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Henry J Gains Hemi V8 and Vortech Supercharger

Some of you probably never heard of the Henry J, a compact two-door sedan built in the early 1950s by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation. Designed as an affordable car for the average American, the Henry J was a simple vehicle without the fancy features found on the bigger Detroit-developed cars and it didn’t even have a trunk lid at first.
Blown/supercharged Henry J 9 photos
Photo: Ted Dzus
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Powered by small-displacement inline four and six-cylinder engines, the Henry J wasn’t successful at all in an era when Americans were demanding big cars, and the Willow Run-built vehicle was discontinued in 1954, after just four years of production.

Despite dying early, the Henry J went on to become a little more popular with dragstrip enthusiasts, who started fitting the unusually small car with V8 powerplants. And this is where our actual story starts about what appears to be one of the most powerful Henry J examples ever built.

Owned by Ted Dzus, this Henry J sports not just any kind of V8 engine, but a blown 8.6-liter Hemi mill and a Vortech V-4 X Supercharger on top. We don’t know how many horses are coming out of the combo, but it sounds quite scary. We’re anxious to find out though, and we hope the owner releases some figures pretty soon.

The supercharged Henry J also gained a set of Weld Racing RT-S wheels, including disk brakes, a custom built roll cage and several custom interior features. Dragstrip-focused under the hood, concours-ready on the outside. Now that’s what we call a hot rod!

Story via StreelLegalTV
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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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