Hello Malcolm, Looks like a 312 Y block? I am thinking that is the direction I want to go with my build. I have a few options in mind but like the fact that I can build a period correct car and stay away from the small block chevy. Can you tell me what the widths are on your 9 inch housing? Big or small bearing? What brakes, 10 inch ford or something else? Did you center the pinion? I appreciate the advice if you can share. The roller(s) in the photos look great by the way. Take care, Tom
Tom, The chassis with the radiator/grille shell is a 390 FE Ford. The other (my roadster chassis) is a 302 small block Ford. The 9" housings are '57/'58 Ford big bearing from station wagon or Ranchero of those years. Off the top of my head, I don't recall the exact width. Brakes are rebuilt original drum - I think 10". The pinions are centered from the factory, but when viewed from the back the 'pumpkin' or center part of the housing is not centered. Hope those answers help you out some! Good luck with your build.
Thank you very much for your time Malcolm. I have seen builds that have the housing centered but the driveline angle is off a little much for most. It is better to have the pinion centered and the housing offset slightly in my opinion. Most people would not notice that. Is the 390 a good engine to get performance parts for, cam, heads, intake, exhaust, etc? Keep up the great work. I am sure I will ask you some more questions in the future. Tkae care, Tom
More than happy to help. The 390 is a very good engine as far as performance parts go. They are more expensive to build than a small block, but you can make lots of torque and HP with a 390. That engine series (FE) began in 1958 as a 332, then 352, 390, 406, 427, 428, (and 360 - not a performance engine). They were used into the mid '70s in pickups. You can get anything you want for them. Aluminum heads, intakes, cams, etc.
All these satisfied customers makes me wonder if all the people who bring work to Gary get the same kind of attention. I have had some experience with well known engine builders that do more than one kind of job at different speeds, depending on who has the juice in the rodding community. Now I'm working on a frame up job and may need some special attention and questions include: how does it often take to get to a job and how long has the longest waiting job in the shop been there? I fully expect blank stares from the adoring crowd, but another measure of crafts is that small fraction that may not be getting Gary's timely attention. Perhaps the word that I may be looking for is "cherry picking". Any knowledgeable comments on this question? Thanks: Fred A
I have a Blackboard frame under my '30 Model A Coupe and it is a work of art. Gary worked with me over the phone to fine tune what exactly I wanted to build and a few months later it showed up. To answer your question about "cherry picking"...I doubt for a minute that is happening. I don't know anybody in the ridding world, I just researched '32 frames for Model A's and decided to give Gary a call. It took a couple of days for him to call me back, but when he did, we probably spent an hour on the phone discussing my project and general hotrod stuff. You will not be disappointed with one of Gary's frames! Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app