### The Great Hemi Debate: Why You Should Consider a 5.9 Magnum Hey, you're thinking, "one's got hemispherical combustion chambers, and the other doesn't. Case closed!" Congratulations, yes, that's the biggest difference. But maybe you're wondering why wedge-head Magnums generally make less power or, say, whether it's cheaper to go with a modded Magnum or stuff your Dodge Dakota 5.9 R/T or Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited full of Gen-III Hemi (let's stick with the similar-displacement 5.7 Hemis for comparison's sake). Speaking of cheaper, that brings us neatly to the other most important difference: cost. There's a reason Hot Rod referred to the Mopar 360-cube Magnum V8 as a "junkyard jewel." What started as a cheaper alternative to the larger 383 B-series, and the de facto successor to the 340, became Chrysler's go-to small block V8 to muscle up an otherwise boring truck or SUV (it's how we got the ...
### The Great Hemi Debate: Why You Should Consider a 5.9 Magnum
Hey, you’re thinking, “one’s got hemispherical combustion chambers, and the other doesn’t. Case closed!” Congratulations, yes, that’s the biggest difference. But maybe you’re wondering why wedge-head Magnums generally make less power or, say, whether it’s cheaper to go with a modded Magnum or stuff your Dodge Dakota 5.9 R/T or Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited full of Gen-III Hemi (let’s stick with the similar-displacement 5.7 Hemis for comparison’s sake).
Speaking of cheaper, that brings us neatly to the other most important difference: cost. There’s a reason Hot Rod referred to the Mopar 360-cube Magnum V8 as a “junkyard jewel.” What started as a cheaper alternative to the larger 383 B-series, and the de facto successor to the 340, became Chrysler’s go-to small block V8 to muscle up an otherwise boring truck or SUV (it’s how we got the Dodge Li’l Red Express pickup). That “cheaper” part hasn’t gone away, either.
You can pick up 5.9 Magnum long blocks for as little as $1,700, and possibly less than $1,000 if you check scrapyards. Heck, ATK sells remanufactured long block 5.9s that will get you over 310 hp and 400 pound-feet of torque for around $2,800. Meanwhile, a remanufactured Hemi long block from someplace such as Powertrain Products Inc. is around $3,600, and anything under $4,000 is considered cheap for a Gen-III Hemi.
Buying a higher-horse crate motor reveals even more stark price differences. Performance Unlimited has a 450-hp 5.7 Hemi that’ll run you north of $14,000, while BluePrint Engines carries a 408-cube Magnum stroker with 465 hp for about $10,000. Factor in also that these engines use different motor mounts, so you’ll have to use a conversion kit if you retrofit a Gen-III Hemi in place of a Magnum V8, and you’re likely going to need a standalone wiring harness, too.
### The Verdict
In the end, the decision comes down to your priorities: power, money, or a little bit of both. If you’re looking to build a budget-friendly engine that still packs a punch, a 5.9 Magnum is a great choice. With a little creativity and some elbow grease, you can turn a junkyard find into a weekend warrior that’ll leave you grinning from ear to ear.
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