Tell your kid you have a mission for him. Have him go mow lawns, cut bushes, trim trees, wash cars and have him buy you a set as his part of your family dragster. Work builds character and cars. Adjustable pushrods suck.
Car looks gorgeous. Yes John's rockers are very strong and nice!! Nasty Benjamin is tooling up for some new steel nitro rockers also. Have you seen his new 8-port? I think they are 2.85 butterflies. Lippy
---------------------------- Absolutely gorgeous, incredible, amazing car!!! Looking at the pics and reading the details, It makes me feel almost ancient and a bit sad when I realize that this is actually a re-creation of 45-odd year old technology and not a current, state of fuel dragster! The first time I ever saw a fuel dragster up close and actually making a pass - and not just pictures of one in a magazine - was around 1967, at a match race at Cayuga Ont. Everything on this car is "just right"! A little, 'sort of' tongue in cheek anecdote I remember hearing "back in the day" about how to set the air/fuel mixture on a blown nitro car. Not sure who the quote is orignally attributable to but possibly Chris Karamesines? Anyway, it was something like "Start off with the mixture a bit lean. You'll know it's 'a bit lean' when you melt the pistons and blow the blower off. Then richen it up until you break the block and blow the heads off. When that happens, lean it down a just tad until the mixture's 'just right'. When it's 'just right', you'll bend the crank and pound the main bearings out!" <LOL> Please keep the pics, details and the memories coming! mart ================================================
You guys crack me up ! I got 2 other 354s, one standard and another one with 4 bolt mains +.030 blocks, 1 standard crank and a 1/2'' stroker ( both mag good ) 354 stock and 331 triple nickel heads, 6-71 blower, Cirello /Schiefer Magneto and none of this stash is for sale. It is all bomb making material, you blow up the bomb and make anotherone. I got asked at the Strangers Car Show if I was going to fire it up. Nitro, alcohol, 70 wt. Nitro Oil, Plugs aren't free. I asked if he was going to give me $500.00 and I would fire it. I got no takers. Thank you for a great car show Strangers !
What a beautiful car! Would you know the wheelbase for this car of Petes? I'm gathering info for a 1/6 model and can't find a side pic to scale up. Love your models too!
Thanks! I can find side shots of his early cars and his later cars, but none of his early Woody cars. If you were going to do a model of this car, what would you put the wheelbase at? Still digging through We Did It For Love for more reference photos, most of the way through it.
I've been trying to find the photo again to see if the caption had any information or the year the car ran. The photo name does have 67 on it, did they on average get any longer in 67?
1966-1967, if you want to call it an average 160-170'' WB, Every year it seem that the wheelbases got 10'' longer. 1967-1968 went 170-180'' WB and so on. The wheelbases were also up to the owner's choice too or what was currently the winning combination in Top Fuel.
Almost 45 years ago with a 331 Hemi at San Fernando Drag Strip, Wild Bill Alexander smoke them though the lights at 7.50 E.T. ! Jim Brissette said he had 95% in the tank.
With only having 1 1/2'' of ground clearance, I had to modify my oil pan. I mounted the pan on a 1/4'' piece of aluminum and finally go brave enough to cut in to it. WTF. I found a piece of .050'' steel sheet to match the pan thickness, measured, and laid out the new bottom section. The sides overlap 1/2'', the front and back overlap 1'' and Tig welded on. Checked it for leaks, none and good to go. I mist painted the bare metal areas with Rustoleum Hammered Gold which blended in to the Cad plating great. Now I have 2 3/4'' of pan clearance.
Saturday-Saturday-Saturday ! Since I won't be getting my new rocker arm assemblies for a few more weeks, it has been decided to fire the motor again. The rocker arms won't make any difference in the fuel system setup. I have corrected all the bugs that needed attention, so WTF. 85% in the tank, and the beer is in the frig for afterwards. We'll let it run for 3 minutes and it will take at least 5 -10 minutes for the cops to show up.
Yesterday we made the decision it dial in the fuel system. Long time friends Mike Drake, Ken Riley and Dexter "POPS" Bradford ( Bradford & Son AA/FA)and me in the hot seat were ready to give another go. With Mike on the starter, Ken manning the starter cart and Pops at the Barrel Valve, the first try I got a Nitro bath. Dead or too cold NGK spark plugs and raw fuel. Off to NAPA for hotter plugs and got 3 step hotter Autolites 404. With the new plugs in, 85% in the tank, 40 in the magneto, 24% in the blower, it fired and was recorded on this Video. Better, but not where it should be. We went though the fuel system and reset the Idle ChecK Valve and refired. Two flats on the barrel valve linkage to lean and it was right where it should be. It sounded so sweet. Nitro sweet ? You bet your ass ! Too bad Dan had to leave in his BADASS 55 early and didn't catch the final fire up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjeDrcyjz8M
If some of you Valley members are not busy tonite, Live at Lincoln Center Car Show is tonite in Stockton. We'll be there, but no fire ups. Last year Phil Featherson fired up his A/FX Thunderbolt and idled to his trailer and some people complained it was too loud. TOO LOUD ? You want too loud, I got TOO LOUD right here ! Come on out for Fun, Food, Hot Rods ! I-5 to Ben Holt east, to Pacific Blvd. 6 pm -9 pm
Yes. If you must know, I'm the illegitimate son of Loni Anderson and one of Burt's 80's toupee's. We will never speak of this again.
The Jalopy Journal
