HOLES THREAD...drilled axles,backing plates,anything.lets see'em

I'll play.. My latest project.

 

I just did my backing plates

 

Drilled backing plates on my ‘32
My front axle & wishbone are drilled too.
I’ll have to get some pics of those


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

You Win

 

My motto is, " Throw it in the air. If it comes back down, it's still too heavy!

 

117 Harv's work .. ... for my "someday" build.

Henry axle.

 

I lightened up my brake pedal arm and the gas pedal in the 41 PU. Brake Pedal still needs a trip to the chromer.

 

My new axle, after the accident. Forged Super bell. Drilled with filled ends.

 

Alternator bracket.

 

That rear is still around or a twin to it, may see the owner tomorrow. Bob

 

Somebody got a rotary table for Christmas! ^^^^^^^^^

 

Hello,

Drilled axles were the most popular as it could be seen on most every hot rod cruising around in a normal stance. But, once the lowered Cal Rake stance became popular, the axles were not deemed eye catching. For the drag racer influence, these holes were used as a way to keep the car’s overall weight down as more speed parts were added. The above 34 Ford 3 window coupe had its drag racing influence in full force. Since the Summer of 1960, the new drag racing rules prevented those cool Moon Aluminum Tanks to be inside of the driver’s compartments. (AUG. 13 1960.)

So, any influence from those drag racing rules applied to all race cars. That influence started showing up on street cars as a way to emulate the style of the drag racing cars. The Moon Tanks were moved in front, behind the radiator, in the trunk and anywhere, except inside of any race car. Now, that set a trend for street legal hot rods to show case their Moon Aluminum Tanks by putting them in front of the radiator.

They made terrible safety problems in case of a front end fender bender or full frontal accident. Instant explosion and resulting fires. To some, the lightening holes were even put on the aluminum brackets for the gas tanks as a means of being lighter weight. (ever hold a bunch of aluminum shavings from a lathe or shaping machine in your hands?) minimal to say the least on those lightening holes.

Jnaki

This 34 coupe definitely had some drag racing influence items on the street legal hot rod. One was the conversion of mechanical Hilborn Injectors for daily street use. It was one of the first conversions ready for street usage of those Hilborn units.

The coupe stands out on its own character. The sound of the coupe being driven was pretty outstanding. We had to move the 34 Ford Coupe to locations on the water side photo shoot locations in the So Cal waterfront areas. It was like being in the staging areas at Lion’s Dragstrip prior to making a blasting run down the strip.

Luckily, it was 9 in the morning and nothing was open and the wide open parking lots next to the attraction was empty.

 

More of my vintage stockcar build-

Rear spring hangers


Finished backing plates



Steering arm


Front axle an old hot rod part, drilled back in the fifties

 

I only do stupid stuff.....bonus points if it's in a place no one can see it.

 

Hello,

At Lion’s Dragstrip, we used to see plenty of race cars of all kinds with solid front axles. Then as the “need for speed” was necessary, fast was being equated with lightweight race cars and parts. So, there was the abundance of racers drilling weight saving holes in most solid surfaces, hopefully without damaging the rigidity or strength in design of the product. Front axles were popular items to drill.

This 1934 Ford Coupe looks like an Altered Coupe ready to make its runs at Lion’s Dragstrip. But, it is fully functional for daily driving on the street. Even with the Hilborn Port Injectors on the SBC. The owner was able to make some modifications to have it run smoothly on the street for his daily driving. The motor sounded pretty strong and was impressive with its presentation.

When we had to move the hot rod coupe around for better photograph backgrounds and angles, it was like setting up the coupe at the starting line to get the best spot for traction and great starts. The rumble of the exhaust was impressive and it definitely was not a full on drag racer, but a functioning hot rod for the streets of So Cal.

Jnaki

But, some racers in their quest for the top speed and fastest E.T. went to a little extreme to get to their goal. Chris Karamesines’ “The Chizzler” at Riverside Raceway stood out among the other racers with the sleek body and the front axle that was modified to the extreme. But with this set up, the axle withstood the the 204 mph record set by this outstanding FED. A powerful motor, a short chassis, sleek components and a quality build all added up to the record setting FED by The Greek.

It takes all kinds…


The Chizzler at Riverside Raceway in 1959

 

I just drill the back side of my cowl A-post and dash rail. 58 holes 1" holes three hours of lay out and drilling.


I think old time stock car racer Al "Suicide" Sanders would be proud!

 

'40 Lincoln backing plates with holes and SS screens

 

This is back from 2016 the night before Torque Fest. I pulled the seats out of my Model A so I could polish the aluminum.

 

WOW!!!

 

An I beam axle just seems to cry for holes to be drilled in it! They look unfinished without them!

 

Here's a whole thread on holes. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/lets-see-some-lightening-holes.1180251/#post-13402584

 

A little underhood stuff.

 

So Cal’s Gonzales Brothers, (Pancho and Ralph’s) CAD powered FED at the Nationals in 1958 . An outstanding photo by Connell Miller.


Hello,

In recent research for the Gonzales Brother’s Cad powered FED with its roots deep in So Cal lore, this photo has been around the circles from Connell R. Miller. It is the best clear photograph of the dragster in its long history.

It fits right in during the time period of the late 1950s as drag racers and builders had this notion that the heavy solid front axle needed some holes to save weight. As we can see, the weight savings is tremendous in the Cad powered FED.

Jnaki
1959 Lion's Dragstrip

I was fortunate to be in the Lion’s Dragstrip pits filming the various race cars that attended weekly. In the pits film, the Gonzales Brother’s Cad powered FED is prominently featured, next to the famous silver, Sidewinder.

A part of history in the making…

Sidewinder and the Gonzales Brothers Cad powered FED Lion’s Dragstrip pits 1959 (at :11)

Double exposure from 1959
Lion’s Dragstrip Staging Lanes and Cad powered FED in the pits