Something Old and Something Brand New

Big Daddy Builds the First HEMI® Crate Engine Dragster. 392 HEMI.

Words: Roger Meiners

Editor’s Note: On January 18, 2006 “Big Daddy” Don Garlits came to Auburn Hills, Mich. to honor his friend, Mopar® Vice President Joe Hilger at Joe’s retirement party. Casual conversations at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum—located on the campus of Chrysler’s Auburn Hills headquarters—led to a new dragster project: Big Daddy would put a Mopar 392 HEMI® Crate Engine in one of his famous front engine Swamp Rats.

This is how it all came about.

During Hilger’s retirement party at the Walter P. Chrysler museum, Garlits is asked whether he would be interested in putting a new 392 HEMI crate engine into one of his old Swamp Rats. “I have been thinking about doing that,” he answered. The idea was immediately passed on to Jon Clark at Mopar® Performance, who was very interested. Clark assured Garlits that he would provide the engines and parts to get the job done.

Very quickly Wynn’s-ITW got involved and contributed to the project. Wynn’s—a major supplier of specialty automotive chemicals—has a long association with Don Garlits. “They were my first paying sponsor,” said Garlits. Some of the first Swamp Rats ran under the name Wynn’s Jammer. When Wynn’s introduced their new “Charge!” product, the name was changed to Wynn’s Charger. “This also fit well with my Dodge sponsorship,” said Don. “They were just coming out with the Dodge Charger, so the name made sense for both sponsors.”

The project was off to the races, but had to wait for the all-important central element: Mopar’s new 392 HEMI Crate Engine, which was in the middle of development (see sidebar on page 14 for more information on the 392 HEMI). Meanwhile, Garlits pulled an old Swamp Rat out of storage. It was the first of three dragsters that ran under the name Swamp Rat XII, beginning in 1968. This one was, shall we say, less than successful. Its 137-inch wheelbase was a bit short for maximum thrust down the strip because it was hard to keep the front wheels on the ground. Wheelstands look spectacular, but aren’t good for short ETs.

The car ran at the Winternationals in 1968, but lost in the third round, according to Garlits. His reaction: Park it and build a new one. The old car was sold and disappeared into small-time local racing, powered by a small-block Chevrolet, until the car was wrecked. Later Garlits bought it back, fixed the damage (a new front half) and stored it away. He doesn’t throw much away, as evidenced by a visit to his Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Fla. See www.garlits.com for more information.

While he waited for the engine, Garlits began the restoration process. When the time was right, an engine was dispatched from Gary Stanton’s shop in Kentucky. It was one of only four of the development engines Mopar used for the program.

When the engine arrived at the shop in Ocala, Garlits jumped on it, and within only a few weeks he had the engine in the car. Garlits originally wanted to do a cast blower manifold, but to speed the project he fabricated one out of aluminum plate and mounted a vintage 6-71 supercharger on it. The blower has a very rare Reath Automotive rear plate that drives the fuel injection pump. Big Daddy fabricated the blower drive himself and uses a vintage front snout on the supercharger. He also fabricated a magneto drive for the front of the crank and mounted a Vertex magneto to fire the 80 percent nitro mixture.

In mid 2007 the engine was ready to fire. “It sounded great,” said Big Daddy, and we agreed, as the sound from a brief amateur video proved. The engine crackled like any top fuel HEMI, the sound enhanced by a Crane Nitro camshaft.

Don took the car to the 2007 NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion in October, and then put it on display at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, for its official Mopar debut. SEMA attendees delighted at the classic dragster as it hung from a post at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It then went to Orlando for the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show before returning to Don’s shop in Florida. There he prepared it for some serious workouts.

After a couple of days of tuning, Don and his crew cranked the engine. It exploded into life and was warmed for the next step. A real burnout in the museum’s driveway. Asked how it would react to the punishment, Don said, “We’ll see … only one run and then we will inspect the engine.” The Mopar Wynn’s Charger was towed into position and Big Daddy suited up in his vintage fire suit. The engine was re-fired and moved into position, the legendary driver behind the wheel again.

The engine’s revs came up and then the tires lit up. Plenty of smoke. Garlits immediately backed out of it. Was something wrong? No. He kept it running and circled back to the makeshift starting position. Another run! This one was more intense, and then the car coasted back toward the garage.

“I couldn’t see where I was going,” said Garlits. On the first run the smoke obliterated everything because he was headed toward the setting sun. So he made the second run and stayed in it longer. Later, he inspected the engine and found it so good that he plans on making the Mopar Wynn’s Charger his weapon of choice on the cacklefest tour this year. A truly unique Swamp Rat—one that will showcase the new 392 HEMI Crate Engine to the Mopar Nation. This car is a bridge from the old to the new and commemorates a long association among Big Daddy, Mopar and Wynn’s.

Celebrating 50 Years of the Legendary 392 HEMI®

Mopar displayed its sleek SR Roadster, complete with a 392 HEMI Crate Engine, at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show (SEMA) in Las Vegas.

Mopar® celebrated the 50th anniversary of the original 392 HEMI® last year by launching a modern crate engine version of the legendary engine. The original 392 HEMI revolutionized not only drag racing, but the entire automotive industry as well.

“The 392 HEMI is a legend so rich in automotive tradition that hundreds, if not thousands, of books and accounts have been written about its historical significance,” said Rob Richard, Mopar’s Director of Global Parts Sales, Service and Marketing.

The original 392 HEMI engine was introduced in 1957 model year Chryslers and Imperials. It replaced the 354 cid version of the original HEMI launched in 1951.

Compared with the 354, the 392 was completely revised and improved with larger valves and ports, a beefier block and crankshaft, and improved bearings. In short, the 392 HEMI, often referred to simply as the “92,” was perfect for the quarter miles.

More than a few racers bolted on six or eight carburetors, slipped in a hotter cam, tipped some nitro into the tank and went racing. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits ran a 392 in his Swamp Rat I at record speeds of over 180 miles per hour on nitro with no supercharger. Garlits also used a 392 HEMI to officially break the 200-mph barrier when his Swamp Rat went 201.34 mph at Atco, N.J., in 1964.