Edelbrock regular intake history?

I recently picked up an Edelbrock regular intake for my roadster. On the underside someone long ago filled the heat risers with pennies. One is a copper penny with a readable date of 1941, the other is a steal penny with an illegible date. A quick look on the web says the silver one is a war penny from 1943.

Does any on have any history on Edelbrock and this intake. I know Thickstun worked for Edelbrock and this intake may have been pre or post thickstun, I’m not sure of the details or time frame and would like to know more.

Thanks
Chris

 

That intake looks a whole lot like my Weiand, which was made in 1939.

I have a couple Thickstuns, one is the early model and the other a PM-7. I have read that the later Edelbrocks (made after your Regular) looked like the later Thickstuns. Never heard that Tommy Thickstun worked for Edelbrock, and I kinda thought that Edelbrock copied Thickstun's work.

Thickstun was featured in a Rodder's Journal a couple years ago. Maybe that article could shed some light.

 

The Edelbrock regular was post the 1st version of the Thickston. The PM-7 was the 2nd version, after he and Edelbrock did some R&D on them.

I don't think the Edelbrock "regular" was pre-War as the '41 penny would suggest. I'll try to look up the date these manifolds were introduced.

The Weiand hi-rise and the 1st version of the Thickston were pre-war intakes.

Just an FYI...Edelbrock also has a racing version of the intake which spread the runners directly over the ports.

 

Thanks guys.

I have the Edelbrock history book at home but as far as I can remember it doesn’t go into specifics about the different models. I have seen Edelbrock regulars that look identical to the Thickstun version. This one has smooth carb risers like the Weiand. I was just wondering where this manifold fell into the mix.

Chris

 

Chris:

Not sure if you've seen the first version of the Thickston, but the Edelbrock is not identical. It is really art deco looking. Looks more like the Burns that had bolt on risers.

Yep, the Weiand and Edelbrock are very simular in design.

The one thing about the Weiand and the 1st Thickston is that they are not port matched. Some say that is what PM-7 stands for. Port matched with 7" risers.

 

rustybucket i have the same manfold it came after the slingshot. then the scrip model 48-49 . with thickston style risers. pm7 1946.

 

So what years were the Slingshots produced? Prewar only?

Thanks,

Neal

 

I have a call into Edelbrock they are supposed to call back today…. we’ll see what they have to say. Neal I will ask about the slingshot when they call.

Chris

 

The slingshots were actually machined by Vic Sr. and Bobby Meeks. Not sure on the time frame. If they weren't pre-war, it sure was close.

BTY: I believe a cleaned up version of the Slingshot base is used for their current 4 bbl. intake.

 

Any response from Edelbrock?

 

Edelbrock didn’t call today. I’ll try and call back tomorrow. I did find reference to the Regular in an old Edelbrock catalogue but there isn’t a date.


Anyone out there have any old Edelbrock catalogues? Especially with dates?

Chris

 

ive got one I thought it was post war 46? I think the switched to cursive script on the heads in early 49. I once saw a block script 8ba head on epay.

 

i just dug out 1940 bell auto parts crager race equip cat. first it shows. thickstun it says it holds harper roadster record 119.00 NOV 17 1940. a windfield cam it must be vic. price 34.50 next .then there is larger photo called edelbrock duel manifold its the sling shot it says on a v8 roadster is been clocked at excess of 120.00 . on 2nd edelbrock add small. it says vic turned a very fine time of 117.80 at the last time trials held there. thickstun held thec record at this time. these old cataglogs can the year change on thes parts.

 

From what I have read and learned from fellow rodders and littertaure is this.

Vic worked for Tommy during the period where the first High Rise Thickstun where made. Pre WW2. Vic testet it on his car on the lakes. After a while he had some suggestions of improvements, but the stubborn Mr. Thickstun would not listen.

Vic then made his own intake, The slingshot, and put his ideas into work. It was a clear improvement over the first Thickstun. Their cooperation ended.
The slingshot where the first step of the empires ladder.

In 46 Tommy released the PM-7 that more or less had the improvements Vic suggested.

.....and as we know Tommy, who was a hansome ladies man, died during love making in a cottage in 46. Fatal holliday you might say.
History says he was probably just as interested in women than in business.

This was slightly OT because I do not know when the regular saw the day of light. Have not had the time to read my Edelbrock history book yet, either.

Hey klazurfer!!! You got any info?????


Nothing looks better on a Flathead than a High Rise intake. My AV8 will be breathing trough a pair of "the love tubes", known as a PM-7.

There is also a Tommy Thickstun article in one of the two 1994 issues of Hop Up.


Paul

 

From wikipedia

in 1938 Vic bought his first project car, a 1932 Ford Roadster.[1] This would mark a turning point in history as this car would lead Vic to design and build the The Slingshot Manifold. Most notably, the new manifold allowed two carburetors to be used, eliminating the bottleneck which limited horsepower for the engine. The manifold was tested for quality at the Rosamond dry lakes and achieved a record-setting speed of 121.42 MPH. Originally, Vic had no intention of producing any additional manifolds, but the overwhelming response following his phenomenal speed in a 1932 Ford prompted Vic to make more. This was the first product commercially sold by Vic Edelbrock and marked the beginning of the company as it is known today. Edelbrock manufactured 100 of the Slingshot manifolds.

During World War II, Vic's machinist skills were put to work welding in the Long Beach shipyards and hand fabricating aircraft parts. After the war, Victor Edelbrock, Sr., designed aluminum racing cylinder heads, in addition to manifolds, which quickly gained him notability among hot rodding hobbyists. To deal with the enormous amount of mail he was receiving, Vic created the company's first catalog, entitled 'Edelbrock Power and Speed Equipment' in 1946 with the help of Pete Petersen. This quickly hastened the transformation of the Edelbrock company from a repair garage to a performance parts manufacturer. Then, in 1947, Edelbrock produced the first cylinder heads for the Ford flathead.

