# That's a Hemi...right?



## Jekyl n Hyde (Apr 9, 2006)

Peoples lack of knowledge about this car always amuses me. At the ATM yesterday(walk-up style), walking back to the GTO, a guy drives up in a Jeep GC, and pays the car several nice compliments. I of course thank him, then he says..."That has the hemi...right?" I tell him it is a GTO not a Charger. He says "yes, I know but it has a hemi...right?" I again say no. He says 6.0 ...right? I say yes it is a 6.0 liter. He says "well it must be a hemi then"...so, I say it is an LS2 (same engine as the C6 Corvette)not a hemi. He again insists, so finally I told him it is a 400 HP, LS2. I then told him that even though it is not a hemi, but it does occasionally eat a hemi for dinner! He said "oh" and left. Sorry for the long post but I am constantly amased by the lack of knowledge about our cars. On the other hand, I really like the number of compliments we get on the GTO.


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## arch&69 (Jul 9, 2006)

Yeah, how ignant. And aren't most of those new "hemi's" 350's anyways. Besides, the new 05-06 dodge "hemi" is a 6.1 not a 6.0. I do like the idea of bringing an old muscle car name back, but to bring back an engine that is nothin like the old school monster sized 426 hemi. The old one was originally a race engine down tuned for the street,underrated from what it was sold as. And the new one is a basic 5.7liter pos that put out what 350hp and 390 torque. And the 6.1 at 425hp and 420 torque. Pontiac did a good job on makin a car like the 64' GTO for 04'. Body style like most of the other cars out there (w/ a few changes) and droppin in a new tech power beast. Not to mention that the new GTO is still relatively light compared to the dodge cars with their "hemi". Now an engine option is a different story, ie. Ram Air. Obviously the 10hp per lb rule is out for GM now, so maybe 08', they could make an interesting option package. Open those scoops, new exhaust manifolds, maybe throw in a new cam for good measure. Hehehe.:cheers


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

*Ignorance really is Bliss.*


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

from what i understand a hemi is only a hemi because that's what they call it. the true hemispherical head was dropped a long time ago. they brought the name back because "focus groups" strongly identified that name...


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## Don (Sep 20, 2004)

The first 'Hemi" was produced in the 50s and was nowhere near 426 CId. The 1951 Hemi was 331 whopping cubic inches in displacement. 1954 saw a Red Ram with 140 hp from 241 CID. The engine has a long and interesting history. It predates the small block Chevy by four or so years. The early 300 series Chryslers used them. Still a guy should know that PPPPontiac never used a Hemi.


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## CrabhartLSX (Feb 12, 2006)

Hey a complement's a complement. What are the odds a guy driving a Jeep is going to know anything about engines anyway? I'd just tell him yeah sure why not.


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## arch&69 (Jul 9, 2006)

Don said:


> The first 'Hemi" was produced in the 50s and was nowhere near 426 CId. The 1951 Hemi was 331 whopping cubic inches in displacement. 1954 saw a Red Ram with 140 hp from 241 CID. The engine has a long and interesting history. It predates the small block Chevy by four or so years. The early 300 series Chryslers used them. Still a guy should know that PPPPontiac never used a Hemi.


Right, wasn't the 331 called the forgotten hemi?

Pfft, I knew there were others.


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## UdnUdnGTO (Jan 30, 2006)

In the traditional sense of the Hemi that is the hemispherical heads, allowing for larger valves, today's "Hemi" isn't such. Perhaps a marketing concept, the modern hemi isn't really a hemi. Marketing is an amazing tool. It actually modifies people's thinking......what is the difference between brain washing and advertising.........


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## GTJimbO (Apr 28, 2006)

UdnUdnGTO said:


> what is the difference between brain washing and advertising.........


Not a damned thing.


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## smokey (May 6, 2006)

UdnUdnGTO said:


> In the traditional sense of the Hemi that is the hemispherical heads, allowing for larger valves, today's "Hemi" isn't such. Perhaps a marketing concept, the modern hemi isn't really a hemi. Marketing is an amazing tool. It actually modifies people's thinking......what is the difference between brain washing and advertising.........


Larger valves do not make a head hemisperical. I think what you are trying to point out is that the hemisperical design benefits are that it does not shroud the valves, which the new hemi lives up to in that regard as well as the old hemi. 

This argument over the new hemi having hemispherical heads is really a matter of symantics more than marketing. If you look at the combustion chamber, you'll see that they are round and spherical. Where some present an argument is that inside the chamber are two small "squish pads" that improve combustion chamber efficieny. Pendants argue that by virtue of those little squish pads, the virtue of the combustion chamber being a "true" hemi is negated. Now, from a purist's standpoint...sure, it is not the same as the old 426 head, and hence according to them "not a real hemi". Almost as dumb of an argument as the "it's not a real GTO" that I hear from time to time. People forget the decades of progress between old and new. 


However, from a technical stanpoint, and understanding that decades of engineering improvements have been made to cylinder head design, it is a hemispherical head. Look at the hemi head compared to our pent-roof LS heads and you'll really see the difference. Also, the hemi heads flow better than the LS6 heads, so regardless of what you want to call them, they flat out flow really well for stock heads. 

I own a Magnum SRT8 and my '05 GTO. I can tell you this, the 6.1 hemi is a beast. I love my LS2 also, but in spite of how big my Magnum is, it will hang stride for stride with my GTO.


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## smoke20 (Jul 26, 2006)

arch&69 said:


> Yeah, how ignant. And aren't most of those new "hemi's" 350's anyways. Besides, the new 05-06 dodge "hemi" is a 6.1 not a 6.0. I do like the idea of bringing an old muscle car name back, but to bring back an engine that is nothin like the old school monster sized 426 hemi. The old one was originally a race engine down tuned for the street,underrated from what it was sold as. And the new one is a basic 5.7liter pos that put out what 350hp and 390 torque. And the 6.1 at 425hp and 420 torque. Pontiac did a good job on makin a car like the 64' GTO for 04'. Body style like most of the other cars out there (w/ a few changes) and droppin in a new tech power beast. Not to mention that the new GTO is still relatively light compared to the dodge cars with their "hemi". Now an engine option is a different story, ie. Ram Air. Obviously the 10hp per lb rule is out for GM now, so maybe 08', they could make an interesting option package. Open those scoops, new exhaust manifolds, maybe throw in a new cam for good measure. Hehehe.:cheers


Ask and ye shall receive! The Doge Boys are currently lining up for a new 426Stroker coversion for their 6.1's by Heat Performance in Houston. The first one out will be next month.


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