Is there a difference between the 440's in Passenger and Police Cars?

[Big Joe]

Yes, the grille and the backlight. A '69 Charger will easily go those speeds and more. But, do you want to feel like you are riding on the edge of disaster while doing it?
Buddy Baker said about a '68 NASCAR racer that at a 100 it started to feel funny, at 180 he would turn the wheels to go into a turn and nothing happened.

 

[Kern Dog]

Police cars live a hard life though.
In 2003, I bought a 440 from a '76 Coronet Police car. Those cars may have been fast compared to other cars of the day but they were still 7.8 to 1 compression, 190 horsepower engines.
My 440 was cursed. I rebuilt it with 6 pack pistons and a .030 overbore. At 846 miles, it snapped the #4 rod and the piston slammed into the head and bent both valves.
This led to me building the 440/493 that is in my Charger today.
I had the RH head repaired.
In 2006, the RH rocker shaft broke in 3 places.
I switched to new MP shafts and rocker arms. I still have that '76 440 short block. It needs a piston and a rod to run along with a cam. I hesitate to use it even though I'm not normally a superstitious person.

 

[lonell martin]

Back when I was a teenager, in the early 70’s. The junkyards were full of old Tennessee trooper cars. Me and my buddies would buy as many as we could at 150.00 for engine and transmission. Being kids, we couldn’t afford muscle cars so we built our own.I still have some of them and have torn down a few. No they are not different from a passenger car

 

[wyrmrider]

I had a 69 Polara 2 door 78 CHP 1.08 torsion bars, big sway bar, cordoba rear sway. extra leaf in the back
spoiler made a big difference out in Nevada
also I built a 383 into 426 stroker for a matching number superbird - yes 383 4 speed-
both cars worked better with the front dropped a couple of inches
yes on the oil cooler

 

[Ceedawg]

Instead of reading all these posts, I’ll add, back in 85 I picked up a 77 police engine. Cast crank (special hardened) low compression, hp cam (same as 69) and 452 heads. I used the block and heads, put in a steel crank-rods-pistons out of a 73 engine. Other than what I described nothing special. Still have engine (going back in the 64)

 

[Cranky]

The 68-69 Chargers lift dramatically at speeds above 130. Two things on the aerodynamics cause this. Both were addressed in the 69 Charger 500, with the rear window plug and the flush front grill. Many of the muscle Mopars were capable of those speeds, but few were really stable.

Same thing with the 70 Challenger. Personal experience, the hood was lifting at the corners at 100 mph and the front end was coming up pretty good at 130. Found out why so many put hood pins on them. My 71 Cuda was MUCH better at those speeds although it still had some front end lift, the hood stayed put.

Instead of reading all these posts, I’ll add, back in 85 I picked up a 77 police engine. Cast crank (special hardened) low compression, hp cam (same as 69) and 452 heads. I used the block and heads, put in a steel crank-rods-pistons out of a 73 engine. Other than what I described nothing special. Still have engine (going back in the 64)

I've pulled a few cop car engines apart and never found 6 pack rods like I was always heard they had.....

 

[wyrmrider]

6 pack rods in a 4bbl motor is the luck of the draw
I've found them in 73s
crank and damper too

 

[6PKRTSE]

6 pack rods in a 4bbl motor is the luck of the draw
I've found them in 73s
crank and damper too

I have found six pack rods, steel cranks and dampers in a few motor home 440 engines I have pulled.

 

[Cranky]

I have found six pack rods, steel cranks and dampers in a few motor home 440 engines I have pulled.

I've only been in 2 motor home engines and neither one had the big rods.....go firgure.

 

[Ceedawg]

I have found six pack rods, steel cranks and dampers in a few motor home 440 engines I have pulled.

I have one in the stash, damper looks different than the 70 6 pac though, because of low pistons maybe.

 

[Chargerjase]

Last year i was spending a whole Night driving a 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT (Rental Car) almost all night at about 120mph or faster. *
Its possible.
You just have to use a Autobahn without speed limit and not at rush hours.
There are also variable speed limits on some Autobahns.

But driving multiple Hours at those speeds (without slowing down and accelerating again in between) is of course pretty rare. (Due to traffic).
But from time to time i drive 120mph without slowing down for 1-2 hours or something. But this is basically always at night with very little traffic.

* With slowing down and accelerating again + some breaks.
I was not driving 120mph the whole night without slowing down in between.

I lived in Germany for a time and would often commute between Hamburg and Kiel. Its about a 1 hour drive @ 120mph. If you don't drive those speeds then you get literally run over by other road users. I have to say though, most of the cars on the road were BMW, Mercedes, Skoda etc. 120mph is fast even on those roads that are built for that speed. I would hate to drive even a modern car 150mph on those roads. Thats 240kmh and it is terrifyingly fast, considering the average driver is not a trained race car driver.

 

[Ceedawg]

I lived in Germany for a time and would often commute between Hamburg and Kiel. Its about a 1 hour drive @ 120mph. If you don't drive those speeds then you get literally run over by other road users. I have to say though, most of the cars on the road were BMW, Mercedes, Skoda etc. 120mph is fast even on those roads that are built for that speed. I would hate to drive even a modern car 150mph on those roads. Thats 240kmh and it is terrifyingly fast, considering the average driver is not a trained race car driver.

Not for faint of heart

 

[philcollins]

https://www.hamtramck-historical.co...hipDataBook/1969/69_Dodge_Police_Taxi0005.jpg


Look like a standard 440 magnum engine...

 

[YY1]

@Cranky

Plymouth E bodies have a header panel.
My guess is that the air flowing over the hood at speed after that panel actually helps heep the hood shut.

Challengers don't have that panel and the hood lip is further out into open air and also the Dodge has more of a recessed grill. Both factors that will tend to lift the hood.

 

[Cranky]

@Cranky

Plymouth E bodies have a header panel.
My guess is that the air flowing over the hood at speed after that panel actually helps heep the hood shut.

Challengers don't have that panel and the hood lip is further out into open air and also the Dodge has more of a recessed grill. Both factors that will tend to lift the hood.

It was rather odd how much different the two cars were at speed just because of a differently designed front end treatment. Heck, my old 66 Belvedere brick did better at speed than the Challenger did but the Cuda put them both to shame lol. I lowered the front end of the Challenger and it seemed to help....some.

 

[wyrmrider]

city police and taxi did not have magnum engines

 

[6PKRTSE]

I have a 440 that I just pulled out of a 24' Dodge motorhome. Haven't torn into yet to verify it's contents. It did however have the bright yellow trans mount. I remember seeing/reading somewhere that all 440 sixpack/Hemi cars received the yellow trans mount extra clutch pack (5) as opposed to the standard (4). This was the easy identifier while going down the assembly line. True or not, I don't know??