Projects Thames Resurrection

Finally getting caught up on projects.

Thames resurrection, is to get this gasser back out and fix 2/3 problems my car build has. It was a fun wheelie machine, but not able to run bracket race reliably.

1) Front Wheels death wobble. (Caster)

1a) Install front std front shocks.

2) Rebuild 4spd - reinstall MT setup.

2a) Auto trans, requires relocating steering box forward, to make room for pedals. Lot of work

Might hit pause on Auto, put lighter clutch in it.

 

It would be cheaper/easier to have a crew to move the car in the lanes! These are some of my Favorites, you have a Beauty.

 

Thanks, having a crew was difficult, trying to get people for a weekend was near impossible. I had a golf cart etc, wife is not mechanically inclined, nor driving, towing anything. I just have to make it user friendly.

 

Do you seriously mean to tell us that you can't find people to help yo Crew that car? What's wrong with people these day's???

 

I’ve been trying to get him to move closer for a long time. I even will supply a shop /a race track in every direction within two hours /a prefect twin brother /Willy’s /kadet/and 57 210 to compliment his 56 wagon ( which is a killer) and let me also throw in decent weather about 7 1/2 months out of the year.
Did I also mention that both the big and little shops are heated and air conditioned.
Crew comes with the gig.
Now. With all of that said my prefect /Willy’s/and Wes s kadet are all glides. Only my 57 is a muncie.
Mike Franks has an open invitation any day we want the track as long as he’s got a heads up and given enough time.
And I get it. Trust me. I ran a FED for several years solo. Remember it was me and my father in law at Beech Bend all those years when everyone else had golf carts/multi crews and spare engines etc. I totally get it. Used to get home and felt like I had worked two weeks. Lol

 

Hydraulic clutch conversion ?

My 68 year old left leg don't move fast enought to cut a good light , so I have been running a powerglide in my old bracket car, currently building a gasser and rather that the glide been pondering installing a line lock in the hydraulic clutch line allowing release of a hydraulic slave using a button .

 

Better than that, I was looking for a driver .. so I could try and tell what was wrong with it. One gal drove it, learned a few things.

It's tight... optimum is about 5'8" - 5'10" for stick with pedals. It's like driving a funny car, can't see shit.

 

Best crew I had was when I blew engine at Meltdown Drags. Had a good group pushing it back out of the way....

Actually got in background of cover photo of a magazine.

 

Let me know if your looking for anything .. Imight have stuff. I know a hyd slave cyl been on the wall for 15yr.

 

I have every good bend shift handle you can imagine....Thames has no room...shift under your right leg. I bought 3x power glides, build one for car, get it 1 level less complicated.

 

Trust me I get it.
And many of the really fast gassers we’re autos. The converters /etc were not as good as today etc.

 

I love a hydraulic clutch, I have one in my Ford. We first used them in stock cars since once in a while the z-bar would come loose on us in a good hit.

 

I have a "little" experience with these. And with bracket racing in general. My son and I each have Anglias.
The belts-and suspenders fix for the death wobble is to first limit the caster to no more than seven degrees. I know more looks cool to some but more exacerbates the wobble situation. FEDs may use more but FEDs are way different from a short wheelbase, high CG gasser.
Second, install a steering damper. I use a Fiero damper on a '33 Willys with seven degrees of caster and have no issues.
I recently installed a VW damper in a '23 T altered roadster and it cured the death wobble there too.

As far as transmission choice, I have two recommendations. If you plan to use the Thames primarily as a bracket racer you will achieve the most success using the ubiquitous Powerglide, with a high stall converter, in the 4000 - 5500 RPM stall speed range. Wheelies are for clowns; automatics win rounds.
If you plan to do a lot of street driving use a three speed automatic. A converter in the 2500 - 3000 RPM stall speed range will work well in the street stoplite-to-stoplite drags and still work well on a sticky drag strip starting line.

My altered roadsters all use Powerglides. My street/strip Willys and Anglias all use 3-speeds.

 

Got one on tierod bar. I'll shoot for 7 deg caster, sitting at about 2deg with shorter front tires. I also need to limit front axle drop with new shocks. I believe that this could be another factor.

Finally, It has a habit of getting to the death wobble on gravel return roads as well. To stop it, drive off into the grass.

 

The car never had the problem with the I Beam axle, only the straight tube axle.

 

Finally, getting over flu... Put car on jack stands, only 35deg F.
Removed friction shocks, going back to std hyd shocks on front axle.
After looking at front axle, going to try to crank some caster out of hair pin adjusters.
The X Spring pivots on bat wings, so my concern of binding cross spring is nill.

 

I built 2x locations for hair pins into chassis when fabricated.

 

A good day, was able to add 3 deg of caster. Significant adj remains. For every 2x turns opposite on batwing is 3 degrees. On Jack stands, started with 7deg unloaded, now have 10deg. 3deg relative change is good. Eng and trans will remove some, want to be in 7-9 range.

2 pics, left and right sides.

 

Shocks arrived....
Key is angle, on driver side, to not interfere with steering bracket.

Making lower brackets.....next.

 

I think you cured your rattle /shimmy between the caster and the shocks.
Remember to Check and make sure the rears aren’t to short. Make ‘em do some weird stuff also. Not the shimmy but the bounce and unload.
Looking nice.

 

Looking for lower shock tabs today.....

Found something close..

 

Cut brackets, need to grind 2in radius.

 

Long block progress. This sbc should work better running on pump gas. Not sure on intake yet. Took a bunch of cam out of it.

NOTE: Comp Cam from 10yr back. 0.495 lift.

 

Looking good. Real good.

 

Decided on the 2V Intake for simplicity and room for Alt.

 

A single plane 2V intake is kinda a rarity. Is that a manifold for some type of limited circle track racing?
My Hot Tub has a 2V intake (disguised as a tri-power) and it runs great.

 

Yes, it is a dirt track intake for 500cfm 4412 holley spec. Unlikely to vapor lock, 2bbl pretty reliable, and I have a few spares.

- NOT Rare, not typically used on street, or drag racing.
- easier to mount Alt.

 

Trans Rebuild begins. 20yr on my shelf, finally. Trans should only needs bearings, been sitting since early 70s.

 

Just saw pic...

I just noticed that Tri Carb Spacer hiding above that 2bbl intake... neat.

 

Shock mounts ready for Welder.