Hot Rods The Belly Button Bucket Build Thread

lol equal opportunity inflictor.

 

C’mon guys, you have ridden snowmobiles in your life. Many decades ago I had a stock cl*** racing sled, 85-90 mph speed. Took it trail riding occasionally. 0 degrees was no problem, 10-20 below started getting a little bit cold. You dress in layers, and wear things like this, before helmet laws…
Three finger mittens, new in 1969, still have them. If I get the Whatever done, I’ll even wear a snow suit!

And Tim, noise canceling earbuds! And I’m an old guy…

 

I almost feel like goggles and over the ears hearing protection would be superior to the helmet. I wasn’t able to get my earbuds to stay in when putting the helmet on, but a lot of guys at work who motorcycle are saying you gotta have some kinda something jammed in your ears when wearing a helmet or the wind is unbearable. Weirdly enough, I arrived at the same conclusion. I like the safety aspect of the helmet, just need to find what works best.

 

Dave you said many decades ago I also rode sleds in below zero weather no problem many decades ago,now days 40 kicks my ***.
Dan

 

Heated gloves are a great thing when it’s -60 that’s for sure! I’d thinking a roadster heated seats might be practical

 

Gotta remember what thread you are in. Tim has already fabricated a heater and defroster!
This was back on page 45 or so.

It won't beat a 60s Lincoln for interstate travel, but he will not be hanging in the breeze forever.

 

There you go Tim. Heated seat, heated socks and gloves. I bet you could even get a heated jock strap! Keep the family jewels warm.

 

@RodStRace he did, but he was sans dash and heater for the trip

I think all he probably needs is the heater put back in and some wing deflectors and he’ll be set

 

Knowing Tim, he's going to be great once it's fleshed out.
It's the rest of us who will be looking at plug-in suits and alternator output!

 

Tim take from me a pair of noise cancelling headphones makes a huge difference to the wind noise and does quiet the exhaust note also. You can get the slim line ones which allow you to wear a beany over the top. I tried them recently on a 2000km trip around the South Island down here and they made me a convert.

 

I have a big Berne coat that wear, on top of a hoodie, with a t shirt and a thermal underneath, then blue jeans with thermals on my lower half, and I usually wear a pair of wool capped with a pair of normal socks. the only shoe I can fit in my car is a converse, so It doesn't help the thermal layer that much.



I also wear these gloves alot, they are fairly thick, and have a rubbery grip.

but I'm here to tell you, the HEATER is where its at.

I have a small old sears unit, and it pumps heat out on my feet. (box under dash)



A lot of my body temp is determined by how cold my feet are, so having them warm makes me last longer in the seat before I freeze.

I'm not convinced a heated seat would help THAT much, since I'm usually wrapped up well enough that I wouldn't feel most of it.

I also built a hard shell top awhile back...



I'll be honest it really doesn't help as much as I'd hoped.

if you want to make the best of it, it would have to have side curtains to keep the wind out.

That leads me to my wind-cheating recomendations.

#1 wind wings.
you need these, seriously, they are life changing. mine are literally sheetmetal welded to washers. you can play around with size a little bit, mine are just over 3 inches wide and the insides conform to the shape of the frame, while mounting to the post at top and bottom. I won't drive without them.

#2 over ear gun mufflers.
most people ***ume the open headers are the reason I wear them, but its honestly mostly for the wind. I tried in-ear earplugs on the way to Bonneville, but the over ear versions keep out more noise and keep the wind from wearing out your ears. (weird sounding but true.) its important to find ones that fit good, as they can make your head hurt if they don't fit well.

#3 some sort of gl***es.
I wear prescription lenses, and so always have a level of protection, but I've also worn over gl***es goggles and dude. they work great. you just look like a ****.



There is also a certain amount of tolerance that you build up after awhile, and as you find where you can snuggle into the car.

I also recommend a stroker mcgurk cap, mine has been to 125+ and stayed on my head.

now go keep driving!


.

 

I think the coldest I've ever driven in was 15 degrees. ALL layers were involved.

 

Duct tape is the answer!!!

 

Thank you for those who shared. I'll make some changes and see how it goes.

Time lapse from yesterday with zero post production value.

 

Great first person experience from someone who has done it, Thanks @BigJoeArt !
I will have to give the wings a try, but I stick up way past the top of the single pane.
I can strongly agree that over ear is good and fit is very important. I've got some cheap, ill-fitting ones. In a past job, I had some noise cancelling ones that were much better. Sadly, they were left behind when I quit. Those are on the list of upgrades.
As for goggles, my 'script gl***es are the frame with separate supports not the solid frame. They are miserable in the wind because the gap funnels air right into your tear ducts. I picked up goggles that fit over the gl***es and it's huge.

Tim, really enjoyed the ride along! You might try a head sock for the earbuds under the helmet, but I'm sure you will figure something out.

 

Hey Tim, I think I know why RSR keeps the fur interior. Warmth! Maybe we have to rethink that

 

Does not help at all! I will say it does indicate wind changes visually, but you feel that more immediately. Like when a big truck comes up from behind.

