Hemi Under Glass?

One of my client’s Web sites (an auto parts manufacturer) links to “The Official Hemi Under Glass Website” (defunct for the moment). I’ve been seeing that link for like 4 years now but still have no idea what exactly Hemi Under Glass is.

There’s a ton of links on Google for “Hemi Under Glass” but none of them really say what it means. Just pics of cars and car discussion.

A hemi is a type of engine, i dig that. Why is it under glass?

Maybe the “glass” is a clear plastic car hood to show off the pure beauty of Mopar Muscle while still maintaining the aerodynamics and keeping the rain off the distributor cap.

Nope…

http://www.fast-autos.net/plymouth/hug6.html

The only “Hemi Under Glass” i’m familiar with (er, the one I am asking about) is a Hurst product. Hurst somethingorother…

Mopar talk about Hemi Under Glass too?

The Hurst ‘Hemi Under Glass’ car (cars, actually) was a mid/late 60’s Plymouth Barracuda with a rear mounted engine. The 1966 to 1968 'cuda was a sort of fastback with a long, sloped glass back-glass. The original modifier put the Hemi* engine essentially in the back seat and left the parts/engine all visible: under glass. One of the cars (Like the General Lee: there were several) still makes the Chrysler car show circuit, along with a few other celebrity cars: The Chrysler turbine and Bob Maverick Golden’s Little Red Wagon are about the most famous 3 classic Chryslers of the era.

*Hemispherical head engine. Both the race and street hemis were 426 cid. Both continue to be produced today.

There is a famous dragster “wheel stander” named Hemi Under Glass. Indeed the engine was in the back seat of the car under the long glass back window. These dragsters traveled the entire quarter mile doing a “wheelie” (front wheels not touching the ground).

http://www.charlesgilchrist.com/GPC/WS-HUG6801.html

There was also a wheelstand car that had the same body as the Little Red Wagon, only backwards, so the cab was in the back. All the better for long wheelstands. Silly stunts, but they were fun to watch. :smiley:

There’s always a market for peculiar dragstrip cars. When the Olds Toronado came out, with its unusual (for the time) front wheel drive, some wacko made a drag car with a Toronado body and an engine and drive train at each end. Boy, did that thing make a lot of rubbersmoke! “TV” Tommy Ivo toured with an immense dragster with four engines. Spectacular, but not as fast as the single engine dragsters of the day. Today, there’s a handful of jet powered cars, including a Peterbilt truck.

Walt and Art Arfons campaigned a series of jet cars, with some doing land speed record attempts. Have you seen those jet sweepers the NASCAR boys use to get the Kwik-E-Dry off the track in a hurry? Walt made the first one.

I don’t think there’s a 426 Hemi still being produced today, unless I missed something.

There’s a Hemi available for the Crossfire, Magnum, Charger, Dodge Trucks and some Jeeps that is 5.7l which would be about 350 cid. I did see something about a 6.1 liter hemi for the new 300, but I haven’t seen any other detailed info about it and that still wouldn’t be anywhere close to 426 cid.

I’d love to get one of these new Hemis to drop under the hood of my Cordoba, but it just doesn’t seem right to go with a smaller engine. :frowning:

New iron hemi blocks
And heads

At that price, I’m not in the market.

I saw a jet-powered schoolbus at the Mopar Nats a few years ago. Jet cars are so cool…and LOUD!

Keith Black is a famous engine builder for the top dragsters. Make your special order today. :slight_smile:

http://www.keithblack.com/racing.html

Now, I don’t know jack shit about cars, but from listening to others who do, I believe Hemi Under Glass has something to do with “glass pack” mufflers.

Nope, it was because the engine was mounted in the back seat and could be seen through the back glass. Trust me, no mufflers on drag cars in this class.
From here is this photo (large image!) clearly showing the reason for the name.

Here’s a shot of HUG doing what it does best.

See? I told you I don’t know shit about cars. :smiley:

Cool…didn’t know you could just go out and buy a block.

That’s not bad considering it’s a Hemi. I had looked into the big block non-hemi 440s a while back and people were selling them used for over $3000.

Once you get all the parts, figure $10-12 thousand for a stock Hemi. Pricy indeed.