Helen Wheels Update 2.3.8.9.0

So we dyno'd the motor the other day at Opel Engineering with Matt from Fox Valley Hot Rods at the helm of the 8 Stromberg 48's (yes, I said eight). Here are some photographs from the dyno, and a movie too!!




Matt installing the carbs:





Cool guy from below shot:

 

Here are the movies I shot:

Prep for the dyno:


Dyno pull, 526hp and 538.7 ft.lb. of torque:

 

Damn fine work !

 

So we're into final assembly. Here are some shots of what I accomplished today with the chassis. Smoothed only from the firewall to grill area, the rest is dressed in Emron (sp?) black.



Although the lines look to be braided stainless steel, they are in fact Pro-Lite from Earls. Man is this stuff light. The 20 ft. box I ordered for the oil lines weighs about the same as a 3 ft. box of stainless!







Here's the rear end housing. I haven't had time to wipe it down since it came back from the Paint Spot today, so it looks a little dusty.

 

I guess that this does fit the description of 'Rat Rod' or 'low budget project' but it sure is some fine shit. Ron Covell is not the only magic metal bender.

 

Huh?

 

I think he meant "doesn't".

 

So I can't wait any longer to show you guys the grill. Rocco made it from flat sheet, entirely by hand. It's all at the painter now, and will be in color by Friday. Maybe this will generate some interest. Here you go:

 

wow very cool build and incredible workmanship!

 

Very nice. Fantastic metal work. Post more as you move along.

 

Damn Kevin! That grill shell rocks. Just outstanding!
It could be me, but I expected a little more HP from a blown 392.

 

Me too, but as far as we know, it's stock compression (or lower) and a stock cam. Ted didn't build the motor. The former owner of Helen bought it from some guy in Fla., and that's as much as we all know. Ted didn't want to push the motor without knowing what the bottom end was like. It's still respectable numbers for 93 octane on an unknown motor. Something like 1.38hp/cubic inch. Had Ted built it, you know it would have been upwards of 600 or better.

 

Zimbabwe! Hahahaha!

 

GREAT job you guys! Very cool!....but man are you cutting it close
I imagine you're going to be thrashing through the weekend and won't be at GGIndy. I'm really looking forward to seeing it the following weekend though,

 

Nice work fellas...you should be proud!

And that is a fantastic choice for a powerplant. I'm doing a blown 392 with Strombergs for my next project as well....like you said I'm expecting 600hp from mine. I bet that one could pull 600 pretty easy too if you pushed it a little harder on the dyno, but why take any chances?

 

The chassis will be assembled and wired by tomorrow night, motor and all. The body will be back on Friday, and, well, it's a truck. Not much to assemble. I'll be a mad wiring fool though. There are many hands to make light work though. I'm sure we'll make it. It'll just be close. Isn't that always how it is though.

 

amazing work. that grill shell is perfect....

 

Something about liking a challenge... Hahaha!

I can't wait to see the paint. Though it is a shame to cover up Rocco's metalwork with paint.

 

Such beautiful workmanship coupled with great design, you boys are good.

 

Excellant skills and beauty guys !

 

Thanks Glen.

 

Just great stuff. Gary

 

i now know that I am the premier #1 shittiest metal fab guy ever.

 

Dude, don't say that. Everyone starts somewhere. And whether you're just starting, or have been at it for a while, your "while" and ours is bound to be different if you know what I mean. We do this EVERY day. Not just at night or on the weekend. And everyone that worked on that truck has YEARS of every day under out belts.

Just so everyone knows, Helen will be at World Of Wheels here in Chicago in January.

 

Now that's some amazing work. 526 hp @ 538 ft lbs of torque isn't anything to sneeze at either.

 

Yeah. That was with the stock cam. They put a blower cam in it this fall, and made some other changes. It's already a cruise missile. I'm sure it will REALLY be insanity now.

 

This thing is great. Any finished pictures of it?

 

Whoah!! Thats wild. Very cool.

 

Here she is in moving color with sound!

http://www.hotrodhucksters.com/chad/hotrodchassis/eyes/Helenholeshot.MOV

http://www.hotrodhucksters.com/chad/hotrodchassis/eyes/Helenlowpass.MOV