Show us your Hemi!

The calendar let us know that it is big block week and today marks arguably the most infamous of the big-blocks- the 426 Hemi.

Its namesake hemispherical combustion chambers were already storied when the street king 426 came to market in 1964, as Chrysler built multiple iterations of smaller Hemis beginning in the ‘50s. Best known for being a winning choice on NASCAR ovals and NHRA drag strips, the 426 didn’t start life as a street engine. The 426 cubic -inch V-8 was established due to the sanctioning bodies saddling teams with a 7.0-liter displacement limit for the 1963 racing season.

Eventually the big Hemi found its way into many street cars and got modified to be a bit more street friendly by those at Chrysler. Iron heads and a more street oriented intake manifold kept cost in check and allowed significantly better cold weather drivability. Keeping the same stout bottom end design and components made the street Hemi a very durable engine as well.

Now a staple engine for those looking to put something radical in their car of choice, 426 Hemis find themselves bolted to the frame rails of just about everything from street rod ’32 Fords to dragsters. In celebration of the date, share a photo of your Hemi below!