426 Hemi Cordoba

The psychology of making the massive 400 big block Cordoba’s STANDARD engine was a brace move for Chrysler during Detroit’s “down-sizing” phase. But does a 426 Street Hemi fit under the hood just as well? It’s a Junkyard Crawl mystery only Steve can solve!

[upperpeninsulaphotography]

When Ross Perot was talking about "giant sucking sound" he was referring to NAFTA sucking US jobs to Mexico, not the national debt.

[toothdecay]

The question we all want answered about this car: did it have rich, Corinthian leather?

[rightlanehog]

Steve, I still contend that the Cordoba advertising campaign was more famous than the car itself. Rather than being just a humorous Dana Carvey impersonation, Ross Perot should be remembered for warning voters over and over again that NAFTA would cost the USA millions of middle class industrial jobs. He was absolutely right.

[steveosgood]

Ross Perot worked for IBM in the early 1960s. He would call on Core Lab in Dallas where my dad worked. My dad was a brilliant engineer and computer programmer. This was about the time I was born. Some of dad's coworkers suggested he go with Ross and start Electronic Data Systems (EDS).

But, dad said he had 4 kids by 1961 and needed a stable job. Pops was the Texas A&M slide rule champion in the late 1940s. He scored the highest score ever ( at that time) for the Army rocket school aptitude test They wanted him in White Sands / Los Alamos designing nuclear weapons, but dad had no interest in that, so they shipped him off to Korea to aim artillery, safe many miles behind the action. They kept prodding him to go to Los Alamos, but he never did.

Dad’s college roommate told us of students lining up at the dorm to have dad help them with their engineering homework. His roommate later became president of Otis engineering, later purchased by Halliburton

Most of his computer knowledge came after college, and he became an expert programmer in mainframe computer languages in addition to his petroleum engineering degree. The family think he had a photographic memory, and I believe it. In the early 1980s, my buddy called me from Texas Tech and said he was using a computer textbook co-written by my dad.

Dad worked on well into his 80s, and one day at the office, a group of engineers from Exxon came by to meet the man who wrote these reservoir engineering studies using some techniques they had not seen before.

I, of course, inherited absolutely none of that technical ability. Dad passed recently, and that Ross Perot bumper sticker triggered me to speak of him. R.I.P pops.

[keithcurtis]

Back around 76 or 77 I was working at a Dodge Dealer. We got in a shipment of new cars and were scratching our heads over a "Charger" that got rolled off the truck. It had Cordoba rectangular headlights, a Dodge emblem steering wheel, Dodge emblem on the trunk, Cordoba nameplate on the dash. We called it the "Charger Cordoba." The Chrysler Zone Manager didn't believe us when we called to ask "WTF?" He came by later in the week, shook his head, and a few days later a truck showed up with an ACTUAL Charger and took it away. You are in my Prayers Steve, praying for you and yours.

[brian]

My sister bought a 77 monte cordoba in 1987 while in college. I couldn't believe it when I opened the hood to see a 400 with a thermoquad!

[hemihead]

That junk yard is just incredible, the cars Steve finds there to cover is like a time capsule !!

[robertchristie]

I worked at the Chrysler Engineering center in Highland Park Michigan in the early 70s & was able to peruse the various prototype shops. One day in early '74 was a mule '75 Cordoba all black with a 426 hemi. I was told it was a "what if" car & evaluated for production. I think the idea was scrapped due to the first gas crisis & wondered what happened to it. There were a few one offs that day in the shop like a 440 six pack C-body '74 Plymouth wagon & a couple of Turbine cars that looked a lot like a ''64 T-Bird.

[sadie]

Back then, Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth really had no idea what excited car nuts. They really could have done so much more. Praying for you Steve, get well soon 🙏

[lynnmccurdythehdmmrc]

Around 78, my brother came to visit and told me where to meet him and look for the new Dodge "Charger". I looked and looked and couldn't find a Charger in the parking lot. But did find a new Cordoba. He had been looking at Chargers, when the salesman showed the Cordoba and he bought it, thinking it was a Charger. I still laugh to this day. He just passed last November at 89.

