68 Rivi New Charger

The Hemi is a stout motor, both the original 5.7L and the new version. The original 5.7L Hemi in my '04 Ram has plenty of power to get me in trouble :grin: . Do you have a 4th Gen or 3rd Gen Ram? Also, what's the Hemi forum your part of? I might have to join up :grin: ...

I don't recall which magazine it was, I think it was Mopar Muscle, but they had a new Hemi shootout. There was a Charger and a Magnum WAGON running mid to low 10's. There was also a Challenger, Magnum WAGON, and Charger running 12's too.

The new Hemi is an impressive engine, that's for damn sure :TU: .

 

I've got a gen 3 2007 single cab long bed. I bought it brand new with no options except hemi and posi. I'm hoping to run low 14s maybe even get into the 13s if the temp is right in a few weeks. My best is 14.5@92.5MPH.

The hemis are damn impressive. I can't imagine what a modded 6.1 in a 3000 lb car would be like. It just sucks that the challengers and chargers and magnums and rams are all so heavy. That's why the Mustangs and the Camaros are so much faster. I think the Challenger has almost 1000 more lbs than the mustang. At least in the truck field the only real competition is the Tundras. But the Gen 4 Hemi Rams put them to shame

 

Cool. I've got a quab cab short bed 4x4. I've never run mine but I'd probably do mid to high 15's. Maybe sometime this summer.

The Camaro's aren't exactly light. I thought they were comparable to the Challenger. The Mustang's are crazy light, at like 3500 or 3600lbs. With the new 5.0L those things will be monsters! I think it's ironic that Dodge has the 6.1L Hemi making 425hp, and Chevy comes out with the 6.2L LS making 426hp :laugh: .

 

haha yeah Chevy just had to one up them and they did so more power to them. Np pun intended. I'd say the best bang for the buck is the mustang though. I just don't like Fords though

high 15s sounds about right for a 4x4 quad cab. You've probably got at least an extra 600-800 lbs on me.

 

I'd buy a Challenger before a Mustang, and a Mustang before a Camaro. The Chevy does nothing for me.

I think 15.8 is realistic. If I launch in 4WD, and cut a good light, I might be able to cut off a tenth of two, especially if it's cool out.

 

I think a 455 Riviera could have easily walked by that Charger. I really like the look of the Charger, but they aren't that fast without being modded. I test drove three different ones last year during the big cash back deal. I finally told the saleman that I would buy this one beautiful blue R/T on the spot if it could beat my 9c1 Caprice. My wife came along to drive my old car. The chevy wasted that thing off the line and it never caught up. Neither car spun, both weight about the same, engine size almost identical, and the Dodge even has an extra gear. More RPMs, but definitely a lack of low end torque. I didn't buy it. That whole episode was very disappointing because I was really excited about buying one of those until I started test driving them. Nice seats, sort of cheap interior otherwise. The plastic ignition key and very slow electronic throttle response were other turn offs. You had to give it gas about a half second before you wanted the engine to respond.
I'll stick with my 455 Riviera or LT1 caprice, both with throttle cable, solid rear axle, and full frame.

 

I don't want to call you out, but I have a very difficult time believing the Charger lost, and lost badly. The Hemi has about 80hp and 60ft lbs tq over the LT1. Although the LT1 makes peak torque a little sooner than the Hemi, there's no reason why the Charger shouldn't have won, unless your wife is one helluva driver :grin: . Were you driving the Charger, or was the salesman?

 

Moms boyfriend had a 68 plymouth GTX 440 with 3.23 gears, and a torqueflight with the slapstick shifter, reasonably lumpy cam in it, it was a mid to low 13 second car. He went and test drove a brand new challenger rt with the 6 speed manual and told us he was really disapointed, he said it went ok, but compared to the GTX the torque really sucked and he said it didn't even pull as hard in the top end once you hit 3rd or 4th than the GTX did in third. I know from personal experience that GTX flew but it wasn't a heavily modified 12 second car or anything. After the test drive he told us he was thinking about telling the salesman that if he could beat the GTX with the rt he'd buy it on the spot, only because he knew the 440 would have blown the new challenger out it's tailpipe.
My opinion is that for all the new efficient technology that's put into these new motors and cars, it's an embarrasement for these three company's to churn out these "muscle cars" 40 years later and have them run on par with 40 year old carbuerated big block cars! All of these cars should be running high twelves at least, right off the dealership floor. I realize that all of these new motors have much more power potential than the older mills but really, brand new challenger rt 6 speed 370 hp, 14.00 quarter miles? SRT8 425 SAE NET HP?!??13.80's. 440 automatic challengers used to run these exact times back in 1970, with points actuated ignition, a carbuerator, and polyglass tires...

