My son wants a muscle car (used). He has fallen under the marketing spell of the hemi engine. I am inclined to view this as hype. What do the conscegneti think about this?
Hemi is marketing hype. A wedge engine like a Chevy LS will make equal power.
The cars fitted with this engine tend to be heavy and under-braked compared to Ford and Chevy muslce cars.
Given Chrysler’s quality issues, you might want to direct him to another brand.
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How much does he want to spend, and is he interested in a late model car, or at least ten years old or newer? I guess this will be a daily driver, right? Given how power is developed these days, a muscle car could include a lot more than traditional cars like a Challenger, Mustang, or Camaro. For instance, a BMW M3 could be considered a muscle car.
The modern hemis are more of a Semi-Hemi design rather than a true Hemi.
Chrysler was late to the game. Harley Davidson started using a true Hemi on their 1936 Overhead valve models; a.k.a… Knuckleheads followed by Panheads, and then Shovelheads. The Hemis do have a tendency to breathe better on the top end.
If he is thinking classic muscle car, pre1973, even the Chrysler wedge motors often were better street engines.
Most modern double overhead cam engines have hemispherical combustion chambers, but Chrysler promotes “yeah, it’s got a Hemi“ to remind people of the 426 Hemi. The 392 Hemi marketing was to take you back to the early Chrysler 300s.
So, we are looking for something in the 10 to 15k range, early 2000s I guess.
How old is this person ? Also how is he going to handle advice that is against what he really wants to do? It might be best to just stand back and let him make a choice . That way later in life he won’t set around complaining that he never had a Muscle Car.
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I think the hemi is a great engine, unfortunately the cars it comes in, not so much.
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And under-tired as well. For a while they were putting 235mm wide tires on 4000+ pound Challengers R/T’s.
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How old is he? I’m thinking about insurance for a man under 30.
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Some Jeep Cherokees come with a Hemi and I wonder why they would put such a powerful engine in those things. Why didn’t I know about it when I didn’t have to bring a powered wheel chair everywhere?
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From Wikipedia:
The current-production “HEMI” engine heads are flatter and more complex than the 1950s–'70s Hemi V8 chamber. The combustion chambers are no longer truly hemispherical.
It uses a coil-on-plug distributorless ignition system and two spark plugs per cylinder to shorten flame travel, leading to more consistent combustion and reduced emissions.
My first question:
Who is paying for this, and how much is the car and insurance?
A young man (under 21) doesn’t “need” something with a Hemi. He may “want” it…but need and want are different things.
On the other hand, if the young man can pay for the car himself…well, call it a learning experience.
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Unfortunately, a lot of people nowadays–particularly the young–can’t seem to distinguish between something that they need, and something that they merely want.
I don’t think there is an age limit on that. I suspect all of us have bought things we wanted but do not truly need. Some of mine were truly awful, like when I bought a Renault Caravelle, I “needed” a sports car.
Of course, there are no universal truths on this topic, but those usurious Rent-to-Own establishments wouldn’t have been able to thrive without the people who believed that they needed a 65 inch TV, and were willing to pay several times the actual price of those TVs over the next few years. Some of those customers might have been older, but–more than likely–they were mostly younger folks.
In 1969, I wanted to buy a new car, but my father convinced me that I didn’t need one, and he urged me to use his car to commute to my first full-time job. By deferring my new car purchase for two years, I didn’t have to enter the (sometimes) lifetime cycle of taking out car loans. By deferring gratification for two years, I was able to save enough money to pay cash for that first new car, along with all of the subsequent ones.
Now that I’m in the last chapter of my life I can state without a doubt that if I had limited myself to acquiring only what I needed as opposed to what I wanted, my life would not have been nearly as satisfying.
I’m not really one to talk either. About 4 years ago I traded in a used, yet functional Honda in on a Dodge Challenger with a Hemi, no less. It was my dream car, and I happened to be in a life situation where I could afford it.
However… I had to convince my wife, and it’s also big enough for my kids to ride in. I wouldn’t have gotten it if either of those (high) standards weren’t met.
I’m talking more to the folks out there who see wanting something shiny as all the reason they need to buy said shiny thing. Some folks don’t even think about the larger picture; the wise man at least tries to do so. Young people generally only consider today or what’s in front of them now.
My attitude toward creature comforts has shifted to a great degree over the past few years, and at this point in my life, I deprive myself of almost nothing that I want–even if, strictly speaking, I don’t need it. However, I would not be in this comfortable position if I hadn’t exercised self-control in my younger years, and I would still advise younger folks to rein-in their impulses in regard to what they purchase.
I would advise them, as I’ve advised my daughter, you only go around once, this is not a dress rehearsal, it’s over before you know it, figure out a way to get the money you need to get yourself what you want.