Customs I finished my Mysterion clone and have a book contract!

That's the problem; I don't do pain!!!!!!

 

One of the decisions I had to make in the project was what to do with the driver's side inside header. There are no existing photos that clearly show what Ed did. The problem is that header comes out front then curves down and back 180deg and heads to the rear of the car below the engine. Trying to assemble it that way I found my header pipe T-boned the oil pan almost in the middle. It wasn't even close. I discuss in my book the fix I did which is probably controversial to folks who care.

Here is a picture of what I did to the pipe to get it to clear . This photo is in the book.


One picture that the publisher disallowed over my strong protest is shown below. They said it wasn't clear enough and didn't meet their standards. But it is the ONLY picture in existence that shows this key feature!! It is from an issue of Oscar Koveleski's "Auto World" mimeographed customer newsletter from circa 1964. I believe it shows the same redirecting of the pipe so I feel OK with what I did. As this picture shows, those two curved headers come off the engines at different angles.


Here is a picture of the engine from the front top and there is no way you can see the modification on the finished car.

 

Just discovered another flaw in the Revell Mysterion model kit that has gotten past me for about 50 years. They for some reason put the front wheel lug nuts off center with the 'mag' slots in the front wheels. Go figure.

Look at the lug nuts on Ed's car


Now compare that to the lug nuts molded into Revell's front wheels.
Other variations include the frame holes starting much further back on the rails, the model's rear radius bars terminate in mounting points between big frame holes where Ed's original car has them directly straddling the big hole. there are many, many other subtle deviations.

 

This was a fun day; got the chromed carb parts back in the mail. This is a Mysterion carburetor assembly kit!!

 

Just got my second semi-annual report from the publisher. The book has sold almost 200 copies and only 9 have been returned. Need to check the NYT Best Seller list to see where I rank there. Last time I checked my book was in the top 20,000 in sales.

 

congrats

 

I'll add a "congrats"as well !!!!

 

Whoa! just heard on Rush that Algore's new Inconvenient Book is around 27,000th on Amazon best seller list. Mine might be above his. I think that qualifies me for a Nobel award or something doesn't it?

 

At least yours is TRUE.

 

Now, now, be nice. Algore tries real hard, tobacco is on the outs so his family fortune is being challenged, Daddy Gore isn't there to pump up segregation, and Tipper dumped him so things are tough in Tennessee nowadays.

 

Yep.Old "Gourd Head"Gore.What a joke.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

ok.; got my trailer and refurbished it, ready to go to shows! I have been invited to put the car on display and do a book signing this Sunday, Dec 10th @ Aero Autobooks. 12 noon to 4pm.

2900 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 845-0707

If you are cruising the San Fernando Valley next Sunday stop by.

Here is my trailer.

 

Very cool project!

 

Wow. I'm inspired to get out in the garage!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Will be moving to north Dallas (daughter and grandkids live in Lucas we are looking for .75 to 1.5 acres, ~2400sqft house, with shop or room for a shop in the Lucas/Murphy/McKinney/Plano/etc. area) when I retire next fall. Stop by and see the car some time.

 

The car fits in the trailer!! This thing might just work.

 

Thumbs up!!!

 

Why cant I find the book?

ah ha got it now, the word "clone" throws it off.

https://www.amazon.com/Ed-Roths-Mys...UTF8&qid=1512732906&sr=1-2&keywords=MYSTERION

 

Take your fire extinguisher on that drive!!!!!

 

^^^SAD but true

 

well I be
how did I miss this thread, this is the kind of info I have been looking for with a current project we are attempting to build in my shop class at school.
looks like you may just sell that 200th book now.

 

And I realize those straps are too small for the service. I just grabbed what was handy to test fit the car in the trailer. Had to crank the nose of the trailer sky high to flatten out the ramp so the car doesn't high-center on the ramp hinge. Had to strap it down to keep it from rolling out. I will put in the heavy duty ones before travelling.

 

Speaking of trailers, working on this Wells Cargo trailer has been an education for me on trailer technology.

