Technical ***September 2021 Banger Meet Thread - Happy Equinox***

No new banger news from me at this time ...... just been planning out a project to try to commence next year.

I think that this may be a better place than the wanted adverts to ask ........ if not, I'm sorry.

Does anyone have, or know of someone who has, some right hand drive parts to suit Model a's or 32-34's?

I am after the sector shaft housing from a right hand drive gemmer steering box. I am looking to piece together the parts to convert a 34 steering box to suit a Model A, and need the mount/sector shaft housing.
I could do with a left 32-34 spindle too - preferably one with the push-pull steering arm damaged or missing, as I will not be using it anyway, and you guys cannot if it is knackered.

While I'm at it - anyone got a usuable right hand drive fuel tank?

 

MayBe but it is only money.. The good thing you might have a gal likes Wrenching..

 

Checking in for the month. Got the beater roadster pointed in the right direction. Should make for a good winter project. Computer time has been limited had to get a real job again

 

Damn! Any chance you could take a bunch of pictures of this ..spread out for us less fortunate souls to dream about?

 

That is one Bitch'in Mod T head!!
Would love to hear the stories that go with it.

J

 

Checking in...did NUTHIN to BNGR but burn gas this summer. How it should be, right?

10 years ago tomorrow, Tropical Storm Irene trashed us! Glad I wasn’t parked here!

 

It's in storage and hard to get to, I need to finish a few projects before I start on it. Picked it up a few years ago, had to wait till the fellow was ready to let it go. This is not just the head but a complete 16 valve DO Fronty sprint car engine with a Modified Wills St Claire V8 crank, tube rods, dry sump, chopped 28 multi disc flywheel, and spare parts.

 

Oh man , Thank you, that's gold rated BANGER PORN right there! I am getting light headed just looking at it ,imagining the sound and smell of a bunch of OLD sprintcars going at it hammering around a statefairgound somewhere, clouds of dust and a real big crowd spurring them on! OH well back to reality ...once again thank you .

 

Damn sure no competition to @25mercury photos, but an interesting modification on my latest banger project:

 

Common theme around the HAMB community.
I called the automotive machine shop that I've used for years. It had gotten to where I was an exception and he would work on banger stuff for me but not for others. Well, that came to a halt on Wednesday when I called and asked if he'd line bore some B blocks for inserts. Common theme...all his help has quit and he is just finishing up what he has in his shop already.
This is going to hurt because he has been my Cummins, Detroit, Perkins, International big engine guy too.
There isn't anyone else in town...state...territory like him.
I had seen this coming and took a crank I needed turned that said they could do it, 'but they only turn cranks on Mondays'. That Monday hasn't come yet. They don't do line boring but they do, do Subaru's...
Steve at Bert's (Denver, CO) has someone working for him doing his engines, but that is a 9 month wait
What are you guys doing for machine work?

 

The bigger part of this problem is/are the people who know how to do the work are aging out.
I hear Ron Kelly of Texas is no longer with us, no details, sorry. Ron did some pretty good work from what I looked at.
After having 2 blocks ruined by the "local" machine shops, I built my own tooling and I can ruin them with the rest.
Casting and foundry work is also getting scarce, crank grinding houses are empty or do not want to set-up on "specials"
It is a problem, no doubt, but not nearly as serious as the aging problem.

John

 

Remember before the internet we had newsletters, Hot Line and then Four Banger, are any of those guys still around, maybe the generation that bought cars from them. I'm going to start an official search for a Two Man car I sold back in the 1970's, just need to know were to place want ads. Thanks! Bob

 

I am seriously considering a line boring machine purchase, but that is only the start. I don't have any talent! The Machinist, that has been my go to guy, is 78 and has worked weekends all these years too. I am more appreciative of him than words can express but he is worn out. I get it but I was dreading the day.
Ron was at the Speedway event in June and playing hard. I think he has just quit answering his phone.
Antique Engine Rebuilders in Skokie, Illinois is out of the engine building business is my understanding.
We shall see how this plays out and am thankful for the past...but I had future plans

 

Know exactly what you’re saying !
I could have finished several of your sentences… same, same situations. Sad but true, SEVERAL of my oldfriends have passed. They were the best of the best, where auto machinist work was concerned. From tips from friends, Ive called other shops… we are filled with work… without workers now….and dont do that “old” stuff anymore. Suburustoyotas now. An old bud who did it all, just died of cancer. A young guy took over the one man shop. He is never available at the shop. I had to show/ tell him about cutting down a B flywheel. I’ll call you (months ago) no call ! What the heck ?
I hear that gov is paying people to stay home ???
Is that possible ??

 

Ron Kelly passed away last month

 

They don't want to do the old car work, but try to buy the equipment, the big guys buy it as soon as a shop closes and then scrap it so none of the old school stuff is available to " hobbyists" ! I had three shops I could go to, one who could stroke cranks, one who could Babbitt properly. Only one left, and he has closed the city shop, taken the machinery to his new rural home and selecting customers , fortunately I am one of them, but now he is unwell and not sure how much longer he wants to carry on. Last crank he did I had clean and prep it myself and lift it into and out of the grinder . Dunno what he will do when a grinding wheel needs changing.
The guy who stroked cranks was not the owner at that shop, he tried to buy the machinery, got outbid and is out of a job. The buyer was a big shop in the next city who solely does big truck and race work, they destroyed and scrapped the equipment , didn't even take it back to their shop.

 

That's a shocker....RIP

 

I see a lot of Hambers sending engines to Tim at Hanford Auto , Mctim64 .

 

@The37Kid Bob, is it the car that lost a front wheel? The one that got some fenders and then ran as a sports car?

 

Well this is getting interesting..

 

YES! Here is a photo with Tony Luther on his way up Mt. Equinox in Vermont in a SCCA Hill Climb. All I ever had were two frame rails, the cowl and both tail and radiator shell cut in half. Jim Etter bought it some time in the mid 1970's. Jim Mann put it together and, there was a photo in one of the last issues of Four Banger with Jim driving it. Who he sold it to is unknown to me, I'd like it back. Bob

 

The back of that car reminds me of a boattail Auburn without its fenders. I hope you find it. It may be running around out there.

 

It wasn't too big, about the size of a GP Bugatti. When Jim Etter put it together he used 16 inch Ford wire wheels. Think he had at an Ohio dirt track event. seeing photos from that event would be nice to see. Bob

 

I finally got my rusty 31 on the road. Having a blast!

 

Looks good!

 

Found this photo while looking for something totally different. Think it is a DO McDowell, sure must have been a fun ride. Bob

 

Hey Bob, thanks for sharing!
Can you ID that huge front axle ?
What a great picture.

 

Sure, Chrysler, not sure if there were different models and the size differed, but it is Chrysler, 1928-30, I believe.

Bob

 

I have a story about the 24-27 Chryslers on file , it came from "The Old Motor"
this picture with caption is part of the story.

• An example of the innovate engineering in the new Chrysler. The tubular front axle only weighed in at 27 pounds and worked well with the front-wheel brakes. It soon became popular for use on racing cars.

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=108416

 

Another year and another great time at the Iowa hill climb it’s good to see many friends and sad to hear about the passing of my engine builder Ron Kelley.
After a disappointing runs last year this year I gained 7 miles an hour and one second off my ET. Next year I’ll just push the Advance in my Mallory a little further see if it keeps getting better.
And then I find this distributor that makes me want to change my whole plan but I want to run my Winfield head and not find or make a dual plug head, but this distributor would be just the ticket for dual plugs.