Not to put down the roadster or truck, love'm both. But the StarDestroyer is Tuck's best thread. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
319 Day countdown to LSRU 2018... Speed of this thread is going to pick up a lot. The plan is to get it running/driving in metal and haul it down next April so I can cruise around with all my Pals... and then to BTTF's later in the spring- Heads are going in for new hardened exhaust seats, mill job, new one piece stainless valves, updated guide liners, performance valve job and springs- Then I'll start to assemble the block. Carbs are about half way done- I'll post progress as I go. I'm going to try my hat at some video with the engine build. Roadster's Hemi by Tuck posted Jun 4, 2015 at 11:56 AM thrash inspired by -----> @TexasSpeed
@Runnin shine part of the draw of this thread is that this car has been in progress for id guess at least a decade, though he's had to basically start all over again once if not more times his vision has for the most part remained unchanged. Personally I dig this thread because while he has built a slew of cool mild customs and rough hotrods in that time frame this roadster is the one that always changes the exspression on his face. I've been looking forward to you driving this car for a long damn time. I don't know that I'll be brave enough to attempt the round up with a 1 year old this coming year but Tuck I hope I can convince you to make a pit stop in Kansas City to let me hear that thing roar.
@Tim hell yeah ill stop in- Man you know that stupid fire was a kick in the nuts. It takes a while to feel good and stand back up after something like that without feeling the aches and pains... I got a little obsessed and crazy working to get all of my tools back... I (explitive) love the HAMB though, all of you guys that helped me get back on my feet after that- it was crazy. I'm not going to lie something happened when I saw @TexasSpeed ripping around in his roadster- I was just like dude... and had a big ass grin on my face for days... I kept thinking about it like a good song you can't get out of your head and you just have to put it on repeat until you can't stand it anymore- haha... another dude that doesnt give up... To me that's what its all about... Hellfire. - and most of all the ripping around with your friends in a hot rod that you built from old junk right?... That's all I ever wanted to do with this thing. (-: So here we go. Again. and Again until I get it right. Pretty cool I think... looking at this last pic. Even cooler to hear it run again. #LifeSentence[TM] Tuck-
I am looking forward to following the progress of this thread. You are the man. I need to get busy on my projects. this year I am planning on going to a few shows I haven't been to. number one on my list is the Meltdown Drags. Other than that I hope to make some good progress on my Vette and then do some upgrades to my wagon.
Glad to see the chassis' stress confusion... I also weld round 1/8" thick discs at the seams between the sections of frame-rail... stress likes straight lines, doesn't dig the curved edges of the fish / fitch plates... also, the pic of how the truck was loaded with the rod was great...
I was waiting on the valves to show up in the mail from @73RR - THANK YOU- Heads are going in to get finished up today after work. They're one piece stainless, the OEM were known to have the heads pop off because they're spun weld. I was originally going to run a 59 wheel but decided to change to a 61! The coolest! Picked one up here on the hamb! Just a drive by update, more to come-
Got a remote Weiand thermostat housing from my buddy Bryan Barts- came off an early hemi with a drag star- was modified with the bracket- it's all made so nice!! Just need to sand and polish and chrome the bracket!!
Rod bearings are 030 and the mains are 010- Disassembling and cleaning pistons, rods etc to get the bottom end ready to go back together. I soaked them in diesel fuel and it really lifted the oil out of the rods- you can see the bottom left rod cap hadnt been cleaned yet... all the pieces are coming out like new! The pistons are standard bore 354 which the 331 had been punched out too... I'm getting a 490 lift cam from 73RR- The heads are 54 imperial which are the same as 555 heads pretty much... big oval exhaust ports etc. I plan to deburr the block and clean up the casting here- School is OUT. Time to party with this thing! Staging for my trip to Texas. Eventually I plan to drive the shit out of the roadster but until its painted and finished I'm gonna need to keep it out of the elements. (well and its hard to fit two little girls and a wife in a roadster haha) Planning on taking this down to Austin with my Super Duty 15 passenger van. (kanadian tour bus) Seriously stoked on this- Tuck
I missed the RU this year and it felt like my life got out of whack because of it. We should cruise together next year and tear it up.
Seriously all I'm thinking about is hanging out with you guys and ripping around!!!!!! Tuck-YEAH Total non-sequitur but my students have been calling me Tuck-Norris, I think its the beard. hahaha...
I'm teaching summer school for one more week- they're only half days so I get a few hours in each day on the roadster. I flipped the bottom plate of the x-member so the ball mount would work for the rear- I have the reinforcement piece too that doubles up the thickness of it- I trimmed this down on the band saw but you get the idea from this pic- worked out slick. I also swapped the model a bone spreader ball mount for a 32- I mounted the front end and bones with the correct geometry- kingpins are at the same angle as the crossmember, replaced the bushings front and rear. Everything is pretty snug. Next I'll work in the pedal assembly and finish the front and rear mounts for the hemi. Parts and more parts- Tuck
You know, there is a period of history on the hamb where there were a small group of people building some crazy 60's inspired shit that really got me excited... We were all learning about old speed parts... dreaming about owning old speed parts... learning what fit with what... seemed like the days of Indiana Jones, before the straight laced traditionalists created that block letter party on the beach.. haha. (only kidding ) The real "bleedster" for example... I still think about this car a lot. I always wanted to see this thing in Kandy paint and chrome. This is a bad angle I wish I had more shots of it because it looked so much cooler in person.
Yeah, I think that every time some one "new" says they miss the old hamb. Lol the one they missed by a decade
Ground all of the casting smooth on the hemi- next on deck prepping the trans and timing cover for the chrome shop- Picked up a old chrome crank pulley for the hemi at Iola
..... hmmmmm' .... copper, nickel, CHROME .... HEMIIIIIiiiiiii !!!!! < do it .... do it .... do it .... > ( !!!! ) Where's the prayer emoji on this damned thang' ??? For chrome, and lottery winning.
There was a guy in my hometown in high school that bought a lifted Chevy truck that had a chromed block- only time I've ever seen a block chromed- would guess that would retain some heat- looked awesome though- I'm gonna chrome the lower bell, the timing cover and all the other crap they bolts to it- it's or too bad if I polish it all-
The Jalopy Journal
