Arias Hemi Chevy - Hemi With A Twist

I think most of us will admit that we build our street rods primarily to please ourselves with something unique to us as individuals. However, some-and many of us may be included in this category-build cars to impress others. The use of an Arias Hemi Chevy fits both categories very nicely. Others will be duly impressed by its size and appearance. The builder/driver will be impressed by the gobs and gobs of torque and horsepower. Does 800 lb-ft and close to 1,000 horses for the street ring your chimes?

There is a long history of innovation coming forth from Nick Arias Jr. and his company, Arias Racing Components. From dry lakes to the drags to Bonneville, he has been there and done it all. Over the years, he has developed the use of a Wayne Horning head for GMC truck engines in the '50s, a four-cylinder aluminum Chevy II midget engine using a Chrysler Hemi head, later an Arias V-6 Hemi for Sprint Car use, and the ultimate-huge 8.3- and 10.0-liter blown Hemi engines for tractor pullers, and Top Fuel and Top Alcohol dragster racing. Nick knows Hemis. He contends that the Hemi combustion chamber design is by far the best for making gross horsepower in the internal combustion engine. Most experts agree.

Lots of us rodders have asked the age-old question: "We know the hemi is good, why doesn't Chevy produce one?" Well, I can't answer as to why Chevy hasn't up 'til now, but this Arias Hemi conversion, like the Ardun for the Flathead, is the answer until they do. While putting a Hemi head on a Flathead was like putting perfume on a pig, this is the real deal.

Available in kit form using a big-block Chevy or as a complete package, one can have a traffic stopper between the framerails that gets real attention and all the acceleration the largest of rear tires can stand.

This unique cylinder head kit is designed to be used on a 10.2 tall-block from Chevy, or you can spring for the whole deal and get a Merlin III cast-iron block or the Merlin X aluminum-based crate engine from Arias in either carbureted or blower-equipped configuration. The Merlin blocks are specially machined by Bill Mitchell to accept 10 half-inch studs per bank and a cylinder bore of 4.5 inches.

With a 4.25-inch stroke and the 4.5-inch bore, the resultant 540ci engine can be expected to deliver the kind of tire-melting power that set the drag racing world abuzz when it was first introduced into Top Fuel drag racing. The improved version of the Arias Hemi head now uses a conventional rocker arm setup oiled by the lifters like other good valvetrains. The investment cast roller-tipped rockers (pieces of artwork themselves) incorporate adjustments at the tip, making for ease of lash settings. The quality of the casting and the machine work throughout will bring tears to your eyes.

What all do you get with this kit, you ask? Well, to begin with, you get the Arias hemispherical heads (143cc chambers) containing stainless valves measuring 2.375 intake and 1.940 exhaust covered by cast-aluminum valve covers complete with polished breathers. The rocker arm assembly contains hardened steel step washers, centerless ground heat-treated rocker shafts, investment cast-steel rocker arms, roller-tipped intakes, and flame-hardened exhausts. Each operates on Timken roller bearings. The Manton 3/8-inch pushrods socket into Manton adjustment screws. Spark plug tubes and seals, header flanges, billet valley cover, aluminum thermostat manifold, and polished adjustable water neck are all part of the package.

There is a choice between the tunnel ram dual carburetor manifold for the 10.20- and 9.80-inch deck engine and the blower manifold with adapter for single four-barrel manifold for the 10.2 and 11.2 deck blocks. You also get polished tall breathers for the valve covers and a complete hardware kit.

You can choose to do it yourself with your own block and assembly or you can order a complete crate engine directly from Arias. You get the same components that come in the kit, but with the crate motor you get a Merlin III 10.200 tall-deck block using 1/2-inch head bolts with 4.5-inch bore and 4.25 stroke. Eagle H-beam rods and Arias 10-to-1 compression forged pistons with rings and pins finish the assembly. Chet Herbert roller cam and Isky lifters moved by a Pro-Gear timing set are also included. The crate motor is finished off with a Pro-Comp electronic ignition, a choice of Quick Fuel or Barry Grant carburetors, Pioneer harmonic damper SCE copper gasket set, and a Melling high-volume oil pump.

As with any kit, there is a long list of options, should you want to upgrade or just personalize the Arias. Those options include a Merlin X aluminum block, a choice of BDS or Mert Littlefield blower and drive setups (an electronic-equipped Hilborn four-holer for the blower package), Edelbrock EnduraShine Quad 650-cfm carburetor, or a Quick Fuel Quad 950-cfm carb for the unblown version.

If you choose the normally aspirated package, Arias has dyno-tested a 484-cid package that produced 500 lb-ft at 5,000 and 650 hp at 6,500 rpm in the way of power. The blown package with 8 lbs of boost from an 8-71 produced a whopping 810 lb-ft at 5,100 and 963 hp at 6,500.

As far as pricing goes, the basic kit to convert your big-block Chevy to an Arias Hemi is $11,900, and the complete crate motor as outlined here is $21,900. (The supercharged version of the Arias Hemi Chevy is custom priced).

Expensive? Yes, but when you consider what you get, you realize the quality is there. And the wow factor (yours and others) is priceless.