Well, I decided it was time to take some updated pictures of the Henry J. I haven't posted hardly any new pics since it hit the road last year. So I drove it over to where the old "Ace of Diamonds" once resided before it burned to the ground. I took these pics a while ago with intentions of posting them on here, but I'm just now getting to it. These pics are the way it sits now and the way I had it at the Hunnert Car Pile-up. I had redone the lettering about a month before the pile-up. I sanded off the half assed black and white lettering job I had on it before and I redid it all in ivory, orange, and white 1-shot. I reworked the font a little too, so it had sort of a late sixties style. I guess you could say it's kind of like the pschedelic Eelco font. I also got ambitious with striping brush and pinstriped the trunk lid and dash. Also added some 9 fin cal custom valve covers I scored cheap at the Tin Butcher's "Scrap Drive" along with some pie-crust slicks from Hurst. I finished the roll cage. It is a chromoly 6 point and is entirely removable. The front 4 point section is welded solid, however the cross bar pins in and the bars to the rear are sleaved at the hoop. There are bungs welded on the bottom of all the bars where it is bolted up from the bottom to perches on the frame. I've had it in and out several time and it is slick. I tinted the windows amber. I've got sunshine all the time now. Even on an overcast day, it's like a sunset. I got a chance to run it at the drag strip here in town against some of my friends and their hot rods. It ran a 12.87 at 102 mph. and handled like a dream. Also weighed it, It weighs 2,720 lbs. It will get some more attention this winter. In the spring I hope to have it running low 12s and I'd be tickled to break into the 11s. Things to do: I'm workin on a rear bumper, I have to finish the harness setup, swap the 3.89 gear for a 4.11, get the magnesium wheels on it, and possibly build the trans with a trans brake. There's also a ton of trick shit I want to add also.
Ryan,...it was a pleasure lookin at your car in my reaview mirror on the way to this years Pileup. That is one kool gasser! Good luck on it's progression. ..PS,..what was the old racecar you just heard about?
I saw that car at the pile-up, it definatly sounded fast, and looks the part too. That is one fine Henry J!
Nice Gasser. 3 inch pipe rear bumper with threaded caps on the ends would look sweet. did the one on my gasser in stainless, looks killer. Gotta disguise that Hurst 1/4 stick too. Maybe built a nice aluminum box around it similar to the old B&M shifters. Some 4.11 gears with a loose converter should make it jump real good. Loose converter & leave at about 2000-2500 RPM's and you probably won't need a trans brake. My car has a 5000 converter and I leave at 2000 and it pulls the wheels nice for about 50 feet, then again I don't drive it on the street either. Good luck with it.
Hell of a job on the car, particularly for you being kind of a young pup. Good luck on the 11s. It's tough in a real street car. A 150 shot of spray will do it cheap, but a little on the unsightly side with a bunch of solenoids hanging around... Good luck, -Abone.
I would say you hit it period perfect. As for the shifter, Imperial Services is making an awesome repop of the old B&M 60 series shifter, worth looking into. It's an exact recreation of the most famous early race shifter. Your Henry looks great!
Talk about memories, I had a Caddy powered Henry in 1959 and my best time was 12.89 at 113 mph. Fantastic!
I have a 3 1/2 aluminum pipe I got off a job site that I'm trying to use. I can't decide yet if it is too big or not. I'm using 52 pontiac quarter panel reflectors for the end caps. I feel the same about the shifter. When I was puting it together I looked around a lot to find a cool looking one that worked great too, and ended up settling with a quarter stick. I'll look into the B&M shifter, I've still been keeping an eye out for a vintage one. The converter is a Hipster with a 3500 stahl. I have 4 wheel discs, so it will hold to 2400 rpm. I was leaving the line around 2300-2400.
im rather a big fan of the interior too did you post all those pics just to see how much everyone loves your ride? you vein bastard! jk hun.. the car looks cooler every time i see it.. very neat perspectives in the pics!
Hey man I had to check out what you wanted to race against me with here.... damn it makes want a Henry J. I missed out on a local one for $1,500... With a tip on it from my boss's friend who passed it on the way to the shop we dropped everything and took off after it. Just the same by the time I sorted through the guy's bad directions to get there the car was sold already. I don't know about any history but it was an old build and set up much like yours, the worst part is I found out the car got slammed and tubbed.
Like I said, I'd be cool to see them lined up, but you would probably blow my doors off. I'm spicing up the motor a little for the rebuild. Maybe the car will see an 11 number, but my hopes aren't too high.
You never know, the fastest way to the finish is a straight line... I like Henry J's any way but this one is bad ass. Cool car man.
My nephey had one in the 50's he planned on putting in a SBC but got married and that ended the J project. a kid up the street cut off that big bubble top. chopped the windshield and made it into a 2 pass roadster modified the front sheet metal. . lowered it and most people didn't know what it was. and that was 50 years ago.
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