1927 Track roadster found also flathead lifterbore question

[HotRodAV8]

Friend of mines new project It a 27 track roadster from the portland oregon area. rumered to have race Janseen beach OR, vancouver WA and maybe more west coast tracks. Found some programs from 1949 through 1953ish listing the car. Was painted yellow and red with number 21 on the door. Car owner on program was named Spike . Anyone remember this hotrod?

[HotRodAV8]

next

[HotRodAV8]

driver side, look at that 20 inch motor set back

[HotRodAV8]

My lifter bore question is if any one knows what these extra oilers are installed for? it is a nice 59 block.looks to have some machine work fly cut on those four lifter bores and they press in bore?

[HotRodAV8]

oiler close up down in lifter valley.

[Spooky]

DAMN that is really something. I recently was asking some of my older customers (I work at the Home Depot at Jantzen Beach) about the old racetrack, but couldn't get much info.
I'd like to see those old programs you have.

[HotRodAV8]

She used to be one of these tarmac demon back in early fiftys. present plans are to put her back on the track with a v8 quickchange in and out box no clutch 286merc with dual carbs restored chassy to make it safe and make the body look respectable again.

[FORDY 6]

Rough, but interesting. Lucky to find it that complete. Have to send in the progress pic's.

[Zapato]

wonder if Spike is the "Spike" that has the top shop in Portland? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Just some very quick detective work would say that's not the same car. The frame tubing looks like a much larger diameter on yours, and it's doubtful a stock firewall and cowl vent would be put BACK in a race car and finally is that area behind the doors that surrounds the passenger area and that the top connects to is nicely filled on the race car, and still original on the pictured car. Don't mean to spoil the party, but can't see anything that would make it appear to be the same car other than a story.

[FWilliams]

where did he say it was the same car? i think he just posted the picture as reference

[SwitchBlade327]

yea, he said the one they got had a 21 on the door, that pic has a 27 so...I don't think he htought it was the same car.

[choprods]

Well really that one or not....what is that front axle on the one you have now?

[HotRodAV8]

NO not the same car just the picture of track hotrod from that era. Posted for the people not as up to speed on west coast roadster racing. My pic dont show to much very,very rough is being nice...
I was looking for any help on finding info on this car.
I have a 35mm pic that needs scanned that show the roadster as found in 1992. Under suburban cammo-- the blue tarp--. Standing weatherchecked in it old paint untouched. Spike is in one photo at that time it was 1st sold. He pass before my friend involment in the car.

Any one have any thoughts on the oiler in the lifter bore? I really want to learn about this? maybe they were for cooling the valve springs? I just dont know.
I dont know about the portland connection but maybe?
The front axle appears to be an advanced design era chevy truck. possably some other drop with axle pads,because the axle we have clearly has had the pads cut off and not dressed very nice at all.

[curbspeed]

Ya, I recognize that pile. I saw that pos sittin' in front of my house on Sat. Looks better with the body on it now. Where's that tarp at? Cover it up! The horror!!!!(Tell Dave I'm kidding) Never did find a paint store open on Sat.Ryan. Is that thing in the front for bashing Washington State mad cows? I hear they are on a rampage in these parts.

[lakes modified]

The best way to find out about it, is to contact Al Drake. he knows most of the guys in the portland area that raced back then and could pick their brains on who it belonged to.

[Ted H]

On some hiostory on "Spike" and the car you might check with Glen Vohls @ Salem Speed Shop. He used to work on some of these old racers. His shop has been in business for something like 54 years.Might also contact Len Sutton and Rolla Volsted, both of Portland. Sutton got his start driving track roadsters right after the war. Became a real contender on west coast circuits and Indy. Drove Volsted's cars at Indy with best finish of 2nd.
Oilers? Good question. At first I thought maybe to provide addition oiling for exhast valves but they appear to be installed on the intake valves. Shouldn't need them there.Where's 286merc this morning? maybe he could provide an explanation.
Ted

[Bruce Lancaster]

Those oilers are really strange. What exactly is it they screw into? It's something that protrudes above normal bore--is it actually a sleeve extending down into lifter bore and reducing its diameter???
Are there fittings or holes anywhere indicating where these might have connected??
If they are sleeves, I would guess this is an experiment using perhaps some sort of mushroom lifters or rollers and that the ones for other positions are just missing.

[OldRacer]

If the plan is to put it back on the track, the perfect person totalk with would be Marty Strode. He builds track rodsters and his shopis in North Plains which i'm sure you know is between Portland and Banks.

Marty Strode Enterprises
36329 N.W.Three cedars Lane
North Plains.Or 97133
(503) 647-2603

A great guy and very talented!!

[curbspeed]

When Dave had the car at my house we where looking at those oilers real close and they look like a factory cast piece that is pressed in there with the brass 90's on them. It;s the damnedest thing.They didn't look like an aftermarket thing or homemade. Maybe it's a supersecret Ford race motor., ya think?

[HotRodAV8]

Thanks for the leads on info.
AS for the bore hole they look the be bored oversize with a the oiler pressed into the hole like a sleeve completly through the hole reducing to stock size. Can't find any place were they hook to?
Maybe it is some extra super secret ford racing oiler so secret I don't know what it is?
Any flat head gurus up today??

[Digger_Dave]

[ QUOTE ]
oiler close up down in lifter valley.

[/ QUOTE ]

Printed out the picture and showed it to an old flathead racer. His first question was, "Is there a keyway running vertically just behind the brass fitting?"

He told me that "roller lifters" needed a keyway to keep the lifters in position. (otherwise they could rotate out of position and cause big time damage)

He thought that "Winfield" made a roller lifter "holder" that had an oil fitting to make sure that enough oil got to the lifter. Machine work was needed to install them (fly cutting the top of the bore, which the picture appears to show) and he thought he remembered they were a press fit in the existing lifter bore

Normally there would be an "oiler" on each lifter (intake and exhaust) His thinking is there are some of them missing.

If there is no "keyway" on the inside of the piece; his second thought was as Bruce says, "they might have been "specialty lifters" that with a radical cam needed extra oil."

Stock Ford lifters relied on "oil splash" to lubricate them.

[286merc]

I guess I missed this thread, spending too much time trying to stay warm.

I agree those inserts appear to be a high quality aftermarket casting. Ive seen them with rollers as mentioned but not just 4 in a block (assuming the other side is the same).

Have you measured the other bores to see if they have been modified? If so good luck on finding inserts unless you want to invest in sleeves. Be a shame to scrap an otherwise nice appearing block.

[HotRodAV8]

wow this is what I was hoping for! They are fly cut in the bore.
As for a key way I will look today if it has that.We wondered if it was for mushroom lifers or something of that nature also.
We were also thinking it should be in every hole. The block is super nice not apperant cracks, Has been painted inside of vally light grey, fresh piston bore.
My f head buddys & I belive the engine was being built for the racecar and never got finished. reason we think that is the block was stored inside with some nos speed parts but they were sold before we got involved with the car. the car also use to have a center steering ross box,hand pressure fuel pump, and a vintage gauge panel...
the way we found the car was from the guy selling parts off of it. We just asked and he said well there is still the rest of the car then sent us some picture. wish we heard about it before so much was sold off.

[Shaggy]

Whatever happened to this car?? any more info? if it ever made it out to the monroe WA track i might be able to find info too