Now that you mention it, I do believe that was the setup (though maybe a 4-71) - crank driven blower (custom drive, Potvin didn't make it for an Ardun), Hilborn injected, etc.. I'm not sure when it ran at BVille - believe around 1954 or so.
Consider that to has all parts pre 1951 and Henry body/chasie/axles and original speedparts from same era, so that make a blower as this thread is about the Italmeccanica/S.Co.T 5000 cc to late. Shore, it's a better blower and also bigger ( more 'beefy' to ) but came after 1951. I don't know when it was first advertised to hot rodders but I can guess maybe 54 ( correct me if I'm wrong ) Now when I found out really no one did use Ardun heads on the streets before maybe on the 60’s or 70’s when it became ’popular’. As time show in early 50’s only few had Arduns on even in pure racing, but even if the kit was advertised ( as Italmeccanica blowers and Scintilla magnetos for hot rodders ) only a few or non used it togheter on the streets - or maybe some did (?) But theoretical it was possible. The GMC blowers was more for hard core racers, so here a Italmeccanica 4500 cc make more sense. -That is the supercharger I has and can use to get my coupe creditable ( for my way see it ) Thank's for all inputsin thread.
Here is a friend to me I visit today and look at his awsome work on his A-Ford coupe with FH and his hours on the intake and a 4/71, plus the belt and fan solution. This is fantastic hot rod. -We discussed why they ( or some in late 40’s ) machined the GMC blowers this way, but in his case its just the ’look’, but why did Navarro do it ? Few in racing invest time on look better. Ideas ?
One of the reasons is the blower manifold that Barney made (for flatheads) has a real small opening, so there was no real reason to have that big ole' square flange on the blower (looks aside). The same holds true for the Austin (now H&H) Ardun blower manifolds - very small opening. Also, with that wide flange, there would be interference issues with 37 - 48 center water outlet heads (same with the later Ardun heads). Getting rid of the flange opened up room for the water outlets and obviously in this application, it looks a heck of a lot better. Now on a big-ass 392/426 Hemi or modern OHV- one doesn't even notice the wide footprint of the blower and ALL GMC X-71 blower manifolds for modern OHV engines are designed for that specific GMC flange footprint and bolt pattern.
Barney could use the later heads with inlet in front but maybe they came out 48, plus he used his own head. But I always thought the aluminium was never made any HP, just the look but thats another story.
In 1954 a local racer in town tried unsuccessfully to get an Ardun coupe running. As 16 year old hot rodders we were very interested but it never came to be. They were very rare at that time.
In my shoes I can see this in several ways. Now its 2023 and I need new parts as tires etc and I will go 12V, leather in the car etc, and I might chrome some parts as front axle, some bolts and window garnish etc. This coupe will be way more nice than what they normally did, so right here the 'era correct' will not really work. So ; 1, I can do whatever I like ( but that's not the goal or idea here. 2, If parts was aviable from info or advertising back then I can look at it as it was "possible". 3, I can avoid parts I know is to new. 4, I can go exact after what info I get now almost 75 years later or look at old pictures. The No 4 notes is not really how it would be. This years after the war and until Chevy SB came out is rasther cruel and few did use high cost parts. Late 50's it all is another story what parts they could use and used. So this is why I will not use the better/bigger S.Co.T blower,
3W, here are my observations built up from the time I was a teenager in the mid 1970s fascinated for some unknown reason with Arduns. Most if not all Arduns built for the street either had carbs. attached to modified Ardun intake manifolds or welded up log manifolds as Bored and Stroked pictured. Race engines that were successful were equipped with Hilborn fuel injectors. Very few race engines of the period were blown. I believe that Crower u-fab log manifolds were somewhat common. Over the years my observation os that if a set of Arduns were found or made it to a swap meet, and they were complete with an induction set up, it most likely was a set of Hilborns. The engine in my race car that was built in 1955 has Hilborns. The set I hope to use someday that I think came from a street driven car has a log that looks identical to Bored and Stroked picture. If I wanted to assemble an Ardun with appearance from the time period when they king it would never have a big Scott. The maim reason is that almost 100% of the engines put together with Don F. heads also feature one of his big Scotts. They are ubiquitous and so common as to be boring. They look good and run well but....
V8RPU. Thanks on the history. I shore start to understand all this. Well thats what happens when new repro parts come out from good and bad side. But old parts has a soul. But who cares, a few, maybe a hand full on planet. I heard a guy from Sweden was at the roadster show now and said like you, to see all theese Arduns new head got him backed off. Still this kits was advertised and sold 1950 and so was the Italmeccanica blower 4500 cc. I think to be on a new path now, the Ardun head is Not the way. -But who can say no to own a std head kit ?
V8RPU, Your engine looks a lot like mine before I got it. Mine was run hard and put away wet many times, it was not in good condition. The guy I got mine from sold the Hilborn for what he paid for the whole thing, kept the valve covers as wall hangers and put the mag on another engine he had. I got what was left.
To me, this intake style ( what maybe was used ) at 1950, but I lye if I say this is my cup of tea. I do understand very few Ardun kit hit the road that early 50’s and who was at the same page as ex Navarro on blowers on the streets. Non, Yes I get it. Correct me, but the street racers took what they had and old roadster body and a FH engine with ’maybe’ a finned heads and dual carbs. Did anyone use leather interiour, chromed parts, nice paint or used Halibrand wheels and winged S/W full set ? I guess some afford a QC as that make sense ( of investment ) to go to desert and has fun. This era correct cool parts ( that was out on market ) never came to be. I was not history knowledge ! This was to early for use this speed parts ( atleast on streets ) Racing always draw more people that had some experiance and ’money’. So contex, a Ardun invest do not feel that cool, I must admit that now. -Some might not argue on that. Well I will not get a mid 50’s S.Co.T blower but I might will think over a 4/71, like them.
The history I got with my original Arduns points toward a string of owners that were never able to really get them running properly and reliably. As mentioned by several, in the 50s this technology was rare and information was scarce. Most racers were younger (poorer) and didn’t have the resources or experience necessary to even make a naturally aspirated Ardun run well. A street driven supercharged Ardun would have been absolutely unheard of, likely even into the early 60s, imo. I have huge collection of old magazines and I can’t recall ever seeing a featured on anything like that. The fourth owner of my heads father owned a successful trucking company and he was able to make them work well but by that time (1957-ish) a low mileage junkyard olds or Chrysler would handily outrun the Ardun so after the first season (and a dropped valve seat) the Ardun was tucked under the bench in favor of a Hemi. Here’s my heads on bill torrisi’s stock car around 1956 or so…
Don will sell parts individually. They will be expensive just like everything else Ardun. Also, keep in mind that they will be nicer castings than the original, the color of the aluminum will be slightly different, and they won't have all the oddball random markings present on originals. Still better than not being able to put an engine together, though. There may have been some cars that were fully decked out with all sorts of race-type speed equipment and bling, but they would have been quite uncommon. Those parts were comparatively expensive then, just like they are today. The builds you see today of cars smothered in "holy grail" type parts are modern interpretations.
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