Coolest American car

[johnnynumfiv]

The SRT8 is getting a 6-speed manual in 2009.


Relax. He was only saying that since the Challenger's engine is a Hemi its displacement should be 426 in³ instead of 345 and 370 in³. AFAIK they never made a 241 Hemi.

I was just being a dick. No harm intended.

[nota]

It had a 245cid Hemi six, says wiki.

All Hemi 6 Packs (triple Weber) including E49 were 265 cid

I didn't even know Chrysler Australia made Hemi engines over there, the Australian muscle car scene is a bit obscure to me. I knew about the LA and FirePower Hemi's, but not about the Hemi 6's. Interesting.

Here are the more interesting Australian Hemi 6 variants (1970~75 pre-pollution). I-6 Hemi Valiants were built until 1981 RIP
Btw the basic 245 and up versions were a great motor to sit behind, very eager to rev & produced a unique howl. The 215 was a dud.

(from memory)
215 cid 1BBL = 140 hp
245 cid 1BBL = 165 hp
245 cid 2BBL = 185 hp
245 cid 2BBL = VG Pacer E31 (undisclosed but approx 200 hp)
245 cid 2BBL = VG Pacer E34 Track Pack (undisclosed)
245 cid 4BBL = VG Pacer E35 Track Pack (undisclosed)
265 cid 2BBL = 203 hp
265 cid 2BBL = 218 hp VH Pacer/ Charger R/T / Charger 770
265 cid 6BBL = 248 hp (E37) 280 hp (E38) 302 hp (E48 & E49)

Chrysler AU initially considered building the Hemi 6 in capacities of up to 5 Litres. Sadly this never eventuated but should have.

Initial advertisments for the Hemi featured Stirling Moss doing the hard-sell "for all the right reasons" and yes there was even a 'Stirling Special' value-model.

Chrysler also offered low-compression versions of 215 & 245 for export & trucks.

265 cid Hemis got an enlarged bore (over 245 cid) they used 318 cid V8 pistons, had big 2" inlet valves (when compared to Chev SBC).

245 cid VG Pacer with optional 'Track Pack' had a special 'cheater' block which could accept an incredible 100-thou overbore!

AFAIK the 'Track Pack' Pacers & most (all?) 6-Pack engines were factory blueprinted via Chrysler's racing dept.

Final 1977~81 Hemis (and the 318 V8) were equipped with Chrysler's ELB computer aka Electronic Lean Burn.

Our Hemi replaced the famous old Slant-Six and continued Valiant's 6-cyl power advantage, was 70 lbs lighter than the outgoing motor and much more fuel efficient (including any comparable Holden/Falcon motor).

Btw I think some later AU Dodge trucks had an enlarged Slant-Six of 245 cid (above the regular 225 cid) which was nicknamed the 'Blue' motor?

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au...ifications.htm
_______________

Someone here sure knows their early Hemis!
241 cid V8 (Early Hemi)

[f6fhellcat13]

Thanks, wiki is no substitute for knowledge.

[fisetdavid26]

Woah, that's one nice post. Thanks for the info nota, much appreciated, and very interesting

[csl177]

Great stuff, Nota... Mopar I-6 hemis were very popular in 1960's dragsters here in the states. Chevy stovebolts were the thing in those classes from the mid 50's but were slayed by the mighty Slant when the Valiant came into production. With vintage drags getting attention maybe some will come back out to play. Killer sound, torquey as shiznit.

Back to the thread: Coolest American Car? There are some interesting choices in the poll. I once owned a '67 Toronado, very cool ride but a bitch on fuel and front tires. Same drivetrain as the Cadillac Eldorado, another very cool ride. My dad had two Lincolns at different times: a '62 Continental and later a '67 Coupe, both were stylish barges. Great for dates, though. IMHO the '56 Mark II is cooler. Duesenberg is obvious if for no other reason than engineering excellence (plus Lemans!). The others are pretty fine choices too, but I have to pick something overlooked, and just as impressive as the Duesy: Stutz DV32 torpedo, Weymann body. DOHC I-8, 4 valve, in 1930. A supercar of the highest order of the day. First saw one at Sebring in 1968 driven into the camping area by a guy called Doc every year, hauling a small matching custom Weymann trailer.... last saw the car in 1975. Got a ride on a liquor run into town with him in '72; it was low, fast, loud, fast... amazing. Did I say it was fast?

