Hot Rods Nostalgia D/A in the 1980s

This pic is the final year with the car. Running on a 12.9 dial in on alcohol. And by then my son was part of the crew. Me, Dick, and 'lil John. There is a third iteration of our barn find flathead, believe or not. Again Nickthebandit came through for two old guys who had issues entering and exiting the cockpit of a FED. So when I get a chance the Anglia saga will be next.

 

Great story, 4-5 of us Manchester area rodders visited Reggie in Nottingham. Coin-of-realm lore, was a stack of 6-71 blowers, next to his low key T-bucket build.
Cad-LaSalle may have been in on it too.

 

the FED was sold to the guy who now owns our old Fiat. He ran the rail successfully. When Adams passed, Dick then bought the Fiat and converted it to a radiator car so he can run it all by himself, no crew needed. He took the rail to a swap meet in CT and someone bought it who has no intention of doing anything with it. Sad, it was such a good chassis, very stable at least with a flathead.

Yes you did Nick when I cleaned out the rest of my stash, I also remember you got the MT center section from us too. And you provided the Anglia body which is the next iteration of race cars Dick and I built.

 

Thanks for Sharing those good times @olcurmdgeon...you had a good eye and hand for getting the best out of what you put your mind to...

 

This trip back is great John, I'm really happy that your taking the time to tell your stories.
I really love the Topolino chassis .

 

I've done alot of work for the current owner Dick K of the Fiat as well as your old Dragster. It is awesome that you provided the history of both cars that I have worked on. The Dragster When Dick K owned it had a 346 C.I.D. Flattie 3.500" x 4.500". (Dry Block) Ran a best of 11.2 at 118. Always ran good. But the 3 speed trans would only last a weekend of runs before it would not shift anymore. Dick K kept twisting the splines on the main shaft and the slider would not slide from 2nd to High anymore. After a couple of cut down mainshafts he grew tired of it. I kept pulling apart the trans and used valve lapping compound on the main shaft and slider assembly and lapped the splines back straight while mounting the main shaft in a lathe to hold it. It worked but never lasted long. He then pulled the motor and he sold the dragster. He then bought the Fiat From Doug Adams Wife. We pulled the engine and Dick sold it. We built a new 322 C.I.D. using the old 4.500" stroker crank and installed it in a virgin 53 merc block. Bored the block to 3.375'" after sonic testing it. It now holds coolant. The Fiat now runs low 12's with a power glide. Still has the quick change axle and is Hilborn injected. Very fun car to work on.

 

Thanks Retro 5.0 for supplying more to the story. I will add a sad note. When Dick K. bought the rail from us, sans motor, he also bought the remains of a huge flathead that had that stroker crank in it. I was present for the one and only pass the PO of that motor made. It was built as a dry block, Kong heads, forged pistons and that long arm crank. I helped the guy to get the car to run, then he made a pass and the car inexplicably went slower and slower as it went down the track. Turns out the compound that the block was filled with to stabilize the cylinders had the incorrect coefficient of expansion for automotive service and the cylinder walls swelled and locked everything up. What a sad night that way but there were a good many salvagable parts in the motor.

 

We salvaged everything out of that motor. Dick brought us another block with 8 sleeves sticking out of the deck. It was filled also. We had new pistons made by Ross, Flat top slipper skirt style.
Set the P-W clearance at .007. Ran awesome in the Dragster. We freshened it up a couple of times But the cylinder sleeves would not stay round. Every time I honed it felt like I was honing square holes. Finally pulled it apart and went with the new 53 merc block and a new set of domed pistons. Also added Edelbrock heads. This is the new 322 c.i.d. engine

 

I first saw your Fiat in a show in Boston around 1986. This was the first I had heard of nostalgia drags, I had been away from the drags for several years. This car is what got me interested in going back to the track.

 

My two sons standing in front of one of my favorite dragsters. This picture is from around 1990, they are now forty and thirty five years old.

 

An early flyer for the nostalgia drags.