Hot Rods Southeast Gasser 65 Comet Super Stock Wagon

I talked to Quain Stott about that right after it happened and he he told me they always lengthen the pad contact on leaf spring cars to prevent that from happening.
It is my fault that I did not replace the 60 year old spring saddles before I put them in the car. After all the car I got the housing from was setting on the ground in the junk yard. They looked fine ,but were probably weakened from setting in water after heavy rains.
The new ones will be reinforced and lengthened and strapped like glrbird mentioned. I need to add weight to the car anyway.

 

We got there late on Saturday so I didn't get to walk the pits to come see you. Kim saw your car and commented how much she liked the body style, then we passed ya going home on I-20. We'll catch you at Shadyside! Car looks good!

 

I saw you and Kim on I-20 . We didn't take the bypass and went down to I-75 and headed north.
I went to Hudlow's axle and he had everything in stock and even went and found me 2 u joint caps for my 1350 u joint so I didn't have to buy a new one. Good people down there.
I have the old spring saddles cut off and the housing cleaned up. It ripped the head off one the centering bolts for the spring pack. Sheared it right off and it was a grade 8 bolt. I am making new spring plates as they were twisted and bent. Making them from 1/4 inch steel not the 1/8 inch stamped steel that came stock on the cars. Then I am going to run straps over the housing to the spring saddles.
My pinion snubber bracket that bolts to the chunk got all jacked out of shape so I need to make a new one. Good thing I have a steel place 10 minutes from the house . They sell new and used steel. They have a whole yard full of cut off pieces from the local factories. I can buy 1/4 inch thick flat plate for 30 cents a pound. So my total cost to repair the car will be about 60 bucks and my labor. The spring saddles were 40 bucks . they are rock crawler parts and super heavy duty and a lot longer than the stock saddles. Sorry about the bad picture ,but my camera is screwing up and I can't find the manual to make the adjustments to it.

 

Psychedelic man. ️.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Yeah, it makes it look like I am using a black light for a flash. I got the saddles welded in place.
I am making the new spring plates the old ones were bent and so
I am making ones that won't bend and will have tie down slots in them so I don't have to have axle straps.

 

So your not going to put the straps over the axle tube to the spring pads? I always liked the idea of having the pad welded to the axle tube and also welded to the top of the axle tube and reinforced strap Welded to the pad. But I’m old and you might have a better idea. Always hated new car blues.

 

I am going to strap the axle tubes to the saddles and extend the back of the the saddles to help support the saddles. I don't want a repeat of what happened last weekend.
My new spring plates will also prevent the u bolts from loosening by bending them up. I think that was the source of the problem. A lot of force when you drop the hammer and the track dead hooks .

 

Hope everything else works as planed. Looking forward to your next trip.

 

I was so bummed to see you break Mike, glad it's a cheap/easy fix. Hope to see you make some good runs at Shadyside.

 

Not so Psychedelic

 

A little update on mine- I traded into a new 50 F1 style drop axle with disc brakes and two sets of springs, and just last night, bought a factory welded Alston rear subframe complete with 4-link, coilovers, Panhard rod and all the heims- getting interesting. I already have a pair of 48" rearends, one a Mark Williams 40-spline with a spool and 4-link, and a Strange 35 spline with a Detroit Locker and ladder bars- think the 35 spline might go in the 56 Bird.
I have a set of pistons that might be interesting (and cheap) for your future FE setup- a circa 68 NASCAR destroker deal. 427 with a 361 truck crank, makes a 396 ci screamer. Pistons are NIB Arias, with MAX domes (trim to fit the chambers). I have $400 in them

 

?????????????^^^^^^^^^^????????? David Pearson/silver fox?

 

Mean Gene 427 . I might be interested in your pistons. I am still toying with the idea of building my other Comet with an FE. Or maybe the wagon as a Fast Eddie clone.

 

Zac Hall posted pictures from the last race an there is some of your wagon on track. Facebook is where they are at.

