Projects DRAG SNAKE "Vintage Terror!"

So, why did you get a .375 expansion plug? I assume they were out of 3/8 ?

 

Lmfao

 

It is not .375 or 3/8. It is 9.525 millimeters.

 

Since you bought the plug, I would guess that you have already pulled the tube. If not, the easy way to pull them out of a complete engine is to find a punch that fits tight inside, then grab a pair of vise grips and clamp them around the upper part of the tube that has the punch inside to keep it from collapsing. Twist and pull. It might booger up the outside a bit, but it will not collapse and you can clamp pretty hard.
The drag racing organizers would prefer that you have as few ways for fluids to get out as possible. They have the locking dipsticks for auto transmissions on the list, I can see this being something that is needed for oil too. They are available.

m.kozlowski, the PCV valve is a 'metered' leak at idle. It always flows some air toward the intake (vacuum) side. That is why there are a bunch of different applications for different engine sizes. Also, the carbs were designed in OE applications to account for this added idle airflow. You simply adjust the fuel curve to compensate for the additional airflow.
See the third graphic in this article labeled PCV Valve Operation
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/197

You can try this by plugging the PCV valve with your thumb and the idle will drop and the car will run richer, or sticking a big engine PCV on a smaller engine and the idle will rise and lean out. There are even adjustable valves -
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/tunable-pcv-valve-fixes-cruise-woes-engine-leaks/

 

I was told there would be no math today!

 

I would have put some dum dum in the dipstick hole.

 

This afternoon I fabricated this handy dandy tool (above) out of a piece of 3/8" ID pipe and a 3/8" bolt. It allowed me to reach way down to the area where I could just barely touch the hole and drop the expansion plug on. After several tries I finally got it to set in place and I drove it down with the pipe.


It was sort of funny because it took a couple of attempts. After the plug was in place and the tool gently set on top of it, you could not see any of the action. So you basically had to just feel it. On the first try I gave it a good tap and it felt like it went into place. I gave it another pretty good wrap and felt the solid hit on the surface of the timing cover. I pulled the tool back to see what I had accomplished only to find nothing in the hole.

It sure felt like it took a good solid hit. My immediate thought was the stupid thing was too small and was now in the pan! It was not any where to be found, confirming that oppinion. Then I sat down to think it out a bit, trying to remain calm. I got down under the car and looked again, nothing. Then I carefully searched all the ledges and possible places it could have fell to in the area with a flashlight...nope.

I got back on the floor under the car again and believe it or not, found the stupd thing sitting inside one of the feet of the jackstands. Anyway round two was much for successful and as you saw, I got her in place. So much for that little leak. LOL


My little evac sytem inserts (that have raised such a fuss) took a 1.25" hole. Of course as luck would have it, that was not the size already in the driver's side and the passenger side had no hole at all. So after a quick trip to the hardware store to snag the appropriate hole saw, I sat about figuring how to drill them. As you can see above I did accomplish it but it needed a modified tool as well...surprise, surprise.

Because of the standard shape of a small Ford valve cover, I had an issue getting it level on the drill press to drill it from the top. I tried several times with blocks and clamps but just could not get it to stay where I wanted it. So I flipped it upside down to drill from the inside out. That was perfect until the drill chuck came in contact with the gasket surface area with at least 1/4" of hole left to drill. So I adapted a socket and extension to finish the job.


...and finally got them back in place.

 

Looks great just like it belongs there.

 

Well from one oil leak fix to the next. After the original start we had a second leak at the oil filter. I have played around with it and checked all the seals involved but it still persists. I believe it is that stupid extension piece we added. You might remember it.


I have not been happy with it from day one. I have been afraid it might spin on the block and loosen itself with hard acceleration or even a wheels up drop etc. AND now it leaks. So I just decided to take care of the entire situation with a remote system. I had one on the Austin and was very happy with it. It should be here today.

 

AND...to get my stupid free shipping etc. I needed to spend another $50. My choice was either 4 JEGS hats...

or something else for the Cobra if I could come up with something! I hate that! Anyone else order something completely useless just to get free shipping? LOL

Fortunately, I stumbled across the header turnouts which I have been meaning to snag for a while.



