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#3663 XXO/PRO '36 Buick Straight 8 Bonneville Record Breaker

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Nick Flores, Aug 21, 2013.

  1. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    I'm going to cut and paste most of this that Bryan posted on another forum, mostly because there are a bunch of pictures. A bunch.... Enjoy, Nick



    (From Bryan, 36Century on the HAMB)

    Hey Guys,

    First of all here are some videos of the car running:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdoFmTDv_MI

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmt1WaIiMEo

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3idP2Fht5zc

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSf2vTVqwms

    Well after a couple years of off and on working on our 1936 Buick Century Coupe, we got a chance to go to Bonneville. This car was my dads first car, and took his drivers test in this car. We built everything on the car and engine in our small little machine shop here in Phoenix, AZ. We built the roll cage out of 4130, fully tig welded, and bent in our shop. In the class we ran, we had to have all of the stock body panels, tail lights, etc all in stock configuration. The car runs in XXO/PRO class. We have a 3.687 bore, with the stock 4.312 stroke, puts us about 369 CI, and the class max is 375 CI, if running a stock configuration cylinder head as we were. We have our custom rocker arms, custom see-through valve cover and see through push rod cover. Many think its a waste of time to have clear covers on our motor, but we can spot a bent push rod, broken lifter, cracked retainer, etc. in a heartbeat.

    We run a 9" Ford rear end, with a 3.0 gear, 28" tall tire and stock Buick top shift 3 speed. We shift it at 63 MPH in first gear, 101 MPH in third gear and max out at about 155 MPH in direct drive, 3rd gear. The intake manifold is one that my grandfather had run in his straight 8 Buick drag rail in the 50's with 4 AA2 Stromburg Carbs. Completely tuned 1.750" primary tube headers. Fully insulated cool box for the carbs and intake. We made billet velocity stacks that protrude thru the hood also.

    The record that was standing since 1997 was from a Hudson powered car at 134 MPH. We set the first record on a two run average at 142.8 MPH We did a compression check and had a couple low cylinders, so we popped the head, re-lapped the valves and had good compression. We then took it out again and ran 154.2 MPH, then impounded the car. The next morning we ran 144.3 MPH as we were lean with the colder, more dense air. So that put the official record at 149.7 MPH.

    (149.336 is the actual record. Nick)

    The pics below show some of the machining Bryan did to make the rocker cover. It was milled from an 88 pound chunk and weighed just 4.5 pounds when finished. That's 3.4 pounds lighter than the stock steel valve cover and was o-ringed as well.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    Next up are some engine pictures. Notice the bolt in, o-ringed freeze plugs, so we don't have a blow out and the bushed lifter bores. The bottom end of this motor was built to run Blown Fuel. Windage tray with hand-hammered louvers. The roller rockers, girdle, main caps, and even the 17-4PH head studs were all designed and made in house by Dave and Bryan Blake.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 21, 2013
  3. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    With the addition of the girdle the stock timing cover would no longer fit. Bryan sketched up a new design, lightened up another chunk of aluminum, o-ringed it, with the end result pictured below. There are a couple shots of the head and valves where o-rings were employed once again. The head features 1.937 intake valves and 1.625 exhaust valves. Both have 5/16" stems with lash caps. Titanium retainers, 10 degree locks. Also included are a few shots of the carbs and velocity stacks that were machined in our shop as well as some random assembly pics.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 22, 2013
  4. Murch
    Joined: Sep 10, 2011
    Posts: 103

    Murch
    Member

    Wow, congrats on the record, thats got to be real exciting, and I'm digging those see through covers!

    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     

  5. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    Interior and cage, 4130 fully tig welded. You can see just how flexible and limber Bryan is too!
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    This is the last of the pics. Some random shots form around the Salt, Impound, our hill-billy pit area, and the crew, Right to left are Wings, Jim Atherton, Bryan Blake, James David Blake, and Nick Flores. Special thanks to Lisa Bogart for the decals and install. The last shot is of Bryan and Dave.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 22, 2013
  7. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    Lots of Big Buick 8 fans here ! 5 stars to ya ..
     
