Projects The McKindley Hot Rod Build

David McKindley owned this car from 1951 until he passed away earlier this year. His family always referred to the car as the “hot rod”, and an extra engine as the “race car engine”. The car is a 1927 roadster pickup body on later frame rails registered as a 1934. The race engine is a Ford G series 6 with a Madis aluminum F head. How I came to have the opportunity to own and restore them is a story in its self.
The car is powered by an 8BA that appears to be stock. It’s backed by a Lincoln Zephyr trans and a banjo diff. It also has a Dodge front axle and Dodge front and Ford rear juice brakes.
Along with the car and the Madis engine I got an Edelbrock dual carb intake, a few 97 and 48 carbs, and a complete Cyclone rear end with Buick drums. Oh, and a copy of the 1951 pink in Mr McKindkey’s name.
My plan is to restore the car mechanically with the 8BA and current trans and diff, but eventually install the OHV Madis 6 and the Cyclone quick change.
At this point I’m still assessing what I have. As the project progresses I’ll post updates, but here are a few pictures of what I’m starting with.

 

interesting front suspension

 

Tell us more about the Madis Ford 6cyl.

 

search is your friend - https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...nversion-for-ford-flathead-6-then-now.519515/

 

Here’s a photo of the hot rod about 1955.

 

As I assess the car I'm currently concerned about a couple of things:
The front suspension has really short radius rods. From the rear pivot point to the center line of the axle is only about 15". This was done, I think, because of the kickout on the left frame rail to accommodate moving the steering box out to clear the 8BA. It would seem that as the suspension compresses the caster would increase a lot more than longer radius rods. But I don't know that this matters.
The rear suspension is also a concern. It has split wishbones, but still has the torque tube drive line. I suppose that if the radius of the wishbone front pivot point to the rear axle centerline is exactly the same as the distance from the centerline of the universal joint to the centerline of the rear axle it should work, but I've not seen this done before. The rear suspension moves freely, so it doesn't seem to be binding up.
The car was driven about 15 years in this configuration, so it must work to some degree. perhaps my concern is unfounded, but these configurations are unconventional.
Any thoughts?

 

I think the original torque tube rear suspension has perfect geometry. Splitting the wishbones back there ruins that. Can they be brought back in? Hopefully they didn’t do it because frame rails were in the way.

 

Neato!

 

Here’s a picture of the front radius rod.

 

I'd be concerned about the geometry in that front end and the side/twisting loads being put into that shackle mount as the axle travels through caster change.

But as you said, it was driven for an extended period with that so can't be too bad.

I'm conscious of the flaming going on in that other thread though and just because something was built a long time ago, doesn't make it right or safe.

 

Yeah, I couldn’t leave that front hairpin alone. Needs to be at least a foot longer, maybe two. Especially with a tube axle. Old and not broken doesn’t guarantee good, just means it’s been lucky so far.

 

I’d change it also. Many of these cars don’t have much suspension travel or just see primarily paved roads so they “work”, but if you run it thru full travel which could be just the case of hitting a pothole. That’s when the failure (hopefully nobody gets injured) will show up.

 

@Clydesdale Good point about the amount of twist on the spring perch. It’s not practical to lengthen the radius rods due to the frame kickout that the steering box fits into.
However, the caster change could be eliminated with a four bar setup.

 

Here’s a short video of the first time I saw the car in person and rolled it out into the sunshine for the first time in about 60 years.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0fcAZFhY8hs-jhA-_2Km4ZTtQ

 

I pulled the 8BA out of the car to do a full tear down and see what I have. But my shop space is limited so I set the Madis Ford 6 in its place. The engine fit in perfectly. The 8BA had a great deal of set back and it’s now obvious that it was set that way to allow the straight 6 to be installed. Although the 6 is about a foot longer, there’s plenty of room to accommodate it.
Take a look…

 

If you're gonna run the 6, looks like you could move the steering box in, straighten out that frame rail and add longer radius rods.

 

If I run the 6 that’s exactly what I’ll do.

 

With the radius rods lengthened and the frame rails straight, it will make it a real nice looking rod, as well as unusual with the six.

 

Wow, look at all the leaves in that front spring. Can you bounce the front suspension at all?

 

It does bounce and doesn't seem to be bound up at all.

 

cool lil hot rod

 

No progress for the last couple of weeks due to catching Covid. I hope to be out in the shop today or tomorrow and will be posting soon.
John

 

I bought a 1953 F250 stalled project just to get the EAB flathead. Don’t know yet what I’ll do with the rest of the truck, but my engine problem is solved!

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0caXYRm2N9jKruxKy7efOdqXA

 

I love when a real old rod shows up here and everybody is like "wow you need to change everything and make it like a new street rod"

I hope you leave it the way it was. the goofy stuff is the reason these old hot rods are so cool.

you've got a neat looking one here.

 

Thank you. I want to keep it as original as possible.

 

according to one of our cherished alumni Pete Eastwood...tube axles and split bones don't play nice together...but yours are more of a "hair pin" design

 

actually the more I look at it the more well thought out I think it is...that bump out on the frame however cringey it is... is nice! even those hair pins...they articulate at every contact point some one cut up a bunch of steering components...I believe this car was either built by a legitimate racer or was going to be one...this is a race car it needs the race engine... that L design (far superior for torque) 6 is the cat's ass...as far as the bump out I'd leave it (maybe box ahead and behind it) it's part of the history of the car...sweet car there's more to this story

 

You’re right about it being built by a legitimate racer. David McKindley also built a track roadster that ran at Carrell Speedway with CRA and, according to his family, he won several races.
Attached are a couple of pictures of the track roadster.
Notice the helmet David is wearing. His daughter gave it to me when I picked up the roadster pickup.

 

What a cool hot rod racer! What a find! What a save!
If it was me I would clean it up, make sure its safe and get it on the road like it is with that flatty engine you just picked up. Drive it and see what its like and go from there. Go take the daughter and the rest of the family for some rides or let them drive it too.
Maybe copy some of his build ideas with a new chassis, put the Madis 6 and cyclone diff in it with the same body and have fun with it too.
Leave the soul with the car!

-Shiny

 

Too bad you haven't found the tow vehicle. It too trips the cool meter!