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

Hartman ran the torsion bars transversely in his car. If Spalding's was the first to run torsion bars, Hartman's would have to be the second.

Just as an aside (I don't want to drag this thread off topic), I've thought about running one of those '41-'46 Chevy truck rears in my roadster. Narrower than '50's truck rears, 3/4 ton had open drive 4.56 gears, and I have a hunch a mini locker for an early 12 bolt would drop in allowing for 30 spline axles. Maybe it was the "3/4 ton rear" used in '57 Chevy Black Widows? Similar width housing to a 55-57 rear.

 

Wow, mention of ‘57 black widow must be an old timer. Never knew they ran different rear. Wonder how many of those left the factory & not created by “restorers” years later.

 

6 lug front and rear…

 

Another shipment of photos from Pat. Also, make sure and tune in to his Blog Tomorrow.

 

I just noticed Pat has a picture of my old buddy, Rosie Rousell in his # 96 on the wall !

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but as I look down on the plug wire arrangement it seems the #5 and #6 plug wires may be crossed, unless they do another crossover near the spark plugs, no?

 

Complicated plug lead order. Rotor looks like this, one set of points does 3 cylinders. It depends on which coil is firing and which leg of the rotor is being used, and what lead it lines up with. It makes my head explode.

 

I get that its a twin coil arrangement.
I am looking down at the wires coming from the distributor cap and where they seem to be headed on their way to the spark plugs.
If you assume the standard inline six arrangement firing order of 1-5-3-6-2-4 and assume the rotor moves in a counter-clockwise direction and assume the wire's position routed over the valve cover matches the order of the spark plugs 1-2-3-4-5-6 I end up with 1-6-3-5-2-4. Any other way I try to figure it , it does not compute. I realize that's a lot of "assumes" so somebody school me.
or expect backfires

 

Here is some great reading from Pat's time as a teenage Hotrodder !
https://patganahl.com/2022/04/18/the-fontana-fiasco/

 

Mr. Flyer, I was thinking it was Gofannon who wrote the above reply--where things do rotate in the opposite direction (and yes, my head exploded a couple times trying to figure this wiring). But on all of my engines (Chev, GMC, Cad) the distributor rotates clockwise. And do not assume the wires attach to the plugs in the order they cross the valve cover.

I had a photo showing the wires attaching to the plugs with Rajah terminals, but I dumped it because it didn't show much. But several wires cross under the manifold. And I just switched two in the separator clips to get them farther away from the exhaust manifold. The big problem was I could find no diagram on how to wire this Spalding distributor, nor anyone around here who really knew anything about it. So I just picked a no. 1, and then arranged the plug wires in the 1-5-3-6-2-4 order that has been etched in my brain since high school, going by which set of points was opening, which coil those points were wired to, which rotor tip that corresponded to, and where that tip was pointing. But I am notorious for getting my wires crossed. We'll see.
PG

 

This setup looks very similar a W&H Ducoil distributer, there is a post somewhere here on the HAMB that lays out the firing orders for those units. You might also see if you can get a reply fron GMC Bubba on this.

 

Pat and Marty, the car is looking great! Much needed inspiration for me to get mine done. From what I worked out, clockwise around the cap it goes 14XX36XX52XX. I'll have to double check that when I get to firing up for the first time. I can barely read my own notes! The coil lead needs to be in the right hole for which set of points it's connected to, and the points need to be in phase. I think a buddy of mine has a Distributorgraph, otherwise I'll fab some sort of pointer device to phase the points.

 

Thanks for setting the record straight. I know you know your six bangers. I made one too many assumptions I guess.
I'm liking how it looks going together.

 

2 1/2 months! Any news? Pictures? Trivia? Pat's favorite burrito? Anything?

 

Bill is going to haul the car to his South City Rod and Custom shop, and finish it. Pat was down to spraying the paint on the body and turtle deck, and some final assy. Bill will do a great job on the completion. I am going to send him a thumb drive of all of the construction pictures, to aid in his work.

 

After meeting Bill I’m sure this recreation is in good capable hands. The love and respect he had for his father will show in his completion.

 

JD, absolutely, he is special, just like his Dad !

 

It will be a fantastic tribute to Pat. It would be fitting if the car ends up being displayed in the Petersen Museum in his honor.

 

That’s what might happen but I’m sure Pat would have trailered it to every dirt track in California and take hot laps at intermissions. True racers and fans would go crazy to see the true roots of the early roadsters that flooded the dirt track here for sure…

 

And don't forget the original went to the lakes. Maybe Bill will air it out a few times as well.

 

Not legal to race but no reason not go in for a photo shoot in the middle of the week..

 

Bill picked up the Spalding over the weekend, set the body on for the trip up to his Hayward, Ca shop. He is very busy readying a couple cars for the GNRS, and then he will be getting the paint work on the body, deck and hood finished and do the final assembly, later this Winter/Spring. It will be nice to see and hear it run.

 

As always Marty, great work!

 

Man that’s a beautiful car

 

Simply a work of art. I can't wait to see it in paint.

 

I was sad to see it go, but happy to know where it’s headed.

 

That must have been a hard day for you and Bill.
I sincerely hope the story of this build doesn't stop here, and that both you and Bill will keep us informed.
Lots of people on this journey with you both.

 

I hope it doesn't end up at the Peterson. They might sell it off like they did to other cars to make the building even more ugly.

 

Thanks John for the photo, a lot of good cars rolled out of that driveway, and some rubber was burned as well.

 

I am certain Bill will take photos, and send them to me, and I will post them here, just like I did for Pat. Thanks to all of you for tagging along, it has been a journey.