First Ever Dodge Hemi

It’s been 70 years since the first Hemi powered Dodges hit the street. This Coronet four door is where it all began.

[davidgleason]

Nice to see the mother of where a legend was born. Thank you Steve

[googleusergp]

Extra value is what you get when you buy a Coronet. LOL.

This is either a model "D44" or "D48" and records show they were all US built, likely at Dodge Main, aka Hamtramck, MI assembly or "Factory Zero". That facility operated from 1911 to 1980 and today GM's Hamtramck, MI assembly plant sits on part of that site. Factory Zero was a city within a city and made to operate on its own, including having its own fire protection (hooked into the Hamtramck, MI fire department), several medical wards and cafeterias. The best part was "The Playpen" where employees could work on their own projects after hours. Likely code "505" Bimini Blue exterior paint.

[Onager]

That Dodge brochure was amazing. I paused the video to read the text. It mentions, "the engine's ability to convert heat energy into useful work". I couldn't believe they would discuss thermodynamics in a brochure written for the average person. There is no way a modern car brochure would include information like that. What a great example of how society has changed.

[chrismechanic]

I see at least a hundred junk yard crawl videos in that yard. Hell I'd pay a few bucks just to tour that yard to see some of that rusty old nostalgia.

[bruceprentice]

Love it, a unmolested Hemi. Keep digging up great cars and information like this video. Makes a great start to the day

[burthenry]

Another fun/fact filled crawl! Around 1978 a local man was liquidating his collection of about 20 junkers in similar condition. One of the cars was a '53 Dodge 4 door with the hemi. "Just think, son, for $50 you can own a real hemi!" Uh, no thanks! To most 23 year- olds, like myself, we only knew of the late, great 426!!

[ricardofierro]

I remember when I was 16 years old working at a service station ( not gas station ), I’m 73 years old now. Anyway I was assigned to change the earl and filter on the company pickup . For giggles I filled the oil bath air cleaner to the very very top. Later my boss had to go on a service call. Either way the pickup was smoking a lot all the way down the very busy street we were located on. We were all ( about 5 of us employees ) laughing our aspirins off. The boss was not happy. Regardless I didn’t get fired. When he was reading me my rights I couldn’t keep from laughing. Thanks for the memories.

[ericesterby]

Stay strong, Steve! We’re all pulling for your full recovery. The automotive hobby needs you!

[jasonformulaboater]

That's cool the hemi is still in there. Day 1 of Barrett-Jackson. You and Mike Joy do a great job. I'm home sick so I got to watch the coverage all day. That worked out good. Thanks for all the info, I geek out on it all.

[KrisisVal]

Gotta love that natural matte green paint

[chrismechanic]

More accurate spark timing and longer coil saturation for a better (hotter) spark. This was the only way to achieve more coil saturation prior to the electronic ignition system. When properly set the first set of points would close to start the coil building back up for the next spark discharge almost immediately after the break set had opened disrupting the electricity to the coil and creating the coul discharge (spark). Had a Mallory duel point distributor back in the day in all my Mopars till the aftermarket electronics came out.
Even though this isn't the 392 or 426 it's cool as hell seeing a true HEMI under the hood. Wonder if it's salvageable? Probably someone somewhere in need of one for a restoration.

[danw]

That would be a fun little engine to free up and do a mild build and make it the heart of a nostalgic hot rod.

[greenfuzz]

My first car I bought after learning to drive on a 69 VW bug was a Seashore Green 1953 Dodge Coronet 2 door sedan with the 241 Hemi and the GyroTorque seemi-automatic transmission for $250 in 1974. It proved to be a good lesson about due diligence when buying a car. I knew next to nothing about it except that it was an old Dodge with a Hemi. The Gyro-Torque was a vestigial relic from the losing side in the race to be the first with a fully automatic transmission. Still used a clutch to shift into any gear. The only thing automatic was the upshift from 1st to 2nd. You used the clutch to engage 1st and acelerate. To upshift you would momentarily let up on the accelerator long enough to allow the transmission enough time to make an unhurried shift into 2nd with a nice crisp mechanical clunk allowing you to speed away in 2nd gear at a leisurely pace. It was funky.
Tex Colbert got his marching orders from Chrysler Chairman of the Board K.T. Keller who famously defended the dumpy styling of the 1950 Plymouth saying "We build cars to sit in not piss over." At that time just about every man and woman wore a hat of some kind and would expect to wear it while riding in a car.

[nelsonrodriguez]

When it comes to automobile's Steve is a walking encyclopedia, get well well my Mopar brother ❤️🙏

[frankjones]

Like the Hemi and the Corvette I was born in 53. They keep evolving and growing more modern and I just keep getting older.

[HotRod-wvvm]

My dad had a 59 Desoto with a hemi. Black with white interior and awesome fins. Beautiful car.

[Guns_N_Gears]

Holy cow that thing has a factory air gap intake.

[jeffclark]

Wow, a hemi, that looked complete still, with the auto transmission still there 😳, thumbs up, great video

[dolf]

The intake manifold is a high-rise. Way too cool...Good Stuff!!!

[rhsab]

Long live the Hemi! Very interesting Steve!