the recent thread on motivation made me think about what makes a certain project take so long Friday I received a missing piece to a project, a very long term project, one I started several years ago and changed direction on more than a few times very long and involved story not bad, just long. the most recent chapter begins like this, a package from Tony, aka GOATROPER02 our resident early Olds performance parts purveyor, came on Friday, a nice clean and machined '57 Olds 371 block one to replace the cracked blocks that have plagued me now as I seem to be making good progress on the '27 Roadster, I am sorely tempted to switch gears and pay more attention to the A. both of these projects, the T and the A have a great appeal to me but one takes time from the other I did make a tough decision recently and let another project go a nice A body on a good original '32 frame. thank you, justin b but I am not ready to choose between these two I will just have to realize it will take twice as long now to see these two finished. here's the new block in front of the two cracked blocks and for a reminder, a couple older pictures of the (mockup) engine and the car it's going in you see my dilema?
Great looking project, love the channel with no chop.... Blown Olds, perfect.... Nice looking body.... I assume GOATROPER2 did some work on the heads ?
Yummmmm! Unchopped but channeled! love that combo. Also damn comfy too! Engine porn is only second to the other type as far as I'm concerned!
next time I will, many lessons learned on this build, biggest one is to find the shop with the most experience in what you are working with to do the job. the shop I had do the heads did OK, but they were not set up for the idiosyncrasies of the Olds heads the shop I initially took the block to couldn't have done a less professional job if they tried. great shop for parts, avoid for any machine work. I have no doubt that Ross Racing Engines is ready for my next Olds motor
Paul, Love the way your "A" sits. I also have a '31 "A" Coupe. Mine is on a Bleed frame with the swoop in the front. Love the adjustable rear crossmember. Mine will be powered by a complete Interceptor Marine Y-Block with the two side draft Carter carbs.
damn.. has it really been five and a half years? here's how I found it, in Jan. '05 got a tip from Paul Windshield that there was an A on craigslist in Everett for $3,500 was knocking on the widow's door the next day and drug it home soon after. I kept the body and radiator and sold all the rest, chassis went under the Amocat roadster, the black '29 that Josh Higgins built. I patched the rust holes, tacked together a frame, mocked up a blown sbc, Muncie 4 speed and Ford 9" tried several different wheel tire combos, it would sit for months or years without attention while I built a chassis for CGkidd, did several induction swaps on the 454 in the old Ply Coupe, then sold it, put together a Stude powered '27 RPU gathered parts to build and did extensive mock ups for a Topolino Drag car, sold it.. swapped the Stude motor, transmission and banjo rear out of the RPU for a blown Olds, '50 Olds stick and 9", bought, hopped up and sold a nice solid '52 Chevy 2 dr Sedan, drug home a '55 Roadmaster, recently sold the car, gotta pull the rebuilt nailhead, that stays, pieced together and sold a roller '30 Roadster on Deuce rails... swapped the sbc for the 371 in the A Coupe and swapped the 9" for an Olds posi and making good progress on the '27 Roadster seems there's more.. but you get the idea.. been busy but this car deserves a bit more attention
Damn that coupe looks like it's almost ready to take on Jeff for the Yayhoo cup!!!! Mighty mean looking!!!
Paul, that is a great looking coupe..... I have been following your T build and you do great work... which ever car you finish will look great.
Great stance, great work. I agree with T-man about the motor porn. Sorry I missed you at the HotaRama.
Awsome lookin' coop! ditto on the stock top with a channel! Looks Great. Could you have reversed the fire wall to get a little more out of it?
got the bottom end together yesterday, and the top end on and valves adjusted today. '57 Olds 371 engine, mild solid lifter blower cam, 8.5:1 forged pistons, fully ballanced rotating assembly should be a good streetable motor..
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