Hot Rods Spalding Bros Repro, for "Too Tall" Ganahl.

Nice work on your truck Marty. In doing the math it seems we are the same age so I can relate to your "how-it-was-back-when" even though I was in the Great Lakes area. Similar vibe though, if you knew where to look. I hope our paths will cross someday and I can meet you in person. Pat too.
BTW, I have an old Ferd shop truck too. Great fun.

 

Thanks Marty for sharing that stuff. My old man had his nose in it all. He had quite a bucket going on in those days. I'm glad he finally lost some weight later on. That dragster was such a neat racecar. And the name was just perfect. Good time we had back then. I was too young and poor to play with these kind of toys then. I just had to watch and enjoy the older guys do it.

 

Marty, Pretty sure that's me, trotting along side the dragster, in the staging lanes at Fremont !

 

That's you Pete ! Here is another shot of you (behind the guy in the yellow shirt). I still don't know how you found the time to help us, since you were running the "Samurai" at the time. Just another example of the fellowship that we enjoyed. And , you are one of the California Luminaries, I mentioned earlier. Say Hi to Phil for me, he certainly bailed me out with the loan of blower Pulleys, when I met you guys.

 

Pete. Was this 1987? Dad and I made it down that year for sure. Loved Fremont. The excitement was in the air. Everyone was having such great time. Except Jack Robinson. He was pissed. I remember that for sure.

 

Dale, Those shots are from '88, the last Nostalgia Nationals at Fremont. We debuted the Bizio truck in '87, and were pitted close to Jack, quite a wreck !

 

Marty and I have been doing different things in our garages the last few weeks but, as I showed in a recent teaser, my Job No. 1 right now is to get this Wayne Chevy put together. So here's a progress report:


I told you I'd found a couple more Spalding ignitions, thanks to long-time six racer Manny Torres. Unfortunately, these are only on loan to me (long story), so this line-up is for observation purposes. Starting at left is a stock early Chev dist., showing the stock cam gear and oil pump drive tang. Next is a Spalding unit made from a Nash dist., but converted to the longer Chevy shaft and gear. This would fit directly in the engine without a tach drive, if the large body would clear the Wayne side cover (it won't in my engine). Next is a Spalding unit (with cherry tag) made from a stock Chev dist. A machined aluminum plate adapts the Nash cap, rotor, and dual points, while the shaft has been shortened and a dual-tang "dog drive" has been added to fit in an S-W tach drive adapter. On the right is a stock Nash Special Six dist. According to my references, this was offered in '29-'30 only. The engine had two plugs per cylinder. But the distributor, with dual points and dual coils, was two separate systems, firing each set of plugs simultaneously. So not only did you get double sparks, but if one system failed, you could still drive home on six plugs. These are obviously rare.



These photos show the Spalding converted Chev dist. on the left, with the stock Nash on the right. The big difference (hard to see) is the Spalding has every other lobe ground off the cam, making it a true dual-point dist. (increased dwell time), with dual coils firing each plug. Note the cap on right is N.O.S. What I need for my engine is the S-W tach drive adapter. Anyone??


There aren't any fresh gaskets for Wayne 12-ports, so you gotta make your own. A good set of hole punches, Fiskars, and a sharp X-Acto knife help. These are sprayed with Copper Coat. I also had to carefully relieve the sidecover under #6 port to fit the freshly chromed Wayne sprint headers.


I made a new set of more pliable intake gaskets, with much trimming, and sprayed them with red High Tack. Note new studs, plus the fourth hole at the bottom.



Curiously, my manifold had no provision for the fourth stud or bolt. So I drilled and spot-faced a hole, as shown, on my mill through the carb opening. It is now secured with a 1/4-20 allen-head bolt, which needs to be sealed since it enters the water jacket. I consider this bolt critical, since inline intakes tend to leak at the bottom of ports.


With the manifold installed, next was making new gaskets and mounting plates for the BXOV-2 carbs and linkage. What was on the engine was quite crude, but gave me some patterns to go by.


Fortunately Carburetor Carl had some N.O.S. rebuild kits for the carbs, including these needed base gaskets. However, these had to be trimmed to clear the "header" bolts, one of which also had to be turned down in a lathe to clear the carb.


Likewise, both sides of the carb flange had to be clearanced for the bolts.


Finally, here are the three BXOVs mounted in place, expertly restored by Tom Taros.



The extra flange and hole in each carb plate is to mount the throttle linkage. The original was similar, but made with brazed arms and flat links. What you see here is just mocked up, but it's made from F.I. parts from Hilborn, and will be fully adjustable.


Well while a few of you were partying at Pebble, and others were likely having more fun at Mokan, this is what I got done this weekend. Got my flywheel balanced and a good clutch from Phil at Blair's. Still have to find (or make) the right ignition and a few other parts (like a crank pulley). But it's getting about ready to drop in that wonderful chassis Marty has made.

