Son of Godzilla update - 5/15/07

PS - How 'bout some dragstrip numbers on Freckles, too???

 

Allow me to introduce myself. If you have been following this thread you will know me as CC. I’ve been wrenching with Jangleguy on the Morris off and on for a number of years now. I have been honored and thrilled to have been given the opportunity to be a part of a good handful of adventures and screwy antics with this little car. Local cruises here in ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comlace>Portland</ST1lace></st1:City>, racing at Woodburn (my personal drag racing debut) and PIR, and the occasional McDonald’s drive thru just to see how many people can actually squeeze their head through the drive up window at once. It’s on tape kids and is actually rather entertaining footage. However it all pales when compared to this latest trip to Bonneville. I’ll try not to get too lengthy since you’ve all heard the jist of the stories by now. I’ll just try to fill in a few blanks. First and foremost I would like to set the record straight that my two identical “bracket racing” runs were at 126mph, not 125. I know, 1 mph difference, who cares… ME! Ok, moving on. With regards to my top secret 140.05 mph pass and my “smartass” 115mph first run I would like to add this. Wednesday morning, the day of his runs, Jangleguy wakes up sicker than a dog (I blame first the un-refrigerated pizza from the day before that he had ate for dinner on Tuesday night). On top of that, he runs on a slightly damp and less packed course. Not to mention he makes his passes without even a hint of how the car would react on salt. Me on the other hand, I was not sick YET, had a drier and more packed course, a very comfortable cloud cover, and most importantly I had feedback as to how the car was reacting on the salt. So to Jangleguy’s credit, he blazed the way for me to be able to drive the way that I did. So aside from having to deal with Wendover’s finest (I use that term with the sincerest amount of sarcasm) auto shop to acquire a throttle cable, I really had one heck of a memorable time. I love being in places of great importance and that have a great amount of history. There is always a really fascinating reverence in historical places. Bonneville is one of those places for me. I had been there before when passing through on a road trip and could only imagine the history that has taken place on that land. Now I was able to be there during a real event and be a part of it. A very memorable thing indeed. And in the best of company too!!! Really enjoyed being able to hang out with Rocky, hadn’t seen him for quite some time. Enjoyed meeting 2bridges and getting to know yet another of the GBR clan. Tomcat is the biggest hero!!! We would have been dead on the salt without him!!! And thanks to everybody else that pitched in to help with this adventure. And of course a gigantic thanks to Jangleguy for allowing me to ride shotgun on this dream adventure of his. It’s killing me that I probably won’t make it down to the drags this weekend. Hope all goes well!

 

It's about time you showed yourself, Lurker! Hey, did I tell you about the secret initiation ritual? I think you'll like it.............bwahahahahahahaha!!!

 

HAHHAHAHAA - you are out of your mind! As soon as you post up lap times for a road race course (and video proof) I will post up freckles 1/4 mile times

So last night I did a final mega undercar clean on freckles (wheels off on four jack stands)...... Salt in every nook and seam. Feelin for you as you musta had salt everywhere without front inner fenders. You sir have my sympathies!

___________________________________________________
So here is the deal: jangleguy, CC (aka sloppy53), Tomcat46, If you send me a CD with all your full size pics I will bundle them with Rocky's and my pics and will send you a complete pic CD back. CC - er Sleezy53 can you help janglehead with that? Don't recall where you are located.

 

Is there any kind of pretreatment available to help the salt come off.
We used to race on a paved course here in February (heavily salted, not near as bad as Bonneville though) and we would end up with as much as 1/2" in places each day.

 

My son races a sprint car and we spray the entire car with baby oil.Works real well on mud,maybe it would do the same with salt?Couldn't hurt...and smells good too !!!

 

Some salt guys I know use Pam - by the case! Wish I would've done that...