First, is the unique electric braking system that they use. They have normal shoe and drum brakes to a point. They are familiar up to the point of how they actuate. They are constructed similar to rear brakes on a car with a emergency brake lever. However, instead of attaching a pull cable to the arm, they have a palm-sized electromagnet with brake material on its face. That magnet has wires that tie into a circuit that connects to a device in the towing vehicle's brakes. This unit is actuated when the vehicles brakes are applied. It has a setting to adjust the voltage applied to the magnets which correlates to braking power, and a setting to modulate how fast that power is applied. Back inside the trailer brakes the brake drum differs from a passenger car brake drum in that it has a flat machined surface inside the flat disk flange. The electromagnet is attracted to this surface when electrified and friction generated actuates the lever which in turn applies the shoes to stop the trailer.

The second unique feature is the suspension system. It is really desirable to have the trailer floor as low as possible to make loading easier and for more stable towing. Coil or leaf springs over an axle result in a tall floor. Can't be helped. This trailer has the suspension system shown in the sketch below. The 'springs' are actually rubber rods that are compressed as the square axle rod is twisted by the spindle lever.

 

The trailer is looking good!
If you plan on carrying any of the stuff mentioned in past posts in there, please strap it down or have locking doors on those cabinets. You wouldn't want anything bouncing out and onto that gorgeous car!
Best bet is to have those big plastic bins (clear makes it easier to find stuff unless labelled) tucked in so they require moving and lifting to get them out. If you are trying for an authentic look, grab some unmarked cardboard boxes and write S, M, L, XL on them so it looks like the sort of thing Ed would have around.
Don't forget a spare for the trailer and the tools to change it!

As for tilting the trailer to flatten the transition from floor to ramp, you can:

1. Unhook and raise the trailer jack (trailer should be blocked very well to prevent rolling while loading/unloading - practice with something you don't care about to see the changes weight being moved around makes).
2. Park the tow vehicle and trailer, place a couple of those heavy duty drive-on ramps behind the tow vehicle's rear tires and CAREFULLY back up the ramps.
3. Using a floor jack, raise the connected truck/trailer at the trailer jack some - do not exceed the jack rating (lift the back of the truck up off the ground)!
4. Race Ramps has a ramp that lifts the rear of the door/ramp higher, lessening the angle at the floor/ramp transition.

 

Love that car. I'm wanting a copy of said book. Where do I get it?

 

Thanx for the tips. Those boxes are bolted to the shelves. no need for lables, one holds straps and such, the other is a tool box. I won't have anything floating around in there. I bought a new spare. Here is a picture of the one that came with the trailer. Basically an old brand new tire that I set outside while I was painting the inside. This is what the Bakersfield sun did to it just sitting there! Tires get old.
I am able to tilt the trailer by putting out the rear jacks then crank up the front jack. That levels the ramp with the floor and is stable (trailer is basically lifted off the wheels) so the trailer won't squirt into the tailgate of my truck when the car moves. Don't ask me how I learned that lesson!! My little Harbor Freight winch works like a champ. Sucks the car right into the trailer with no sweat.

And if I wanted to emulate Big Daddy I would have a sleeping bag next to the car!

 

Missed seeing you. The event was a lot of fun. It was a blast to see peoples reactions to the car. MAN?Y lay-folks saw it, did a sharp U-turn and got out to investigate. Some even bought books, not knowing anything about Big Daddy, the hot rodding subculture etc. Also got to meet a BUNCH of people who knew Ed, went to school with Ed's kids, worked with Ed, etc. Just missed seeing Jay Leno by a day. They say he has been a customer of the shop for a couple of decades and stops in almost every Saturday. Great trial run for the trailer. Everything worked perfectly and it towed like a dream. My poor F150 hauled it around great EXCEPT for the pull up the Grapevine. Had to shift into second and go at 30mph all the way up. Had a real scare when the governor kicked in and the engine seemed to die half way up the grade. Fords have a 'feature' that turns on a governor that limits radio volume and vehicle speed to 80mph (4000rpm?) with a master key. Mine got turned on when I put on new tires a couple months ago and for some reason don't have a master key. I hate technology. The engine started back up and I made it. Water temperature also was about pegged out when I hit the top of the grade. Should have a 3/4 ton truck to do this but I don't.
That's me signing a book in my Fresno State, 2008 NCAA College World Series champion, garb.

 

No wonder it came out so good....... You are left handed

 

Incurably!!!!

 

Grapevine grade is not a fair comparison. It is a brutally steep, long grade. Even passenger cars are stressed pulling that hill. Truck was very stable and kept speed fine on the rest of the trip.