Technical ***May 2017 Banger Meet - Sun shining on all 4***

I was only concerned about the condenser the points of course looked brand new.

Not for the street as it doesn't like to idle due to the lag angle trying to kick in, but above 1500 rpm holy moly does it really shine. Even with the blow by the plugs look awesome.

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is it still purple ?

 

Well banger folks, it's been a big ol' time for me as winter approaches, here in Australia. The week before last saw me headed on an 850mile round trip, Southward in my RPU to "the Boogaloo invitational" in Castlemaine, Victoria. It's a creme de la creme show of traditional rods and many a banger was present. That trip required the wearing four layers, a scarf and thermals so I was pleased to be headed North from Canberra, to Crowdy Head, New South Wales, two days later for the inaugural "Rattletrap" 1/8 mile beach sprints.

Modelled on the Race of Gentlemen, The Drag-Ens Hotrod Club of Sydney pulled off a pearler of an event with efficient marshalling, plenty of runs for all, and with a perfect, hard packed, broad tidal surface perfect for racing and easy to access via a well used fisherman's trail through the dunes. Unlike the wild and woolly conditions of Wildwood, Pismo or Pendine, the weather gods were kind. The Australian winter sun made for a glorious day of antique racing with spectators in the surf club treated to a scene framed by a background of aquamarine ocean, complete with dolphins( I kid you not) and rolling forested hills to the north.

With 60 entrants on the beach, there were about a dozen bangers present, ranging a model T speedster run by the youngest competitor , through to a wooden planked single seat track car made by a serviceman who lost his life in WWII. There were a gaggle of jalopy style stocker coupes and roadsters and a very quick Dodge Fast Four in an A sedan. Rounding out the banger varietals was a twin carbed '26 chev. At the pointier end of the spectrum, there was a shortened aluminium bodied track car run by Doug Sterry. This car had a fairly big cam in it, a Thomas head and dual 94s and was a V8 slayer. Doug is a Rob Roy Hillclimb class winner (This event has run since 1934 or so) and his car handles like a slot car on 19 inch wheels with excelsior vintage track rubber. A supercharger is sometimes used to stuff a sealed pressure box that houses the 94s so that there is no need for elaborate sealing, O-ringing or balance tubes on the Carburettors. The deletion of the power valves means that they are purely mechanical in operation. So as to compete in vintage circuit classes, a vintage gearbox is required so a 1928 Fiat four speed non-synchronised box serves as a close ratio cog swapper. Definitely, the banger of the day.

Our Canberra contingent fielded a fleet of three. There was my friend Joel's #12 "Beltana Speed" special ( a roadster taking its sheet metal from pieces of 1928 dodge and its styling cues from a turtledeck T)
I had also put a thrash in on #5, a hastily thrown together chassis with a diamond A block and a single 48, a pressurised bomber oxygen tank providing the fuel. The whole thing was made with plywood, angle iron and a stick welder in a dirt driveway so I think I can still lay claim to the build being "in the spirit" of pre war racers despite the well disguised 'glass roadster body that temporarily resides on top, funny car style, while I source the parts for a steel one. Finally, my well worn #21 (?!) RPU. I can tell you it was a great feeling, fronting up to the line after the long drive up on the Pacific Highway. I was able to enjoy a decent surf, won the odd race and put 800 more (s)miles on the odometer, by the time I got home.

Next on the schedule for our fleet: The Gresford Mudrun circle track event in July.

 

Nope back to black.

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just had a can of purple & it looked good at the time

 

I'm finally here! Been busy "prepping" car for Test and Tune/Race at Buttonwillow Raceway last weekend. Then fixing a problem that I caused.

The young fellow (whose race car was broken) drove on Saturday. Despite my restrictions I put on him, he set the best lap time (ahead of a K2 Allard). Driving on Sunday, I turned some good laps before a rocker arm came loose and # 2 cylinder started to drop out. I'm ordering a set of rockers as these have been on the engine for over 13 years.

 

Looking good!!

 

Doug!

I'd wondered to where you disappeared after graduation..I'm sorry it had to be Houston. But you've gotta do what ya gotta do. I have a good friend that had to be in that city, working for Anderson-Greenwood. He finally got back to San Luis Obispo, SLO, (his wife's hometown) finding work at Diablo Canyon. When that job evaporated, he struggled with work for a Sales Rep of Down Hole Recovery Systems (now called "Fracking") for the California oil industry. A friend of mine who owned a small Cryogenics equip. Mfg. SLO company asked me if I knew a good sales engineer. I told him that I did. A long story longer: The local Cryo Co. prospered with the addition to my friend's expertise. It was sold to a foreign concern. My friend opened his own Cryo components in SLO. He operated it profitably for a number of years. A couple of years ago he sold his firm for millions. Now he's gone and "screwed off" (like I do). He owns five specialty cars with another under construction (but no "Bangers") with an approx 6000 sq. ft. workshop. Moved out of a 2 bedroom, 2 bath "cracker box". He's moved to a huge property with a big house. The moral: set you goals a keep working towards them!

 

It is an opportunity, and a very good one. When I started in the industry at 19, the manager I worked under told me that all roads lead to Houston, not if, just when.

