hemi swepty in the collectors guide

[hemihydro135]

just got my Oct. issue of Mopar collectors guide, and there is a cool little 64 crate HEMI 64 d100! I guess its the Cherry Bomb shop truck.
this mag. kicks @#% i Recommend a subscription.

[MBigDaddyM]

1964 D100 Shortbed Stepside 528 C.I. crate Hemi balanced and blue printed by Ray Barton and putting out a legit 630 HP. The Hemi was mated to a Viper 6-Speed Manual, and a Pistol Grip Shifter from an E-body, backed up by a 8.75 rear with 3.91 gears and the original springs save for a few added leafs. The frame was boxed to keep it from twisting and brake upgrades were made. (Wish they would have told us what they were.) -BD

[Russ]

That truck was traded in on a new Dodge truck to a dealer here in Ga. a couple of years ago. Wonder how much he got for it. A quote from the article: "If you think it's hard finding a six-pack car, try finding a mid-sixties Dodge pickup in decent original condition."
It's not really that hard if you know about the Sweptline forums.

[bluefury]

I just enjoyed reading the article. Although I question the premise that this could be a fixer-upper any average Joe might do. A crate Hemi and Viper 6sp seem to go a little beyond the average fixer upper.

I would like to have seen the original Poly 318 ,(I noticed the article refered to it as a "Y" block, Isn't that a Ford engine), worked over a little. A poly 318 with cherry bombs would sound pretty good.

[66patrick]

Poly engines are always referred to by the unknowing or the just plain ignorant as a "wide-block 318", a "big-block 318", or the Fored nomenclature of a "Y-block 318"; which, if you put a real Y-block Ford and a Poly 318 Mopar together, they look nothing alike, and the Ford really DOES look like a "Y".

That would be a serious sleeper with a Hemi and a 6-speed in it - a true old-fashioned HOT ROD truck!

A crate Hemi and Viper 6sp seem to go a little beyond the average fixer upper. No, not really...the six-speed uses a hydraulic clutch, like the Swepty did as stock. The crate Hemi allows for stock BB engine mounts - no biggie there. Wire it up, attach the proper linkages (so what if you have to fab something!!!), put headers and an exhaust on it - what's "a little beyond" the average guy building a hot rod in doing this??? The Hemi and the transmission, clutch, bell and pressure plate would run maybe $20K. You'd spend that on a damn Dodge Journey!!!

Ya gotta want to do it!

[bluefury]

I don't question the ability of the average guy performing a engine swap like this, heck....it could be done in the driveway.

It's the $20,000.00 for an engine/trans combo to drop into an old swepty that go well beyond the average. You concider that as normal...? Are they hiring where you work..?

I just think the 318 poly would have served just as well for advertizing cherry bomb mufflers, then drop the $20.000.00 into a full restro. Then it would have been a really nice truck instead of an over powered rat rod. And you'd probably have change left over.

As it is it is an example of marketing folks with large budgets and small brains who have totally missed the mark.

[polyjon]

Don't know how I missed this?
Probably cos it was over ten years ago lol!
Was gonna do a 'poorman's hemi in my 1964 D200 swepty too.
413 block bored to 426ci with 1/2" head bolts and good old fashioned iron hemi heads.
Won't be 630 horses, just going for wow appeal.

Where is the Cherry bomb truck theses days?
How much did it sell for at Vanguard motor sales...?

Best wishes for Christmas from Polyjon.

[Conrad]

I agree - though 20k will barely get you good body work and a paint job these days. But yes, the 318 Poly 2x4 barrel and decent cam has plenty of tire-shredding torque to turn heads.

The Cherry Bomb truck has surfaced a couple of times since then. Last I think was in Ohio? Stacey David Gearz did a 4-link upgrade episode on it at some point.

I couldn't pass up and bought a '64 hemi block that popped up for sale... ultimately to swap the LoPo 440 I have now. It will take quite a bit of homework and years to make that work. My auto trans is dying so I need to upgrade it first. Then the rear-end I've ben told.

Since I have to pull the 440 to get my transmission out, I'd like to freshen that up to get the most out of it. But don't want to spend too much money on the 440 at this point.