Projects Gasser guys. I have some questions. Help.

Ok, follow along.

One of my club buddy's bought a cherry 62 Mercury Comet S-22.

Within hours of it being in his garage, it was torn down.

They have every intention of putting a straight axle under it.

They also bought a crazy, built Ford 300 six with a toploader 4spd.
This motor and tranny were in a 56 Fairlane gasser that ran 12.40 all day.

So its going in the comet.

Question is. Any recommended rearend? Mustand 9" or newer Mustand GT rear?

And they want to run Pie cut ww cheater slicks. Anyone running these at the track? Will they hook?
Funny as it sounds, that 300 is crazy strong. So will the pie cut slicks hold up? What brand is the best for real use?

This isnt really going to be a street car at all.
But it also isnt going to be a weekly campained racecar.

Thanks

 

Earlly Bronco 9 inch, Cant go wrong. I have run one for 10 years with no problems, It evan was a nodular center section in it. I think mine was out of a 66 Bronco.

Jon

 

if originality doesn't matter, cuz it's gonna be a track toy, then you really should get with a mustang guy, hit up Corral, Corale, Corralle or however the mustang website is spelled. get yourself an 8.8 rear. the navigators were the best but they are pretty damned stout. It about as cheap as you'll get for a rear that will hold up to abuse. mustang guys run 8 second 1/4miles on them.

 

The Hurst pie cut ties should work , They are HAMBers Adams Hot Rod Rubber ,they should be easy to find on here .

 

Yeah - a 300 six aint exactly traditional so you don't have to limit yourself too much. I would use a 8.8 mustang with the best gears available because they can tolerate high HP w/o as much HP lost turning a 9.

 

The 8.8 will require C-clip eliminators.
It's basically a Chevy 12-bolt in design... ever the bearings are the same. The ring gear bolts are different: one has fewer but thicker bolts, the other has a couple more, but they're all smaller in diameter. I forget which way it goes. But the 8.8 IS a good rear end. Everything is available brand new for them, disc kits are readily available, yokes, high-perf axles, etc. etc.

-Brad

 

I would use a Ford 9 inch, easy to change the gear ratio's, just change out the pumpkin. By the time you put C clip eliminators and other parts in a 8.8 the cost is usually pretty close to a 9 inch.

 

How much does the six shooter have? I kept breaking 8.8 inch diffs with 490hp.

 

Love the 6 cylinder! Sounds like a cool project. MAS sells repackaged speedway parts, you can probably get the straight axle thru speedway a little cheaper. I was suprised when my MAS order showed up and it was all in Speedway boxes! What kind of steering and brakes are you going to run? Radir tires get my vote. There is a current thread about the tires. My friend in high school had a Comet. We called it the Vomit.LOL

 

Use the 9"...The Mustang guys are doing amazing things with the 8.8, but its still going to be easier with the 9. Less $$$ for equal strength...IMO.
Easier to set up, and switch gears, too...
If its just a race car, use a real slick...the pie crust slicks, while some say hook o.k., I doubt anyone will argue they work anywhere near as well as a modern slick...and being as the car itself is a '62, it would have most likely appeared at the track post-pie-crust, and at the dawn of softer tires...AND being built first and foremost for racing, get it to hook...

 

I have had alot of OT mustangs and the 8.8 is strong but if you are looking for strong and cheap the 9" is the way to go. The 8.8 will need work to stay together with the TQ of the inline and the stick trans.

 

Inline 6's are cool - sounds like a neat project.

I'd stick with a 9" Ford rear. They're easy to get, have good performance stuff everywhere, and they live behind anything you're gonna put in there.

I agree with DirtyThirty, just get regular slicks. For the money and frustration it seems like the better way to go.

Perry

 

Pie crusts were around until the late sixties. M/T makes Radirs pie crusts, they aren't recaps, and so likely fine for racing, particuarly with a six. The Hurst's are recaps, but I know they have some cars running with them in the 10's.

 

The 9" is more traditional to the Gasser era if that is what you are going for. If not, both can be plenty strong done up right.
That 300 is gonna be a tight fit in the Comet. It is quite a bit bigger than the little 170 or 200 that came in those cars, especially taller!
If it ran 12.40 in a 56 Fairlane, it should be easy 11's in the Comet!
I would stay away from re-cap slicks at those speeds with that much torque. Just my opinion.

 

Get ahold of 9 inch harry....he will get you set in the right direction...Littleman used to run 12's with his Radirs....I would still run MTs though....Is that the six that came out of the green ford that John was running at Nostalgia wars? If so, the comet is gonna be fun!

 

Yep, its the same six and 4spd that were in Johns car years and years ago, only freshened up.
And it pushed that fairlane to 12.4 regularly.

I'll pass all this info on to Jeff. Thanks

 

That is going to be a neat set up in that, hope to see some pictures as it comes together. I seen a 240 6 in a 64 Comet at Milan about 10 years ago and it ran 12.50's, it fit okay but I think they had the firewall set back.

Jon

 

Search Hurst and radir cheater slicks. There was a recent thread on them

 

FYI MAS builds their own straight axles in house, and guess who buys their axles from MAS? The axles are not repackaged Speedway units, but rather PRE-packaged...you're getting them before Speedy Bill gets his cut of the pie...

 

That 300 is gonna be a tight fit in the Comet.

You're going to want to move the engine back as far as you can for traction and radiator clearance.
The firewall can be "dented" (saw out a chunk, and weld in a basin or other pre-formed big concave shape), but it may eat the heater core, etc.
The tunnel may also have to be opened a bit to allow the bellhousing to go back.

Sounds like fun!

 

Thanks for the good info. MAS sold me the whole setup, steering arms, spindles & brake brackets were still in Speedway boxes. Some of the other stuff was in Roadster Shop boxes with Speedway destination stickers on them.Not a complaint, Just something I couldn't help noticing.

 

I have an 8in in mine with a six and it holds up fine, the big problem is there is im having a hard time finding gear ratios. I have M & H cheaters, but would love to have some radirs. Good Luck....