Donovan Gemsa

Anybody have pictures of these four banger engines?

 

not a donovan gemsa, but here is some joe gemsa engines.. I think are pretty bad..
http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/Collections/Engines/ModelTE072.shtml
http://winfield.50megs.com/Engines/Engines.htm

 

never heard of one. what is it?

are you talking about a donovan aluminum a block with an aluminum gemsa head on it?

 

I almost made a post on the museum pictures, pretty awesome stuff and am always amazed at the Milliers.

I was over there poking around before I posted here but couldn't find a picture of the Donovan Gemsa. My good buddy 320CIAbone is playing with one and I was looking for some pic's so we could share info but have not been able to find any and he doesn't have a digital camera.

 

I think so, it's an overhead valve Gemsa head on a Donovan block.

 

Called the Donovan Model D

 

Gemsa was a long time fourbanger guru, died maybe 1960's...built and raced track cars, owned cores for many head designs, cast them, modified them, etc. Also made his own heads...I think he was one of the main national centers of A/B stuff in the years between their racing heyday and the modern banger revival. I don't think there is any direct connection to Donovan banger.
He was primarily into racing, but built a wild T-bucket that was featured in Rod magazines about 1960.

 

Bruce that's correct as usual; you have the scoop. There is an article in a F.A.S.T. publication about this combination but I don't have access to that article in the year 2000.

 

Bttt

 

Well, he was on the cover of R&C in Sept '67...I think he was around into the '80s....



.

 

the new R&C article says he died in 1995....

 

Check the latest Rod & Custom Issue and you will see the Gemsa SOHC on a Donovan Block theat we just built, plus an article in the issue as well.

Joe Gemsa was a personal freind of mine from the late 60's and also taught me the 4 banger engine building biz as well as the his Heads and Hot Rod Equipment.

Joe did not die in the 60's, he was my best man at my wedding in 72 plus a lot of other stories.

Unbeleavably talented, bright creative machinist and his dad was akin to Einstein as well. Wild group great person.

Any questions fell free to call us at the shop H & H Antique 1-248-2347 or handhantique.com

PS just ran a top speed of 152 with a Gemsa SOHC on a 3 maqin B Block with Bobby Green at World Finals at Bonneville, got 2 LSR's

Max Sr.

 

Thanx, Max, You may know my friend Richard that is putting one in a Model "A" he is over in Simi Valley, I will have to get that R&C copy.
Here are a couple of Pic's I found of some Joe Gemsa Heads at least.

 

have to imagine the donavan block would have been a dream come true to a guy like gemsa. adding those two extra mains would really have let him pull the performance out of his heads!

 

Finally got some pictures and the run done from my good buddy 320CIABONE.

Many years ago I met "320CIAbone" who never posts, but he introduced me to a fella named Manuel DeCorte who was an old Hot Rodder from Lomita, Ca. Manual was building cars in the 30's up until his departure from this earth a couple of years ago. 320 CIABONE picked up one of his model A's that was in work and the engine that Manual was beginning the build on. I wanted to share what 320CIABONE has built and will be installing very shortly into that perfect Model "A", here is what he has to say about it.

"This build is based on the 5 bearing full pressure aluminum model "D" Donovan block with a Joe Gemsa rocker arm 4 port aluminum head and log intake manifold, Brierley m-58 five bearing camshaft, Cunningham connecting rods, billet oil pump, smith brothers push rods, Steve Serr composite head gasket, sce copper exhaust flange gaskets, forged flat top pistons with moly rings. Crankshaft is a **** billet 5 bearing counterbalanced using Chevy journal sizes, and clevite bearings, cam bearings (5) are dura-bond. Harmonic balancer is a Winfield replica specifically machined for the ford Model A, B four banger. Water pump is Model T ford style that has been upgraded with roller bearings and leak proof seals. The engine is zero time on all of the components except the ignition, Stromberg 97’s, Kong side drive, flywheel ***y. Compression is 7 to 1, exhaust is 4 into one tube header, and collector is 4 dia. The distributor is a Honda electronic 1984 and the front side drive is a Kong racing piece from the 50’s, flywheel is a machined Model A drilled for Chevy S-10 pressure plate. Amsoil Synthetic oil and full flow Amsoil Filter will be used."
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bttt

 

The guy with the Gemsa headed model A had it at the Thanksgiving Houston Autorama. That thing sounded nice as he was setting it up for the show. Was by far one of my favorite cars of the show.

 

Are they truly a Model A block, then? Will they mount a Model A transmission and other accoutrements?

-Dave

 

Building one of these motors is a serious commitment.

http://www.donovanengineering.com/Blocks/ModelDBlock.html

You will never spend so much money to go so slow.

But the sound alone is worth the price of admission.

 

Yeah - that is the fly in the ointment...
.

 

Yes you can bolt up the standard stuff.

Just an update 310CIAbone started the above engine yesterday on his engine stand and all is good. He ibasically inherited this thing, So I don't think he paid full price for it. Anyway I expect it will be in the Model A and terrorizing the SoCal area this summer or fall.

 

Banger bump. Old but good pictures. Anyone else ??