Event Coverage Welcome to the 2018 Meltdown Drags

I can't drive 55

 

James:The way you’ve got that ol Chevy running,if anybody lays down,they’re gonna get run right over by it....What scares me is,it just keeps getting faster and faster....

Scott


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At the point now, that I don't know what to do.
Leave it alone, only .040 seconds away from needing a roll bar.
Or, change converter, cam timing and add a roll bar.
Or get to work on my digger and give AJ some schoolin.
Or get to work on the 61.

 

Make it safe. Put a bar in it. A crash hurts just as bad as when you do it .040 seconds faster. Even with the extra weight it most likely will go faster with a stronger chassis.

 

I could give it back to the car owner, he could put it in his Museum and we can tell story's about back in the days.

 

Do not think it would be Meltdown with out a certain black and white wheeled Chevy burning down the track! Unless------ since you admit to becoming quite proficient at working on FE motors, maybe a 428 power digger would help us get over the loss! lol Larry

 

Or------- put a 428 in the 61 and call it Ultimite Indiscretion ! Larry

 

Nice try Larry.
I just need this kid to get a car a year earlier.

 

You know me James...I say start with a roll bar and end with a chute! Lol

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Is it bad that:
I resent the fact other events have happened since Meltdown 9 ?
I'm already looking for the "Welcome to the 2019 Meltdown Drags" thread ?
I already have the 2019 pre-registration email in Draft ?

Too soon ??

 

Never to soon! The meltdown gang is the main reason I come on the h.a.m.b ! Larry

 

Larry you may need some help.

 

All I can get James, All I can get! But if liking you guy's is wrong, then I ???? Oh man I need more help than I thought! Larry

 

BITE YOUR TONGUE

 

Gene Cromer put one of his 427s in a 55 Chevy while he was getting the Moonlighter Willys together....That must have drove the Chevy guys nuts.



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Wonder what is the percentage of the pre-48 Fords, powered by a 1st generation S.B.C.

 

I saw some pics a while back of a guy campaigning an early Corvette with a 427 FE in it. Can remember where or exactly when. Seemed to upset the Chevy guys.
Kinda made me feel good. Not real fond of seeing SBCs in most all old cars, that have an engine change.

Bones

 

Probably 50%sbc,25%flathead,25% mix of Olds,Cad,Hemi,banger,289,etc....?


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Ouch!

Bones

 

That thing must haul the mail with that big ol 409 in there!
A good buddy of mine is an early T Bird guy,and almost bought a really nice red one in the late 70’s but passes because somebody had put a 392 in it.
It was a totally stock restoration otherwise.
I asked him who would do that if it wasn’t a race car?
He said “It was the hero car in the TV series ‘Vegas’.
Dan Tana needed to be able to smoke the tires during getaways and car chases,and the 312 wasn’t cutting it.”

Scott


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Bones,
I know exactly what you’re saying.
If it’s a real period correct looking car,and has a 283/270hp I would love it,cause let’s be honest,back in the day,the sbc was a new motor on the scene that was small,light,plentiful,affordable,could double the power output of an old flattie with a few tricks,had great aftermarket support,and was a real good way for a kid to put the “hot” in his hot rod without breaking him financially.
But seeing every dang car in a row at a show with “350/350” combo,is soooooo boring and lame....it’s like those guys don’t know why they do it....they just follow the herd.
That being said,I think Dad’s A coupe will end up with a 301 w/6 strombergs,cause I found a complete running one for a decent price,and it will look right for the 1962-64 era he’s sorta building the car to.
I just wish I hadn’t given that Chevy input spline Toploader 4 Spd to Dale for the Bad Penny now,cause we could really use it for this car....lol

Scott


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Scott, that’s how I see it also. Gets kinda boring seeing the SBCs in everything. Used to be about doing something different. I know old Henry is pissed. That being said I know why they do it, it’s easy and cheap. Being a Ford guy I get pissed when I look for parts in the catalogs and find only two pages of Ford parts or no pages.
I understand marketing, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
I know about Chevies, used to build 350 engines for spare change back in the day, both racing and common car engines. They sold real good.
I makes me feel good when I see a really nice old Ford with some vintage of Ford engine powering it.

Sure enjoyed watching you guys race.

Bones

 

I also think that because not much changed after 58 all the way to 98 the early S.B.C.
A 98 vortec truck engine will bolt right in a 55 Chevy
Late 60s - early 70s we could go to the bone yard and good running 283s were $40.00 and 327s were $60.00

 

Tickety, you are right, that’s the big difference between Ford and Chevy. My dad told me back in his day Fords were like that, boy, did Ford ever change!
But! That’s why I love/hate Ford. Hard to get the right part.... but gives you something to search for and a way of changing something to fit or improve whatever you are working on.
I searched for a special set of exhaust manifolds for years for my ‘65 FE, found them this year.
Don’t get me wrong, I like all AMERICAN made cars. Some just a little more than others.

And.. if its your car... do it your way!

Bones

 

Dang Bones, don't drop that on your foot.

 

I have them put away in bubble wrap, waiting for their turn to get hot again. I assure you I had a death grip on them! Wouldn’t worry about my foot if I dropped it, would worry if I broke the manifold. My foot will heal! Those tore up my pocket book, been licking my wounds for a while.

Bones

 

Clarence Everett, who took his one-year old ‘68 Camaro SS, yanked out the V8, and replaced it with a Flathead Ford. Everett apparently raced in a class that only allowed Flathead engines, as well as inline six-and-eight cylinder engines. It is an odd, odd combination, Flathead Ford and Camaro SS, but Everett reportedly saw a lot of success with this car.

 

Bones that must have been a real runner, what size is the pipe coming out of that manifold?
Looks like 1 1/2 to me.

 

That manifold came on 1965 and up Galaxies with the 427 option, the rarest and most desirable of the 65 options. The current pipe is an 1 1/2 inch, but I don’t think is the original. The flange could easily accept a 1 3/4 inch, maybe more. It does have the original heat riser on it, which is very rare, as most folks took them off and chucked them. I’m going to leave it as is and weld on to the existing pipes. Mainly because there are no leaks there now. With big ports, flat gaskets, flimsy flanges and two bolts, they are prone to leak there. My build will not be for all out performance, just a mild tire burner.
The FE was notorious for poor exhaust manifolds, except the one pictured. Jay Brown tested those manifolds in his book and found they were as good as any after market header. The common stock “log” manifolds were the worst.
Planning on using them on a mild 410 I now have in a pickup when I put it in my Galaxie.

Bones