Going to float this and see if it's permissible. This project has had a very strange path and I think the customer and I have finally solidified a plan and sticking too it. The car started off as a 1951 Chevy coupe, decent enough car but the new owner wanted to change it up to suit his taste. The Chevy six wasn't enough and Lenny really like my Scud Hud ch***is so well he wanted me to adapt some of those elements into a completely new ch***is for this coupe. For powertrain retrofit, he brought me a 500" Big block Chevy with a Hilborn injection system and a nearly complete and usable Lenco CS1 four speed and ***anium bellhousing with a two disc iron clutch. The Chinese heads and fake Holley valve covers threw up red flags in direct resistance to the build sheet. This was supposed to be making some 700+ HP, I had my doubts. We did a superficial tear down to find it had a rather mild Crane hydraulic cam and Comp Roller tip rockers instead of the "full roller" valve train it was supposed to have. And the flat top pistons and **** ProComp heads would have yielded around 9:1 compression, maybe. Decision was made to sell off the top end and put a blower on it. Brodix X3 heads and a Magnesium 6-71 are getting fitted as well as swapping the Hilborn stack injection for a four port EFI setup. Winters sent over some of their finest (which I think will be the weak link in the system) Champ Adapter rear axle. Mockups started happening before the body got here. The keen eye will spot a *****in dropped and filled 32 heavy axle, that will make it in the build. The rest is going to have to be modern for safety sake, he does want to run it at the drags. I have all my SFI books and collecting some neat-o parts to try and keep this thing more or less late 60's to early 70's styled Comp Coupe/Altered flavored.
I was confused by the Chevy. I thought you were putting the BBC in the '51. Looks like a powerful drivetrain for the A. I love that front axle, hope it will stay in that shape with the torsion setup.
I too am confused by the 51. The owner commissioned you to build a 51, but is now building an A? Can I have the 51?
****, train of thought jumped the tracks. Missed a whole section of the story. When we started the tear down of the Chevy into it's component parts, the customer expressed some desire for all the 32 Ford action we had going on. He decided to sell off the Chevy and started looking for a 3W 32 Ford to build. Shocked by the initial outlay of cash for even a rough one scared him off. He ended up settling for this 31 coupe.
I think I follow: 1. Owner had a 51 Chevy, wanted El Polacko to do some updates. 2. Owner had the BBC and Lenco setup 3. Owner liked El Poloacko's ch***is ideas, but decided to go with new ch***is vs modifying the 51. 4. Owner is now building the Model A coupe instead, on the new ch***is. Regardless, the good thing is El Polacko is building the guy a ch***is that will be safe and handle the high anticipated power levels; and is showing us some of the details from the build.
Owner with shiny penny syndrome... got it! I often become distrac Oh hey, I'm back! I often become distracted as well when I walk into a building full of awesome. I'm sure glad he chose to have you build him *anything* and that you chose to share. I'll be tagging along.
Big inch injected big block, lenco, and polished winters rear axle and the cost of a 32 3 window body is where this guy was like "it costs how much??!!!" Nice
Are you sure, the one I had back in the 80's could not downshift while moving. It's why I used a Jeffco last time
I have no idea what would prevent it from downshifting. It's a planetary trans, constant mesh sort of thing, like a Model T, and nearly every other automatic trans ever. I would imagine if it can't downshift, then it probably can't upshift either. The only real issues I know about with a Lenco, is that some of them don't have a neutral position, or a park. This one has neutral.
You might want to doublecheck that, they may have introduced one similar to JeffCo that can be downshifted but I had to come to complete stop at end of track and then you could re-engage the pods, I believe theres a oneway sprag inside each section in case the car gets turned around on a p*** it'll roll backwards and that is the bit that wouldn't let you downshift.
Cool, I suppose the guys at Lenco misinformed me when they told me it was possible to downshift even this particular model and that the only thing I would loose was engine braking because of the one way sprag. The last two cars I build with these transmissions worked exactly like Lenco described. So I'm not worried. Can we move on now?
I will no longer post any updates about this project here. If you would like, follow my Facebook page or my website.
The Jalopy Journal