Cheers, Pat

 

It's a jem.

 

Outstanding!

 

The engine detail work you have carried out is perfectly matched to Marty's attention to detail on the body and frame. Just incredible.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

pretty

 

Improvise adapt and overcome. Carry on Marine.

 

Very nice Sir.Thanks for posting.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

We'll see it at HAMB Drags 2018. If you need one of those dual Nash rotors for yours, give me a PM. I might have one.

 

Wow Pat ! I had better get back to work, can't wait to see it sitting in the chassis. I have been back on the COE, the doors and front sheet metal installation is slated for Labor Day Weekend.

 

Marty, get all this other stuff finished, and start on that RPU!!

 

Pat - first up I love what Bill did with your 33. I'm loving this project here also. Those carbs look very much like the Strombergs available on Australian Holden six cylinder engines also available here in New Zealand
Thanks,
Greg


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Greg, yeah those carbs were used on Holden grey motors 1948-1963. The red motor carbs were similar but updated I will have to get some out and take a few pics.

 

Pure engine porn:

View attachment 3629323

 

Greg and Jimmy:
First up, I love what Bill did with my '33! Can't wait to tear it apart and finish it. But one at a time (Dean, that goes for RPUs, too...in due time...).
As for the carbs, these are BXOV-2s. Apparently there are other types and sizes of BXOVs, like Stromberg 97s, 94s, etc. Fortunately these carbs came with my engine and were rebuildable. We also assume they were set up for alcohol. They are made sort of like half a Stromberg 97--they take the same screw-in main jet (one, not two). You can see from the holes in the manifold, they have big throats. I don't have sizes handy, but these are what are spelled out as "the" carbs to use in the '50s "How to Hop Up Your GMC/Chev Six" manuals I showed earlier. They're what the Spaldings used before Hilborn made injectors for them.
To answer a couple of other earlier questions: Tony, I really don't know how many times the Spalding roadster raced on circle tracks, that info is not readily available. But it was only a couple of years, I think. They ran most, if not all of the '49 lakes season at El Mirage, then went to the first Bonneville. After selling the car, it was running drags at Pomona and Saugus with a Ray Brown Ford V8 in very early '50s. So it was one of the last (and best, I think) of the track roadsters, before sprint cars took over.
Someone else asked when and what my next book would be. Most of you know by now that I retired this year. For real. That means no more books, no more magazine articles. For real. Some books are still available. Get them while you can. I met deadlines for 45 years. Now I get to collect my so-called Social Security (as Haggard said), work on a couple of great hot rod projects, paint the house, and take more two-lane blacktop trips with Anna. I am planning some sort of blog-type thing on son Bill's South City R&C web site, with photos from my archive, garage discoveries, trip finds, musings--who knows? Just have to figure a format and how to use it. Should be pretty soon.

Pat

 

Here's to hoping you get tired of retirement!

 

ReTired,,, new rubber on the hot rods?
Enjoy your new 'job'
I have enjoyed/admired/and wished I could write as well as you have done.

 

Pat
Sorry/Glad to hear about your retirement. Sorry for us. Glad for you. Stay busy. Watch out for the Big D and I don't mean Dallas. Depression. Ask me how I know. No Don't. Better now.

You know I might own the slowest brain in the world. How many years have you been hollering at me "Where's the Mustang" for maybe five or more years. I just got it. The right answer always has been "up yours" From Graffiti.

Anyway keep in touch with us.

Gary

 

Pat,
Here's a couple of carbs and parts etc at work.


They run well on Model A engines too. Particularly with adjustable main jets.

Thanks,

Greg


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TOO COOL!

 

Best wishes for your retirement Pat.

I, like many others, look forward to your installments on this project. It seems as though that's the only way we can get our fix on your take on hot rodding.

Thanks for all the words you've written over the years. Thanks also for reviving Rod & Custom - for without that magazine, hot rodding was loosing me in the sea of Teal, pink and billet.

Now lets get Pat inaugurated into the hot rodding hall of fame!!!

 

Car looks great Engine looks great and oh boy retirement and maybe time to play with the toys. I'm hoping to join that retirement thing right after the first of the year and be able to do a lot more hobby stuff.

 

Congrats Pat. Here is to a long and healthy retirement. You have earned it. Your writing has educated us all and inspired many of us. The hot rodding world is much better for your contributions and certainly a lot more knowledgeable of our past! Enjoy, relax, enjoy some more! Safe travels my friend.

 

Sorry to hear that there won't be any more Ganahl articles and publications, but I join others in thanking you for many years of fascinating and informative writing. Happy retirement!

 

TheNov '17 issue of Street Rodder just featured the first of a multi-part model 40 build for the Ganahl family.