Ever since its introduction in 1964, the Chrysler 426 Hemi has gained a reputation as one of the most potent engine designs ever released to the general public. Its only real drawback is expense. Hemi parts, new or used, are among the most costly in the automotive kingdom. But what if you could substitute a dirt-cheap 440 wedge block for the big-buck Hemi? You’d save thousands. Stage V Engineering has been making Hemi power more affordable since 1987 with its cylinder head conversion. Starting from scratch, Stage V Engineering proprietor Eric Hansen constructed custom tooling which produces a high-quality cast-aluminum replica of the 426 head that incorporates specific changes which allow it to bolt directly atop a lightly modified wedge block. We caught up with Dale Reed as he constructed a 9.8:1 520-inch Stage V Hemi Conversion motor. Though the extra equipment involved brought the cost to about $12,000, we’ll outline how a budget version, using mostly stock internals, can be assembled for about $7,500.
