Lookey what I got for a project!! (Hyfire Poly!)

...and another weekend ruined...I spent 24 hours at Rammstein AFB (torture was, we weren't allowed to drink!!!), and now I'm trapped on the ground in Bangor, ME... while Hurricane Irene pummels NC (our destination). Sigh. Maybe I'll get a few hours over Labor Day to work on the old girl. It seems like it has been ages.

 

Hopefully it won't be flooded when you get home.

 

hey pete, hows the east coast?

 

We're drowning out here! It has been POURING rain for the past week, all the creeks are out of their banks, and they just cancelled Fairfax County Schools tomorrow d/t all the flooding. First an earthquake, then a hurricane, now flooding...what next...Godzilla?? On the plus side, I have the weekend free to turn wrenches and putter around the garage. Yeah!

 

Wolfhound;
Hope you and your family are ok, been a long time no here.
Bob

 

I have been remiss, but life took over on me, and poor Blue and the Hyfire have had to sit in the garage for a bit. The week I hauled her back from WA, my boss got told "you're retiring." As a general's aide, this means my life goes into a hellish overdrive - and I'm the lone guy... no support staff... just him, me, and the (worthless) secretary. I was supposed to only be there for a year...had orders to move in August, but those got frozen and I wound up doing 15 months - the last 4 were a meat grinder. All by my lonesome, I planned a full on retirement ceremony for 280+ guests, including 6 4-star generals/admirals, 13 3-stars, and more other muckety mucks than you can count. To give you an idea of the type of high rollers's - GEN (Ret) and now D/CIA David Petraeus was on the front row (his security detail alone made my life a nightmare), and ADM McRaven (former JSOC, now SOCOM Cdr) was the officiating officer. I have not had a moment to think, much less turn wrenches for the past 8+ weeks. The retirement ceremony was last Friday, and I spent last week outprocessing my old job and signing in to my new one. Whew! I'm going to take some leave for Thanksgiving, and get some serious work going. The new 6-12V conversion wiring harness is ordered from Ron Francis, and the BEvERage fetcher and I'll make installing that our big Thx-vacation project. I'm also going to have to pull the engine and trans and see if I have the room to ground mount them in the tiny garage I now have. I was so spoiled in Tacoma, with that gorgeous 2+ car garage/workshop. NoVa just doesn't have garages like that on rentals. Sigh. If not, I'll have to figure out something. Anyway - I'm back up for air, and will continue the build thread now that my life has returned to (somewhat) normal.

 

Glad to see you are gonna get some time to work on her!

 

Looks like I have my Winter project cut out for me - RF delivered < 48hrs after I ordered. I hear this kit is idiot proof - we shall see.

 

Looks like a pretty thorough kit. Did it include that tool for putting the smoke back in the wire if it gets out?

 

Things can only be made "idiot-resistant"... Best of luck, they really aren't that bad.

 

R.F. is one of the best kits on the market.
Just lay it out on the floor and follow the road map.
It's a piece of cake.
Good luck.
Bob

 

Thanks for the tip Bob - a piece of cake, eh? The kit is pretty solid and looks VERY idiot resistant, but you never know.... I don't like electrical wiring at all (bad experience with 3-phase when I was a young carpenter - electricians left it uncapped in the place we were remodeling, and I got lit up like a christmas tree in Rockefeller plaza), even 12V automotive. I'll fix anything around the house - plumbing, tile, drywall, trim carpentry - but am the first guy to call an electrician to do anything more than install a lightbulb! Fortunately, the guys at RF have been princes so far - they walked me (electrical noob) through everything I would need, and got the order here in record time. Now I just need to get out there and git 'r done!

 

One thing to remember, if you don't use a power wire coming from the fuse panel like the choke wire. Mark it well on the wire and in your book. Then tie it up so you can use it for something else at a later time.
You just never know what ya my add down the road.
Bob

 

I think i read about this in tech area or do a search of this forem.

 

Great find. And I love those valve covers!!
Good for you.
Cheers................

 

Two things. Thank you for your service. And geter dun.

 

does dave have a machine shop or just a parts source? im trying to find a machinist that has pride in his work and likes mopar. mine in town is a mopar guy but wants double anybody else and does average at best work. sorry you didnt get to do the cross country road trip you planned!

 

Well... starting to gain some momentum again...finally. After months of endless work (14-16 hour days and some gnarly trips overseas), I have realized that, at this pace, I will never get Blue and the Hyfire finished myself... especially not in that dinky converted carport. Soooo... Today, I loaded her up and dragged her down to Fredericksburg to let ClutchDumpinDan work his mojo on the engine and trans. I gotta get her back on the road, and have resigned myself to this course of action. Dan's HAMB approved, and a helluva nice guy... So hopefully things will turn out right. Here we go...

 

Pic of Blue in my rearview mirror... enroute to Dan's.

 

Hey Pete, good to hear that you are, at least, making some forward movement.

Keep us posted.

Gary

 

im very jealious, i`d love to have that engine in mine.

 

you can make the poly into a hemi but you MUST use hemi pistons so the valves won't hit the poly pistons.

 

Hi Pete.Great thread and build.Have to say thanks for your service.
May God bless you and yours,and keep you and yours safe and healthy.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Sounds like a good idea. From what I've seen on the HAMB regarding ClutchDumpinDan your car is in good hands. Hope to see your "on the road" videos soon. Eli

 

Thanks Eli! I've been very impressed by his work - and he has gotten multiple "thumbs up" from the VirginiaHAMB Crüe. I can't wait to get her back on the road!

 

Whatcha got under the hood of your '55?

You have to use the small Hemi heads and change a bunch of other things (pushrods come to mind), but I have seen it done. The trouble is finding a set of Red Ram (don't think Firedome heads will fit) heads as donors. I saw a 241 Poly at the machine shop a few years ago getting this very thing done... but it wasn't cheap.

 

Dodge hemi heads only, complete head assembly,push rods & ex mans. In their original low comp & low lift cams configuration a lot of the low deck Dodge engines had factory mismatched pistons. With a build with decent c/r & higher lift cams having the proper pistons is need

 

I just recently discovered this thread. What a great story! Wolfhound, thanks for your service. I can't wait to see you and the Mancub cruising in this all-Plymouth monster. God bless...

 

they are cool. have one in my 62 townie

 

Dan sent the first "proof of life" photos (alright, Blue wasn't kidnapped, but you get the idea) last night. Progress!