Aye, Ratty, I've not been to an event where Jim wasn't present either!! He definitely drives it like he stole it! Jim is running a Roadrunner kit from Joe. He's also running the small blower - he's got room for the bigger one!! I think he said he's done racing the roadster & is building a dragster - but he's said that sort of thing before! Joe Abbin's car is street legal & occasionally street driven, but it's really a race car - he recently ran 13.28 @ 100+mph - this run was at 5800 feet elevation though. Not sure of the elevation corrections to sea level - I think that works out to around 12.31 @ 108+ mph. Still Jim & Flatdog's times are amazingly impressive considering Joe's is really a street-legal race car...certainly not driven like Jim's or Flatdog's!
Lets not forget our other man in the 12's! Maybe Jim can remember the time he set out to beat? Tony "leatherface" Cardy pulled a 12.9 I believe in his holy bucket. Street driven again (I last saw it pulling there laden A pickup up the hills outside Banbury...) no blower, skinny crossplies, running through a 3 speed top loader, with 3.78 gears in a banjo rear end. Trickled off the line in second with deference to the gearbox and rear end. Mind you, he's only 2 stone when piss wet - much like the car which has been tuned with a hole saw...
True words, Phil. It must be remembered that Tony was the first UK racer into the 12's and he did it with no front brakes....
think of never ending power. when I first put the blower on mine I wasnt sure about it, it didnt seem that much faster, but everyone who got in the car said it was and amazingly so. the big thing I noticed was that when you press the go juice the revs come up, but in a carbed car you reach that point in the rev range where you know there is no more power left in this gear. with the blower thats gone, it feels like it will keep going as long as you hold that foot down and eventually something will give in a big way. I would nearly see a blown flathead as making a man out of the motor. it definately takes it up a notch or two. so much so , that I am now building another engine.
I'm back on the project. Don't have the money for a manifold so I've gone back to making my own - we'll see how that goes. Going to have to do some wacky machine work as well. I'm taking the hard way in a lot of repects but the end result should look and work nice. Think v-belts...lots and lots of v-belts. Maybe I can join the "12" club down the road.
Just heard from Joe Abbin - he ran a 12.41 @ 107.6 at Bakersfield last week. He's got a pretty mild engine by some counts - 276" Isky 400JR Offy Heads - I'm sure some of his flow bench-verified porting & relieving too. His car is just under 2500lbs w/him in it & he runs slicks. As mentioned before, it's a street-legal car, but intended for the track. His goal was to build a streetable engine using readily available parts & use the race car as a "real-world" dyno/advertisement/fun toy! I think he's suceeded on all counts! I think I'll quit now as I sound like an advertisement!!
Thanks for the vote of confidence....I was running the Coker Firestone dirt track tires and just flat could not get any traction off the line, kept lowering tire pressure down to 10 lb....turned them into smoke, even when I launched them at 2 grand(cool for the street, but sure didn't work at Little River)....first time out to the track, but just wait until the next flathead race....we'll be definately faster, this sucker wants to run ...hahaha Hey send me yours and Danny's email and I'll add you'all to my Rat Rod emailings...had some good shots from up there....and you and pops are on it. Skot
Rumours are "Comfy" Cardy will be coming out of retirement next year and this time a blower is on the cards. It may just be that I've instigated the rumour but what the hey?!
SKOT - the in-car video of your last run at Little River was some pretty cool stuff... once I get the raw footage back from EVEL, I'll send your way. The red tach light on yer face when you shift looks bitchin. Yer car is absolutely one of my favorites, so thanks for letting me video that run!
Joe Abbin just posted this over on the MSN site: The Motorhead Mart Special was invited to make exhibition runs at the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion, October 6-8, 2006 in Bakersfield, CA. The blown flathead powered Special did not disappoint, laying down three runs at 12.49 and quicker, with a best of 12.41 seconds and 107.6 mph in the quarter mile. Although the Special is primarily a nostalgia racer, it is street legal and has over 1980 street miles on the odometer. See www.roadrunnerengineering.com for more info. http://www.roadrunnerengineering.com/press%20release.htm
we took the motor out of the 34 coupe and installed it in our drag race alter.My street motor that went 12.9 in the coupe went 10.50 at 125 at island dragway sunday.FWIW.
July 4,1954 Shelton,Wa. 2550 lb. 32 Ford coupe. Drove 100 miles to the race. 315 ci flathead. 4 carbs on av gas.(no blower) Won class at 116.58/11.36 Also won NW hot rod road race championship on the sports car course the same day.
No dout the car was fast.but back then everybuddy had their own methods of distance ran,start "some rolled" and how they clocked them.They didn't check fuel real close back then either.
Excellent time, Flatdog!! Well done! Do you know the weight difference between the coupe & the altered?
Otto Crocker clocks. Same ones they used at Bonneville. Fuel checked by specific gravity. Same way they do it today.
Pete I do respect you ,but it would at least 1 hp per ci to cut though # .If he did pull it off on gas it would be beyound amazing.Do you know anything about his motor?
Well, they say every 100lbs is worth a tenth, so probably about right when you factor in street car vs drag car chassis setups! Well done!!
The motor: Yes I know what was in it. I built it. 1/2 X 7/16. Billet crank. Forgedtrue pistons. Crank knifed and OD reduced. H&C 6355 cam. Edel. heads and 4 pot. 11-1 comp. H&C mag. Big valves. 11 lb flywheel. alum clutch. Turning 6300 at the lights. That engine was almost identical to the one I have advertised on the HAMB classified right now except for the cam, injectors and accessory drive. The current one has 1/4 more stroke.(4 7/16)
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