What's a Dodge Ram Rumble Bee?

Discussion in 'Kill Stories (Where Hemis Never Win)' started by rkammer, Dec 19, 2022.

  1. rkammer

    rkammer Gold Level Contributor

    While driving home from the store the other day a yellow Dodge truck pulled up to me at a light close to my house. It had a "Rumble Bee" decal on the back (which I thought was a 5.1 Hemi) but, this truck had a "392" emblem on the front.

    We left the light at about the same time and styed about even through 1st gear with me babying the throttle since I had my show BFG Radial TAs on the back. I was able to reel him in after hitting 2nd and went by just getting into the back barrels of the QJ. I let off about a car ahead of him to turn into my neighborhood and, of course, he did the "losers" blast and kept going.

    So, were these Rumble Bees very quick and were they available with the 392? I'd like to have talked with him but didn't want to get too friskee on Hwy 441 just south of downtown Mount Dora.

    Dodge Rumble Bee Truck.jpg
     
    FLGS400 likes this.
  2. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    Nah, my buddy had one and he ran low 15s with it. He was traction limited with 3.91s and an open rear but it was maybe a mid 14 truck on the best possible day ever.
     
  3. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    the 392 ones are only in 4th gens they are pretty quick. the old 3rd gens had just a regular 5.7 hemi and one of lower hp ones.
     
  4. rkammer

    rkammer Gold Level Contributor

    The one I tussled with had the 392 emblem on the front fender so, at 485 HP (I believe) I feel pretty good being able to stay ahead of him with my street radials. Of course, that truck is probably pretty heavy too.
     
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  5. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    yeah little over 5k in weight. they do run good though. even my crew 5.7 runs really well.
     
  6. 72STAGE1

    72STAGE1 STAGE 1 & 2

    I believe there were some
    Built with the Viper V-10. My youngest son with his Rumble Bee. 576E68EA-B734-4883-8949-30D76C3A1857.jpeg
     
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  7. timesublime

    timesublime Well-Known Member

    ^SRT-10 Yellow Fever is what you are speaking of.
     
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  8. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    yeah the rumble bees all had just a hemi. the 392 was only in the 4th gens. the 3rd gen ones had nothing more than a stock 5.7 hemi and the older one that made around 330 hp not the 390 hp ones. 3rd gen rumble bees where only an suspension and appearance package. you had to get a srt10 to get a viper engine. i would venture to say the 392 with the 8 speed would be as fast though as the srt10 was. i mean the 5.7 i have is prob the faster than some of more built chevy trucks ive had and its bone stock. never really timed it or anything but im going to guess it could do a high 13 low 14 stock. the 8 speed trans is prob the biggest gain.
     
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  9. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    I'm sure that Rumble Bee was alot quicker than a mid 14 second 1/4..
    Well done especially with the street tires:D
    A Hellcat weighs around 4,600 lbs and still screams.
     
  10. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    The hellcat is a completely different animal than the rumble bee. Maybe you're thinking of the t-rex truck with the hellcat running gear. A stock rumble bee has a warm drivetrain and is quick, but it's definitely no where near the hellcat or any other 11-12 second car..
     
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  11. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    I was believing the Rumblebee had a 392 "485"hp option, was one swapped in or just the emblem added by someone. No 392 was available on the Rumblebee.
    I know the Hellcat was insanely different breed but seeing how heavy they are and how well they move that 4600lbs "super charged though" I was just throwing it out there.

    Maby Ray will cross paths again with it and talk to the owner.
     
  12. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    Right on. I'm not even sure what my buddy's truck had for an engine. Obviously it was hemi powered but I don't the displacement. It was definitely a real rumble bee as it was numbered on the dash and all that crap.

    Even with 485 horse I doubt the truck would sneak into the 13s. Its heavy and pushes way too much wind.

    For what it's worth, i had no intentions of taking the win away from Ray or lessening the victory. I had some real world data to offer..

    Those late model hotrod Chrysler products are usually low hanging fruit.. even better most of the owners are willing to race anything and anywhere. No doubt there are some fast ones out there though.
     
    PGSS likes this.
  13. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    theres plenty of 4th gen 5.7 hemis getting into the 13s. mine will dust anything ive had truck wise before including the diesels with tuners. the only one i ever ran was the duramax it had pulled low 14s. the 8 speed trucks are pretty good runners. idk how much better a 392 would run. im thinking my cc 4x4 5.7 would maybe dig into a 13 seeing its quicker than my duramax. its plenty fast enough for me. im sure the rc sb 2wd trucks do it with ease. the old 5 and 6 speed trucks are daylight and dark compared to the 8 speed ones. i looked at a 12 before i bought this 17 i have. even with the 390 hp hemi you could feel a big difference. i would a imagine a 3rd gen feels gutless as they made barely over 300 hp and had 5 gears.
     
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  14. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner


    im pretty sure some dealers sold a 392 swapped truck. wasnt a mopar oem option. there was a few dealer chargers deals as well that wasnt oem ive seen.
     
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  15. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    Didn't think of that:cool:
    I remember reading about how back in the day how some Chrysler dealers would swap out the 383 emblems and put 440 ones on the Roadrunners.
    I would imagine some were a bit dissapointed that their so called 440's weren't as fast as they thought..
     
  16. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    i mean it could just be a sticker on them too who knows. i just know the local lot had one that had some kind special one once. idk im to broke for that stuff lol.
     
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  17. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    Likely the owner had the 392 and even the matching trans swapped in.. that would make a good sleeper in a 3rd Gen Rumble Bee.
     
  18. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    yeah as they are lighter it would be. be a crazy hard swap though with the trans. engine wouldnt be bad but trans would be alot of wiring. you can swap a 4th and 5th gen to a 392 with ease though. about as easy as swapping to a 6.0 from a 5.3 or 4.8 in a chevy. modern hemi is alot like the ls engine family. i would like to swap one in a old ramcharger sometime.
     
    sean Buick 76 likes this.
  19. gs66

    gs66 Silver Level contributor

    Trucks are heavy so not that quick.
     

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