[KensRedZed]

I'm learning lots here guys, and laughing lots as well 

Great thread, keep it up. 

Oh, and if anyone wants to know about the Austin Cambridge/ Morris Oxford range, just ask..... Thought not!! 

Pip

Thanks Pip,

Austin Healey? Absolutely! 

I think you're the only person that wants to hear more. I'll share one more thing.

From Google:
"The 426 Hemi (7.0L) is a legendary Chrysler big-block V8 introduced in 1964, renowned for its hemispherical combustion chambers and 425+ horsepower output. Nicknamed "the Elephant" for its size and power, it dominated NASCAR and drag racing. It was the pinnacle of the muscle car era, powering iconic vehicles like the Dodge Charger and Plymouth Superbird."

Very few people have ever seen a 426 Hemi with the naked eye. Even fewer have seen the inside of one. I was lucky enough to see one pass through our speed shop. My boss did the rebuild personally, and I was his gopher.

It's called 'the Elephant" for a reason. Everything about it is over-sized. It's a monster of cast iron. The connecting rods and pistons are insanely huge (and heavy). Here's a good pic to show the difference.

   

The crankshaft was also a monster. The mentallity at Dodge was Big, BIG, BIGGER!

While the heads had the biggest valves on the planet (almost). Chrysler decided that power was more important than reliability. The valve stems were one of the smallest at only 5/16th dia. If you missed a gear and the engine over-revved even once. You dropped a valve, and kissed the entire engine goodbye. The 426 Hemi was the only engine with ZERO warranty. Buy at your own risk.

As soon as the Hemi came out. Everyone that bought a Dodge/Plymouth product boasted that it came with a Hemi. A 440-Hemi. A 340 Hemi, A 6-cyl Hemi...    The boys at Chrysler didn't want people to call everything a Hemi. So they started calling the other V-8's a "Wedge" based on the combustion chamber shape. A 440-Wedge, etc. That helped set the record straight while boasting at McDonalds, eating a Big Mac.