My good friend Bob built this Crosley special from the ground up. His inspiration is the early single seat Maserati racers from back in the day. The engine is a straight 8 Crosley. Bob took two 4 cylinder engines and mated them together. The rear end is a VW transaxle and it has independent front suspension. He is no doubt a mechanical wizard. Bob asked me to build an all aluminum body for it since he isn’t into metal shaping. I gladly agreed. So for about a week now I’ve been working on the wireform which defines the body shape. I pretty much have the tail section done and am now working on the belly pan wires. I’ll be chronicling the build here and on Instagram. Thanks for following along. Chris Instagram: @39_deluxe
That is fantastic. The body build will be very interesting, and I hope Bob will offer some detail on that engine build also.
Thanks guys. I’ll get more details on how he mated the engines. Possibly even some pictures if he took any. Instagram: @39_deluxe
Looking good!! More on , well, More on EVERYTHING !! Pics, words, c’mon .... this is like one of those click bait web sites !
You shouldn't have told anyone about the engine, could have played stump the HAMB! This is going to be Grand (Prix)! Subscribed.
I always wondered when mating up two engines this way do you gain anything over the original 4 cylinder? Aren't you constrained by the power and torque limits that are normal to the 4 cylinder engine (hopping up aside) or do you end up with twice the horsepower and torque? Not being a smart ass just wondered.
Pretty cool,I guess he has not got around too building rear shocks? I love Crosley's anyway,so had too look ! Love the custom brakes too! By the way,his custom upper water hose/line/tube has a hump around the mag,that's not smart,as it should of been off the block up a little an then run straight{picking up next out let as it goes foreword=no hump for air/steam pocket=better cooling. This photo I added is of one Dad an I built, Crosley powered SCCA H-Mod back in the mid 1950s.
I will get more details from Bob the next time I talk to him. For now here are some more close up pictures. I’m pretty sure he had the wheels made in England. For the brake drums, he made wooden patterns and had them cast at a local foundry then machined them afterword. The gas tank is handmade from aluminum. Thanks for all the positive responses. I’m glad people are enjoying it. It’s too damn cool not to share. -Chris Instagram: @39_deluxe
That thing is fantastic- please keep us up to date with your biddy's progress! Hmmm, I 've got a pair of 59ci Homlite engines kicking around- hmmmm
I’ve never even thought about that. But good question. Off the top of my head I think you would be limited to the 4 cylinders original power. He basically built this to see if it could be done, and he did it. Instagram: @39_deluxe
Since Crosleys are SOHC, how is he driving that magneto? The old memory glands kicked in and I thought I would include this other Crosley 8.
Extremely cool car, looking forward to watching your tin work come together...on the engine, I believe you have twice the power with two four cylinder engines....it has become a straight 8 ...
x2!!! When I die and they ask me... "Well, how was it?" I'm gonna be like... "I was on the Hamb. I've seen things, man."
Mac, if you can't think of anything to do with those 2 Homelites, I've often thought about a Bantam based Crosley 8 powered mini Duesenberg SSJ.
For an answer to a question about the mag drive: based on where he's located the mag, I'd suggest he's using the location on the second crankcase where the original distributor was installed(makes perfect sense to use an existing mount/location, & probably using the original gears to drive it as well). This "build" is so far beyond just "bitchin" that it would be like calling the NOVI "just another V-8"!! Besides: anybody who does "Crazy" things like this with/to Crosleys is ALL RIGHT!!! Now I'm waiting for Ned Ludd to jump in here!!!(PLEASE??)
King ford thanks. I hear what your saying about twice the power, but unless they are driving the two motors from a common crankshaft the front motor is limited as to what it can pass (add on) into the drive train by the 4 cylinder behind it. Logic says to me it can only be as powerful as the 4 cylinder hooked to the transmission. On the other hand with a common crankshaft it would for all intents and purposes be a straight 8 delivering all its power straight to the transmission. I have no experience or knowledge in this area so I figured I would ask.
The Jalopy Journal
