Event Coverage MeltDown Drags #10 July 2026

Dang Jackson you blow a lot of stuff to keep ahead of a old Chevy truck engin.

 

Thanks dude. I know all to well breakage is part of the game weather we want to admit it or not. The more I look at it, the. More I think the more I'm thinking the crank broke first. The ***** if it is it was a welded stroker I bought from Jr Thompson before he p***ed. I was really hoping the crank could be saved before finding it was broken. We found a block and crank before even dropping the pan and drove dam near Detroit for it. The machine shop should have the pistons this week and already has the Molnar H beam rods. Of all goes well, we should be in good shape soon. Our builder is trying to talk us into running it on his dyno when done and we are honestly considering it. Most of the machine work is already done and the main holdup h*** been pistons.

 

Honestly, running it on the dyno gets you such a huge head start on timing, jetting etc and gives you a really stress free day when you swing it into the car and start it. No break in procedure, no messing around with anything, just do a quick check for leaks and take it for a test drive. I know it’s a chunk of change to have a dyno day, but in my experience, it is definitely worth it.

 

Need I say anymore?

 

That is going to be a Sweet 56. I'm trying to get my 34 Chevy built for next year. That's what the new 301 is going in. Not sure how quick, (or slow), my 34 will be, but we might have to find out.

By the way, the heads for the new 301 showed up a couple of weeks ago. They are aluminum Trick Flow camel humps.

 

Hmmm.... Perhaps, this black 55???

 

Next year that ol Mustang might be making a little more steam with these guys:

Some old Cleveland high-port heads from the 70’s…These, along with the tunnel ram that goes with them, should be worth an honest 50-60 hp over my current inline valve stuff and the dinky little 289 tunnel ram we welded up and ported.
If I had a bigger short block to put them on I’d be a lot happier, but there’s no room in the budget for that kind of tomfoolery these days.

 

say what you want James but I don’t see you running any nitro and that’s what took the rod outta my Hemi but as far as the wedge engine it probly had something to do with 14:1 compression a blower an injector some methanol and a heavy right foot and it was a broken crank at the 3-4 rod journal that took out that one Also both engines both had good parts in them an old fuel racer mentor of mine always said the best parts are just good enough for awhile

 

I'm not sure if this will be at Meltdown #10. If it is, it will probably only be on display. A friend of mine from Rockford is completely restoring the original Colson / Woods 41 Studebaker coupe. It was Rod Colson's first race car and was a National Record Holder in the early 1960's. Ron later drove several Top Fuel and Funny Cars, including the "Chi Town Hustler". Ron p***ed away in March 2021.

Remembering Ron Colson | NHRA

The Studebaker is being restored to how it was built in the early 1960's, complete with a Hilborn injected 327, 4 speed, VW Beetle front suspension and a 55 - 59 Chevy pickup rear axle. When it is finished, it will be raced at "Vintage" drag meets.

The most recent photos are from last summer. Since then, it has been up and running, painted and lettered. It's getting really close to being finished, but there are still several things to do, and check out. The mechanical Hilborn injection system has been gone through but has not been installed and run on the engine, yet. The engine has only been running with a carburetor, so far.

The Stude was originally built in Oregon ILL. (10 miles from Byron Dragway) and last raced by Scott Hammach. I think this was in the early 1970's. It was on display at Meltdown #9, in "as found condition". Yeah.... I already have a match race set up.

 

I remember seeing this at the last meltdown drags of the uncle sams pie crust drags. It was a bit rough around the edges. But so cool

 

Yup

 

I ain't scared, even with dual pattern 10 lug nuts

 

Look out Norb....This year I'm just getting it running after a 3 year nap.....Next year, I'm turning it up to 11.

 

118 days left and I’m not getting a damn thing accomplished on this car. A disabled friend has needed help with some minor home renos, my Uncle went into palliative care and p***ed away and the lead up to our election ate up a lot of time too. Just heading out (in the rain) to pick up a desk for the youngest boy, then getting it home and putting it in his room , getting a new piece of condensate return line fabbed and installed for the furnace, before I finally get to get back to work on the car. I feel like once I get rolling on it, tonight will be a late one. Tonight the wheels are coming off, axles are coming out and the Center section is getting pulled to do the gear change.
I would be pulling the motor to get inside that, but it’s still really cold and damp here, and I don’t want to have the motor apart when it warms up, cause when all the moisture comes out of the garage floor, there’s water dripping off everything, so the motor work can wait til it warms up and stays warm for a week or so.
Currently hanging out in the kitchen with this handsome guy while I cook a steak, before I return to the garage:

 

Can't wait to hear that nasty cammed 301 running, especially in that 34 Chevy

 

I’ve wanted to see somebody run those Trick Flow camel hump heads for a while now. What a cool idea…are you doing any port work to them? They look like they’re pretty good right out of the box, so they should be a nice improvement over factory iron, while still looking like the car drove out of a Time Machine from 1965.

 

Great picture. The funny car is nice too.

 

Lemme guess, he’s your project ***istant, right?

 

He’s more like the executive director in charge of planning…lol
I literally look at him before I step into the garage, and say: “Well, what are we gonna do tonight?”

I take him to work as often as I can, too.
That’s him at 1:00am in the front office of our Union Hall awaiting the results of the count.
I don’t wanna brag, but my third term as Business Agent was won with another landslide 402-113. I’m pretty proud of the support I get from our Membership.

 

Also, here’s a campaign poster I made up for ****s and giggles, but never actually used:


I’ve got it as my screen saver at work for now…It will likely be the Mooneyham and Sharp coupe by this time next week.I change it out constantly .

 

Scott that’s a nice fake picture you cooked up probly the only way that ford will ever pull the front wheels off the ground other that the tow truck or a floor jack lmao I actually made good progress today on my car hauler managed to get the new front axle ***embly located and bolted to the front of the frame can only work on it when it’s sunny and nice as it won’t fit in my small garage when you see this rig at meltdown you are gonna love it hopefully in the next month or so I will be able to drive it for the first time and put some miles on it before I make the trek to Byron

 

I seen that project. You like working on bigger stuff than I do.

 

Photo chopped out, the Tow Truck

 

The tow truck would need a tet**** shot from this old heap.lol

 

You should have use that! A couple shirts with that logo would have been

 

Is your Pop’s car ready to go yet? We’re looking forward to seeing you guys again!

 

So I made a big mess with gear oil on the garage floor tonight, but the axles are out and the Center section should have new gears in it by this time next week.
Tomorrow night, moving on to getting the last of the grounds, wiring, fuel lines, carb and clutch linkage out of the way so we can pull the motor as soon as it’s nice enough outside.(The garage is so small the doors have to be open to pull the motor. I miss Dad’s old shop. I could do 10 times the work in half the time out there.
On the bright side, Raising Arizona was on tv tonight in the garage. I forgot how hilarious that movie was.

 

Got the mess cleaned up, the Center section out and into the truck, along with the new gear set to drop off at my buddy’s place to install while I’m at work. Hopefully he gets it done by the time I’m done work tomorrow, then I can dump it back in and get this old girl back on her feet. Still cold in the garage, shuttin er down early tonight.

 

We were just at the machine shop last week dropping off a pile of cash. Molnar rods, race tech pistons are all there. Most block and crank machining are done. About four weeks to get it done at this point

 

That Molnar stuff is reeeeally nice. He’s the guy that designed all the stuff for Oliver and K1. It’s pretty cool to call a company like that requesting tech info, only to find that the guy answering your questions is also the guy who designed the parts….and owns the company.