Somebody PLEASE issue this man a licence for period use. I ran out of breath just moving my lips when I read this to myself. Cosmo
I had heard that you could increase the size of the exhaust valve easily in this head (but not the intake valve) so running the air thru backwards let you use the large original intake valve as the exhaust, and then increase the size of the exhaust valve even more and use it for intake. (I may remember it wrong however)
I love the why they sound . Id love to have one in my next project , i have a few but never have the money to build one
I think it's all been said. But how else can you get 425 c.i. under a full model A hood (if you wanted to cover up that beautiful thing). I notice nobody has mentioned good ol 22jr. Pete
Just like everyone is saying, heaps of torque. Also forged steel crank oversquare engine, direct induction design. I have a 401 in my A roadster pickup and finally broke a piston at the nostalgia drags at WSID last year. I am currently rebuilding a new engine but I am staying with the original compression ratio this time due to the **** gas that is now available. The old engine used to fry the tires at the top end of the strip with street tires and drive me to work in peak traffic next day. Got to love tem nailheads!
Ivo's four engine rig was geared so it just smoked the front tires. As stated it was built for exibition so the entire car was engulfed in smoke the whole run. Frank
Tony Nancy and Ivo made an enormous influence on the use of Nailheads in hot rods. The cars they built were all not only well engineered, but were pieces of art. I might be a little (lot) biased, but I love everything about Nailheads...the size, the torque, and the looks. So much that I've put 401's in my last 3 builds ('33 p/u, '31 C-dan, '37 Chevy). I just finshed redoin a '65 Stevens drag boat...pulled the 354 Hemi out and put a Nailhead in that also!
do a little search on the net for Max Balchowsky`s old yeller . it was a backyard built nailhead road race car that would beat the ferrari`s and maserati`s with ease.he and his buicks were legend in the 50`s & 60`s.he was my hero at the time.
Nailheads are nothing but neat! Torque is the thing...HP is low compared to most other engines, but looks are killer!
Yup, Tommy Ivo went to Balchowsky's shop to learn how to port the heads on nailheads after he saw Ol' Yeller run. I'd say Max Balchowsky did it first, but Tommy Ivo made them popular.
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