 mph with all our modern tech and safety. The King and alike did it with cars that make a Gen1 look like a new Pagani.

[v10enomous]

426: The Elephant[edit]

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426
1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda engine.jpg
Polished and chromed 426 Hemi engine in a 1971 Hemi 'Cuda
Overview
Manufacturer Chrysler
Also called Elephant engine
Production 1964–1971
Combustion chamber
Configuration V8
Displacement 426 cu in (7.0 l)
Cylinder bore 4.25 in (107.95 mm)
Piston stroke 3.75 in (95.25 mm)
Cylinder block alloy Cast iron
Cylinder head alloy
Aluminum
Cast iron
Valvetrain OHV
Compression ratio 10.25:1
Combustion
Fuel system Carburetor
Fuel type Gasoline
Oil system
Wet sump
Dry sump
Cooling system Water-cooled
Output
Power output
425 bhp (317 kW) (Gross)
350 bhp (261 kW) (Net)
Torque output 490 lb·ft (664 N·m)
Chronology
Predecessor 426 Wedge
The hemispherical head design was revived in 1964. These were the first engines officially designated Hemi, a name Chrysler trademarked. Chrysler Hemi engines of this generation displaced 426 cu in (7.0 L). Just 11,000 Hemi engines were ultimately produced for consumer sale due to their relatively high cost and the sheer size of the engine bay required to fit it in. The 426 Hemi was nicknamed the "elephant engine"[citation needed] at the time, a reference to its high power, heavy weight and large physical dimensions. Its 10.72 in (272.3 mm) deck height and 4.80 in (121.9 mm) bore spacing made it the biggest engine in racing at the time.

The 426 Hemi of the 1960s was an engine produced for use in NASCAR, used in a racing version of a Plymouth Belvedere in 1964. It was not initially available to the general buying public. The 426 Hemi was not allowed to compete in NASCAR's 1965 season due to its unavailability in production vehicles sold to the general public and because of complaints by Ford regarding its power. However several special production cars were produced and sold with the 426 Hemi. These were the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Fury later in 1965 included the Dodge Coronet and included aluminum fenders and bumpers and for drag racing. However they were sold to the general public. Chrysler introduced the "Street" Hemi in 1966 for its intermediate range of cars and sold the required number of Hemi engines to the public to legitimize its use for NASCAR in 1966. The "Street Hemi" was the same as the racing Hemi but with lower compression (10.25:1 from 12.5:1) a smaller cam shaft, with iron headers instead of lighter steel long tube headers.

Although all manufacturers were familiar with multi-valve engines and hemispherical combustion chambers, adding more valves per cylinder, or designing the complex valve train needed for a hemispherical chamber, were expensive ways of improving the high-RPM breathing of production vehicles. By canting the angle of the NASCAR-mandated two valves per cylinder, significantly larger valves could be used. The Chrysler hemi had an oversquare 4.25inches bore and 3.75 in (95.3 mm) stroke as did the wedge-chambered big-block Chrysler RB.

The 426 Hemi also was used in NHRA and AHRA drag racing. Its large casting allowed the engine to be overbored and stroked to displacements unattainable in the other engines of the day. Top-fuel racing organizers limited the bore spacing of engines until very recently, when under pressure from Ford and other manufacturers, the bore spacing allowed was increased to 4.900"—this allows other engines such as the Ford 385 series to begin to compete. The engines based on the old Chrysler design predominate Top Fuel and Funny Car classes due to plentiful parts, large amount of research and development, as well as decades of experience with the problems of the engine's design. In NHRA top fuel racing today, the engine bears little resemblance to any engine produced by Chrysler; it is usually equipped with a large Roots type supercharger and short individual exhaust pipes, and fueled with nitromethane.

The 426 Hemi, in "street Hemi" form, was produced for consumer automobiles from 1965 through 1971. There were many differences between the Hemi and the Wedge-head big-block, including cross-bolted main bearing caps and a different head bolt pattern. There were also many differences between the racing Hemi's and the street Hemi, including but not limited to compression ratio, camshaft, intake manifold, exhaust manifold. Some 1960s NASCAR and NHRA Hemi engines featured magnesium cross-ram intake manifolds and magnesium oil pans in an attempt to reduce the massive weight of the overall engine, along with chain-driven internal dry-sump oil systems. Today, aftermarket blocks, heads, intakes, rods and pistons are usually made of aluminum.

The street Hemi version was rated at 425 bhp (316.9 kW)(Gross) with two Carter AFB carburetors. In actual dynomometer testing, it produced 433.5 horsepower and 472 lb·ft (640 N·m) torque in purely stock form.[6] Interestingly, Chrysler's sales literature[7] published both the gross 425 hp (317 kW; 431 PS) and net 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) ratings for 1971.

To avoid confusion with earlier (1951–'58) and current Hemi engines, the 426-based Hemi is sometimes called the "2G" or "Gen 2" Hemi.[8]

The street version of the 2G Hemi engine was used (optionally, in all but the last case) in the following vehicles:

[J TNT]

The Aero cars of 69 and 70 where awesome ! I believe they are looking to make a movie about them similar to " Snake and Mongoose ". If I remember correctly they hit 239mph at Chelsea Proving Grounds and about 50 mph faster than Chevy and Ford .

[Vprbite]

That's insane.

And as malingator said, those cars were lacking in the nanny dept. Though if that aero was working well, hell it might have felt like it was glued to the ground. I remember my 02 GTS being more stable at 165 than at 55. I bet the same thing with that giant, purpose built aero on there. The steering would be the thing that would up the pucker factor for me though at high speeds. Though I don't know what the steering was like on that car compared to a similar one of the day. If it was tighter or more stable or what. I would assume so but I don't know for sure. Bottom line that guy had some pretty serious stones. No doubt about that.

P.S. I refuse to watch "stock car" racing untill it goes back to being a car you can buy in the dealership.

[BlknBlu]

History is a great thing

Bruce

[The_Greg]

That's a good noise. That thing is not happy going so slow!

[Sybil TF]

Those were the days when stock car was great. That's what they tell me anyway...

[v10enomous]

I saw Petty finish second to Cale Yarborough at Pocono in 1979 but Petty was in a Monte Carlo then... Would have loved to have seen him in the Superbird. I agree that it was better when the cars resembled cars you could buy and drive on the street.

[Roddy]

I'm surprised FCA doesn't bring back something using the Daytona or Superbird name. I think the 80's/90's version kinda ruined the name though.

[v10enomous]

I'm surprised FCA doesn't bring back something using the Daytona or Superbird name. I think the 80's/90's version kinda ruined the name though.

Meep Meep ! Saw an orange one in person a few weeks ago. Fun to look at.