 

I’m gonna post a couple teaser pictures, mainly to hold myself accountable to follow through. I will need to rework several things to make this happen, and to condense the overall plan, I want to take the engine in the T now, put a smaller cam it it for daily driving (GMPP Ramjet), and put it in the 32. I’m planning to put a different engine in the T, likely with the same cam it has now, but bump up the compression, aluminum flywheel, some lighter weight components, etc. I want to use this engine to test various intake and carburetor setups. So that’s the overall picture of why the engine will eventually change. I’m planning to keep the current engine in the car in current configuration until the other engine is ready to swap in, that way I can keep driving it. Which brings us to the reason of the post…

One of the things I’ve really wanted to have on the car, but wasn’t able to pull off for several reasons, is inside ch***is headers. I’ve had …. EIGHT … different sets of headers I’ve tried on the car. The set(s) I liked best didn’t fit, and the ones that fit great were lackluster/generic/boring. Well, this weekend I got one of those more exciting sets closer to fitting.

Driver side fits overall good, will need to negotiate steering linkage, but I’ve known that. Problem for future Tim. P***enger side hit the frame. I thought about best way to fix it, had many ideas over the years, finally decided to just try to heat and bend them, which worked great. I used the plywood on the driver side to keep that header from pulling in any more than it already is, the goal was to match the p***enger side. You can see initially it’s like an inch out.



What I like about them is 1 - not typical T bucket, 2 - cleaner look from front and side, and 3 - easier to navigate around when getting out walking around the car etc.



Exhaust is just for reference, conceptually this is what I’m going for but will order (more) tubing/mufflers etc to optimize. I’m pretty happy with the look - this has been haunting me for 10+years now. This weekend I went from 50% sure I could pull it off to 80% sure. Not a lot of actual progress, but a lot of mental torment that can be put to rest (for now).

 

Lot of work to get there but looks like it paid off. I appreciate how they are still a visual part of
The engine and fun to look at. They still lend a “racey” feel to the build.

good stuff.

will we get a whole 32 build thread?

 

Looks great Tim. Tell us more about that set of pipes. What are they listed as? And where? I’d consider them as well instead of those lakes pipes that I have now.

 

I’m planning on it- it’s gonna be awhile before I have time to put into it though.

They are Sanderson C32-AP. It’s gonna take a bit of work to make them symmetrical, and I believe I will be cutting the primary tubes shorter and moving the collector back in order to gain some ground clearance.

 

Tim, I really like the look! Although I have contemplated various exhaust choices on mine, I will probably go with a more typical outside the frame style.

Not to give Dave more fuel for making his Choices Book another volume, but what others were considered and eventually rejected? I'd think the block hugger short style would lend itself to a tight frame and often lower engine placement/higher scrub line. Tuning says shorter primaries drop low end torque, which isn't a bad thing when dealing with light weight and limited traction.
https://www.hedman.com/product-detail/68366


Did those end up falling into the 'generic' category?

 

1. Cl***ic roadster style, seen at the beginning of the thread.


2. Ceramic coated sprint style- they didn’t fit at all and were given away (Roxy the bearded dragon makes a cameo appearance).


3. The sprint style on the car now. These are cheap stainless eBay, and overall a great value. It’s just not the look I’m after.

4. The u-weld-it sprint style w/ 1 3/4” primaries … I didn’t get very far with this. If I were going to continue with that idea, I’d cut up the stainless sprints and make them flow with the car a little better.




5. CC-1 5/8” Sanderson block huggers - these fit the car with zero modifications. If I were a sane person, I’d run these and be done with it.


6. CC-1 5/8” for angle plug and d-port Sanderson block huggers. Not a billion percent sure, but I think these will go on the 32 if I use the GM ZZ6 Fastburn heads. On the T, the steering linkage would need re-routed, or downtube persuaded.


7. C-33 Sanderson 1 3/4” primaries. Same as what I posted but larger primaries. They are too big to fit and were sold off.


8. Post from yesterday.

 

That’s an expensive parking stop for that Toyota, lol.

 

Thanks, Tim! If you were sane, we would not be as entertained!
I am also considering so this helps. The Lakes or Limefire style is okay, but would require shop and skills not in my wheelhouse. Same with custom large radius cl***ic style like Chip's. Old style, but not in the cards.
I've also got the conflict of level with the engine which is not bad and accentuates the jaunty, or collector/muffler exhaust tucked along the bottom of the body, which requires welding/bending.
I don't have the box issue, but do need to account for the drag link.
Mainly, I need to quiet the thing some on a budget and without home fab.

@Dave G in Gansevoort you have exhaust. Build, then if necessary change. Tim has said, get it running and driving, then refine!

 

Nice work on the headers. If noise reduction is part of your search you should try and get the pipes past the axle, cause just getting the noise behind you is half the battle, and does make a difference.

obviously I don't take my own advice.

 

The T is looking great! When you came down to Eugene did you stay in town all weekend? Or did venture out of town at all in the T? I live you a few miles north of Eugene.

 

@BigJoeArt Yeah, that is the dream, rear exits! I don't really think the bedside like Norm's is realistic, just under and back. Hopefully some muffler that can be packaged so it's not under my **** or the gas tank. Which doesn't leave any real spot except outside. Don't want a big back box like exotics or V-Dubs hanging down the back of the car, either!
Currently they are right at the same vertical placement as my head! Not as suicidal as yours though.
As both you and Tim have noted, above say 35-40 the wind is louder inside. I'd just like to bop around slower neighborhoods without being such a s***.

 

Lol. I spent the majority of the weekend trying to science out the exhaust system. Unfortunately, I can’t run out the back, unless I get real expensive and run oval tubing. I have real estate to do round tube over the axle on p***enger side, but on driver side I’d need to go under the axle. So, I’ll be going out the side, with a little more muffler than what it currently has. So it should be a little quieter, but not much. It is what it is.