 

The SRT Dodges are running low 13s off the show room floor and the RTs are only high 13s low 14s. Not as fast as the Camaros but they're close. Not to mention they probably weigh 600 lbs more than his GTX did. If you ask me, that's not bad. I'd still take the 68 GTX over a new RT any day. Another point, a 440 in a 3600 lb car no emissions and no one cared about fuel milage vs a 345 in a 4200 lb car will tons of emissions and a decent gas mileage. Also, I think the SRT8 Challengers come with 3.08 gears or 3.06 or something like that. That's a cruiser gear, not a tire shredding gear like the 4.88s you could get in the mopars back then.

Think about all the emissions BS they have now. Remember the 1970 Chevelle SS was rated at 450 hp and 490 ft lbs or something and they got 6 MPG from the factory! That would not sell today. It's just not the same but the difference between old muscle and modern muscle is not much performance wise, but the new cars get probably twice the mileage the old ones got.

I disagree that they are an embarassment. Look at all the other **** boxes on the road. It's a breath of fresh air to see anything with a V8 anymore.

 

And cutting a good light has no affect on ETs. 15.8 is totally reasonable.

No way a Caprice beat a hemi even if it was a 5.7 RT. Like I said before, At 4800 lbs my Ram ran 14.81 STOCK. A Charger or Challenger weighing 600 lbs less run low 14s. No way a Caprice would even break into the 15s. But yes, the 6.1 is a higher revving motor with less low end torque than a 5.7.

I've never ridden in a hemi charger or challenger but I'm surprised at my roommates V6 Charger. I can only imagine how nasty it is with 200 more horses and a 6 speed.

 

X2 I do agree with what your saying about emmisions and fuel mileage and such, point taken! And the displacement too. And like you say obviously anyone of us would choose the 68 440 mopar over a new one, probably more for the whole experience than just the performance, the old vinyl bucket seats, and the noise of a carbed motor that displaces 7+ liters of fuel per revolution gets to the level of sense intoxication for us car guys.

 

Exactly.

 

Been to the local track... the ones I run into (SRT's etc) don't impress me. Never lost to one with the GN or the GSx. Wasted a Jeep SRT with the GN and the GN is not far from stock. As far as torque, it's not just the number its the curve. The Hemi is a peaky engine. That's my story and I'm stikkin to it.

 

What does your GN and GSX run? I think the Jeep SRT8 runs mid to low 13's. That's pretty damn impressive for a full sized SUV.

 

The GSx has run 12.42 with a bent valve. The GN runs low 13's on the 93 chip. SRT* Jeep is pretty impressive and does run mid to low 13's.

This year the GSx should run low 11's if it can get any hook.

 

Wrong, Jeeps run 12.9s stock. I didn't believe it until I saw it. 100% stock including tires 12.96

According to graphs I've seen for the Hemis they make about 175 ft lbs at 1200 RPMS and peak at around 4000 and at 6 grand they drop back off to about 250. I'd say that's not bad at all. It's no big block buick...it's a small block mopar

And just because you Buick is a little faster doesn't mean the SRT8s are slow. Like I've stated, the numbers they are running now are almost identical to the numbers they ran back in the muscle car days except now they get twice the gas mileage and weigh 500-1000 lbs more than the old ones did.

Go add 500 lbs to your buick and see if your gas mileage improves and see if you still run just as quick. I just don't see how you can be impressed by a slightly modded 12.6 car compared to a 13.3 STOCK car that out weighs your car and gets better fuel mileage. Also, like I stated before, your car has no emissions. Look at all the BS cars have to go through today to pass and they will still keep up with old school muscle.

 

Amen brother, your preaching to the choir.

I'll own an SRT edition vehicle at some point - they are simply badass.

 

I would like to have a black SRT8 Challenger 6 speed. They are bad ass but I would much rather have an old 1968 Road Runner 426 hemi 4 speed 3.73 suregrip posi. But to say that the SRT8s are yawners is just wrong. 4200 lbs of modern EPA-approved-BS modern muscle that can keep up with an old car built for speed muscle car is impressive. Think about the handling improvements, how much smoother they are, how quiet they are, how reliable they are, how efficient they are (relatively), all the emissions, and not to mention that only like 1% of the population wants a gas guzzler whereas in 1968 everyone wanted a big old big block pavement pounder. I'm surprised there is ANY modern muscle left with this government and economy

This is the same forum that talked crap about hemis when I first got mine over 2 years ago. They said they had never seen one run in the 14s...my 4800 lb ram ran 14.81 100% stock on stock tires. add another 80 HP and drop 600 lbs and that damn car should run low 13s...and they do.

IDK, most of my friends don't like driving and I'm always volunteering to drive. I love my truck. If it's not fun to drive I don't want it reguardless of gas mileage

 

Oh yea, you can't be old school muscle. My dream car is and will always be a '68 Charger. But for a daily driver, you can't beat an SRT8. I've always wished they had made an SRT8 edition Ram. Maybe I'll turn mine into a clone :grin: .

 

You just made my day!