They are pretty cool, sort of the last touch for the car, plus they are adjustable so I can sort of point them however I want etc.

 

Check it over carefully for casting flash. I also smoothed/ radiused the ports slightly on the one I used. I also would'nt use the push-lok rubber hose fitttings. Get some proper AN fittings and quality braided hose.

 

Exactly. That is what I did not the last unit.

 

Randall, we used that adapter on our Clevor, our’s was a Ford product, and had no leakage at all! Do you know where it was leaking?
Like the way the car is coming together! Wished I could have made it for the start up... but it wasn’t to be!




Bones

 

It is leaking around the rim of the filter. I have looked at it several times. But the real reason for the change is the final mounting position of the filter. It is at an odd angle, almost hits the side of the pan and again I am afraid the thing is going to rotate after a while. We had to knock off the tab that would keep it from spinning to clear something else early on. So it has been on its last leg for a while.

 

Well I didn't get a lot done today. My daughter has an Etsy site and sells the day lights out of dog bandanas. She has been after me for a while to weld up some car parts art so she could start another site to sell them. This is what I came up with...



I did manage to get the remote oil filter kit installed. I spent quite a bit of time laying under the car simply looking for a good spot.



Of course, as suggested earlier, I dumped the rubber hoses and fittings that came with the kit and installed braided lines with AN fittings.



It is tucked safely up along side the oil pan pointed to the rear on the drivers side.



I also installed the turn outs to just have a look.








Sent from my SM-G970U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

As always attention to every minor detail, and willingness to make or buy more parts to solve every challenge is impeccable. IE. dipstick and oil filter situations.

 

It has been fairly slow in the Cobra shop this past week or so. Too much time spent at the weekday grind if you know what I mean. But speaking of the workplace, check out what I created this morning. I needed a glove box door and I decided to do something cool. I took a sheet of polished .040 aluminum and printed a graphic on it.


As you can see there is a ghosted photo of the original Dragon Snake in the background with autographs of three of my favorite fellows on top. Of course Shelby's signature is all over the place so no issue with him. But finding a good John Holman and Ralph Moody scribble....not so much! However, after some exhausted research and a little graphic magic, it would appear all three have given their official approval to the little hot rod. I will note here "officially" these signatures (although extremely authentic) are simply a product of my imagination (same as this car). They simply serve as a tribute to few good men that have contributed greatly over the years to said imagination! They are not for sale nor have any monetary value or add any such value to the car!

This style of graphic is however the beginning of a theme for the interior. The door panels and other areas instead of leather upholstery will receive printed .040 aluminum sheets with ghosted photos of original Dragon Snake cars in action etc.

 

Well there is another DragonSnake on the way. I just got word from the friend who supplied me with my Cobra body that his hot rod is coming along. When I first got hooked up with him he said he had a body in the works that I could purchase. After I told him my plans he laughingly scolded me bit because that is apparently what "he" had planned for that body himself! LOL

He was good enough to let me have it anyway and we started the build. However he has been secretly working on his own again and is making excellent progress!


This is totally awesome! If you think it about it, it is 1964 ish all over again. Just like the Shelby, suddenly we have 2 Factory Dragonsnakes in the works! There is quite a bit of real estate between us but maybe one of these days we can get the two together for a little match race somewhere! Now wouldn't that be cool!!!

 

HAMB Drags?

 

It most absolutely would!

 

Race him quick!
That right rear looks a LOT smaller than the left rear. He'd pull right while you'd go straight!

 

...a little photoshop magic and Poof there they are...lol

 

So you driving that thing already?

 

Getting really close. Just waiting on the front end alignment. My trailer has been full for two weeks now. Trying to get it unloaded so we can get the Cobra in there and over to the alignment shop. I have already missed two appointments!

