Goldberg Selects A Hemi Engine For His A-990 - Tech

Since the original A-990 cars were equipped with 426 Hemi engines and a cross-ram intake with dual Holleys, it would be against the laws of the Mopar world to build a clone of one of these magnificent cars and not install a Hemi engine. It would also go against Bill Goldberg's credo.

Today there are several choices for those who want a Hemi engine. Many individuals build Hemi engines to spec, and many suppliers offer Hemi crate engines in a variety of displacements and horsepower levels. While at one of Charlie Blankenship's Chrysler Classic shows, Goldberg asked his friend Charlie, who has owned and raced many Hemi cars, for some advice on a Hemi engine. Blankenship just smiled and escorted Goldberg to meet Russ Flagle, owner of Indy Cylinder Head-one of the nation's premier Hemi engine builders.

Thirty-five years ago, Flagle and his brother were drag racers. They discovered they could make more horsepower than the competition with modifications to increase port volume to the heads of their race car. The design they chose for the ports of their Chrysler RB engine led them to build their first proprietary Mopar heads in both cast iron and aluminum. The success of those heads gave them the seed money to invest in the CNC machinery they needed to expand their business. Their first love was Wedge engines, but they saw the demand for high-quality Hemi engines and soon were building their own.

Goldberg told Flagle that he wanted a Hemi that could be street driven, but still develop plenty of horsepower. He'd had his fill of temperamental race Hemis and wanted an engine that would be user-friendly. Flagle explained that Indy Cylinder Head offered eight Hemi engines that ranged in horsepower from 540 to 1,120. In addition, all the Indy engines are fully dyno tested and tuned prior to delivery. They use the best components available to produce a reliable but powerful package.

Goldberg looked through the list and found Indy's 650hp Street Legend to his liking. The 650hp rating met his approval for a powerful street engine. it featured a single 850-cfm Demon four-barrel carburetor, MSD distributor, a Comp Cams hydraulic camshaft, and ran on pump gas, which fulfilled his user-friendly requirement. Goldberg then asked Flagle if he could have a few cosmetic items changed. One thing led to another, and before long they came to an agreement to create 20 limited-edition "Who's Next" Goldberg Hemi engines.

Goldberg's "Who's Next" tag line came about eleven years ago soon after he started wrestling. After a match he was having a beer with a few friends, one of whom was a TV director. His advice to Goldberg was: "Always take care of the camera and develop a catch phrase or slogan that belongs to you." Just then the waitress walked up and said, "Who's next?"

Each Indy 650hp "Who's Next" Goldberg engine features special black wrinkle-coated intake manifold and valve covers. "Goldberg" and "Who's Next" are machined into each valve cover. Goldberg was thrilled to have his name on one of the most famous engines in history. He says, "How many people have ever had their name on a Hemi engine? I also realize this engine will not look exactly like the cross-ram Hemi that Dodge put in these cars back in 1965, but it will develop more horsepower than the original 426 and can be driven on the street without detuning."