I always thought that Henry J's had an opening truck and on Allstates there was no truck opening. Looks like that was an old wives tale. NICE car. Lee
From what I've read Henry Js had no trunk, just a fold down backseat, but they were required on cars sold in Europe. Kaiser Frazer or their dealers tried to keep the trunk option a secret but by 1952 most had trunks. Many had no glove boxes either. Now-a-days most, like mine, don't have floors (tee-hee).
This car has no glove box, radio, trunk and the vent windows are stationary, a real stripper. I spent the day cutting off the old motor mounts and fabbing new ones. I must have measured and checked the angle finder a hundred times before taching them in. Of course I ran out of gas in the mig half way around the second mount. I hope the welding place is open tomorrow, I'd like to at least finish up those. Might not get to the trans crossmember till Monday, my back is a wreck anyhow from todays work.
Mine is a No-Trunk model 1952 Deluxe as it has the stainless trim around the windows. Two of the national Henry J experts were arguing with each other, after I posted a question as to whether it was a Vagabond or Corsair. I like the No-Trunk models because they look smoother. That round back with no trunk really makes a candy paint job look good.
I got those mounts welded in and put some rustolium on them today, she's going to setup like morning wood. the engine is almost finished too
Looks like it's going to be sitting pretty high in the front. Might need a drip pan or a piece of cardboard shoved under her at night as the rear main seal seeps. But I like the look. I always thought the old altereds with the engine sitting way up high was cool.
The carb pad is level so it should be good, my garage floor has a 4 degree down hill pitch to it. I have to ad that into all the measurements, but it does give the illusion that the front is higher than it is.
That's going to make for a steep drive-line angle isn't it?. I went the other way to get a better drive-line angle. I set my engine back and down between the rails.
Both will be set at - + 3 degrees, I'm looking for a 60's vibe so the motor is high. If it doesn't work out I'll change it, but plenty of cars ran 24 inch crank centerlines back then. Probably about a 4 inch difference in front to rear heights spread out over a 4 ft (?) driveshaft.
Yeah, apparently they were getting away with some radical angles that aren't supposed to be. I originally set my engine in almost exactly the way VonHartman on (this site) did his HJ engine, which is lower than yours and sets the mounts right on top of the cradle cross member. But with 3+- on the engine and the same on the pinion I had 18" between the parallel lines of a four foot driveshaft. Most angle the rear up and use a CV joint at the tranny end, but from an engineering standpoint it doesn't seem to change the physics. I ended up setting my engine back and down between the frame. It sits low enough that I'm not too concerned with loss of leg room and I'm not using a backseat anyway.
I put the old motor and trans back in today so I can take a look at the radiator and headers. The difference in height between the center of the rearend yoke and trans output shaft is 3 3/4 inches. Now to order a header kit and see what kind of new cuss words I can come up with figuring that out...lol most of the day with this view, looking at the ceiling
I guess my chassis is sitting a lot higher than I thought because I had 18" between paralell lines of drive with the engine mounts low on the cradle. Now I've got the engine sitting down between the rails and about a foot back. When I get this picture thing figured out I'll send some.
I'll measure the height from ground to fenderlip on the front fender when I go out there today. This car doesn't sit really high in the front but just enough for me.
Thanks for checking out the project pictures, nothing fancy going on just a good garage build....lol I measured the front fender lip height and it measures 28 inches from the ground in line with the spindle. The front tires are 14's and measure right at 24 inches tall so that puts 4 inches of sight over the top of the tires. Now of course these measurements may change, but plan on going with an aluminum radiator and the new engine has aluminum heads but adding a tunnel ram w/2 4's. Today I stripped the interior out to get the carpet out, it was a pain unbolting the roll bar to get it out from under there. I also unbolted the fuel cell, just trying to get it ready for the ladder bar install. I'll have the roll bar checked for tech while it's over there too. I'm sure it will need new side bars since these look to be the pro street varity and below shoulder height. The foot plates are 4 inch square so those may need to be bigger too. I also took that under dash shelf thing out, never really understood the purpose of that either. All that came out today.....
Ha ha thanks man, good to hear from you. That speedo in the car says it'll do a buck eighty, then I realized it came from your area and is in killometers ha ha.
Hey man what are you doing with those interior parts panels and shit like that. Do you still have the the spare tire well too pm me please
Just remember if you run 7.50 or quicker (1/8 mi.) that roll cage will have to be welded not bolted. Of course, I don't see that happening anytime soon. LOL See you at the meeting.
One class win for this guy and he's still got a big head about it, bring your rule book next time....lol
The car's getting dropped off tomorrow for the ladder bar install. What a night jocking three cars around inside of a garage with a 4 degree pitch to the floor. On the left side of the garage was the t-bucket with the truck in front of it. On the right was the J next to the truck with nothing behind it. I rotated them all clockwise until the J ended up where the t-bucket was. At one point the truck spit out the dollies and missed rolling into the J by about a half an inch ! What a freaking nightmare.
I think the only project that will come anytime soon will be a V-8 trike Mike. I need something real crazy for Jesse's party, coffin tank and Herman Munster pipe organ exhaust straight up out the back ! Thanks Tony, you've just been to busy working on the 32.
I dropped it off today and while there decided to redo the side bars plus add two to the rear. This will make it a 6 point, little safer and stronger. While having it up on a lift I got a good look underneath, someone replaced the intire floor at one point. You could see the work of different owners for sure, the floor was great but the rear suspension not so much. I'm glad that's all coming out, I think someone put the S-10 rear springs/hangers and all in it.
Nice HJ. I picked one up around the same time you did. Hope to get it ready this year. Like yours, it needs some work to get it track ready.
Hey maybe we'll see you at Leichester for the gasser series, nice solid looking car. http://www.gasserracingseries.com/
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