cut the hood today, I still need to weld a brace across the back where there's not much meat left and a shot of the guage besel I made and the guages, only so much room and the guages are tight
Kick ass Phil. It's sounds great and looks mean. It's coming together great. I'll have to post video of my nailhead running, when I get it done. You're build has helped me through the summer.
Hi swade, Cool project. I'm doing one too. How far did you have to move back the firewall? Mines running a blown sbc and it looks like the blower is gonna get into the cowl area an inch or two. I've got a long way to go yet. Thanks for your posts!
Ha ha, lets let my machinist buddy make the next one, I spent all day with a jig saw and drum sanders making that thing The firewall is an old wheel barrow tub that was allready installed in the car. It looks like they just cut out the stock firewall and just welded the tub in, I had to cut the top of the cowl to get the carbs and intake to clear. The tub is only about 3 inches from the back of the dash if that helps.
Helps a ton thanks! I'm in the ballpark then. I'd do a build thread but mine is more contemporary drag car and don't wanna piss off the HAMB faithful. So I'll just check out yours...
Almost got the whole front suspension stripped out of it, one stubborn top bolt on the upper A-arm, giving her the over night BP Blaster treatment. Dropped off a pair of hubs and drums over at Carl's to get switched over to chevy pattern too. Those king pins are so loose you could shim them with a quarter, little clickity clacky for sure.
I stripped the front suspension off and down to the frame I had another front frame clip that I bought over the summer and the king pins were recently replaced on that. Also the bushings were nice where the others were way sloppy . So I put the upper/lower A-arms uprights and spindles back on my frame under the car. I dropped off the front hubs and drums at the machine shop to get the bolt pattern changed from ford to chevy. Now I can run my 3 1/2 Fenton Gyros ! Got the front end aligned and finaly ready to race with the gassers ! .
I made it to the track (Empire) yesterday, nervous about a new car and what could go wrong. I unloaded and went to tech which was being held in the staging lanes and it passed, now we're here in the lanes hmmm. I strap in and say lets just get it out of the hole and see if it handles at speed. The burn out feels good and is holding straight in the box, up to the line and bring it up to around 2 grand. The lights come down and I'm off, wow, loosing my stomach under accelleration. I short shift to second and it's still pulling hard, now I'm thinking huh oh how's it handle at speed, don't know yet. I get out of the gas and ease down the rest of the track and the damn thing is going pretty straight, turns a 8.24 in the 1/8 mi. The temp is good (180), so I go under the car and make sure everything is still tight, it is so I wait for time trials call. Up to the line and I stay in it a bit longer, seems to break up around 5 grand so I shift and go through the traps at 7.75 86 mph with a 1.70 60 ft time. I decide hey, might want to check air pressure in the slicks which I never did since they were mounted, 19 lbs holy crap ! I lower them to 12 and decide a little more rpms off the line should work. The 60 ft goes up to a 1.90 and turns a 8.03 at 85 mph, must have spun lets not do that again and it's still breaking up at 5 grand. I shift right at the breakup to keep the rpms lower to avoid the breaking up. Back at the pits I turn the fuel pressure up a pound and get paired up with my friends Anglia in first round. I didn't want to race, just time trial to get a feel for the car but what the heck, a pass is a pass. I walk down to his car and he has a 7.71 dialed so I do the same to just have a heads up tree. At the line he gets shut down for leaking coolant and I get the bye run. Leave at 2 grand, shift at 5 and it turns a 7.60 at 90 mph with a 1.62 60 ft. Man I'm liking this car ! Round 2 I'm out on the guy so I get off the gas and turn a 8.04 at 64 mph. Round 3 leave hard, short shift at 5 grand through the lights, off the gas and it grenades the freaking motor !
I built this car on a budget I don't have, I think I'm closing the doors on the garage and just saying fuck-it. Really sucks
Pistons in the 2&4 plug holes and up in the intake under the 4&6 the oil pan is beat out from the rods, worse than this picture shows valves down but rockers are loose, must be pistons holding them open too also could have a bent #3 exhaust valve, just totaly freaking sucks
I've got another 010 complete engine in the garage, tired and needs built. The engine guy wanted the Henry J engine tomorow to make it right but, but I'm sure he's just not going to hand over another fresh engine for free. The heads might even be toast on this thing, money is money and I don't have it. Like I said ready to just close the doors and walk away........................
Nahhh! You're obviously a handy guy. You'll figure something out. There's probably some young hot rodder out there with few skills but money and you have no money but many skills. Then once in a while the HAMB fairies will drop something on ya. Pull your grenade apart and make a list. Hell, it's only a SBC. There are millions out there. That's why I'm going with a SBC in my HJ. I wanted to go with an Olds but when you blow one of those $$$$$$$$$$.
That really does suck. I feel for you. Just think about how much fun you were having before your trouble. You did a great job with the car. Let you engine guy take a look see, who knows, maybe he does have a fresh one in the back room. It a long winter. You can recover. Hope to see you on the 8th anyway.
I understand how you feel, I do everything with hardly any budget also. You have done an awesome job with that car! You will get it back together, it just won't be next week. So what if it takes six months or even a year, you still have a badass Henry J and a lot of fun ahead!
The Jalopy Journal
