Projects My 29 Chevy-The Rajo Special

So time has come for me to actually start a build thread on here again. Its been a while since i have and both of those projects have stalled since then. Im a big chevy guy and a little over a year ago this really clean looking 29 chevy coupe popped up on facebook. The guy was asking quite his price for it and honestly at first i couldnt care less. Showed a good friend of mine and he said "man its clean, what if someone buys it and builds a street rod, rat rod, or puts all ford stuff under it". Well that weekend we were on our way with a trailer to see what we could do.

Needless to say I fell in love with the car which was a mistake as i ended up paying a bit more for it then i should have but the body is solid, it was 100% complete, and it had a title. We fought it onto the trailer and then had another fight getting it back off as a spring was broken on the mechanical brakes. It sat around for a month. The plan was to just get it running and stopping and putt around with it for now. But come to find out, since i never bothered to turn the motor over, i ended up finding out the motor was stuck. I got it unstuck but then found 2 bent pushrods, and a few stuck valves along with a few other problems. So it sat again for a while.

I always wanted to build an old chevy using nothing but chevy parts, no ford anything on it. And i wanted it period correct short of the transmission. So i began to gather parts. My close buddy donated his spare 50 chevy truck front axle which had upgraded 53 front truck drums on it(bendix style). This would get me 1 step ahead already. So tear down began

 

So as i was blowing it apart and was fitting my buddys 50 truck axle, another ad popped up. This time from someone upgrading their 50 chevy truck to ifs but the kicker being it had a full dropped axle and i could have the whole front end for 300 bucks. So off i went and picked it up. Ended up getting the whole axle which was converted to 5 lug drums(saving those for another project) all the steering bits and the steering box. Best part was its one of sids axles and all the steering components were modified with new-style tie rod ends. Sadly no pictures of the drop axle just yet. For a rear end, with the car being so narrow and me wanted to keep 6 lug i had some scrounging to do. Found out that the 39 truck housing i had laying around would fit just nicely. So I used it with a 55-59 chevy truck center section to convert it to open drive. I hated the idea of having huck brakes on the back and since i already pillaged a 55 rear end for the center section, i ended up using the backing plates off of it also with some custom made flanges to fit the bendix style drums on the rear end. And it allows me to use a readily available brake drum.

 

So while i was sitting around figuring out what i want to do, my buddy messaged me and told me about an estate auction about 8-9 hours north of us that had something i may want- a rajo 6 cylinder head. Intrigued and excited by this, i followed his links that were to a post on here and also on stovebolt page and indeed there was a rajo head in this auction along with some other inline stuff. I didnt really intend to go to the auction but rather bid online but id never been to an auction and it was on a certain weekend where i didnt want to be in town anyway. So bags got packed and i made the trip 8 hours north to this auction.

Walking around there was quite a bit of stuff i wanted but i was there for one thing the rajo head. So the auction came, time to bid. The head came with a nicson side cover, edmunds dual carb intake with carbs and air cleaners, the head, its secondary intake, a custom valve cover and some odds and ends. I paid my price for the head but it was mine. Then came the time for the block. Everyone at the auction didnt know what they were looking at, so i ended up buying the block and engine stand for 100 bucks together. The block which i assumed to be a 216, turned out to be a factory early 235(think babbitt motor) that had been bored 80 over, crank drilled, rods machined for insert bearings, aluminum timing gear on the came. Overall it looks like a nice shortblock ready to go which by the looks of it was intended for this head. I bought what i could, loaded it all in the back of the truck and the next morning headed back to houston.

While i was already crazy excited about the head and block, i came across another rare speed equipment piece, a small bodied spalding dual point distributor. I hesitated for a bit on it but with the way things were shaping up, i ended up buying it, a tattersfield dual carb intake, and an innerline oil filter. The tattersfield went into the collection of inliner stuff i got but everything else is for the car.

 

Hot rodding at its best, creative solutions and a unique style for a build.
You must live right, three great scores in a row, the car, dropped axle and a RAJO.