  8. Chuckles Garage
    Joined: Jun 10, 2006
    Posts: 2,365

    Chuckles Garage
    Alliance Vendor

  9. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    Someone sent me a PM asking what the coating on the inside of the engine is. Its electric motor shellac.
     
  10. Goldy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 476

    Goldy
    Member

    Very nice build!!! Congrats on your record, it takes a lot more ingenuity to build a vintage engine. I was there on the salt this year for my first time. Goldy
     
  11. Congrats guys!
     
  12. Yea, awesome guys !!!
     
  13. D.N.D.
    Joined: Aug 15, 2012
    Posts: 1,385

    D.N.D.
    Member Emeritus

    Very nice work guys on your engine - car the whole package and getting the record too

    Really liked your intake set up to keep things cool as possible

    First time I have seen a painted crank, did it stay on?

    Double A plus on those ' Super Zooty Main Caps ' don't get much fancy'r than that.

    Are you going after the fuel record next?

    G Don
     
  14. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Saw the car and liked it. Saw the main cap and like a lot better now. Very Nicely done.
     
  15. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    Thanks guys, but the credit really goes to Dave and Bryan on this build, everything was done in house. Dave was excited to have taken his rookie pass, license pass, and first leg of a record all in one go, how many guys have set a record in just two short passes on the Salt???

    The intake on the car was built by his father, Bob Blake and run on his Straight 8 Buick powered dragster back in the 50's, a picture of Bob with the dragster rode along on the passenger window for the entire trip and will most likely stay there.

    There has been a ton of thought put into this particular engine as the family has quite a history with the inline monster motors. I can't say if Dave will want to go after a fuel record with this car, but the engine is certainly built for it. The mains were done on a MANUAL mill, turning handles the old fashioned way, not CNC'd. Paint on things like the crank sticks well as long as you utilize proper prep.
     
  16. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    Someone asked what the purpose of the clear rocker and pushrod covers was... Besides looking super neat-O, you can check for things like a bent push-rod or valve/rocker issue at a glance vs. taking the metal ones off for inspection.
     
  17. 38FLATTIE
    Joined: Oct 26, 2008
    Posts: 4,349

    38FLATTIE
    Member
    from Colorado

    Nick, Glad to see you got the brakes fixed! I'm the one that loaned you the jack in impound.

    Congrats on the record! The car looked and sounded great, and you guys were really thrashing in impound when I saw you!
     
  18. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    I bet that was quite a sight... us dragging the Buick into impound with the front brakes locked up. They were cooked pretty well, but Bryan got them sorted out and we were good to go. Thanks again for offering up the jack, that gave us a good jump on the situation.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2013
  19. That car was brilliant. Sounded like fuel motor when it fired up. :)
     
  20. jerry
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 3,469

    jerry
    Member

    Nice write up. So good to see you guys in impound.


    jerry
     
  21. I knew that car was something special when I asked about it earlier
     
  22. Wish I could have seen this car up close, Jerry kept talking about it but we got kind of busy ourselves. Congrats on the record!
     
  23. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    Thanks Jerry, It was pretty awesome going to impound. Not too bad for a car that we "finished" and fired up a mere hours before leaving for the Salt.
     
  24. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    Found a couple more pics.
     

    Attached Files:

  25. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    GREAT POST, what can I say, they were racing them in the 40's, and they are still running em today, one of the great engines of the past, like the Hudson,and,Ford flattys,Chevy stovebolts and Jimmys, etc. love to see em still runnin on the 'great white dyno'. say what are you runnin for suspension???
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2013
  26. 60 Belair
    Joined: Feb 19, 2006
    Posts: 747

    60 Belair
    Member

    Congrats! nice car!

    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     
  27. Barn Find
    Joined: Feb 2, 2013
    Posts: 2,312

    Barn Find
    Member
    from Missouri

  28. Nick Flores
    Joined: Aug 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,357

    Nick Flores
    Member

    The car is a true production car, running stock suspension.
     
  29. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Neat, congrats, best wishes, etc. Gary
     
  30. Candy-Man
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 1,715

    Candy-Man
    Member

    I wish I had the time to drop by your pits at Bonneville.

    Great build, awsome !
     

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