Finally Got a Henry J

Now if we speculate my 230 lbs in the driver's seat it still wouldn't be 50/50 weight bias. LOL !

(I did cheat one inch forward of wheelbase on the new chassis from this photo)

 

I must have went wrong somewhere. Mine is about that much with a small block and no roll bars

Gary.

 

I was really hoping to stay in the 2400's or low low 2500.
When I thought of where the 190 lbs came from it does make sense when you break it down comparing apples to apples on the things changed.
I did weigh it twice on different scale pads and it came up the same both times, also who knows if the scale at the track was accurate.

 

I put it out in front of the house where it's pretty flat, I'm the last house on a hill and my driveway has about a 4 degree pitch to it. Anyhow, to check the trans fluid because it seemed to loosen up the stall last time I drove it, it's the same converter I had in it and I knew the big block would make it stall higher, but just how much higher was unknown.
The trans fluid was low so maybe it won't "float" as much on the next drive, getting it sorted out, by the way the extra fender clearancing did stop the shrill squeaking noise.

I gave it a drink while at the truck stop, nice that the fuel guage works now.

 

Bad moon coming to a cruise near you

 

Your car was looking good

 

I got the garage funk off the paint using a clay bar this afternoon, I've hand washed it 3 times prior to no avail, but that thing did the trick.



Saturday I changed the Autolite race plugs (same plugs from when I bought the engine) and they were very pig rich.
I put my go to V power NGK's in it with a 44 gap, the Autolite race plug has a short strap so kind of hard to tell what those were gapped at.
Car show in the city on Sunday, cutting through the city to get there, I immediately noticed it started faster and was a little more crisp. Anywho yesterday I looked through my jets and figured I'd knock a couple numbers out of the primaries since those previous plugs were so rich, go from 70's to 67's since I had 4 of those.
I decided to pull a plug first and the damn thing looked pretty good for having city stop and go driving on it, timing mark looked close as well, so I put my jets away and I'll check the plugs again after some more driving on them.
Car show was a flop, held at Buffalo's iconic Central Terminal train station, in the past you could browse the first floor and see the restoration work going on. They let you park your cars (mostly classic and muscle type show) right outside the front doors, the Terminal is now in the ghetto part of Buffalo.
Now the show is put on by tuner clubs, Terminal is closed and they moved the car show parking down into the streets of that fabulous area, show was very unorganized to boot, but they had a full stage with live "rap is crap" music drawing in the locals.

 

I've been trying to get the car out somewhere every week, still doing okay too.
Somehow managed a couple more awards




Today I decided to re-clock the steering wheel since everything seems to be where it's going to stay. While I had it off I decided to strip the black paint off the spokes and clean up the gold flake.
Not sure what brand it is or why it was painted black or why they welded an adapter onto the back of it, but they did.
I started with a razor blade up near the rim then went with paint stripper afterwards.




It by no means looks brand new but it does look 100% better



Then I inspected an old wheel center cap, same as I used in the gas cap, to possibly use as a horn button, maybe one day I'll get to that

 

Glad your enjoying the Henry J. Drive the wheels off it now as the seasons will be changing quickly. Car looks great Phil. Come a long way from when you first brought it home.

 

Great job, looks like a fun car to drive. Enjoy!

 

Glad I get to see this 'J' finally moving under it's own power. I know it has been a Long Haul for you. Gives me Inspiration.

 

Thank you, I'll be the first to admit the car is very raw and not for everyone.
It's completely stripped of anything comfortable and of anything that weighs more than it needs be to go faster. It clanks, bangs, sounds tinny, no door rubbers, heat comes through the firewall, you have to climb over the roll bar, lift up on the doors to get them to shut and it's hard to turn with the full spool, but I'm part caveman and just love all of it.

 

Perfect

 

Features like that don't bother me at all. I'm keeping the bench seat to show the wife I really do want her around for the 3 am industrial district side by side pavement surface grip evaluations, but the other features you mentioned can help assure that she won't be interested...

-rick