 

Now it was time to fit this whole package into the car. I had a 216 parts motor laying around that got donated out of the blue from my machine shop in an effort to "clean up their place". So thats what i was using for mock up. I did some research and a couple people talked about adapters plates and what not but no one had a real straight answer for anything. So i decided the best way ive managed to get stuff done is just to figure it out myself. I ended up using a 39 truck bell housing, the stock 29 bellhousing mounts, i had to extend the front crossmember a bit to had and area to mount my motor too, a bit of trimming of the bellhousing crossmember, and some rework on the firewall and it went right in. Another thing was that using stock available motor mounts was pushing the motor up to high, So i ended up making my own rubber padded mounts. Once everything got put where it needed to be, i ended up starting to tack together the exhaust. I found some nos header flangers from back in the day on ebay and snapped them up. Bought some lake header pipes from hellsgate hotrods and started tacking an exhaust together.

 

Really cool project. I applaud you for tackling something a bit different. Getting through the challenges I'm sure is really rewarding. Keep it up. Only one request....once you get that engine fired up, make a little video of it. I bet it will sound amazing.

 

While i was starting my parts collecting(not that im even finished but right at the start) my buddy and i decided we would go to pate swap meet. Even though it was disappointing i scored these art deco blinkers. I was looking for a cool taillight and didnt want what everyone else had. Sids was there and had these and the more i looked at them the more i liked them. So i ended up getting them. One lense is broken, so the plan is to pull a mold off of the good one, and recast some lens's in red and mount them as you see in the picture. Yes the spare tire holder will come off of it-i just havent been motivated enough to do so yet.

Another thing to tackle was getting a master cylinder mounted somewhere somehow. I used the old 39 truck bell housing to located a pair of 46 chevy truck pedals. They mount straight to the bellhousing without me having to build custom brackets and what not. A speedgems t-5 to early chevy bellhousing adapter was used. Now that i know what space i had, i built my own master cylinder bracket with a little cantilever. Im using an chevelle drum drum dual master cylinder. There may still be a few changes coming to this setup but for now its gotten me to where i need to be.

I wanted to use the factory e brake lever in the car but without using the stock motor tranny the mount goes away. The bellhousing has an empty mount area so i began fabbing up the mount. My buddy picked up some 35 chevy parts which had an e brake bracket in it. I ended up chopping some of it off to use on my custom mount. I got it all tacked up ready to finish it out.

There is more to come but thats about all i want to post tonight. I will update it over the next few days with different progress shots. Most of the heavy parts collecting started in march with the estate auction. I didnt really blow the car apart till middle of may. From what i wanted to do with it to what im doing with it now, the car has taken on its own character. I always wanted a pretty period correct hot rod and this one has without a doubt gone that route. The whole build style i wanted late 40s early 50s, but also have the look of it being a bit upgarded in the late 50s to keep driveable(and like many hot rods which got upgraded o ver time). One major piece im looking for even though right now i doubt i have the funds for is, is i still want to find either a packard or caddy topshift 3 speed to have laying around to put in it at some point and make it really period.

 

Neat Hotrod project and really solid start @sdrodder. Awesome drivetrain components as well you are well versed in these components. Look forward to this Bowtie coming together...thanks for sharing...

 

Even though I'm more of a Ford guy I really like where this is going.
Great fun to see something different once in a while.

 

Subscribed. Cool gathering of parts and execution of a plan.

 

So after getting everything mocked up in the car, I still needed an e-brake of sorts. I found some lokar e brake cables that are a replacement for chevy trucks up to 54 with the dual pulls on the side of the frame. I still had kept all the mechanical brake setup from the 29. So out came this main lever that controlled all the brakes on the car-main and e brakes and it got mocked up. I needed to clear my trans so i ended up welding it to a little stand to keep it the same width wise and to keep it from pivoting and started cutting. Got it all tacked together and mocked up into the car. Still not fully finished but getting there. All i have left is to add 1 tab on each side, build the pull rod for it, drill the ends for a bolt and actually finish weld it.

 

very cool, i did not know rajo made a chevy head. i have one for a T

 

Nice to see something other than a Ford of this vintage getting built (not that I have anything against early Fords). The Rajo name is familiar, but what makes them so special?

