Whats in a name?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Apr 12, 05 11:10 am

Can someone clear up some confusion in my head here? Mopar used lots of funky names for its engines, but I am a little confused about the correct use of some of these names. Some vary by size, state of tune and which division the motor was used by. Anyone like to do a definitive who & what for these, and any I missed out...

Magnum
TNT
Commando
Super Commando

Theres more than that I know...

like the real difference between a wedge and a max wedge, especially in the 426 inch versions and the 413 too I guess.

And are all slant 6s a "leaning tower of power" or just the 225?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Apr 12, 05 11:52 am

:sign5:

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Apr 12, 05 11:52 am

thank you, most illuminating

into the way your mind works if nothing else...

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Apr 12, 05 12:02 pm

Funny as this was, I am looking foward to the proper answer

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Apr 12, 05 12:35 pm

The names don't mean a great deal. They were just marketing ploys to make their engines sound exciting.

Magnum was a dodge thing. Commando was a Plymouth name. I can't remember off-hand who used TNT?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Apr 12, 05 12:54 pm

TNT appears to be the 440 in '66 and later Chrysler 300 non-letter cars, and some other models. I've seen ads like "1968 Newport, 440 TNT motor" and wondered if there was any difference in spec between a 440 and a "TNT".

Commando seems to mean different things in Plymouth lines. I thought Commando was 383 2V, Super Commando was 383 hi-po, but then whats a 440. And I also saw an ad describing the 318 as a "Commando power plant"

Hense I'm confused.

Magnum appears to be Dodge's 440, but also appears to be the 400 in some later models?

Then theres the LA style Magnum 5.9 which is something else.

Theres also a Golden Commando, which was the 383 RB I think, and the Golden Lion which may have been the 350 B block or may even have been a Studebaker.

I still like the "Red Ram" name for the old 50s small Hemi? V8 in the Coronets and such.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Apr 12, 05 12:59 pm

That's right. TNT was what Chrysler used. I remember now.

You could get 383 magnums as well. Like I said, It means NOTHING. They were just names stuck on to make them sound good. I doubt the spec really mattered or stayed the same from year to year.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Apr 12, 05 1:05 pm

Just wanted to know so when I'm bulling about my Fury I don't end up talking like one of those arses who has "a big block chevy hemi out of a Lincoln."

Plan is to go for this big block aledgedy in this day van and I wanted to get me some of those sweet "V8 Super Commando" emblems some of the '68s had and don't want them if they apply to some other motor size.

if its a 400 I'm poohed up anyway.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Apr 12, 05 2:59 pm

Alistair wrote:if its a 400 I'm poohed up anyway.

So you want an engine to match some sticker you saw once rather than the best engine Mopar ever made?

I'm out of here. You scare me Alistair.

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Tue Apr 12, 05 6:08 pm

Just what I was thinking.

In Dodges, at least on post '70 models, a Magnum engine had a higher output. Specifically the 400 Magnum had the heads from the 440, harder valve springs, and a slightly more aggressive cam.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Apr 13, 05 10:13 am

Sorry, I should have explained, for insurance purposes I am far better with an engine which has a displacement which matches an option for the car.

"hello Mr Insurer I am fitting a 383/440 to replace my 318 to recreate a factory option for the car, yes this engine was an original option when the car was new."

or

"hello Mr Insurer, I am fitting a later year 400 to replace my 318 so I can thrash the nuts off the local boy racers and do huge burnouts"

The car is insured on a classic policy and they are very picky about modifications and "non standard features". Obviously whatever engine goes in, goes in for the same reason

but its how you dress it up can make the difference between them giving me a load of greif or just accepting it.

I'm aware a 400 makes a better performance motor, but it may make insurance trickier and I doubt I'd fully capitalise on the advantages it offers in a big heavy car in a "street" setup.

Oh, Dave, just to make things worse I was originally hoping to get the right date code as well...

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Apr 13, 05 11:03 am

only thing i seem to recall is that the 426 wedge was the MAX WEDGE, and the 413 and 440 were just wedges, then of course you stillhave the 426 hemi, which i think is often accused of being a max wedge, as i once assumed !,