So sorry guys, but there are no ETs to report. This morning I drove the wagon out to the track to meet Dr. Lockjaw, who agreed to come back to town with me to help with the great car shuffle. On our way out of the gate, I asked the ticket gal how much money to race and she says $75!!! I turned it around and drove right back in (I'm even more broke than usual, after the B-ville adventure). I helped Doc with the Tetanus II for a few hours, then came home and swapped the Morris slicks back to street tires, etc. Took it around the block with the good ol' 3.91s back in it - Ahhhh...SO much better!
Took it out to my secret testing area and gave it full throttle: No traction for the first couple hundred feet, then it came on like Jack the Bear, until I had to lift for some traffic. That's when I noticed the windshield was covered in oil and about that time, the smoke show began. I knew what it was, from when this happened during pre-B-ville testing: The dipstick blew out of the tube, allowing oil to spray everywhere. Tiptoed back home, squinting through the smoke - how embarrassing...Anyone have any tips for stopping this phenomenom???
Tonight, I'm the disappointed guy - I was SO stoked to find out how the car goes with the new set-up! Also, I worked at the track for free for a few events last year, so I was hoping they'd at least let me in for free - so when she said $75(last year, this event was $40), I felt pretty bad about it - totally took the wind from my sails. Maybe I'll go back sometime before seasons end and enter a bracket race to do my testing (I used to test on Friday nights (when the local street guys run), but the untreated track won't hold my car now. I dunno. I'm just bummed. Tomorrow, I'm going back with the Morris (in street trim) and sell some T-shirts and hopefully enjoy the show...
Tonight I have a house full of out-of-town racers to entertain. More later,
Scotty

 

Drove Lil Zilla to the track today and just jangled - can't remember the last time I got to actually watch some racing - nice! Headed back home and the rear secondary was flooding - doh! I just toughed it out and limped it home. Not the heroic street stud weekend I was hoping for, but still pretty nice...

This seems like as good a time as any to thank you all for your support and interest during the great Bonneville thrash and run. You guys are all rulers! You kept me up when I was on my way down and you stepped up when I was ready to walk away. If wasn't for you guys, I would've missed all this fun! And I never would've learned what it really means to be a hot rodder - you guys showed me that it means being a part of the hot rod community and not going the Lone Wolf route (unless you live in Malta, of course). I've learned a lot, but mainly I've been humbled another notch - that's always good for me...
Based on my experience here, I'd recommend you take YOUR street car to World of Speed and become part of hot rod history. For reasons I'll never understand, only a few people in the hot rod world have actually run on the salt. It's easy to do now, thanks to the USFRA. Also, I've taken some pretty wild rides in the Morris, but nothing compares to sliding sideways at 134 MPH for an 1/8th of a mile on salt! I even got to wave at the guys waiting in the long course staging lanes as I went by - cool! If you get the chance, do it.

Special thanks:

Janglegal at Kaldunski Design
Dr. Lockjaw at Custom Metal
Twisty at Rons House of Sparks
Charlie at Allin Specialties
Jerry at Peckham Precision Engines
Matt at Matt Rogers Racing Engines
P-Dub at Paul Warner Racing Engines
Dave at High Tech Transmissions
Denny and Tara at D&T Radiator
Iskendarian Racing Cams

Extra Special thanks to:

Nate at Flat Black Industries
Tim at Your Powdercoat Connection
Tomcat46
You guys are hot rod gods!

And a Super Duper Ultra Mega thanks to:
CC at Clark Clark and Clark Racing
AND EVERYONE AT THE JALOPY JOURNAL! VIVA LA HAMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The End

 

Okay, if you reccomend it I might (like I gotta have someone twist my arm). Having been there recently, could you reccomend one hotel (in Wendover) over another? All I really look for in a hotel is a bed that's bug free and plumbing that works (it's nice if the lights and A/C work too).

 

Why yes - yes I can. The last few times I've stayed in Wendover, it's been at the Super8. They're used to racers and parking lot thrashes, yet they keep it quiet and clean. My only negative comment about the place is that they have the alltime worst Continental Breakfast of any place I've ever stayed (there's a crowd of racers waiting to fight over the 4 donuts (no napkins) and 2 bagels they serve each day). I'd recommend getting up extra early and foraging for food around town - we got ours at the grocery store up the road, as we had to get ice anyway...
Reserve your room at least a year in advance! I like the Super8 based on cost (about $50). When I crewed for the Chili Pepper car, we stayed at the Peppermill (nicer) and paid 3 times more - your call...

 

I've been following this tread with great interest.

THIS IS WHAT HOT RODDING IS ALL ABOUT!

Putting the "HOT" into a rod.

Not some rusted out POS of scrapped together bits and pieces that has never seen a racetrack, let along posted some stout numbers.

