Technical The Specialized Tools Of Hot Rodding

mctim64 your shop is awesome! I've got expierience on everyone of your machines except the crank grinder. ( never did learn how to operate one!

 

I have my grand dads Uni-syn tool, but the hair dryer looking ones work way better (dont choke out the carbs while adjusting). I took a velocity stack, made an aluminum top with holes as seen, The one hole is for the carb tool, the other is to adjust airflow to dial in the tool. This way I can use adapters and use it on just about any carb I need it for.

 

Got me this, plus a spare

 

mctim64, I used to own a Hall Toledo grinder. It went by the wayside when I was introduced to Serdi.

 

Serdi is what I use on a regular basis but I still keep the old stuff around. Still use an old Peterson dry grinder for some jobs, not for surfacing heads but it is still useful.




Here's a shot of the building from 1954 when it was a Pontiac, Cadillac dealership.

 

Shop just ain't a shop without a "Piston Nurlizer".


This Storm Vulcan Crankshaft polisher is only about 40 years old but the model design goes back to the 1940s.

 

Allen distributor machine circa '60's

 

Not sure how specialized it is but it has fixed many a hot rod problem.

Thanks,

--Louis

 

Wet finger in the air... ya gotta know where the trends are coming from! Gary

 

The classic ( and esteemed) BFH.

 

Here is my Early Ford king pin reamer set I got at a swap meet for 5 bucks.

 

Here is my Atlas 6X18... I don't use it much, but it's handy to have.

 

Southbend lathe ?

 

My 1950 Southbend model A....

 

another distributor machine,
video made and posted a while ago
doesn't get used every day but very handy tool to have around.

 

This one is an ATLAS table top 6"X18" lathe sold by Sears back in the day. They are still very popular with the hobbyist. You can still get all the parts for it.
I also have a 1941 9" Southbend.

 

A Heavy 10 SB is on my wish list. I just have to figure out how to cram it into my shop/garage space.

--louis

 

Southbend...yeah, 1946 9" that gets a little bit of use making hot rod parts. Among other things.

 

My not a south bend 9" bench top...
Only markings I've found is a brass plate hand stamped
Made by WG Hartman
Portland, Oregon
I added the treadmill motor.

 

I am in the process of mocking up a 4-71 blower on the side of my '55 Chevy truck stovebolt 235 inline six. At some point it gets torn down to be freshened. I have been posting my limited progress on another forum and, back in June, When I arrived at the shop, there was a parcel in the mailbox addressed to Mr. Nimrod. My brother, JR, had read that I was planning to re-ring BillyBob's engine before slapping the blower on the side and he sent me our Dad's ring groove cleaning tool. along with the note that it could come in handy two or three years down the road when I get to the rings. As far as we know, the last time this tool was used by our Dad was in the eighties, on this very engine, when he helped my brother freshen it. There's a certain poetry of continuity attached to this tool that may spur my efforts to shave a year or so off that time.

 

I have one of those ring groove cleaners, used it last May when I overhauled the Edsel's 292. I also have a ridge reamer, which I used to kock off the bottom part of the ridge (yeah, I'm incredibly lazy) so it wouldn't hurt the new rings. Wonderful 1980s American cheap tools, that still work fine. And built to the 1940s designs.

I'm hoping to see someone post a pic of boring a block with the engine still in the car...they show it in the old shop manuals...has anyone actually done it in the past 70 years?

 

Damn Ryan, always wanted one of these but couldn't afford one so.......

 

I have one of these (no, I don't use it) from the late 1930's, on display. Made by Albertson and Company out of Sioux City. It sprays lead ...

 

I have a couple of portable boring bars that bolt to the deck (Van Norman 777s) but never used them in the vehicle.

 

I remember back in the mid 60's my dad spun a rod bearing on a 283 in his '59 Chevy wagon. Low and behold, he found a guy who came out and reground the crank throw right in the car!
I'd like to look at one of those machines again too.

 

Well mctim64 if I'm ever in the area I'm sure gonna pop in and have a look. You have every machine our local machinist had in his shop when I was a youngin loved to watch him turn the dials and bring new life to an old worn engine! Joe

 

An Erco 476 Power Shrinker from 1939, It was used during the War to build Prototype Air planes for the Australian Government

 

All I want for x-mas is your erco machine!!!!!!!!!! That thing is kick ass cool. I will take one of those and a few of the KR Wilson engine stands...
Thanks Santa.