Projects Austin Somerset Gasser Build (DragNasty)

I really enjoyed following the build and enjoyed watching it go down the track. I have one suggestion ( likely someone has made it already) I noticed you made your runs with the chute safety pin in place. I am a drag racer in S/G and have had to use the chute to straighten the car after a blown motor or stuff on the track. Also it is better to test the chute at a local test and tune track at various speeds before you need it at full speed until you get used to it. Keep up the good work, you folks built a heck of a race car...

 

Naw corn flake, you got it all wrong! The spring does mount to a shackle ( it acts like a housing floater), but the spring mounts under the axle housing! Your front spring mount is too high, It needs to be at or lower than axle center line too. Here is a pic of Big John Mazmanian's Willys. This is how I'm gonna redo the back of the '56. No wonder that Austin looks like Flipper the Dolphin leaving the line.

 

Pannenton is right if you need a lesson in quarter leafs come down and look at the Willys and you need a panhard or watts link in it as well don't depend on the springs trust me especially if you plan on any street driving at all


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Ya, you need the locator, no matter which kind you choose, or your new HAMB name will be "Austin Bender"!

 

Maz's pinion angle wasn't quite right though,

 

I am back in the shop right now trying to figure out how to make that work under here....thanks.

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Send me some pics and I can help


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Lots of work to do today to start converting the Austin's rear suspension to a proven design from the past. I spent a few late hours last night making plans and so it's off to the shop this morning to make it happen. Thanks Ric!

REFERENCE PHOTO

THE PLAN

If it works we will dub it the Panneton - Plant it a ton!

 

To the best of my knowledge, Mazmanians semi eliptic set up was designed by Don & Bob Spar who owned B&M Transmission.

 

If your out of room in front of the rear end, mount the springs behind the rear end, like this car has.., it runs low/mid 9's with a tunnel rammed 377 & 4 speed!

 

That beast damn near ran an 8 at Meltdown... shocked everyone

 

It is a bad ass mofo fosho!

 

Do you have room to go under the frame like I did on my 38 Plymouth gasser (top) and the picture of the one I stole the idea from (bottom) that was pictured in an old hot rod article? I ended up grabbing the other halves of the springs out of the scrap iron bin and intigrating them into the pack to stiffen up the springs.

 

Worse back there....shocks, wheelie bars and parachute etc. I think we are good though. I built the front mounting plates today. Chasing Springs tomorrow.



It looks like Maz's Willy's was sprung pretty heavy. I am not sure what weight I should shoot for out of the box (I know we will have to play with them a bit after we get them on). I have a friend that builds Springs so headed his way in the morning.

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Yes on the "under frame question." We will be right under the corner on the chassis...very strong area.

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After talking to my friend at the spring shop, his prognosis on price is not very good. I did some research last night to see what was out there as far as pre-fab quarter elliptic and found a cool set from Posie. After talking to my spring guy this morning he was going to be about twice the price of the Posie kit to build a custom set. So I decided to order the Posie Super Glides and see how it goes. Besides, I really like their mounting bracket which will work perfect with the frame plates I fabricated this weekend and they are nearly the exact length I need.

 

The gone postal Willys coupe that was at hamb drags has these springs on it and they work goo


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I also found some really cool shackle mounts when I ordered the spring kits. They are an axle weld on for transverse spring but they are crazy heavy duty and have the shackle perch lined up exactly were I need them. I am going to cut off the rounded axle area and install them on the unused vertical mount system that is already on the axel housing. When we are finished they will stick out perpendicular from behind the ladder bars.


I also snagged a cool bent but solid Panhard bar to get up an over the drive shaft and ladder bars plus a 9" Ford mount. I am pretty excited. Everything will be here tomorrow so watch for updates soon on the install.

 

I'll never have another chance to outrun you when you get this fixed guess I had my one and only chance Nothing like kickin a guy when he is down lmao


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If you do a bunch of welding on the rear end housing have it checked for straight.

 

You enjoy it You know it
Dang Jackson thats the only way I can win.

 

Well we got the goods yesterday and started mocking it up under the car last night.


The new brackets are really cool. They come with an adjustment screw but we do not have the room for it under the Austin so we stared by grinding the bung off and making the bracket perfectly flat. Then we put our home made plates in place and took measurements. After feeling comfortable with the placements we marked them and welded the new brackets to the plates.


With everything clamped in place to check clearances you can see where the new springs are going to live.


They are going to fit like a glove!


The only thing left to do before we lock them down is a bit of strengthening/fab work to the shackle mounting bracket. We are going to ad something similar to the red piece above. When we are finished we will be able to bolt this bracket to the rear end and not have to risk warping the housing trying to weld something else to it. This will also put some adjustment opportunity back in this system.

 

Just buy looking at the pictures it looks like your welds are a little cold.
Are you using a 110 volt welder? If so take a torch and do some pre' heat before you weld.

 

You are amazing James...yes the I am using Dad's Lincoln 125 this week as the gas feed line on my big welder some how sprung a leak. I am going to blast back though those welds again before we do any finish work. You know I almost didn't post those photos for that very reason, but I figure who will even notice! LOL

 

You can't weld over over another weld. It won't penetrate the parent material. Not trying to cause you more work but would rather you be safe.

 

No when I said blast through didn't mean over weld. Dad is grinding that one side back down today. We didn't weld any further last night.

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OK right on man. Looks like you are getting it figured out.

 

I would get on the horn with Posie's. They have been doin it for many years. They know there shit.

 

Surprised to see if for sale.....looks like you were having a ton of fun with it. What's next?

 

Oh you know, they are all for sale! It has been a blast and is an absolute killer car. I don't foresee it shooting out of here in the next day or two or anything. In fact if I was a betting man (and I am) I would say it will wind up back in the "Motherland" if you know what I mean. But we are still tuning the rear suspension and have several vintage meets and shows to hit yet this year. And if it doesn't go...we will run the hell out of it next year here and there.

I do have a ton of stuff in the wings. I have Dad's wrecked '27 RPU that I want to re-build as a drag style rod (watch out SamIam). I have a '48 Thames van that needs to be a gasser and a cool project 57 Triumph TR3 Small Mouth that is headed for a Vintage NHRA Sports Car Class theme...you know how I like one off cars! http://www. foresee.com/forum/threads/nhra-sports-car-class.979901/

...but to be honest, if I run across a '61 or '62 Vette in the right condition, it will be the next victim!