"Lionheart"

After much to-ing and fro-ing, I've decided to shelve plans for flathead power with the HA/GR project and go with the mighty (138 cubic inch ) Holden "Grey" motor and drivetrain.

"Prescilla"(so-named from the movie about Aussie drag-queens) has been replaced by "Lionheart" (as the Aussies would know the Lion is the symbol of General Motors Holden).

Here's my start (please excuse the crudeness of the mock-up, I'm still in the "research" phase):





-Pete

 

That looks like proper engineering to me. You lay the pieces out on the garage floor and set a chair for the seat and then make the parts to hook it all together.

You are at about the same place in the process as we are right now with our flathead Dodge 6.

 

Pete, I only see one problem with yours, that seat is gonna be a bitch to drive in!
I like what I see so far.

 

Hey, you only need to sit in it for a short time, and with all those holes it's gotta be light. Pounds per horsepower is the name of the game.

 

Holden, . Lionheart, .

Another sweet set of SUs, decidedly killer. We'll show'em all !!

Yeah, keep the seat, polish up all that pretty aluminum (really like the PCV system), send me the extra compressor, throw the rims in a press 'til they're 6" again and no, there's not a damn thing wrong with your engineering style.
Perhaps a couple qualms with your conclusions (you might want a bit more frame than a lone 2x3 and those bricks may prove a tad harsh in the ride department) but then it IS your car after all.

I'll be looking forward to your progress.

 

I like your plans, it's about the same way that all of us non profeshionals started, we will know when you are starting to progress when we see some clamps, at one time we had a wooden 2x4 drag link and it was functional you can get revved up if you will set in the chair and hold the steering wheel, good luck. Joe

 

I'd like to know more about the Holden engine. Is it related to a Chevy?

 

Not really related to Chevy (apart from being GM product). There is a story about some of the early blocks being cast in Canada (I'm not sure if this is correct or not) but when I was into early Holdens years ago, a number of people were saying that the Canadian block was the one to get.

From the pictures I've seen of Buick straight-eights, I think the Holden "grey" motor looks like one of them with two cylinders lopped off.

One of the reasons for deciding on this engine (apart from the fact that I am very much a cheapskate and had a couple already) is that during the early sixties, guys racing midgets in Australia jumped at the chance to run the new "ford falcon" motor (170 cu in.) but were soundly beaten by well developed Holdens. So if people are going to run early Ford sixes in Aussie HA/GR, I feel it is my duty as a lifelong Holden fan to have a go with the Holden motor.

If I get my ass handed to me at the track, I might have to rip the flathead out of the F Truck!

-Pete

 

Progress is VERY slow.

Waiting on front end before committing to final frame design. Probably be going with '34 chev front end after checking one out at the local swap meet last weekend (2nd or 3rd largest swap meet in the country). And helps keep the beast GM.

Got heaps of leads on parts and found some interesting guys (one of whom is a bit of a legend when it comes to Ford flat-head V8s - so if I end up going that way I know how to find one of THE guys).

This is what I picked up for the front of the body (it might be heavy but I think the bucket style Hambsters over here KICK ARSE for style!:



Heres some picks of the triple SU inlet I am making (the bolt and plates are to help the guy who is welding them):





Got a few more pics of some of the other engine bits if anyone is interested.

-Pete.

 

heck yeah we want to see more pics. Those intakes look about like my casting patterns for mine. I hear the Holden Gray (Grey?) intakes fit a flathead six Mopar with only a little modification, you oughta send me that Speco intake!!!

 

Hey Moparsled,

I'm not sure about the grey intakes fitting but the speco one I am have has three different pieces (runners) that I modified the ends to fit my head, they would probable fit any head with three exhaust ports. I'm now planning on using it on my FJ ute with three 150CD Strombergs. This is the ute:



How about this twin down draught stromberg manifold, the alloy gear next to it is going in My HA/GR motor - it is a common upgrade over the stock grey motor timing gear which is normally bakelite :



Next are some before and after shots of my aftermarket alloy sideplate -pretty rare (a guy that wanted some parts I had, got it cast to trade with me-doesn't even have bolt holes yet).

Casting job was pretty rough :





After some work with the 4 inch grinder and the dremel (3 weeks worth!):





After a sandblast:





-Pete.

 

The fact that you guys are casting parts for these old motors is inspiring. Keep up the good work.

 

Hey Pete great work keep it up soon you QLD guys will have a six car field
QQ

 

QQMOON,

Thanks for the encouragement, your car was the one I was talking about above when I say that bucket style cars rule in the looks department, in my opinion, easily the best looking car in the HA/GR field.

With luck I hope to start on the frame in the next couple of weeks, got heaps of drawings, measurements etc. but it will be exciting to finally get the steel in my hands (did that sound a bit weird?) anyway, hopefully the next pics will show some real progress.

-Pete.

 

Pete sorry to bust ya bubble this is my car the Bucket style one is the other Joe

 

Sorry mate,my mistake, still looks pretty shit-hot though. Hope mine turns out half as good.

Pete.

 

Hi,
Just wondering how you eventuated with this?

 

Still doing it. I just purchased a Chevy beam axle on Sunday. It could turn out to be the slowest build in history!

 

Don't know about that. I started ours in 2007 so we're probably pretty close. Our build threads start on the same day.

 

Started checking out my chev beam front end for HAMBSTER and discovered the bolt spacing is 5 x 4 1/4 (or 5 x 108mm) which is the same as early holden (or volvo) and now thing such as ford Mondeo (fusion) etc. Make finding wheels easy! Apparently front end is 1934 Chev (but not master - I think?).

Pics when drum place in Wheel off my ute (pick up).

 

A few of us HAMBster tragics from NSW will hopefully be in Queensland for the Six Banger Nats in September so pull your finger out and get it done. We need the competition. By the way, I'm running a Holden Grey motor and Holden gearbox and have been giving the other brands a hard time in competition down here.

 

better pic

 

All I need now is another '34 Chevrolet drum (not an easy find in Australia)

 

There is another way. As you won't need front brakes, see if you can find bearings to suit an early Holden or (yuk) some other brand hub on that axle. You might be also able to get someone to machine the Chev stubs to suit another brand hub.

 

Thats right spanners we had steve turned down to suit modern ford hubs .
And mine to suit the spinnel mount i have .

 

Thanks for input, I'm looking at all possibilities at this point. As you may have gathered- I'm not exactly rushing this build!

 

enjoying the build.

 

Anything new?

 

Not back in Australia for another couple of weeks. So all I can do at the moment is scour the Internet for parts.

 

More bits, starting to get serious.