It is rainy and cold right now and I'm sick. So I'm feeling bad that I can't make any progress on my HA/GR. Bob Crookshank's name popped into my head, who is or was Bob Crookshank you ask. In 1956 I had a 40 Ford coupe with a flathead with two 97's and a Kong dual coil ingnition and I belonged to a car club. In those days there were all kinds of car clubs. We met once a week and I loved everytime we got together. We had a gutted 35 Ford coupe with a 3/8 X 3/8 flathead 3 ***** running in C Altered. I never got to drive because I was to young. I would bring something to every meeting to get help on and the guys would help me. Most meetings were working on people's projects and kicking around ideas on how to make the Altered go faster. Bob Crookshank had a 32 full fendered roadster with a Ardun engine. Notice I didn't say the engine was in it. Every week he had a new thing he was going to do. I believe he was talking about a roller lifter cam which I had neverheard of in those days. As I grew up and went into Super Stock racing and then gas coupes I would run into Bob. I would ask him how his Ardun was coming along and he would talk about some new idea. One he was going to build his own mechanical fuel injection. I went over to his house in 1960 and his 32 was sitting there and pieces of the Ardun were on the bench. To this day I have no idea what happened to Bob's Ardun. The reason I'm telling this story is that we can get so bogged down on the ideas that we never accomplish what we want to do. Just build it and improve after it is built. It may mean you get the cutting torch out and redo something but you keep moving forward.Roy
you are 100 percent right. Had this same conversation two days ago with my partner on the car we are building, get them running then sort it out
Good story..... I bet all of us know a Bob Crookshank................... I know one who makes Bob look like he's making good progress Ha Ha........... I call it "****ysis paralysis" Brad
It goes into the "Theory of Over-engineering".......easy to get bogged down in. I'm sure we have all known someone who fit in that category, hell, most of us have gotten bogged in that mire at one time or another. Right now my problems are that I have medical restrictions on my activities and they are causing my brain to go into the "over-engineering mode". What works best is backing away from that process and looking for the easy way to reach the end. Lazy people are the ones who make the best inventions as they tend to find ways to simplify the process and delete the unnecessary steps. When all else fails, stop and look at the project with the at***ude of is it necessary for function, or are you considering it for the wow factor. Generally function out weighs wow and simplicity works best.
I'm going to jump in here as Devil's Advocate- by the way, y'all can call me Bob..... In MANY cases of my own endeavours I enjoy the process, and the back process, and the process in back of that, so much, that forward progress seems almost forgotten- BUT- "finished" product or not, I'm enjoying myself so damn much, that, well, I just can't help myself. Case in point- my HA/GR-- After deciding for sure that I wanted to build the car I began mulling over design, function, particular parts- I decided that I just HAD to have the main roll bar hoop be a single diameter bend, or curve if you will, the width of the frame. All well and good, but, studying and asking around yielded no one around here that could produce what I wanted. Back then a guy would probably get out the torch and wrap the tube around the tree in the front yard, but I wanted better than that- so, what do I do? Go backwards- build a bender to build the bar! I am now in process of building a 22" diameter mandrel bender based on Ellis Brasher's design from Wediditforlove.com, and I'm all the happier for it, as the car will stick to my vision. Did forward progress stop? In a manner of speaking, yes. I don't have a roll bar yet. Should I have just had some dude with a bender whip me one up so I could get on the track? Case #2- I decided I wanted to run side drafts on the flathead six. A friend gave me four Stromberg 175cd's, but I want to try Carter YH's. I'm holding out for the YH's, even thoiugh it might slow me down, but that's not where I'm going here- I have to fab an intake no matter what, so I decided I wanted three carbs, one for each port, with a nice straight runner. And I wanted them cast aluminum. I could have whipped them out in steel tubing and flanges welded, but instead, I took a step backward- I built my own backyard foundry and have been getting my processes down one at a time to cast my own intakes. Once again- Forward progress is halted as I build a tool to build a part, but dammit, I'm having so stinkin' much fun doing this I really don't care at this point if the car runs or not!!!!!! you all are going to think I'm out of my gourd when I tell you this next one- after I get further along on the car and I'm ready to get the fuel system in place, I am going to try my hand at metal spinning! Yup, tha's right, I'm going to try to scratch fab my own spun aluminum fuel tank! it's a sickness I tell ya! I just can't stop!
