#134 '34 Ford AA/Fuel Coupe

Glad to hear this car is back in western pa, now maybe i'll get to see it in person sometime! Where abouts in Monroeville are you at? Actually marrying a girl this upcoming Saturday thats originally from James Street.

Ted... if your not already a member, you should joing the social group "Pittsburgh Area Rodders" here on the HAMB. Good way to see what's going on in our neck of the woods.

 

Thanks, I will look into that. Was at the PID reunion at Sonic Bridgeville last night - a mob scene of a crowd. Took my Road Runner and saw tons of old friends - great evening!

 

Mark Becker (white shirt) and I took car to Jim Kramer's Mopar show at Tri State Dragway in Hamilton, OH for first fire up. Lots of problems, fuel lines leaking etc. But to be expected after a 25 yr hiberation. Still original engine (we checked thoroughly), paint, letting etc. Lots of work to get it fired again but, it's "alive" once more. Will take to Epping for cacklefest and then get it back on track next year. See link to you tube video. http://youtu.be/DT8_ZtjoZn4

 

oops - Mark in black shirt, me in gray!!

 

That is so cool Ted,Livin the dream!

 

Now that car is back "home" in PA - thought a couple of vids would be appropriate.

From You Tube - first fire up on nitro in decades and an "oldie" from Maple Grove's 25th anniversary in 1987 where we put on a nostalgia display like the old time cars used to run.

Maybe see some ya at Epping Sept 12-14, 2013. Thanks for all of the interest and support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT8_ZtjoZn4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTU5glq5yvA

 

That video from '87 is a great smokey run Ted. Glad you got it posted

 

It is confirmed, Ted Brine, Mark Becker and myself will be taking the #134 AA/Fuel Coupe to the New England Hot Rod Reunion. Any of you folks from the HAMB be sure to stop by and introduce yourself to us. Bring earplugs !!!! Goldy

 

134 Fuel Coupe at NHRA Nostalgia Reunion, Epping, NH - Sept 14, 2013 - Goldy at the controls! See more of introductions for this event on Bangshift.com

Nice to see everyone there!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZxsI1_QLcc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exsKJDatoLA

 

Hi guys I was sent the link to this thread by a friend of mine who was one of the crew that took the 554 Mooneyham and Sharp Tribute car built by Luke Balogh in North Vancouver to this years CHRR. I also went with them to photograph their appearance there and document their trip. An earlier comment abou the car being built from a 4 door is correct. It took 5 years to build and to date the car has run 8.08 on 7 cylinders with no blower boost. It didn't run at the CHRR due to some mysterious tranny problems. Even the Lenco guy couldn't figure it out.
Anyway I just wanted to give a quick bit of info on Lukes car to yu guys and say...keep the thread going with updates on what you guys are doing. There are a couple of us up here following it and I'm sure once Luke knows about it he will follow it too....

 

Had not been on here for a bit. Some updates and a photo from the Sept Pittsburgh International Dragway Reunion at Pittsburgh Raceway Park (formerly Keystone). The car was "cackled" with the same engine that was built in 1987. The original engine in the car was sold to Jerry Moreland with the 554 car and we believe it was in the 554 when K&G owned it. We'll have the car at the Pittsburgh World of Wheels (56th annual I believe) in Jan 2014 and then will be a feature car at the March 2014 Piston Powered Autorama (48th) in Cleve at the I-X Center. In between, the chassis is being updated and certified (hopefully) to SFI spec 10-2 (6.0-7.49) so the car will actually be able to do serious exhibitions. The iron engine will be replaced with a 4.25 x 3.908 stroke Donovan (443 CID) but still with 331 hemi heads and the clutch converted back to a triple disc Crowerglide sending power through a 2 speed Lenco underdrive with reverser to the 4.10 full floating Dana. Visually, the car will be exactly the same as run last in the 80's - complete with "battle scars"! We'll also be at the York Nostalgia Reunion in July and likely make some passes at Beaver Springs (PA) later that weekend. Second photo was given to us up in Epping, NH and was from Englishtown in 1987.

 

Will be at the Pittsburgh World of Wheels show at the Lawrence Convention Ctr Jan 24-16. And then at the Cleveland Piston Power Show at the I-X Center, March 14,15 &16 in the center of the Thunder Row 2014 Allstars display presented by Crusin' Times Magazine - come and visit us!

 

Just read this thread for the first time. I love your car, and I'm glad to see it back in your hands. Great videos, just awesome...

 

tks Jamie - nice to hear from you! Happy 2014

 

I heard Timmy had a stroke but is back to working a few hours a day in the shop! Spoke to him today. Glad to hear is in his words, "I am vertical"!

 

This is a great story . The car looks great .

 

back from chassis shop. updated to SFI 10-2 (6.0 - 7.49 et). new donovan 471 cid hemi coming along for 2014 season. next stop, Cleveland Piston Powered show at I-X Center in mid march. then back on the track for shakedowns in April.

did not know Tim Hain was having some probs. I saw him at Larson's in Nov. Tried to call and he did not answer phone, now I know why! I'll try to call and wish him
well.

photo from Dave Dominick's race car fab shop in Pittsburgh. video on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exlQ6mEdKU0

 

KQQL post Ted... See you soon...

 

i just stumbled on this thread and i got a close up look at this old 34 at the cleveland pitson power show! what a bad ass ride. soo gld you bought it back.

