Good thing some guys with practicality like Mick and Clay spoke up. I would likely be doing the same, but like trying to get others to do cooler stuff. To be honest, I would likely do what Clay suggests as a first shot suspecting that it would go quite a bit longer. And, the cam that Chris suggests would work fine in a stock motor.
Yep, the cam that Chris suggested, but I would not buy their lifters. GM lifters... Chevrolet Performance 12371044..... Summit and other places have them. They're kinda spendy for lifters, but not if one of the cheapos goes bad and you can't adjust it out. Cam in the '37 is a COMP Cam, and I used their lifters, and then after 1000 miles i heard a tick. Couldn't adjust it out, so I I bought the GM lifters and no more tick.
Mickey is usually the calm, sane voice that keeps my eye on the ball. Thanks for the heads up Clay....I was looking at the cam and lifter "combo pack." I've achieved the dream....I own it, and drive the goof out of it of course. Hard to know sometimes though which is the dream....own it and drive it regardless of the fact it's still 50% dorky or finishing it. LOL
Well, the crate motor option has fallen through. Apparently GM no longer offers the set up I was looking at. Next choice is 5k...I can rebuild one for less than that I'm sure. So, recommended cam and lifters on order. With any luck it will go in without having to pull the motor and it will be back on the street cruising for now.
This car seems to have a mind of it's own and seems to be calling the shots about what it really wants. LOL All that stuff I said about cam and lifters on order and fix it as it sits...forget that mess. Ha. Apparently, I mindlessly put the shipping address in for the billing address and that threw my card out on the order. While I was reading the email telling me the card didn't go through, Bob calls and tells me he forgot that his engine guy has a fresh small block that he was going to sell for him. Price is beyond right, so I called Summit to sort out the card and thought I'd ask if it was too late to cancel the order....if it was, I'd just go ahead, fix the existing motor and set the fresh one aside on hold. But, if they'd let me cancel it, I'll bite off the next section of elephant and tear the front end of the car at go. They cancelled the order...... Going to be a little bit before I can run over to Bob's to pick up the new motor, so in the mean time, I'm going to start removing stuff and stripping the front end down. Christmas is already up, won't head to the lake until tomorrow evening to chip away at that whole thing going on there, so maybe tonight I can get out and pull a few pieces off...
Thanks guys!! Looking forward to this next chunk of progress. After this go around, except for the seats, all the dork will finally be removed from the car. Been a long time coming.
I'm sure I've seen this thread before but have just skimmed through it (again?) A great thread, it's good to be able to read about the journey, your stick-a-bility is great to see! Following your goal through even if it isn't 'exactly' what you envisioned initially it's damn close. Thanks for the reality trip, what a grouse car & great story to go with it!
Thanks @Outback, I appreciate the kind words. Still following through on my goal, ultimately (excepting the Olds motor it seems). Where I'm falling short is on how long it has taken me. LOL The final objective is a "revised" Hirohata Merc. I had an idea for different tail lights on the Hirohata and reached out to @Rikster a few years ago to photoshop it. By the time he was done, we had gone over and refined nearly every feature of the Hirohata. I have kept all those drawings and plans private, not wanting to reveal my hand and allowing someone else the chance to do build it before I am able to get it done. With the new front cap going on, as I un-stockify it, I will begin bringing those plans to fruition and will reveal each tweak as I go. Y'all are gonna love it!! (if you are patient enough to hang with this another, eh, 10, 15, 30 years haha!) Demolition has started, if even just a little bit.... Off to the lake this weekend to build a roof, so that's as far as I'm gonna get for a few days at least. All summer it's been 105 building foundations and walls, now we get to the roof and it's going to be 30. I get all the luck. LOL Just for grins and to keep things rolling, here's the new front cap going on. Stumbled into a whole front end a few years ago for suuuper reasonable, so I picked it up and had it blasted and put in epoxy. It's been standing in the corner and the rafters teasing me ever since. The time has come....good bye chopped up inner fenders, hagan headlights, semi truck wheel trim rings posing as Buick portholes in the hood and the rest of the ghost flames...
Sounds like your plan is really going to turn into a pretty neat car, looking forward to seeing how it turns out and hope you get time to work on it!
lol! No, yellow will not be the color, but yes there is a color change coming….seafoam and dark green, but the final shades have not been decided. I do like the green that’s on it now, so I may stick with that for the dark and thinking maybe a pearl for the seafoam. Thank you for the kind words! Excited to start this next stage! Let’s hope it turns out anyway. Haha. Gonna be hit or miss here for a little while. Been tearing off a roof and blending into the existing with new tongue and groove over an addition at the lake tomorrow….hope I have this crazy thing in the dry by Christmas. Lol. Good news is, thats an hour from home, so can’t really run over during the week to work for a little bit in the evenings which leaves a little time to fiddle with the car here and there.
We had a very entertaining end of year dinner working for a mission. There was a presentation about the 2 long running projects that were happening, in much detail mind you, it was explained that the much awaited New Hanger project would come to fruition at the same time as the other 'Flying Pig' project would leave the ground! I feel like many of my idea's & plans are much the same, waiting for the famed Flying Pig project to come together...
My Flying Pig project is probably closer to being my '64 Pontiac my dad bought me in '84 and I still haven't finished (and has been off the road since being rear ended in '94). LOL
It still amazes me, Dave, that you can build a masterpiece of an office that is known worldwide relatively swiftly, but one little Merc......and one little A.....and one little...uh, never mind. I see why they take too long now. LOL
Well, now Bob, lets remember, I didn't actually build it with my two hands....just the car furniture. Which, did take 3 years and went just like all my other projects....put on the back burner while doing family and house stuff and then a massive push the last 6 months with all nighters and very little sleep scrambling to the deadline. Hahaha!!!
Gosh, thank you. Let's hope it turns half great....anything better than "OK" will be a win. LOL Nothing much new to report. I had a little time I could spend out in the shop last weekend, but I focused on smaller jobs that get other cars closer to the road. Been having some hard starting issues on the Chevy, so made some heat spacers for the carbs. This weekend and next week is back up to the lake installing windows and replacing the ancient wiring panels with updated stuff. Hopefully some more Merc progress when I get back.
No significant updates while I have been working on getting the A back together and mostly working on the lake house. But, I did hook up with @FLAT-TOP BOB at the Stray Kat last weekend to pick up the new motor. Fresh build small block, ready to top out, detail and install. I won't make it that easy though....I'm still going to pull the whole front end and replace the sheet metal, finish fixing the firewall, and put the engine compartment together in its final and finished form. @arkiehotrods and I used to have lunch together every Monday when he still lived down here. I had texted him Sunday night that it was good to see him over the weekend at the show and I was sad that Monday would come and we wouldn't be having lunch to debrief. He texted back and said he's retired and what time should he be down....a 3 hour one way drive. Sure enough, Monday morning came and here was Duncan! Before we headed out to eat, we "unboxed" the new motor to see what I got. Bob had it all padded and wrapped for transport....super nice of him to use a blanket that matched the Chevy. LOL Satisfied with the new aquisition, and after going over the new changes to the A, off to lunch we went. Mondays as they should be... Hard to believe it's been 10 years since he moved. A good day.... Now that the A is thiiiiiis close to being back on the road, my plan is to get my son-in-law's car (his grandpa's '69 Chevelle) back running and out of the shop, then a full shop clean up and organization and finally onto the Merc teardown....between working on this lake house reno. LOL
Once this house is done you’re gonna feel like you have all the time in the world for cars lol. Any seen Duncan in forever but the last time was at your place!
The Jalopy Journal
