Projects 62 409 20 Day to Great Bend KS

I like it!

 

Sorry to hear about your new used engine. Did you end up putting last years engine back? And did you get to change out the rear end?

 

Looks like last years engine will go back in.....but I am okay with that because I think there is still more in it.
I have not changed out the rear yet...the gear that I have for the P/O rear is a 4.88 and I can't run that much gear with the stock 409 pistons and rods.
I am work like mad on a different project to get it out of my hair. When this is done I am sure it will be another thrash to finish.
I will update when I see these O.T. taillights going down the driveway.

 

Thought this was neat......This is three years later.

 

Took the car to the American Hot Rod Reunion at Mo-Kan Dragway Sunday.
Ran a 12.29 off the trailer then I had a brain fart and made my 2 3 shift to soon.

 

Update for the New Year.
Have a fresh 09 shot block to replace the current one.
Just don't what to beat it to death. It has been good to me so it will get the love it deserves in the future.


09 crank big block rod and KB pistons.
going to just swap over the top end heads , cam and induction.
Looks like something that could make some laps trouble free.
I don't see much improvement performance wise other than I can keep playing with the tune up and not have to worry about picking up a rod off the track.

On another note we will be at Bowling Green for the Holley Hot Rod Reunion next year as part of the show again.
Hope to see some of you there.

Happy New Year!!!

 

Update!!!!
Went to Bowling Green for the Holley Hot Rod Reunion last weekend.
Made it to the finales and red lit, but got a new best out of the old heap. 11.70 @ 113.54 mph.

 

Good for you. Have to red light once in a while to keep yourself honest.

 

Very cool!

 

Thanks guys, it was a blast playing with this old heap and the famed "409" .
Next outing will be at the Meltdown Drag, hope to see some of you there.

 

Merry Christmas to all!!!
Wow, can't believe I have left you guys hanging this long.
To give a very late update, for the 2018 season I installed the stroker engine after some honing to clean up the scared #1 cylinder the best we could, then knurled the piston to help take up the slack.
I used the same Isky cam that was the 409 engine with a fresh set of ported 583 heads and the McQuillen intake with the same 625 Carters.
The car picked up nice, and ran quicker every weekend we took it out. The last outing was at the Fall Out Drags in 2018 where I got a best of a 11.33 @ 117.9, so now the car needs a roll bar.
So I parked the car and have been waiting for some quarter panels to fix the rust build a roll bar and make it a safe car.
Now fast forward to 2019. Santa showed up with some quarter panels.
They are new but didn't have the best care and handling so I have a little pounding to do before they are ready.
Taking the 2019 season off was a little tough for me but I did get one long term project out of my hair and got started on a few more.
So with luck I can get the car out of storage soon and start the rebuild with hopes to back at a track near you in 2020.


Merry Christmas from the LA HOT RODS amigos.

 

Are you planning on bringing it to the Hamb drags in 2020?
r


Every once in a while, life gets a little more surreal.

 

Yes, wouldn't miss it. I didn't make a very good spectator this year.

 

It's probably been 50 years since I have seen the insides of a 409 chevy engine. Bought a 1962 409 brand new and ran it in NHRA stock class for about 5 years. We were at the drag strip in Suffolk, Va. in 1963. Ronnie Sox & Buddy Martin were there with their new 1963 Z11. Ronnie asked me if I would interested in the aluminum front end from their black 1962. They were coming up thru Richmond, Va the following week and dropped it off. At the time I had know idea how rare that thing was. I sold the car around 1967 and the front end went with the car. Now it's a show car.

 

A good friend of mine has just purchased the Tallahassee Thorobred and will restore back to as raced back in the days. This car has a Dyno Don aluminum front clip on it.

 

Great thread.

 

Thanks'
With luck we can start a new chapter.

 

New chapter started? Here's my new chapter.

 

Hey James, any idea why they didn't have the 409 class at Bowling Green last year? I was kinda disappointed. Made me drink more beer to cheer me back up.

 

Nice looking 62 lippy.
I have been covered with other peoples car, so the Shaker had been setting. Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe I can make some progress this year.
Getting real close to having this one done, 6 cylinder three speed to 409 4 speed conversion.

The Shaker as it sets now.

 

The guy running are group got pissed off because NHRA only payed for one class of cars and he was running it as two classes. By NHRA you have to have 32 cars if you want to run to classes. We had 18 cars that year so only the top 16 qualifiers should have been racing. I never understood why he was pissed, all you have to do is play by there rules.
They have moved there race to the Rock &Race at Dragway 42. I hate that trip and my never have the chance to make the T shirt again.

 

That sucks man, that was a fitting class to the reunion. The straight axle mafia wasn't there last year either. Hopefully one day they'll get it worked out, I'd love to see ya run

 

Great Bend is an all new track surface now. And still quarter mile. No Hotrods Allowed isn't much fun anymore. The only thing that would make me pull the 261 out of my impala would be a 409 or hotrodded 348. You guys have too many parts.

 

I would like to make it back to Great Bend, kinda like going back home, as Kansas is my home state. My mom worked at that air base during the war.

 

So I have made an attempt to get the Shaker back into shape with the rust repair and the safety equipment that is needed. Sure made a big mess yesterday.
I have a race that I'm going to try and make the end of September.

 

Good Gawd, Man... What'd you dooooo???

 

Todays progress.

 

After the last outing with the car it ran an 11.33, so needed a roll bar. I got to thinking as rusty as the car is that if something happen on track it could get real ugly. Plus there isn't anything to weld a roll bar to.

 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...

 

Panel if fitted and glued. Time for a beer.