 

Kool build .

 

So Rajo was mainly known for his early heads for model t's and i believe a's. From what information ive been able to gather he developed this head for a 216/early babbitt 235 with a secondary intake and a bit more compression. Scarce to say the least. So far my buddy who told me about the auction and myself have only been able to locate 4 other heads- one at the museum of speed, one girl on here that had one in a running car, rajos grandson, and an expired auction from many years ago on ebay. The 5th one we know if is the one i have(possibly the one that was on ebay years ago...). The difference between mine and the other known ones is the secondary intake- the others have a downdraft carb where i have a small zenith side draft. The only documentation my buddy and i have been able to find is an old article in a magazine from 52? i believe that shows pictures of my setup. My head also has no casting numbers and still says patent pending...

 

Hey, SD;
If you get a chance before you assemble the rajo, would you mind taking n posting some detailed pics of the ports, combustion chambers & rockers? Some measurements, too, Please? . The old aftermarket hi-po heads fascinate me, but I don't have any exposure to them, except for forums & old books/magazines.
TIA.
Marcus...

 

I'm the accomplice in this story, the one who keeps finding cool shit and donating the occasional part to the build.

Here's a little literature on the RAJO head.

This is the pamphlet that came with the head:




Here's a March 1952 article from Motor Trend:




And an advertisement from the same issue of Motor Trend:

 

Here are some pictures of the head.

 

The car is nice, but that head is the ultimate! Rarer than rare, and beautiful to boot. The assembled combo will knock socks off.

What are you going to do for the wheels? Many of the 1950 era solid Halibrands you find are six pin pattern. Is that the same bolt pattern as the Chevy? Hint, hint.

 

Hey, ebs;
Thanks for the pics of the lit. Very neat.
Marcus...

 

Cool build!

 

Looks like quite the project. Where do you find information on old Chevy speed equipment?

 

Glad to see another early Chevy build!

 

@alchemy The plan for now is to use a full set of 38 chevy 16 inch steelies with the nicer art deco style chevy cap. But my good friend @ebs121781 knows i have a pair of 6 lug chevy divco wheels laying in my storage building. So there is a small chance that that pair will end up on the back. I also have an option for 35-36 chevy 17 inch wire wheels. But for now it will be the 16s.

@goldmountain believe it or not, most of the info ive found through the hamb over the years.

@TFoch thanks man. I love your roadster in your profile picture! I also got a 35 chevy 3 window standard body that will possibly built after this one! Would love to have a roadster like yours someday too though lol.

 

HO-LE-SHIT!!! I've been a Chevy 6 guy since the nid-70's, first time I've herd about a RAJO head for them! Sounds like they're more rare than the 15-bolt WAYNE 12-port! Looking forward to more updates and pics!

 

You have yourself a great car. I like the stance you've achieved with that front axle. Have you checked in over on the termites and bowties thread yet? Lots of fellow Chevrolet owners over there and information too.

One of my many projects is a 29 Chev truck that is in need of a lot of wood care. I am a little jealous of your intact beginnings.

Great find on the RAJO head. Looking forward to following your progress.

 

@6-bangertim My buddy and i have only been able to find 4 others with one of them being an old link to an ebay auction years and years ago so for all i know that ebay ad may be this one. Its unknown cause there arent any pictures. Surely seems rarer then the 15 bolt wayne.

@Pensive Scribe Thanks man. I need to post it over there also i guess. Or atleast throw the link up. Id love to see your 29 truck. Dont be to jealous, i need to somehow fix a bit of wood above the drivers door and get the door hinges tightened up a bit. My 35 3 window i got though needs all the wood and so does my 34 truck lol.

 

Great project using great parts by a great guy who gets how great it is to preserve our great past.

Did I say ..... great??!!

 

Here is a link to the page it appears on the Termites and Bowties thread, https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/termites-and-bowties-early-chevy-group.323303/page-93 Post #2766+. There is some really good conversations going on over there.

 

Never heard of the Rajo head before. What a unique design. A great find.