Projects Belly Tank Build, NZ.

Looking like good progress JW!

 

Thanks Wade, will be doing my entry for Land Speed NZ this week, its all go i hope! Going to use the RPU as push/tow car. Also going to order the front tires this week, 185/70 r16 motor cycle items.....not cheap! JW

 

Good luck mate. I had considered using m/c tyres on the roadster. Are the beads on the tyres the same?

 

I believe so, they are tubeless although the cornering characteristics of a motor cycle and a four wheeler are very different. If the Belly Tank gets into any load bearing cornering i'm in deep **** so they will work fine. JW

 

Entry all done, now got to get the car all done. JW

 

Looking forward for your progress.
I guess you know what to do the nearest future.

 

Should get the front tires this week and remembered i hadn't cleaned up the front wheels after getting the new hoops welded on (thanks Todd for the tidy job) and paint them black. JW

 

First coat of black zinc. I used this on the axles, radius rods and all the black bits on the RPU. JW

 

Painted all the steel parts on the front hinge and ***embled for good and fitted a block to mount a a gas strut on. JW

 

Sharp!

 

Cheers, Wade. JW

 

Question for you: what years were those Subaru space saver spares from? I’m wondering if we get the same ones here in the US.

 

Sorry Dave, i never took any notice of the years of the cars i got them out of. There were different years of Subaru legacy's in the yard. The hoop width was the same on them all at 4 1/8''(105mm). There are others that are 16'' but they were 1/8'' wider across the bottom of the well and were not a snug fit on the 39 Willys centres,the Legacy ones were a nice fit. JW

 

Thanks. Just in the planning phase of the next project. I’ll still be plaigerizing ideas…

 

Go for it Dave, that's what build threads are for. JW

 

Have changed my mind on the front tires, the 1st ones (in post #962)were a little too wide for the rims and are now going with some Pirelli 140/90 x 16, also ''H'' rated, the same height and should be cheaper. JW

 

Front tires ordered and are $180 cheaper each than the others and are also Pirelli's with the same ratings. Will have them on the car this weekend. JW

 

Tire's on and that's about it for the tire/wheel part. I must say a big thanks to Kevin Tunnell of Tunnell's tyres for putting up with me and my many visits and phone calls and finding what i needed in a small and restricted market in NZ.
I will raise the front another 1/2 inch and call it done but will need to cut a bit more of the body to relieve for axle and tie rod. JW
sorry for the bad pic!

 

A better detail shot. JW

 

Looking good. Keep swinging the axe and the tree will fall.

 

Thanks, i'm about to go and pull the engine and start stripping it for inspection..... what will await me. JW

 

Engine pulled and head off and a nice surprise, the bore is standard with very little wear, not really enough to catch ya finger nail on, As this engine came out of a Hobbart welder it would have never had any harsh treatment, a few more oil changes would have been good though... it was blacker than something that was extra black! Next pull the pan and pistons and rods. JW

 

Pulled the pistons and rods and very clean with little real wear like the bores AND the crank pins are also standard with no real scoring on the shells. As for the crank pins, they checked fine with no wear, no taper or ovality. That's not bad for a1946 engine with only a partial flow oil filter and even the inside of the block is painted. Tomorrow will be pull the crank and measure a bit more. Back in the early 80's i built engines for a living ( over 400) but this is my 1st in about 35-40 years... Having fun JW

 

It looks like the kind of engine you allways hope for but selldom find.

 

True and i believe that it would have run just fine as it was. JW

 

Maybe I missed it in an earlier post; but what are your plans to soup up your Willys mill?

It has been fun watching your car develop in your posts.

 

JW something to think about, look at bore spacing.
A 153" chevy II cylinder head.
Adapt an overhead valve head to your motor?
Terry

 

I'd find one and ship it to you.
Terry

 

Thanks Rich, won't be a lot, A bit of a cam grind (not sure what at this stage) and raise the compression as much as i can without making an issue of it. The engine only has to spin to 5- 5 1/4 K to get me to where i want with speed and that' s between 130 to 150 MPH, that was my goal with a Willys engine and even if i was still taking to Bonneville (the original plan) that was my goal. If i want to go fast here i will build a 283 for it, but this is just something i have wanted to do for a long time. I got my stock 37 Willys (50hp) up to 85 MPH in the seventies and that was 4500 rpm with a 4. something rear end and a smaller tire, not the most streamlined and and much heavier, that has been my base for the Belly Tank. The Jeep engine is stronger in the block and has a counter weighted crank so will balance up nice. JW

My 37, owned it from 1977 to forever. Pic taken in 2014.

 

Thanks Terry, but it's going to stay a flat head, it's all part of the Willys thing. JW