One of the very first companies to use an engine dynamometer, Edelbrock moved to a 5000 sq. ft. "purpose-built" shop in 1949 to develop more manifolds, cylinder heads and racing pistons. In the early 1950s, Edelbrock continued to dominate the dry lakes and expanded racing to the Bonneville Speedway.

 

I thought that more than 100 "Slingshot" manifolds were produced. It is a shame that someone polished mine years ago.

 

I love this history stuff.I hope someone can invent a machine that will let our cars and parts talk and tell us their storys.

 

I have read that before and find it hard to believe as well...they don't seem to be that uncommon.

Is polishing a bad thing?



This one had been sandblasted, so I figured it "deserved" to be polished.

Neal

 

hubba hubba!

i'll trade an unpolished regular intake for a polished one if anyone thinks its more valuable that way???

 

No, I don't think that being polished is a bad thing. The guy that did mine ground off "Edelbrock" and then polished. I would have to say that being polished is gonna hurt the value a little but Edelbrock being ground off is gonna hurt the value a bunch more.

How did you mount that coil?

 

With a 42-48 coil bracket bolted to the front two intake bolts.



Only problem is with the "special" tall coil it will hit the radiator hose/pipe, so I need to move it to the head. Gotta make a new bracklet this weekend.

Neal

 

Wait a minute now....when exactly did the regular come out then??? Same time as the Weiand?
Didn't Edelbrock drop off his pattern at the foundary before Weiand? Weiand sees Edelbrocks pattern and has the founary copy it with slightly different 'towers'? The Edelbrock comes in and see's this 'copied' pattern and smashes it........Weiand comes back for his molds and the foundary has to quickly make a new pattern for Weiand, but doesn't get the ports correct. Doesn't the early Weiands have ports that go straight down and not at an angle to the block?

Thoughts?

I find the history of all this early speed equip fascinating.....

 

I called Edelbrock back… the guy that knows the history works in the museum and will be out for the rest of the week. I left my number again. It looks like it will be a week before I can actually talk to someone over there.

100 slingshots??? I’ll ask about that as well.

I have the bottom half of a slingshot, does anyone out there have a loose top they want to part with?

“Wait a minute now....when exactly did the regular come out then??? Same time as the Weiand?
Didn't Edelbrock drop off his pattern at the foundry before Weiand? Weiand sees Edelbrocks pattern and has the foundry copy it with slightly different 'towers'? The Edelbrock comes in and see's this 'copied' pattern and smashes it........”

I think I remember reading that as well….

Chris

 

I hope you can get an answer, I tried about two years ago. They claimed all records about production numbers and testing data (HP and torque profiles) were lost in a warehouse fire.

I saw a loose base on Ebay about ayear and a half ago. It sold for $400 or something like that. About three months later I saw a top sell on Ebay also for $600. I am still kicking and ranting like a little girl that I didn't take the chance when I saw them.

Let us know what Edelbrock tells you. Could you also pass along who you talked with. I have some other questions for them.

Jim

 

I wonder if this is realy the fact. That he didn't make any heads until as late as 1947.

Paul

 

Here's what I could find last night in my trackless jungle of literature:
Primary sources:
Oldest Edelbrock catalog I have is PROBABLY '48-9; no date, but they are still selling stroked early cranks so pre-discovery of late Merc...there is an unstapled insert showing new block letter heads for '49 (only) engines and promising Lincoln heads...everything in the catalog proper is early or 60 or V12. Regular is there with block letters, "Best all around".
Super dual is noted as new, and a new mod, blockable design for heat, is noted. I think I have one with that mod.
Note to Edelbrock: Go back to '49 and sell proper kits with manifolds!!"
Descriptive note: Catalog is rubber-stamped with addresses of Tip's speed shop in San Antonio and Dual-tone muffler of San Diego.
Edelbrock '52-3 catalog: Hi rise regular still shown, now with script letters. The equivalent '49-53 is low riser. Full range now--2-3-4 carbs or four barrel.
Super still shows old block letters in pic. '53 Zimmer is same.
Ansen circa '48 shows regular too.

 

Secondary Source: "A Technical History of the Racing Flathead", Dees, 1970's.
Lots of early crude manifolds...first sophisticated design likely the Sullivan design on teh fastest of the '35 Indy Fords, which was sold much later as the Hexagon.
Morrison 180 side by side on market in 1935...
Dees order of appearance for manifolds after 1936: Alexander, Ord, Davies, Meyer, Kelly, Henry (360's), Thickstun, Edelbrock, Weiand, Edmunds, Burns (180's). He rates Edelbrock as best on angles and consistent diameter. Edelbrock used Thickstun (later renamed Tattersfield) before making hi own.
First E slingshot 1940, ran122 in 1941.
Dees dates the Weiand equivalent to 1941, points out bad port angles.
Burns looks a lot like later low regulars. The article seems to ignore the Regular, as distinct from the slingshot; will look some more and see.

 

Hey Bruce...any pics of some of them early manifolds???
Never heard of the Sullivan, Morrison or Henry....Kelly? As in Bros.?

 

A bunch are pictured in the Dees articles--really good source. It's in the April, June, and October 1973 R&C, also printed by V8 times looong ago. Covers the whole history...I just wish it had another thousand pages and pictures.

 

some more catalogs 1947 bell auto as near as can tell. says that they handle edelbrock but there but is no manifold ad in the catalog ? weiand offy navarro cyclone sharp tatterfield burns thomas myers knudsen. SO CAL 1947 shows the regular duel. URZI'S auto supply san jose cal. 1951 catalog shows the two manifolds block and scrip prob carry over year cat. thats it for now.