Projects Any Henry Js in the House?? Pictures??

How often do you have to tell people that , a Henry J was not made by Ford ?

I just had that conversation today, good lord

 

I have yet to figure out how you sky high straight axle Henry owners aren't getting bad vibrations or throwing U-joints. I had to set my engine way down between the frame to get any sort of reasonable drive-line angles. I had my engine set like Von Hartmans Abomination (I used his as an example because he has a nice detailed build post here) but I ended up with 18" between the parallel lines of tail shaft and the pinion. That seemed way too radical for a four foot drive shaft. I could have tilted the rear up and engine back like the old altereds but they were injected and I plan to run float bowls. I also didn't think 12 degrees would be tool cool in the oil department.

 

Most people ask me if its a willys.

 

If my camera wasn't stolen, I would take some pictures of the underside of my car for you.

Here are a couple links to the build of my car. This will give you a basic idea of the angle of my drive shaft. Keep in mind the car squatted down about 1 1/2" in the rear when the body was dropped on. My carbs are tipped back a little bit.
http://www.henryjcars.com/hjc58/von/r5/r5.html
http://www.henryjcars.com/hjc58/von/r6/r6.html

I'm not sure how you got 18." I used stock leaf springs and the rearend is stock ride height (if anything a tiney bit higher in the car than stock due to bigger diameter tube on the 9 in. than the stock J rear)

 

heres a friends J i just took these pics tonight

HE NEEDS HELP!!!!

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW HE CAN REMOVE THE STEERING WHEEL?????

IT HAS NO THREADED HOLES TO PUT ON A PULLER AND IDEAS???


THANKS CB

 

haha thats funny this is the same henry j our friend jim owns it,its really nice he just needs help with the steering wheel

 

I ended up with 18" because you are supposed to have the crank angle and pinion angle parallel when running two U-joints.

With a CV joint at the tailshaft you aim the drive shaft pretty much straight at the tilted up rear but from an engineering standpoint it's a no-no and something for slower RPM 4X4 trucks and farm equipment.

I had my engine tilted back 3 or 4 degrees.

Now I have relocated my engine down between the rails and about a foot back. The exhaust ports are right between the stock frame rails which means I'll probably have to fab my own headers.

It should be a lot more stable, the driveline is more correct and the weight transfer should be about the same considering the engine is lower but set back a good ways.

"I'm not sure how you got 18." I used stock leaf springs and the rearend is stock ride height (if anything a tiney bit higher in the car than stock due to bigger diameter tube on the 9 in. than the stock J rear)[/QUOTE]"

 

Here are some pictures of my dad's Henry J from the '70s. The car went through a bunch of changes while he owned it, and he eventually made it more of a street car. It was always a four speed. Straight axle car with the engine set back. My dad painted it and my uncle did the lettering on it. In the picture from Paradise Drag Strip (Calhoun, GA), you can see my dad holding the car on the line. The gradual down-hill slope isn't an illusion--most four speed cars would roll backwards at the line. The other picture from the track shows my dad sitting on the quarter panel--that was taken at the very first race at I-40 Dragway in Crossville, TN. This car is still around here locally, but it was converted into a tube chassis drag car in the mid '80s. These pictures are what started my infatuation with Henry J's and hot rods in general.

















EDIT: Somehow they never had any problems with the steering system....looks a little sketchy to me.

 

And here's my Henry J. I was bound and determined to build the first one I found locally, and it turned out to be a very rusty car. As in not salvageable...so I sat on an S-10 frame and called it done.



I plan to build a good Henry J someday, whenever I find a decent body. I would love to end up with my dad's old car or some other old drag car.

 

The tunnel ram looks very vintage and I'm going to run one similar on mine, thanks for posting the photos of your dads car, nice look back in time.

 

I saw this Henry J at Bobs Big Boy in Burbank...Its f####n AWESOME!! I asked the new owner questions about the car...That he bought it built already with the drivetrain you mentioned...I wanted to check out the front suspension and front brakes....Do you remember what did you use?

 

Here is my dads J. its got a 6-71 motivated 383 with a built b&m th350 10" converter and 12 bolt with posi. its running a 41 willys front axle/springs with jfz disc brakes it also has a 41 willys steering box

 

My 440 sits almost level and there is 0 degrees driveline angle in relation to the ground. The engine sits dead center and the pinion is slightly off center, gives about 1 degree side to side, enough to load the needle bearings in the u-joints. The car sits about as high as most, not outrageous.

 

Has anyone weighed their henry J's ? How about a few weights for a small block car, I'm thinking 2700 lbs.

 

A stocker weighed 2,365-2,385 depending on 4 or 6 cyl.

Those old flatheads weren't light, so, a smallblock with aluminum heads would probably be about the same. Add ladder bars, a cage, a heavier rear and you are probably at about 2500 pounds.

 

I might be pretty close with my guess since I weigh in at a heafty 225...lol

 

Well, if we ever line our Js up you're gonna have to spot me a length 'cause I weigh in at 379. But that's a good thing 'cause I used to weigh in at 450. I should really be into diesels, huh?

 

I use to own 4 of them. all I have left is a 51 grill and a custom grill where the center section is a skull. i also still have the moulds to make a 51 grill in fiberglass. also if you need the 2 front park lights in the 51 grill, 58 chevy front marker lamps lens will fit

 

Thanks for the info on the parking lights.

I'm trying to picture how that skull grill might have looked. Can you post some pics?

 

I like the look of the car. It has a nice stance. Is it channeled?

I'd clear coat it (flat) to stop any further rusting but other than that it's cool.

 

mine has glass fenders hood doors and lexan full cage big block iron heads and injection weighs 2500 without me in it

 

Thanks for the weights, mine is all steel, 4 pt bar, a pair of buckets and the aluminum head sbc/th350 combo. I'm just spectulating how fast I might go...something to get through the winter build...lol

 

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Here is one I spotted in my driveway.

 

A nice dark look. Engine? Trans? Rear? Suspension?

 

Favorite. Not sure if previous pic with solids and white walls is same car, but this one sure won me over !!

 

I'm getting ready to get into the rocker and floor repair on my rusty HJ gasser project.

I'm not a body or sheet metal guy so I'm looking for pics or links to sites showing rocker and floor repair. I'd sure appreciate any you guys come accross.

I'm debating on whether to rebuild the rockers stock style or put square tubing behind the door from jam to jam and just use a rocker cover skin for outside decoratin'. I'm thinking that might be stronger than stock.

It looks like the Blue Tango J attached his outside rocker to the bottom of his door. Maybe the pics just look that way.

 

i have a '51 in the works! have pics on my profile...... just dont know how post them over here!

 

btt

 

We just pulled our new stock body 51 Henry J from the mold ,it has the stock style rear wheelwells instead of the radiused ones that we've been offering in the past for our gasser fans,we are using this body to build a killer prostreet Henry J for a fella from P.A,
If anyones interested I will post pics on here of the entire build from start to finish.

Scott Leber
www.ScottRodscustom.com

 

I got a perfect drive train for one of these
Need a complete steel body.
Note : "complete and steel" don't mean it needs to be perfect