You sound like the guy from Austrailia who had the Indian motorcycle. If you can make all this stuff more power to you and I understand the satisfaction of accomplishing the near impossible. With me it is running down the track in compe***ion that makes my juices flow. I won my cl*** at Wentzville in June 2004 and I can tell you this old man can jump up and down.Roy
moparsled.......I love your spirit, that's what hot rodding is really about. Don't let it inhibit your enthusiasm.
I guess there's some degree of Bob Crookshank in all of us. I just finished building a complete roller rocker arm ***embly for our GMC; roller rockers, stands, shaft and all. It actually came out really nice. I hope it doesn't spit parts all over the place when I fire the engine. Ron
Hey those roller rockers are a wasted motion for a flathead, maybe you could use them with arden heads for a street rod.
Bob was a nice guy and he would come over to my house and we would go out to drive-ins and get street races in my Super Stocker. He would hang out the window and count 1-2-3 go. He loved cars but he could never get his own going. What a combo to have a 32 roadster with an Ardun today would be a killer. I really wonder what happened to him. I lost track of him after I went on the Fire Department.Roy
Hey guys, are your flatheads 5 or 7 cylinder engines. I think I have a set for both. Since their so rare the price may be a little steep. Forward the money and I'll ship them to you. Ron
Tom, Is that a V9 or an inline 9? Thats not another one of those strange Ford engines is it? I heard tell Ford even made a V8, but I don't believe it. You know you can't believe everything those Ford guys tell you. Truth: If you ever go to the Speedway Motors Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska you'll see every Ford engine creation you've ever heard about. One of the Model A engines had an overhead valve conversion, but instead of having a rocker arm it had a "U" shaped steel tube filled with ball bearings that connected the pushrod to the valve stem. They have more than 500 different engines of all makes. The museum is new and the displays are outstanding. They even have one of the first OHV Chevy V8's (1918 vintage). Well worth the time for any gearhead. Ron
Maybe a "W" 9? That museum sounds like it would definitely be worth the trip.......One more place to add to the list of must see places.
Tom, Strange as it sounds there actually was a race "W12", I think made by BRM. I only saw it mentioned once on TV. Ron
VW has / had (?) a W-12 in production (okay, not really a 'W' as it were, and the Phaeton may not qualify as 'production').
Off topic but, did you guys hear what happened to Tony Pedregon last weekend? Make sure your fire suit is up to snuff.
I was watching it on TV when it happened. The fire suit looked like it held up pretty good except for around the knee area. He was complaining about his hands still burning. How many layers are the gloves they wear? If you saw the car on fire, it is a wonder he did not get burned worse than he did. Not only was it a full blaze, but the speed he was running was blowing it right back on him.
As much as I've complained about NHRA rules in the past I'll be the first to admit their rules are based on history and sound judgement. I personally wouldn't want to be in that situation with a 10 layer suit. I think as we get older (spell thet wiser) we realize just what CAN happen. I have a call in to Bob Blackwell @ NHRA regarding our rules. I had to leave a message so he may be out of town today. Ron
That was scary as hell. I wore a 5 layer suite last year driving the HA/GR car. Got a ride this year in a JR Fuel car that now reguires as of this year 15 layer suite. So I guess I wont be complaining when I have to lay down a grand for it.
I recall reading about that thing, also recall an "H" configuration engine. Saw pictures of Tony's fire at the Winternats. It just serves as a reminder of what can happen when one of those monsters decides to come apart. When you consider the amount of fuel and oil involved it makes quite a big bomb.
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