WATCH THIS: Hemify your life
There are few things as satisfying as watching an old motor undergoing a fresh rebuild, amiright? There’s just something about a vintage cast-iron block and all those imperfections being perfected that warms an otherwise blackened gearhead heart. The aroma of assembly lube and fresh hi-temp paint, gasket sealer and metal polish…those are pleasures that mere mortals will die before ever experiencing.
And especially with an old mill like a ’51 – ’53 Chrysler 331-cu.in. V8: these early Hemi blocks were cast with their bellhousings, which makes them just a skosh more readily available, these days, than their later, bigger 392 cousins. Which also means there’s a better chance of you finding one and experiencing the sheer joy of owning, rebuilding and running your very own early Hemi. That’s just bucket-list stuff, right there.