 

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Can't wait to see this thing boil the hides at the track!


Dustin

 

Nice to see so many folks at Cleveland Piston Powered Show. Here's Goldy on Sat and Ted Brine and Mark Vinson (part of the original crew from years ago) on Sunday. Mark has a 200 mph Mustang 10.5 car now and will likely do some driving of the coupe this time around. He was in his teens when he used to come with us. Now he's the owner of a number of Burger King's in the north of Pittsburgh - time flys!

 

old photos - to go with the ones above, this photo is of "Goldy" - in his signature black beret - and Mark Vinson with the car at Indy in 1989. Mooneyham & Sharp car is background and we were booked in to run it - east vs west. The 554 car was running and engine they bought from us.

 

The long journey back continues! Car has updated chassis cert to SFI-10.1 and all safety systems have been updated to current requirements - bellhousing, clutch (Boninfante 3 disc centrifugal), blower restraint, "diaper" and more.
New engine is now running after many delays - it's a one off Donovan block (for reliability) of 472". Heads are 331, 55 Chryslers with completely updated fuel system. Hemphill Racing Engines did the machine work and assembly - a complicated task since we put a billet girdle on the cast Donovan block and have a custom oil system as well. Car was fired for first time last week, warmed on alky and then "cackled" on 70%. A few adjustments but all went as planned. Then, engine was set up for alcohol for initial trip down track (Pittsburgh Raceway Park - formerly Keystone in New Alexandria, PA) on Aug 7, 2014 - first time in two and half decades. New beadlock wheels are not in (another long story) so we just idled down the track on ancient Halibrands and M&H's to see if it tracked straight, stopped etc. Some work to be done on alignment, brakes etc but hey, it's back on track - albeit in a pedestrian way for this one. But, we'll make the changes and step it up over the next few weeks/months. Should be at Epping in Sept and will be at Don Schumacher Racing on Fri, Aug 29 (10-3) for their "cackle" show in conjunction with the 60 th NHRA Nationals. Maybe Bakersfield in Oct. too! Here's pic of new engine under assembly and then in car. Plus, a vid of first time on track - not much but just a check out idle to see what's what!!

 

The story has been told before, how we built this fuel coupe in the eighties and ran it at tracks all over the Midwest and east coast then sold it in 1989. In 2013 Ted Brine found the coupe in Walt Austin's collection, and bought it back. Last year we cackled it at NEHHR and over the winter got all the pieces certified.
Early Thursday morning we pulled into New England Dragway and set up our pit. We knew that it was going to be a challenge to get the car to go down the track.
When we originally built this car Ted lived about ten minutes from me just outside of Philadelphia. Now Ted lives in Pittsburg about 5 1/2 hours away. Ted took the car to Pittsburg Raceway Park to try to get it ready for NEHHR but severe front end wobble prevented it from making a quarter mile run.
The plan was to take the coupe to Epping and I could help fix it there, if all failed , at least we could cackle it again. This coupe is a 1934 Ford five window coupe sitting on a 1934 Ford frame with the original type transverse buggy spring and shackles up front. We removed the hood, grille, side panels and fuel tank. I measured the caster, it was at 14 degrees. Then we removed the axle with spindles, radius rods, shocks, etc. Did I mention that it was raining ?
Next we disconnected the transverse leaf spring and shackles. The shackles were bent, so we straightened them with some help from Jake Crimmins. Thanks Jake !
After we reinstalled the axle assembly, I set the caster at 7 degrees and the toe in at 3/16th. We reinstalled the fuel tank and the grille shell. By the time we warmed up the engine and towed to the lanes it was 4:30 Friday and they closed the lanes early, they were supposed to be running till 5:00 pm. We needed that test run to determine if we fixed it with the changes we made.
Saturday we get it ready for our test run in the morning and instead we are called to go to a drivers meeting for Cackle Cars so we don't get to make the check out pass until the afternoon. We make the drive down the track run to check out the front end wobble. Good news, the wobble is gone. Bad news, we have to get it ready for the Cacklefest, instead of turning it around for another pass. I don't mean to disrespect the Cacklefest, I just rather race the car than cackle it.
Now that we waste time getting it ready to cackle, it rains again and we are done. Looks like Sunday is our only chance. Sunday morning we do the Caklefest thing and get back to our pit to get ready to run. Getting a run while they are running eliminations means waiting in line. When it is our turn, we fire it up. Drive through the water, Soft, Soft on the leave, gets a little loose at the eighth and pedals it. When Ted gets after it again, it smokes the tires a little. That was pretty much the end of the run. Nothing spectacular, just getting it from A to B on Nitro again for the first time in Twenty Five Years ! I guess we have the distinction of being a Nitro Cackle Car that actually makes runs.
Had we made more runs, we would be more prepared to get after it at the Bakersfield CHHR. But considering our age, and knowing that things can change in a hurry, We are going to Bakersfield anyway and burn up some more NITRO !

 

Way to go guys!!!!!

 

Picture of the checkout pass on Saturday of the 2014 New England Hot Rod Reunion. We left the hood and side panels off so Ted could see the action of the wheels on the run.

 

Are you guys gonna be at Pittsburgh Raceway Park this weekend?


Dustin

 

How about Beaver Springs Nostaligia Drags this weekend

 

Well you missed a really good show at Beaver Springs


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!