Projects The Levee Leveler (A Single Seat Racer Circa 1934)

Man things I miss not being on here as often any more.

 

Thanks guys! It means the world!

Thanks Mart! Nice detective work!

 

So, back to the driveline. I used the '34 driveshaft that came with the rear and deliberated for a couple of days on how to shorten the '34 torque tube as it tapers most of the way down. I went up to the chicken coupe (where I currently have parts stored from the move ) to dig out the steering gears I knew I had. Well, I also had the TT from the '39 rear that I converted to open drive for my Chevy. The '39 tube is darn near straight the whole way down so I cheated and decided to use it!



Some careful measuring I was ready to cut!


36" out of the middle...


Tacked together. Ain't it cute?

 

You should use the left over 36 inches as your exhaust lol

 

Actually I have an 'A ' TT that tapers all the way that I plan to use for that!

 

Man I'm excited for this, got such a good jolt of energy seeing every bodies Sunday progress

 

Bolted up!

Dropped in place.




The TT is just tacked for now ( in case I screwed it up!) I will weld it up when I take everything apart to put the clutch and flywheel on.
Next up is to figure out the radius rod placement. So many options!

 

Loving it! I've been collecting parts for something like this for a while now, great inspiration!

 

You should just put a sheet of plywood down on it and rock it like a giant skate board as is

 

Cool man!

Yes!

So that pretty much brings me up to date. I am currently trying to figure out how to approach the rear radius rod attachment while thinking about the brake actuator and floor/belly pan area.

 

Bailing wire?

 

Now that's funny ^^^
Mike, you rock!

 

Here is a mockup of a little frame rail extension I'm working on. It will catch the shortened and pie-cut radius rods and also the brake lever actuator cross shaft. The tubing is the leftover piece from which I cut the front crossmember. The RRs will simply bolt to the frame in a manner that lets them pivot. Seems strange I know but this seems to have been done on a lot of the early cars I have seen. While I don't think I would do it on a car that gets street driven regularly I think it will be fine for the occasional blast around the farmette or racetrack (or up Guanella Pass in Georgetown even!)



It is loosely based on this fellow's car and a few others I have seen.



Anyone have a hand fuel pump that they don't want an arm and a leg for? I plan to modify a bicycle tire pump or the like rather than spend a fortune on one.

 

Dig the swoop you added to the frame extension/world's beefiest belly pan in the back. Really starts pushing the chassis the right way

 

Perhaps you could use a thin sealed, or torrington type bearing between
the radius rod and frame.
Just throwing a thought out there

 

Thanks man!

Tim and I had discussed the use of a sleeved oilite type bearing, but the Torrington is a darn good idea! I'll have to look into that. Thanks Kelly!

 

Even though there seems to be a precedent with split rear bones on the early racers, could you still fit yours up to the TT like they are supposed to be? Do you have room? I think the original racers did it because there was something in the way, but you seem to have enough room.

On my T modified I am going to go out of my way to make sure my wishbones have room to mount to the TT. I'll design my frame around the axle instead of the other way around.

 

I bought one for my three springer from guffey on here. He seemed to have some nice early speed stuff for sale.
also look at radiator pressure testers they seem closer in proportion to the old hand pumps and are reasonable.
Great build thanks for posting

 

Have you considered a keg pump? You can pick up a new one for around $30-40 or try a scrap metal place, or local bar. I got one free from a friend cleaning up his grandfathers place who had run a bar. They look right and nice and shiny. Hope that helps. Joe

 

I'm sure I could put it back to the TT. I think the belly pan is what made the early cars put them at the frame. I really want to try it this way but it is nothing that can't be undone. I've looked at it a lot and the pivot will be in the same relative plane as the TT union which rotates on its ball (as you well know) and does not grow in length as it goes through its motion. That is the reason I have convinced myself to try this out (though it is as I said, not something I would do on a regularly street driven car.)

Thanks for the heads up and for checking in bct!

Brilliant Joe! I'll have to check it out before the prices go up now, ha! Thanks!

 

It was cold AF yesterday but after working on stuff in the house all weekend I needed to get out to the shop for a bit. I split another piece of tubing I had left over from a project years ago to prep for the frame extensions.
I didn't take any pics during the process apparently but after cutting away the curves, heating, bending, and welding the bottoms back on here's what I ended up with.



Gross...

 

Lol warmer than Ben's driveway this afternoon. New piece looks good. You say you welded the bottom back, is that in reference to the curves?

 

Thanks. Yes I cut out a pie shape but left the cuved corner of the channel. I heated that piece to match the curve I cut and welded it back together. I'll try to take pic when I do the other side. I would have left them longer but my tubing was short so I'll have to scab in a piece for the end.

 

Cool, should be worth the extra effort
As it really makes it look on purpose and not scabbed on. It will also give a nice shelf should you decide to run a dropped floor or full belly

 

I'm not sure if this will work from my phone, (it didn't but I ck'd back and added it from the i-Mac.) but I found a copy of the Brit's Menu and a C-H Sugar Cube wrapper. Brits was very near the South Gate version of Ascot near the trestle that cross the L.A. River right near the foundry where I cast, it in itself has been there since 1923. Looking below, I see that Jimmy found pix of the Southern Speedway=1st time I've seen these shots=Great to see, love the trestle in that back ground.

This is a great build Cactus!!!!

 

I have been following your build and I am loving what you have done. I know you are going the sprint car route but as a possible alternative have you thought about a Modified? They were running them in the period that you're building too. There is period shots of midgets and big cars <.

 

You probably know this and have seen it but if you haven't, there is a really nice single seater with lots of patina in the Bellville, KS High Banks museum just down the road from you.

Greg

 

Thanks! Yes, I'm hoping to do exactly that for floorboards and to tie the frame rails together a bit. This old T frame is spindly!

I don't think the menu came through but tanks for that bit of history! Very cool!

You know when I first dreamt up the project it was a three-springer. I have a Chevy cowl I had planned on narrowing and I even bought a Whippet grille and radiator. I love the early modifieds and the ones you posted are great! It is still on my mind and I'll probably keep those parts on the off chance I come up with an early parallel leaf frame. Thanks for checking in!

Hey Greg I have not seen it? I have never been to that museum and didn't even realize it existed until a few years ago on our way out to the hill climb. I wonder if there are pics of it anywhere???

 

Not that it matters for your build, which I'm really enjoying, but that's Rajo Jack.