Hot Rods 9 inch pumpkin question

Andrew, how about posting up some pictures of your T for all to see?

Are you just going to drag race this T or are you going to drive it on the road too ?
I have light-weight Hot Rods and have built a few T-roadsters, and I can tell you from experience that the 4.10 gear will get real old on the highways.
I run a 30" tall housier on my Coupe with 3.55 gears, a 9" convertor (3500-3700 stall range), with a SBC 357" with a Bullet Cammed hydraulic roller and it still runs 3000 rpm @ 60 MPH.

 

It just depends on how much money you want to throw at it, and whether you still want to drive it on the street when you are done. I would think the main purpose of your car would be street oriented, but if you are going to put the emphasis on track performance, streetability will suffer. Put your trans selector in 2nd gear and drive it about 10 miles to get an idea what its going to be like with a 4:11 ratio. 3:25 to 4:11 is a BIG change. I'm not saying not to do it, but I would try to be sure it will make you happy when you are done. One of the biggest reasons people don't drive their hot rods very far (Xway) is because their engines are annoying at those speeds and higher rpms. Thats why you see so many builders today going for overdrive autos or 5 speed manual transmissions. Maybe having the option of swapping pumpkins might be a good way to go. Even if you are unhappy with the current performance, a 3:50/3:70 would probably cure your street needs, and maybe at the strip too.

 

If you didn't know of Frank & Linda Mazi T that he built 52 years ago, you should read the story.



Frank and Linda Mazi's Wheelstanding, 10-second, Street-Driven T-Bucket - TBucketPlans.com

 

your in a light vehicle. unless your planning on dropping 600 RWHP on a trans brake i believe you are perfectly fine.

 

oh, I completely get it. It it true that there are some T Buckets with split wishbones and spindly stuff that would be suited to Ralph Malf of Happy days, but there are other Buckets that are strong with thick rods, well thought out geometry and other things. Some guys run 9s and 10s and pull the front wheels 3 feet in the air and don't break their parts. I am an old guy and have broken some things in my time myself, but I don't think the suspension is the issue on that particular car. I have dialed in the engine and the handling right down the gnats behind, but don't want to find the weak link to be the pumpkin.

 

I read this story, its a great one indeed.

 

Neither of the above.

 

Using your numbers , you should be turning 2385 ...

 

Colorado yes. I have been going there since the old track decades ago, I might have seen you run as I was a regular spectator and raced Ls1s for a while, but no longer do. So I always figured about 1 second, 25 percent, or 100 hp on average slower at this altitude unless it was blown or something. I have never taken my T up there, I figured tech would flag me before I ever got to the tower, so its just street. It does track smooth and not jittery like the 96" T buckets. I had one of those with deep gears and a tunnel rammed Ford mill at the time, and it was more touchy. My car is not modified for safety, and the last guy that had didn't even seat belts in it, but I put a good set of Aircraft buckles types in it and with wilwoods on the front and the rest of the setup calculated down the millimeter I figure I should be ok for stability. The reason I am looking for deeper gears is that with a 290 cam on a big runner mouse I have to drive through low end to get it to pull, where as the Z06 I had before would hit right from the get go. 405 hp at 3000lbs and really crappy tyres those cars would run mid to high 13s at around 110, and I don't think my car is there as of yet. My newbie type friend rode in down 225 and he thought it was a 12 second car and said nope, probably not there yet. Buckets are more interesting than regular late model corvettes regardless of speed.

 

In normal mathematical calculations that would be correct, but it doesn't work out that way in real life lightweight hot rod .... and Yes, my Speedhut GPS speedometer is spot-on-correct.

Over the past 45 years, my rear ratio of choice for T roadster style cars has been 2.79 with
26-27" tall rear tires.

 

Swap the gears and the converter, the car should really wake up.

And you're still not likely to break the pumpkin....

