7/24/2023 0 Comments Drag car transmissionThis encounter took place in 2004 as Hoover was an invited celebrity guest at the race track’s annual Nostalgia Nationals. And, thanks to my involvement working for the renowned promoter “Beaver” Bob McCardle, I got the chance to have a long talk with the late Tom Hoover, known as the mastermind behind the design of the 426 Hemi. I contacted the former owner of Beaver Springs Dragway in Pennsylvania this week to verify the following as he was with me when it all took place. Be it a showroom stock ’62 to ’65 midsize Dodge or Plymouth or a nitro Top Fuel dragster running 200 mph in six seconds, The Ramchargers were involved.Įven more important is how The Ramchargers figured out how to make an automatic transmission work and win regularly in big time drag racing at a time when four-speeds dominated street and strip in Chevys, Pontiacs and Fords.Īfter much development by The Ramchargers with their ’61 413 Dodge, the 1962 Dodge and Plymouth 413s came to market and things were about to change big time. Their dedication led to developing the 413-426 Max Wedge and soon to follow 426 Hemi, and then prove their worthiness by on-track performances as reliable, successful race engines. The Ramchargers, meanwhile, included a group of devoted Chrysler engineers who worked on racing after hours. As for the less powerful MOPARS like the slant six-cylinder vehicles, they relied on a lighter and smaller TorqueFlite called a 904. And, thanks to Hoover and The Ramchargers, it wouldn’t be long until these MOPARS would dominate the Super Stock and Factory Experimental classes in the 1962 to 1965 era. However, the Dodge/Plymouth 413-426 wedge cars were soon to appear, and offered either a poor shifting three-speed manual or a large and beefy three-speed push button 727 automatic, called a TorqueFlite. Usually, if you had a performance car like a 409 Chevy, 390-427 Ford or 389-421 Pontiac, if you had an automatic it was probably a good second slower in the quarter-mile than its four-speed counterparts. The Ramchargers and Tom Hoover played key roles not only in Hemi engine development, but also in the successful implementation of automatic transmissions in drag racing.īack in the late 1950s and early 1960s, automatic transmissions were not the top choice of those who demanded the best in quarter-mile performance. Providing clear and concise information about your product is the best way to ensure that buyers find what they're looking for, and that you make a sale.Q: Greg it was a pleasure meeting you at The Bloomsburg Nationals car show and reminiscing about the races at Beaver Springs Dragway, those best of seven match races in the 1960s, and the Dodge and Plymouth super stock factory race cars with automatic transmissions.Īlso we spoke of The Ramchargers a bit, so I’m asking if you can give us some of your enjoyable nostalgia stories about what the Ramchargers meant to racing, overall, and also about when you told me you met Tom Hoover, he the main 426 Hemi engine designer, at Beaver Springs Dragway?Ī: Bob, pleasure meeting you, too, and I’d be happy to give my recollections. Different transmissions are used for different purposes, and buyers will need to know if your product is a good match for their needs. If you're selling transmission components or a gearbox, it's important to provide specific details about what you have on offer. Investing early for the long term can save you time and even money down the track. However, a good transmission can make the difference between a car that's fun to drive and one that's frustrating. The most sophisticated transmissions can cost as much as the engine itself, so it's not a decision to be made lightly. No one type of transmission is best for every application, so it's important to understand the pros and cons of each type before making a decision. It's a trade-off between many factors including complexity, precision, durability, ease of use, and cost. There are many different types of transmissions within the typical manual / automatic dichotomy. Sounds simple, and sometimes it is, but that doesn't make the choice any easier. The transmission is responsible for transferring the power from the engine to the wheels. The transmission is more than the gearbox - it also includes the entire system of shafts, differentials, linkages, and clutches that are necessary to change gears. It's also a common point of failure because of the immense amount of stress that it's under, and the high number of moving parts. It needs to be able to handle a lot of power, and it also has to be very precise. The transmission of a race car has a very tough job. 13 Transmissions & Gearboxes for sale in Australia
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