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Well, it depends on what you want to use them for. For a daily driver, the current crop is a little better the original Hemi engines. More interchange between the engines than the first crop as different divisions had their own block and engine. Back then, some years were more versatile than others. With the computers and fuel injection, I'd take a new one over any of the older ones. The second generation of Hemi engines were maintenance intensive as you had to adjust the valves and tune them to get the best out of them. They were monsters and really hammered the power out, but were not a good daily driver engine. The first Dodge Hemi engines became the basis for the early A engines. I surprised more than one 6 banger Mustang and Camaro with my stock '54 Coronet. The LA used similar design but with a new thin wall casting and was a bread and butter engine for years. The "Elephant" engine design is still used with a GM part number in racing. The "Whale" engines were meant to be a basic engine but there were performance versions. The 1956 Chrysler 300B could be had with 354 HP out of 354 inches. (Use that tid bit to annoy your Chevy friends.) The 1957 DeSoto Adventurer had 345 HP out of a 345 cubic engine as standard.
For visual appeal, the new engines just dn't have the visual appeal of the earlier engines. Although the early 60's long ram induction systems even out did those.
The 392 and 426 are the only ones you can put a 727 behind easily. A lot of improvements came along in the last 50-60 years! I also think the old ones had better eye appeal over the new ones. You never get tired of looking at a 426 in the engine bay.
The 392 and 426 are the only ones you can put a 727 behind easily. A lot of improvements came along in the last 50-60 years! I also think the old ones had better eye appeal over the new ones. You never get tired of looking at a 426 in the engine bay.
The 392 came out in the Chrysler and Imperial cars and had the early C.I. Torqueflite. While the 426 was a strong engine, I think the earlier engines look cleaner and more impressive with the wire covers on them. People would toss those when tuning the engines up.
Personally, if I was rich enough, I'd get some long ram manifolds and drop a 440 in a car or truck with small TBI fuel injection units in place of the carburetors and put the unsilenced air filter assemblies on it.
Hemi V-8 Engines - Then And Now