[Bemfactor]

Pretty sure my brother already commented on this, but the 426 Hemi Cordoba from the magazine article you featured was my dad's daily driver for quite a few years and was pretty much one of our main family vehicles in the late 70s and early - mid '80s.

[adamtrombino]

For 78, the Cordoba got the std 400 4bbl ELB, yes for the last time. But, the rare P code (called the HD 400) was offered. Specs for that engine oddly enough were not factory released, but I've read that the same mill in cop cars were rated about 220, 230 hp with torque in the 325 range for 78. Specs for the std 400 were pretty tame, 190hp, 305lbft of torque. Single exhaust meant it cleared the 25.5 gal tank. The P code got the 21 gal tank to clear true dual exhausts, with dual cats, and those cars actually had a slightly modified floor pan to accommodate that. Seat tracks were different as well. All 400 cars had the 9 1/4 rear gear, but the std 400 came with a new for 78, 2.45 ratio! P cars had 3.21. All 400 cars had the 11x2.5 rear drums, whereas lesser engines had the 8 1/4 gear with 10 inch brakes on the rear. All B body Cordobas had the 11.75 frt discs, which if you snag all the parts, are a cheap factory way to convert older drum brake B's. New for 78 was the lock up 727 trans for std 400s only. They were known for burning out because lock up came in at just 31 mph on light throttle. Styling is subjective, but I've had 4 of these, including 3 79 300s, 1 of which I still have. My only real gripe is as big as these cars are, rear leg room actually isn't good and cars w/o optional tilt wheel, make for an awkward driving position for shorter people. That aside, of course rust was the #1 killer, and man did these cars rot easily! Not much aftermarket support for metal or interior pieces.

[flydieselair]

I bought a brand new 1976 Dodge Charger SE with the 400 engine, basically the same as the Cordoba. These cars were gutless wonders, you would think that the engine was about 100 HP. I paid extra and got the turbine wheels. These rims could never balance properly and the car had a minor vibration that they could never balance out. The only saving grace was the car got 19 mpg/Can. gallon and with the big fuel tank you could go a long distance without refill. The inside was nice and the drivers seat reclined so that if you were driving a long way, you could stop and get a little shut eye. The a/c would freeze you out of the front seats but this car was absolutely not a "tire burner".

[kevbev]

You may have been canceled by
motor trend, but we will never cancel you Steve, your a bright light of information on vehicle history that warms the hearts of millions while doing so every morning.❤😊

[scottiessixesnsevens]

The 78 Cordoba was my first car. I bought it in 1991 when I was 15. The day I got my license I hit an icy patch at about 10mph and hit a curb and bent the rear end, lol. It spent more time being worked on than on the road. Ended up trading it for a regular cab long bed 77 chevy c10 2wd with a 350 and $1000. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[Mr.Death]

When I was 4 years old living in Massachusetts 1986 my grandmother came to visit us and we were going for a ride to the store in my mom's Cordoba and the door randomly swung open as we went around a turn and I almost fell out of the car but my grandma caught me my my shirt. The latch for the door had rusted off. And the seat belts weren't made for kids at that time. I can still see it in my head it's crazy

[RTViperman]

The 400 lends itself for the biggest of stroker cranks and can be built to produce tons of horse power. Love those 400s...!

[neshpro]

My grandpa bought a brown cordoba brand new and my brother painted the tires and headlights chrome with a spray can the day he bought it! What memories! We were very young then!

[anthonynelson]

In 1980 I bought a black with red interior 76 Cordoba that came with all the factory options except a sunroof. I put a 375 hp 440 with headers in it with a 4sp and 391 rear end. It didn't stand up on its rear wheels or anything but it did run very respectable for a 3900 pound car.

[Justacogg]

We love you, Steve, and we’re wishing you a very smooth and prompt recovery!