 

I saw them. They are just before I launched.

 

Finished up my spring plates and got them installed yesterday.
working on a new pinion snubber today. The old one bent when the rear end rolled.
Using some more 1/4 inch plate and plating it on both sides to make sure it won't bend.
After that I will try and test before we go to Shadyside on the 7 th.
Still need to change the the original oil and cut the filter apart. This motor hasn't run more than about 15 minutes since I built it.
I need to get some 3 inch exhaust tubing to make some collector extension's before the next race.

 

I have a feeling that you trying to use a pinion snubber with those leaf springs isn't going to work very well. If you know how Mopars are set up, they have a very short front spring segment and several (6 or 7) leaves to help with spring wrap. I have never seen any other setup that worked that well. You are probably going to have to go to ladder bars or something similar to keep the pinion from trying to rotate too far and binding the u-joints at launch.

 

When you build your new pinion snubber can you post a pic when you get it done I’m interested in your design most people who use a 9” never use a pinion snubber I know the one on my mopar works very well especially since I put new super stock springs in it


Chrome don’t get ya home

 

I've got a mopar with a 9" and don't know exactly what to do with it. Right now it's got traction bars, but I hate those things since I had a set catch a piece of sheet steel covering a hole in the road. That was an experience.

 

I am having trouble posting pictures right now. My disc camera is screwing up and I am not able to download pictures from my phone.
Rainy day today will try and figure it out. Then will post pictures.
My pinion snubber bolts to the top 3 bolts on my pinion support . I have plated the floor to help stop the floor from bending when the snubber makes contact with the polyurethane traction bar rubber replacement that I am using. I have it adjusted to less than an inch of clearance when loaded with the cars weight.
I used 1/4 inch plate to make the snubber and braced it with triangles so it shouldn't bend like the last time.
I tried to install the drive shaft yesterday and it would only go part way into the transmission. I pulled it out and looked and about half way down the splines you could see a twist in the splines. This is a Strange Engineering input yoke. I looked through my paperwork and found the invoice where I had bought it from Summit back in Feb. of this year. So I called them and told them what happened and they told me no problem it's still under warranty. So they are shipping me out a new one . Should be here by Thursday. Blew me away that they would cover it after I told them that I was racing and it failed.
I checked the output shaft on the transmission and it is not twisted.
The House of Hook lived up to it's name.

 

Wow you really did hook up to do all that... Say I'm wondering, why do you think the yoke twisted? Is your driveshaft too short and doesn't engage enough splines? At least you will be able to see where the twist is to tell. Good luck, I'm rooting for ya!!

 

No. the driveshaft is not too short. I measured it just like the driveshaft shop told me to. Set the car at ride height slide the yoke all the way in until it bottoms out and pull it out 1 inch and measure from the center of the u joint to the center of the saddle on the rear end yoke.
It's actually twisted about 2 1/2 inches down inside the yoke. I think when the rear end housing twisted and just as the u joint caps broke it put the yoke in a bind. Something had to give.

 

I tried to download the HAMB app on my phone and I did manage to do that . However when I sent some pictures I didn't put the complete thread title and so it started a new thread.
It's titled 65 Comet super stock. I posted some pictures of my pinion snubber and until I can change that. You may have to see my pinion snubber on that thread.
I have to run half way across east Tn. 4 times tomorrow so it will be a busy day.

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/65-comet-super-stock.1209872/

 

Here are your pictures Mike

 

If that thing bends you will have more problems than you could figure out lol. That should work good


Chrome don’t get ya home

 

If this thing bends now I need to build a motor for the Engine Masters challenge deal. This motor sounds good but I doubt if it is over 500 hp.
Next step is a set of Crites lift bars if this doesn't plant the tires.

 

You'll make it work Mike .... stick to your guns

 

So I seen a picture of your car with the front wheels up on a launch and it looks like the left rear tire is barely touching the ground it looked real good but we all wanna know details of how well it runs


Chrome don’t get ya home