I looked everywhere for correct photos of the specific car and came up short. The first image here is the Type M Lemans racer, the second a Hibbard & Darrin bodied M at Amelia, and another M, sporting closed bodywork but not the DV32 engine. Big money now, rarer than an SJ.

[csl177]

The Studebaker Avanti, closely followed by the Corvair. There was a time when American manufacturers turned out cars that did not all look alike.

True that! This is a tough list since it's the poller's limited choices...

300C, very cool. First true modern musclecar.
Airstream, cool and good.
Cord, cool and good.
Duesenburg, way obvious cool.
Lincoln, good... MkII more better cool.
Tucker, novel and good, but only 47. Cool factor limited.
Auburn? Not cool to drive fast, believe me. ++SCARY.

Cool deserving listhood: See blackcat77 picks, plus Kellison Astra, Stout Scarab, '32 Ford A, Chrysler T&C convertible, Plymouth Superbird, Lincoln Zephyr Coupe, Doble Steamer, Judson Playboy, Kaiser Darrin, '63 Corvette SR, Hudson Twin-H coupe, '50 Mercury, '55 Chevy Nomad, '55 T-Bird, and a bunch more.

Still goin' with the Stutz DV32.

[debangshu24]

Duesenberg J

seconded

[Fleet 500]

I like big butts?

Or the ability to do a huge smokey burnout. But seeing as they're all auto.. its doomed to fail.

Believe me, you can do huge smokey burnouts with an automatic.

Here is just one example of many:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzrDM5FaS-s"]YouTube - 70 Chevelle 454[/ame]

[jcp123]

All the big-block muscle cars (Buick GS 455, Chevelle SS4554 LS/6, Olds 442 455, etc.)
Cadillac V16 models
'59-'60 bat wing Chevrolets
'55-'57 Thunderbirds
'65-'70 Mustangs
'57 Cadillac Sixty Special "Director" (concept car)
'38 Buick Y-Job
'36-'42 Lincoln Zephyr

[Rizaven]

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biaritz Convertible

Cadillac_Eldorado_Biarritz_1959.jpg

[Runfromcheney]

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biaritz Convertible

I know that this will be an unconventional opinion, but I thought it was worth stating: I think the 59 Eldorado is uncool. The reason I say this is because of the fact that the 59 Eldorado is considered to be the peak of overdone 1950s auto design. It's particularly large fins were seen as the breaking point for the rear fin; this is the car that drove fins out of style. Subsequently, in the 1960s Cadillac went back to clean, simple designs. Now, if you fast forward 42 years, the Pontiac Aztek appeared. Its overdone styling was seen as the breaking point for Pontiac, and it subsequently drove plastic body cladding out of style due to its excessive use of it. So, in a way, the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado was the Pontiac Aztek of its day.

I am probably going to get flamed for this, but I thought it was a different way to look at it.

[csl177]

I think the 59 Eldorado is uncool... in a way, the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado was the Pontiac Aztek of its day.

Tru Dat! Just that in the day everyone was high on GM, God and apple pie.
The Aztek...um...uh>coff< is unexplainable.

[Rizaven]

Quote:

......I think the 59 Eldorado is uncool. ............... the 59 Eldorado is considered to be the peak of overdone 1950s auto design. It's particularly large fins were seen as the breaking point for the rear fin; this is the car that drove fins out of style. Subsequently, in the 1960s Cadillac went back to clean, simple designs.

Everybody who ever criticized the '59 Eldorado say it's styling is overdone. But take a look at the picture in my earlier post and cover the fins with a piece of paper or your hand, you will see one of the cleanest design for a car EVER!! The fins just add character to the car.

The Eldo did not kill the fins, they were on their way out in '59. A lot of cars had them but they were getting smaller. The new thing were the angular fins set at about a 45 degree angle and much lower. Chevy did everyone better by having Horizontal fins. The fins on the '59 was a source of embarassment for the Caddy designers within the corporation, because eveybody else have moved on and they were following the design trend that was two years old.

[iwmakemh]

Easy =]
No actually this is very hard. I would love to say mustang, but I can't its not as special as the C1 Chevrolet Corvette!
I think this is one of the greatest looking cars that have ever come out of America. As for a new American car it is the Panoz Esperante, now how can you say no to that?

[JohnWins]

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biaritz Convertible

Cadillac_Eldorado_Biarritz_1959.jpg

My personal Favorite , then a 1970 LS6 Chevelle or 1970 Odls 442