I think you misunderstood what Squirrel was saying. No sedan deliveries were ever built with a Hydro but since Chevrolet had them listed as trucks NHRA allowed them. I've read that Wayne Jessel is credited with finding this loop hole. Back to the Rose, I was fortunate to get to see the original run at the World Finals in Tulsa. I've seen pictures of your stockers Mike and I'm sure this will be of the same high quality. Hope you can make it to York this year.
The Modified Production cars were a whole different animal. Back in the 70’s when NHRA banned the older cars from stock class, I bought a used up 1955 stocker thinking we were going to race Modified Production or one of the Gas classes. We had a 4-speed 301 Chevy with a set of over ported double humps and something called a Manley 505 cam. We ran low 14’s at our local track. We went to a gas meet somewhere in South Dakota and watched some “real” Modified Production cars run mid 10’s buzzing their motors at what sounded like around 10 grand. After seeing what a real Modified production car looked like we knew the dream was over. All we had was an axle buster. Funny thing is, I don’t think I’ve gotten any smarter since then.
That's pretty close. The displacement/weight classification would vary a bit depending on the year. In 1964 (the MP introductory year) I ran my 56 Chevy 210 Tudor with 301 in C/MP. A heavier car like a convertible would fall into C/MP with a 327.
I'm in WV. Right on the WV/Ohio border where Rt 77 crosses. It is the standard.....worked when pulled. If you are real energetic I know where a rebuild kit is that the guy would let go pretty cheap. It's been a couple years since I've talked to him but he kept on trying to get me to buy it. I didn't buy it as I didn't need it, it was working fine. I have all the linkage outside of I'm re-using the one piece from the pedal up to the lever on the engine. I put new seals in this a few years ago and he helped me put it back together. If interested PM and will try and decide what I want.
guess i should've done a HAMB search first... so I guess the 327 cu. in. version of the TOKYO ROSE wouold technically be classed under M/P. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/modified-production.348502/
Sedan Deliveries were built, titled, and licensed as "trucks". They were not in the passenger car brochures, only in the truck brochure. And, because the Sedan Delivery was a "truck", NHRA allowed the Hydro to be used as the Hydro was an "option" in trucks.. They NEVER came with a Hydro from the factory however. It is also the reason NHRA finally "banned" the Hydro from the Sedan Deliveries around 1970, changed the rules extensively in 1971, and Stock Class was changed forever. However, NHRA has now finally seen the light, and is allowing some of the 50's cars back into stock. In 1971 they adopted the 20 year rule, where no car older than 20 years could compete in Stock. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
This is how it looks today. I’ll finish up some metal work this weekend and will pull the body off one more time. Hope to paint the frame in the next week or two and start final assembly of the chassis. I’ll take a few current pictures this weekend. The headers are Hookers……I had the set of Stahl’s off my old 55 but sold them at a swap meet for $50.00 about 15 years ago…….who knew.
Cut the flange off of the header and added a turn-out. I purchased a 3" 180 for the turn-outs. I think to do it right, I should have got 2 of them but I'm kinda cheap that way. The driver side has a little wooptydoo in it, but I don't think it will be too noticeable with the fender on it. Rolled the fender lip and stretched it 1" to make room for the 30" X 9" tire.
Pulled the body off today. The 57 Olds rear is assembled and ready to go. We’ll be using a Strange spool and 35 spline axles mixed with some Fabcraft parts and a 513 gear. The Fabcraft 57-64 Olds/Pontiac rear end book is the bible if you have one of these rears. Everything you need and more. Like I said earlier, we’ll be bracket racing this car so we’re doing a few things that may be unconventional for a true Jr. Stocker. The original Hurst motor mount came out of a friends Model A this summer when we updated it to a flatty. The cross member was a gift as long as I incorporated it into the 56…free…I had to use it. We also fabbed a mid-plate to stiffen the chassis up a bit and added a driveshaft loop to conform to sanctioning body requirements.
Fabbed a rear shock mount today. The car will be getting a 6-point roll bar and I’ll tie the main hoop supports to this cross member. Had to do something fun, so I painted the headers.
Following your thread here. Don't have a problem with modernized tribute car, but why the roll bar? That thing gonna go 11.40's ?
The roll bar just adds some versatility to what we can do with the car, and I'd rather do it now than later. This is our old H/stocker after the new owner was involved in a top end accident. I think I'm just going to feel safer with a bar in it too.
Thanks for posting the pictures. I'm hoping we can find a better detailed picture of the charactercher of the Rose.
Be sure you use a rear bumper from a sedan/hardtop/convertible, and NOT a wagon/delivery rear bumper. For some reason, that's what was on both versions of Tokyo Rose. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
it seems that flat towing is not a good idea and lots of cars are wrecked. What is the cause of flat towed wrecks?
Modified Production ran under Super Stock body rules. Had to be street legal. Only change could be any engine and multiple carbs,, I ran 11:03 @ 124 mph in E/MP 11.5 pounds per cubic inch w/314 sbc. Requires 552 hp to do those numbers.
Frame is painted….nothing fancy here. A quart of epoxy primer and a gallon of Rustoleum semi-gloss black reduced with about 25% Acetone. Just short of $100.00 for materials….money saved for the shiny side. Also, our NHRA tech rep said the roll bar has to attach to the frame on the tri-fives, so once the body is mounted we’ll need to weld on the frame so the Rustoleum should make for an easy touch up. My take on frames paint…You can’t beat powder coat, higher quality paint may hold up a little better but Rustleum does a pretty good job, is cheap and you can go to any hardware store and pick up a rattle can for touch up. Front suspension is pretty basic Chevy with the addition of Moroso trick springs, ball joint spacers and a set of single adjustable QA1 shocks.
The Jalopy Journal