 

Me at work

 

question : why did you choose a banger ? I did so as not to be the same as most people (350-350) . so generic !

 

I grew up on stock A's, so it was just natural that I would have my own. I have my stock deluxe coupe and my speedster. I too like the Banger for its uniqueness and simplicity

 

I didn't have one until like 15 yrs ago , but love em

 

Went to the Antique Nationals last Saturday May 13 grandson drove in from Utah (new job) so he drove the car but due to our lack of information having not gone for a few years we were blindsided by rule requiring arm restraints. Borrowed some but use of them caused him to miss shift so we didn't do very well but had a great day, enjoyed visiting with some old friends.

 

I literally grew up with them because my grandfather was a mechanic through the depression years, later on when he retired he always had someones car in our driveway for a brake job or valve job, and between him and my father - well - they decided that it was a wonderful opportunity for me to "learn" about the cars and how they operated on an entry level vehicle that I could still drive and enjoy. I took it apart, fixed it (or tried to) learned the basics of every aspect from mechanical & electrical, to body work & paint. Later on I ventured out into the OHV world so shunned by the local model A' club, that they denied me the opportunity to join their chapter because of those not so original 3 little letters..... OHV ! Looking back 50 years, so glad that I didn't listen then - met wonderful people Like Brierley, Gemsa, King, Iandola and many others important to our hobby.

 

Getting ready for the Speedster Reunion in Lincoln NE next month. Anybody here going?

 

Some might remember the 4 Cylinder Club of America. All kinds of people ALL KINDS of fours. It was a great place to meet folks that were interested in non-V8's. I been building and racing 4's since J.P.Bill was a kid. All kindda little lumps from all kindda places. For years the T Club had the Signal Hill hill climb. Only Fords ran but a lot of non-Ford's came to watch. I remember people with some serious stuff showing up stuff too run up the hill and the families in T trucks that almost made it. Steaming and chugging, Shell Hill wasn't long but straight up. Sometimes I wish I had photos of all that now but I was too busy looking and listening to take any except in my memory.

I discovered Hill Climbs where you had to turn left and right. AND have never really been the same since.
You go up the hill. if you go fast, COOL if not there is always a picnic lunch down below waiting for you.

Lately it's this ^^^^

Just a foot long 4 of 45 inches .... when finished my wife will go up the hill and we'll lunch at the bottom when she's back down.

There is always some tiny 4 here in my shop getting hopped up.

 

It's been a while but I'm checking in again


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For me, it started as a test- I am a younger enthusiast (25 when I bought it, 34 as we speak), and I bought my '30 Model A tudor for some of the inheritence from when my mom passed (at the age of 40), as I wanted to see, if owning a "real vintage" car was something for me. I had been driving Volvo 121's and a 210 PU for the first 5-6 years of my license. Tudor was supposed to be sold, when I were to buy a house, but the decline in prices (alot of old org-guys passed the last couple of years, dumping the market) and the willingness from the bank turned out so I could keep it.
And the more, I get into it, the more I love it for it's simplicity (if I could just remember details as "do not use an A head gasket on a B/G38T head!"), and I'm now most likely to keep it- and suppliment it with a more rodded version (or two...).

 

I drove a 1957 444 as a kid for many years. Finally broke the trans but never the engine.

 

Going to be quiet over the next few, as my non-HAMB friendly banger is in the shop having a new clutch installed. So, I decided to do the most hotrod thing one can do and learn something. The local school shop has a CNC Mill and lathe that can be used if you take some classes. I went and signed up for vertical mill 1 and intro to 3D CAD/CAM.

 

Dennis: we have had something come up, and I can't the reunion. Enjoy, if things go ok, should make the next meet.

 

I came from a restoration background. Dad and Gramps were purists and didn't like hot rods. However dad had some model A speed parts and always talked about souping up the stock roadster. After he passed and I decided to hot rod his unrestored coupe there was no question that I couldn't build it with out a banger and not use his stashed speed parts.


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that's a great reason

 

This question is for guys running OHV heads. I have a CRAGAR on a B block with a single down draft carb and I'm running the stock throttle linkage. The problem is the angle of the rod from the stock linkage that is bolted to the back of the block to the arm on the manifold that, in turn, goes to the carb. The added heighth of the OHV head presents a problem in that the linkage tends to bind. I'm putting a Weber 32/36 on next week and would like to address the linkage problem with the new intake/carb.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

Denis

You can make a simple model of poster board and acorn pins. Lay it out and you can change the lengths and pivot points easily ....... This might point you to a simple solution without a lot of trial in the car

 

I was at the Monroe swap meet today and saw this motor.
Norm

 

Norm
Name in the truck window says Seth Hammond, was he there?

 

on your throttle binding ........... use a cable instead of rods .

 

I guess Seth gets around! He currently has a mutual friend of ours building an engine with a McDowell DOHC on an A block, with a 5 main girdle. This so that he can run at the F.A.S.T. Time Trials at Santa Margarita on July 8th. Though he DOES have a HAL engine in his roadster that he runs with the Western Racing Association (WRA); he can't run the car with that engine at Santa Margarita because it isn't a Ford!