By Jeff Glucker
It produces 1,000 horsepower. The displacement is listed at 426 cubic inches. If you buy it, it arrives in a crate ready to supply your project vehicle with four-figure engine output. And it will cost you at least $29,995 to own one. The 426 Hemi Hellephant crate engine is a monster mill, and Mopar is finally ready for hand raisers to deliver their pre-order cash.
You’ll also want the Engine Kit, which turns this swap adventure into a plug-and-play bit of kit. The electronics and modules for the kit run an additional $2,265. There’s more too, if you want it. Mopar will offer a Front End Accessory Drive kit, A/C Expansion kit, Exhaust Manifold kit, and a Rear Sump Oil Pan kit. Put it all together and you’re sitting pretty, powerful, and devoid of large stacks of cash.
Last year, after the engine was announced at the 2018 SEMA show, we asked you about some ideal engine swap candidates. Now that we know how much it costs, what shouldn’t you put this engine into? What vehicle would be worse off with a Hellephant engine swap?
At the moment, we can’t really think of anything but you’re bound to come up with something. Right? Sound off below.
I think this should be obvious, but since you asked…
http://cdn-webimages.wimages.net/0525cf96e265fc713b4d4cdeebc4b0f6f51b83-v5-wm.jpg
Uhh, maybe one of those Lime/Bird E-Scooters? Because it would be too hard to step over on the sidewalk and I’m not sure you could pull it back up when it falls over. https://media2.fdncms.com/arktimes/imager/u/original/27813758/limescoot.jpg
Probably not in a motorbike either, I heard an urban legend about a big-block bike where the rider opened full throttle and without anything to resist the engine’s torque reaction, the whole bike corkscrewed – didn’t end well.
The official (and boring) answer is that you shouldn’t put the 1000hp Hellephant into any 1976 or later pollution controlled vehicle.
Too many clearance issues with a Hop Rod. And other issues.
https://live.staticflickr.com/7730/29263572542_efbb7640f4.jpg
I am eagerly awaiting the e-Hop Rod rental market. The e-Hop Rod would actually look sillier for the rider than a Bird or Lime scooter and be even more dangerous too. Shouldn’t be too hard to find an investor.
If you got a free Hellephant, would you try and make it work in the Wombat despite the issues getting the normal Hemi to work?
Keeping within the FCA family, I don’t think I’d try and make one fit in a 124 Spyder even with infinite budget.
The only way I could make that engine work in the Wombat would be if I could afford to buy it… because then I could afford a skilled fabricator that would be needed to make it all come together.
So no, I’d skip the Hemi in the Wombat – but it would certainly be rad to try and make that work. A nice LS3 will be fine for me in my wagon.
Pull the same strings that got Roadkill the General Mayhem.
Those strings are not available to us… though I wish they were.
Fair – just had to figure out a way to make that my answer without being mean-spirited.
Neon!
I cannot answer this question, because I’m incapable of having bad ideas.
Everything I’ve thought of seems to have a glimmer of genius in it, and four of them are in the “Related Posts” banner just above the comments. “Generator set” is about as close to wrong as my stunning intellect can get. That’s A.) not a vehicle, as specified in the question; B.) still arguably an awesome idea, if one has the imagination and powers of deduction that I do.
I am pure of spirit, and can think no wrong thoughts about the Hemi Hellephant.
I’m not sure I’d call it a “wrong” thought, but I can’t see the name without thinking of Eletelephony by Laura E. Richards:
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant—
No! no! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone—
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I’ve got it right.)
Howe’er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee—
(I fear I’d better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)
His trunk entangled in the telephunk?
A Telefunken is a tube-
Also, in truth, is his trunk
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7372f8c1abac56abf7597f3fb5a8310e4ea93cfd430b231a0dbda5c3b38016da.jpg
It’s not a generator, but… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Air-raid_Siren
(it might get a little loud)
Zowie! I worked for an artist who made a noisemaker that was the engine and transmission out of a 1960s Thunderbird driving a sort of large weed-whacker. The steel cables of the weed-whacker were about three feet long, and when it got up to speed the tips went supersonic and made a hell of a noise. Same thing happens on some prop driven aircraft.
I’ll risk my hoon card by saying I wouldn’t want it in anything. There’s a limit to how much horsepower I can reasonably use and enjoy, and this is well beyond it.
Because…why?
https://g4.dcdn.lt/images/pix/google-automobilis-71466354.jpg
Any Italian, German or British super (or non-super) car for which the replacement cost of a new engine exceeds the cost of a Hellephant and or the street price of said vehicle. Think very fast Bentley Continental.
My MG Midget is scary enough with the stock 1275 cc engine.
Anything where the rest of the car is lighter than the engine?
The answer is always Miata. This thing in a Miata would be a riot until you had to turn and the joy of a Miata is in the turns.
I think a Miata is the wrong recipient for such a large heavy engine.
Absolutely true, but isn’t that the idea? Realistically, this engine is for drag racing, and that’s it. It’s too big and too torquey for most racing applications, and I sure as hell wouldn’t want it to drive it regularly on the street. I’ve heard owners say their “normal” Hellcats are perfectly docile if driven lightly. Yes, but if you can’t drive a car even at 7/10ths of its ability on normal roads, then what’s the point? I’d rather wring-out a modest four-banger for all it’s worth, or else lazily lope along in a much smaller (and cheaper!) V8.
I wouldn’t mind seeing someone drop the Hellephant into something gorgeous like a ’56 Chrysler Imperial, but I wouldn’t want to drive it.
Bristols used to have Chrysler V8s, until the Fighter, their last car got a Viper V10.
A Hellephant would go nicely in any of them.
Who would expect that? And Bristol owners can afford the fuel.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Bristol_412_and_Blenheim_4.jpg/800px-Bristol_412_and_Blenheim_4.jpg https://www.classicdriver.com/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_slider/public/article_images/bristols-62_0.jpg?itok=sH-FoSNS
https://www.classicdriver.com/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_slider/public/article_images/_MG_7574.jpg?itok=nIQtUq7j
Facel Vegas also used Chrysler motors so a Facel might be a good recipient.
Probably shouldn’t put one in a Jensen Interceptor to replace the original Chrysler V8.
Although it might make more sense than the Chev LS they’re using now as a replacement.
https://www.driving.co.uk/s3/st-driving-prod/uploads/2014/12/JensonInterceptor.jpg
Suppose it would weigh less than the original Chrysler 383/440, but a lot more than an LS
Suppose it would weigh less than the original Chrysler 383/440, but a lot more than an LS
Too bad the LS is the engine-swap equivalent of the Toyota Camry– perfectly adequate for its intended purpose, but unoriginal and ubiquitously boring. Regardless, the LS is the far better answer in almost all cases, than the Hellephant.