The hemi is cool, but I was looking forward to seeing another jag powered hot rod. I fully understand how hard it is to fit that tall, long motor in a 20's-30's looking car.
there was a 29 "modified" built with a Jag. It was in Rodder's Journal and maybe on the cover of Street Rodder. Pretty cool car. I think it was built By Brizio. It was british Green. One of the only things I didn't like about the car was the big and wide american torque thrusts on it...just wrong. Get rid of all the extra do dads like power steering pump and the big air cleaner box. Then the motor may start to look better. maybe drop it down a little too. The hemi is great but just doesn't look right for a small dirt car to me. I've got a future project that I would love to use a Jag in. Clark
The hemi is still a lot of motor but looks better than the jag. imo. it will be a wild ride thats for sure
That Hemi just doesn't look right in that engine bay, find a way to use the Jag DOHC 6 & get rid of all that excess crap like power steering pump and run a remote oil filter & drop the engine down. Here is the Street Rodder article on Carlos Lara's Brizio built A mod. It is also featured in issue 13 of The Rodder's Journal. btw I really like your build
I have to say I like it a lot, wonder how it would look with 15" front and 16" rear wheels instead of those huge hoops
Thanks for the input guys, the hemi stays. I'd like to build another with a 4cyl mercruiser 1/2 of a ford 460, but that will be another time. I messed with that jag and tinkered myself silly with it. The comments about stripping the motor down to bare essentials are right, it would kinda help. The best thing i came up with to minimize that long engine was to make a 'Miller' type radiator shell and it would kinda wrap back around the front of the engine making the hood shorter. Another problem was the carb location, they would fall right in the transition curve from the top to the sides of the hood, they should be 3-4 inches lower, i would make my own intake manifold and as far as flow/efficience goes it would be terrible and look like crap when the hood was open. I never got far enough along to evaluate where the headers would be. The things that brizio did was to make the car taller, by many inches i'd say - the body sits on top of the frame rails and the effect is minimized by the big tires; the shorter cowl sets the cab closer to the radiator. And a lot of chrome/polished aluminum/eye candy so that you see an engine and you see a hot rod - very subtle stuff.
Looking great, OJ! Seems like I need to come up there again to check it out in person! Didn't you have a Nailhead laying around to? Would fit in there pretty nice too, I think! Keep us posted.
Thanks Martin, that nailhead is way too new - '58ish! But i did think about it. Come on up, theres a new BBQ place down the road and we'll pig out. Thanks, oj
Made some visible progress. I have the fromt axle jig set up so that the spindles are at ride height, i split the bones and tack welded some adaptors for tierod ends and drilled the frame for the receivers for the tierod ends and tackwelded them. I made the attachments for the front spring and have them welded to the bones. I made the motor mounts and have them tackwelded to the frame, yup solid mount.
Looks good. My '26 modified (also my avatar), had plenty of room. I'm 6'2" 220 lbs. and I could stretch my legs straight out, and sat low enough to look through a 7" windshield. The car had a 99" wheelbase. Only had a 4 cyl. though. My grill shell was a '29 narrowed 5". BTW my seat cushions were only 16 1/2" wide. Doesn't sound like a lot but was very comfy. Keep up the good work.
Does anyone have pictures of this car from the Rodders Journal, Specifically, I am looking at more details of the front suspension and how it is put together.
The Jalopy Journal