 

Here is it is .
https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/old-cars-reader-wheels/old-cars-reader-wheels-1923-ford-t-bucket

 

Thats odd , my T has 28" tall tires , 3.55 gear , 1:1 trans & at 60 mph I'm showing about 2400 ..I'm probably a bit more lightweight than you @ 1790 lbs

 

picture



that's a sweet looking bucket!

 

28" tire and 4.11 = tick under 3000 [2960] @ 60 mph, going to 3.12 gear [od] is 2250 @ 60 mph.

 

I have a 9" torque convertor .... if it were stock stall it would be much lower like yours.

 

Thanks, its a 2.02/1.60 canted valve 350 mouse 30 over. The cam is a Bullet, I guess those are supposed to be pretty good ones. Dual AFBs on a Edelbrock c16 I think it is. 11.0 compression. Fairly basic car with fuel cell taking up the whole trunk. 375-400 hp I am guessing. Nothing to crazy there. I am still trying to get pictures posted on here.

 

I was thinking a 9 inch about 3500 would be about right for a light car. I think its about 2500 right now which doesn't seem very loose with a car of that weight. Seems to hold it back some.

 

Losing 600 rpm through slipping ....Another reason I like my 4-speed...

 

I am not sure in the particular body I have I can fit a clutch linkage in there. Otherwise yea, a stick is better in a traditional car, yes

 

I have a 54 98 like the color of one in that avatar, but I have to get my Nova 396 finished before I start dumping money into my crusty Olds. Old stuff is more my thing than newer stuff. Old guys like me take 10x longer to get stuff done than young pups. Youth is priceless.

 

"Canted valve"???

 

I " fit" a stick in mine & I'm by far , not the only one .

 

Yes, its an aftermarket set that way. Weird rockers and such, no sure I wouldn't prefer a set of Brodix or something, but that engine already had them so I went with it. I wanted to put some Fauxmobile Valve covers on it and realized that the centerbolt gear wouldn't clear the valve springs . I think that canted valve heads on those types tended to beat on guides and stuff pretty severely, so they are of an older vintage and not made anymore. They don't work say, as well as a Rat or Cleveland head would as the canting is not as pronounced.

 

Op , Have you tried running with out air cleaners , I have seen 20- 30 hp gain from cleaners like those to Full flow Elements.
How are the Header capped off?
Is there a gap in between collector flange & cap ?

 

I know you said "you think" it's 118 but I bet it's a lot closer to 108, mine is 109 and a very similar car to yours, 355, solid flat tappet, pair of 600 Carters, th350, 3.25 geared Detroit locker 9 inch, 1840 lbs.
I ran the car for 3 yrs with a 4.11 before switching to the 3.25's, something to think about is the style of carbs you have and the feeling of the power rolling in that they give. AFB style carbs do not hit out of the hole like a Holley does, even when foot braking them to around 1200 rpm they still just roll the power in, instead of planting you in the seat on the hit.
I had a little milder 355 with exact same intake in it before and it acted the exact same way, when it had a single Holley it had a great hit to it, current motor went 7.30's (1/8) in a 66 nova.
Comparing my photos to yours the wheelbase looks pretty close.

 

that is a sweet looking ride you have their. I will have to measure my wheelbase again. Its cold and I cannot find my tape measure. I know what you mean about the AFB's coming in slower, say compared to a double pumper. In my case I want that because I don't want the car coming around me ! I have a progressive linkage and I have the second carb coming it at pretty late rate as not to bog or cause other issues. On that particular intake little Holleys don't fit because the carbs flanges are to close together. I started with a annular booster double pumper and it worked decently, but purely for the look I prefer dual carbs. The reason I want to go 4.10s is not so much to gain off the line power as it is to get in my power band quicker as the cam is pretty aggressive and the tire is fairly tall.

 

I have never run it without aircleaners other than just to tune it. Never done anything to the headers at all.

 

Progressive linkage is a moot point when it comes to drag racing , unless its vacuum actuated ..

 

Defiantly with the 3.25 and existing converter 1:1 was not an option. For putting around progressive seems fine. On my Holley 450s on a tunnel ram with my old t Bucket progressive was not an option ! LOL