That Morris is absolutely awesome, what a rollerskate ride on those wide tires that must have been.

 

Are you shittin me - they had a continental breakfast LOL We just got donuts accross the street at the gas station. Had I known I could wrestle for a stale bagel I might have gotton up earlier !

I second the super8. Nothing fancy, but Cheap and reasonably clean. They did not bitch even once about the daily salt trail into the room, and everyday it was cleaned up.

 

Back at ya sir!!!! A huge thanks for allowing me to be a part of Morris history! And of course... your welcome! I'll get my pics gathered up and off to 2boards as soon as I can. (I'll tell ya the whole "sleepy" story some time when I'm more awake. Its fargin' lame anyhow.) Sorry to hear about the drags. I just emailed you asking about all that, should've thought to check hear first. There's always next time!!!

 

Thank you all, I appreciate it. I have more of the Tom Bodett / Motel 6 attitude towards a hotel. I mean the Luxor's nice, but not for the price.

I ask because the World Finals are next week. I am going down to try and screw the Model A (my avatar) back together (damn crappy Cali gas) all big pieces though. My machinist is really leaning on me to get a 'couple thousand miles' on it to make sure it's good and broke in before I park it again. Darn, I gotta drive it . Wendover works out to be just under 700Miles from where I park it. That and the Hambandy cruise (if I make it) should add up to right around 2K miles. At least that would be easier than a banzai run to say Phoenix and back.

But if the hotels are sold out a year in advance,. I don't think pops would like to stay in a tent (I mean come on, just cause he's in his 70's, he's gettin awful accustom to his 'creature comforts' ). But then the Super 8 website acts like there is a room left. Hmm, gotta call them in the morning.

 

Wow Nexxy! If you come down from Alaska and drive your A-bone to the salt, you'll be one of the biggest hot rod heroes of all time!!! Of course, now that you've alluded to doing that in this public forum, you'd BETTER do it, or you don't have a hair on yer ass! We'll all be cheering you on! The World Finals are a smaller event and there very well could be a room available. You better post pix and details of the trip.
I'm sorry I don't know more about your Model A - is it all stock, or is there a twin turbo Pat Musi giant block squeezed in there? Do tell........

And hey Dreamweaver - thanks for the kudos! Always feels nice to read that stuff...
2boards - I would've wrestled you for the only chocolate donut. But you were still snoring and drooling while I was enjoying it...oh well. You lose again!
Snoozy 53 - Looks like "next time" will be in the spring. I can't believe how kicked my ass is after all of this. I just want to sleep. And I want to fix my car RIGHT - no more halfassed thrash fixes for me. See you at Woodburn to start tuning for MoKan.....

 

I had a 331CID stroker small block Ford in it (started out as a 302). I put the Airflow Research 165CC aluminum heads on it (w/ the 58CC chambers). I has an Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap, Aluminum flywheel (12Lb), Hays clutch / PP, Fluid Balancer (not Fluidamper couldn't afford it), 5.4" rods, Wiseco forged pistons, Cometic MLS head gaskets, stainless roller rockers, and a custom ground Comp Cams retrofit roller setup. By all the numbers I had (guesstimates form people and dyno simulations) it should have been about 425-450HP, I don't know, I never got it to a dyno (would have been neat though). We got a bad load of fuel in Arbuckle California. We were able to save the intake, cylinder heads, rockers, push rods, connecting rods (after some work), crankshaft (more work), balancer and flywheel (no hair on my ass? definitely not where my wallet is, OUCH!!!). This go round it is still a 331, has a new custom ground Comp retrofit roller (different grind this time) and I paid the machine shop to screw it together for me (either that or I wouldn't get it in the car but just in time to leave and go home would have liked to put it together as well). Should be 400-425 HP this time (cut the fuse slightly longer this time, I still hope I never find flaky fuel again).

The car is more 'street' than I originally intended. I had a plan (yeah I know 'plan my work and work my plan') but I got it running / driving for a while (again soon, I hope) and I am scrounging parts to get it closer to my original plan (I really want trips, looks like I'm gonna have to get one of those adapters from OZ).

It's got steel smoothies on it with the rim chromed, the center is painted body color with baby moons (W/ the 32 V8 emblem etched on). It also has seat belts. That's about it. I Plan to make it but I have a few commitments first.