 

Kind of a long weekend (sorry for the delayed post). I honestly set out to work on the Cobra a bit. We had some housekeeping before we finally hit the alignment shop. However in the process I noticed something that was disturbing. The engine compartment aluminum panels in the area are very close to upper arm bolts. I have known this from day one (I mean everything is close on this car).

However, they are very close, almost touching the bolt heads, BUT you can still get a wrench on them etc. Of course these panels are mounted and riveted in place AND look really nice. They really finish off the area. But while I was cleaning up from the initial (no dipstick in place oil spatterings) I noticed (WAY BACK) when we assembled the front end...we put the wrong bolts in there. They look great. They are grade 8 with lock nuts etc. However, they are too short. There is no room to put shims in there (at least not as many as it is going to take) and get the nut back on. AND...of course no room to remove the bolts and replace them without removing the panels. AND the panels go in before the radiator and the pressure tank so as you can imagine, it is a major undertaking to simply slide a couple of bolts in place!

At that point I just stopped and started cleaning the shop, which it really needed. I have been putting that off for months. Now faced with the task of disassembling half the car or cleaning the shop, the shop didn't seem like such a daunting task! LMAO!

 

I showed you a photo of the glove box cover graphic a while back. This week I started working on the graphics for the door panels. I have done this on every car I have built over the past few years. Dad's coupe have printed aluminum panels with vintage Hot Rod Magazine covers collaged together. The Austin had the same style but with DRAG CARTOON magazine covers etc. For the Cobra I wanted to pay tribute to the original Dragonsnake cars. I have been collecting photos from the internet for a while and many of you have sent me shots as well.

I put them all together and then decided to give the whole panel a blue tint to match the car. I liked it so much that I redid the glove compartment cover to match. I think they are pretty cool.

 

SUPER COOL!!!

 

It might not appeal to your aesthetic, but LOTS of production cars have removable panels for alignment access. I'd suggest trimming to allow access, then build removable covers after it's done.

These, right?

covered by this?


Heck, the panels could even have louvers!

 

While searching for photos to post came across this interesting apparatus that immediately made me think of "Dragon Snake"
It would make a nice reading light in your man cave

found here:https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-artwork-of-richard-pietruska.html?m=1

 

Well we have been about the Cobra this weekend (so far anyway). Just to get to these stupid upper "A" arm bolts we had to remove the radiator supports, the cooling fan, the radiator hoses, the expansion tank and its mounting bracket, the starter selenoid and wiring and then finally the aluminum engine compartment panels on either side. Then of course we had to crank down the coil over springs (total pain in the backside) and then remove the coil overs shocks.

So after playing around with them a bit and making a decision on what we needed to do I had another issue to address. I had not planned to be back this far in the build at least not for sometime, but after getting the motor in place etc. there was a small issue. Well actually a big issue a few hours ago because to address it we would have to had to done all the above before we could deal with it. The issue....? The stance.

With all the weight finally in place, even with the coil overs cranked up quite a bit, we still had a very low down, nose down attitude. The whole car had a very nice rake, if it was any car but a Dragonsnake it would be perfect. But those cars all had their noses lifted and although the my car looked very cool, in my oppinion it was missing that stance. After studying the situation for a bit and considering several options we decided moving the upper shock mount down would do the trick and be the least envasive.


As you can see above we decided to drop it 1.5" We created a steel template out of 3/8" steel plate to use not only as pattern but a drill guide. We put bolt through it and the original hole. Then aligned it and clamped it in place before drilling the new holes. Then we simply put it all back together. Cranked up the coil overs, installed the wheels and tires and had look see!








I am very happy. It was a lot of work but well worth it in the end. AND the cool part is below.


After it was all back in place Dad asked what I was going to do with the shock mounts we just made obsolete? Wack them off and round them over? In that moment it hit me and with out even missing a beat I said, nope. I am going to mount a transverse spring right there! It is the exact spot the originals would have been mounted. Of course this one will just be for looks but it will fill the area between the radiator and pulleys that was originally occupied by the cooling fan. Since it got flipped to the front, there is sort a hole there. The spring will fill the place perfectly and give the engine compartment an even more authentic look!