If I'm gonna document the trip I'm gonna have to start a new thread (darn)

 

Wow again. I was judging the car based on the avatar photo - you tricked me! Sounds like big fun! I sure hope it all works out and you get to go. If so, by all means, your adventure deserves its own thread - and I'll be following along closely.
Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. And don't forget to pack your Gosson Bros shirts - never know when you might need to sop up some 90 wt. or somethin'.....
Scotty

 

Yeah, I almost turned it into a shop rag by accident (I forgot and wore it to work, DUH). Bleach saved it though.

 

Hey, I've been trying to tell you guys - those shirts were designed to have some oil and grease on 'em (aircraft lubes are even better, Nexxy!). It completes the original design concept. Trust me on this - I have a friend who's a real artist and he agrees with me!

 

Well, my shirt musta worked, I flew to Knoxville (and back) and I'm still here to talk about it!

I'll let ya know Monday if I got the job...

Jay

 

If you wore your Gosson Bros shirt to the interview, that job's in the bag! You can't lose...

Hey! I thought we knocked this thread in the head. I'll catch you guys over on Nexxies thread - time for someone else to be in the limelight...

 

Yeah you're right J.
That damned Morrie of yours has been hoggin it waaaay too long!!!

 

Hmm, I'll have to get on that. I have returned from the land of the World's slowest dial-up, to merely dial-up, oh yeah, The Model A got me here (yay) Via BONNEVILLE (double yay) after it was over (I was told it was called for too much wind, BOOOO, and just to be clear I'm booing the wind, not the call). The wind was pretty serious, I had to keep stopping on the way to Wendover from Salt Lake to shut the driver's door (a gust would keep blowing it open, darn air leaks). It took me that long to take care of prior commitments and then put her back together. I should be able to post more Monday eve / Tuesday morning (takes wayyy too long to load pics from here (Pendleton, OR).

 

sweet !!

 

Scotty,
How has she been since the infamous run???

 

Well, remember me mentioning some trouble with the brakes? No matter how we bled 'em, we just couldn't get hardly any pedal pressure. Well, it must have a bad master cylinder, or wheel cylinder, 'cause I still have no brakes. Regardless, I HAVE taken it out for a few drives (okay, shut up), and get this: every time out, the needle/seat assemblies clog with crud and it floods out, making for a wild drive home with no brakes (in that condition, nothing works except wide open throttle). Remember, it did the same thing, before Bonneville - then ran fine that week - then went back to flooding, as soon as we got home. Looks like the hot rod Gods wanted it to run that week...Right now, I'm dead broke(!), with no money for brake parts, so I'm spending the time making brackets, etc. Still can't figure out what happened with the trans brake wiring, either (gonna just replace it all). I have all the Stewart Warner gauges ready to go in now and I'm making a new dash...Oh and last time I drove it (last week), it didn't flood, so maybe it's finally flushed all the welding scuzz out of the tank...I hope.....
I have made one major change to the car: the headliner of autographed decals is no more. They were all signed by my heroes - most of which are dead or dying. They were all starting to fade pretty bad, after 22 years of fumes and heat (three of 'em are just plain white now), so I pulled 'em out and slapped 'em on the fridge in my kitchen. It was fun, taking all of those guys for rides in my car...I'll have to replace 'em with something fun - don't know what yet - maybe an army of Kewpie dolls hanging down?
Thanks again for all of your help, Nate - you're a true hot rod hero. And everyone else who read this thread - thanks for riding along with us! Until the next adventure, my friends...(click)...rrrrRRRR - BwaaapppaaaAAA!!! Spuckity, spuckity, spuckity...bwaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

An SOG teaser for enjoyment........ think it might have a cam
http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/cc252/2bridgesMedia/?action=view&current=morris.flv

 

No, sounds nearly stock.

 

Hey, thanks Jerm! I can't use the link, but I assume this is some of the video that CC shot on the salt, right? Cam sounds good, then I crack up listening to me trying to feather my way downcourse, without getting into the secondaries - took more discipline than I thought I had (CC did it a lot better).
Man, is this the thread that refused to die, or what?

 

Is actually not even a real good one, but a video clip of you firing the morris and pulling out of the pits.... Is video that Rocky shot.... there is much better, but have not had any time yet to play with it.