saving a baby elephant

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

Me?, I'd get a SBC one... If you are awaaaay from home... What do you do? .. The old one'd be hard to find, maybe?
Plus the SBC one will keep em guessing...

parts availability is a big bonus!

How did I miss this thread, its a win all the way around.

Whatever gets it closer to done, its a hot rod.

I always like it when folks go for more 'sculpted' motormounts. Muchos bonuspoints for that!

Thanks It's one of those things that many people won't notice, but........

Do you think the chassis is strong enough just after the Z right below the firewall?
My gut says I would extend Z a bit further to the front of the car for more rigidity and less flex.

I do have some concern. I didn't build the chassis, the guy who built it has done several. it does have plate a reinforcement at the joint. That said, I will be adding some sort of gussets or reinforcements there

About the waterpump, I would be hesitant to 'cheap out' and mount Chevy-parts awell. But then again, weightsavings is also all about hotrodding and you could paint aluminium to look like cast iron. You could also install the alt/generator near/above the waterpump to block it from sight a bit more perhaps.

We won't spill the beans and tell it's there to the HAMB uptighties...

Oh yes, If I go the conversion route, I will paint the aluminum. This is not going to be sporting any "polished billet". I am trying to stay as "classic hotrod" as practical.


Thanks for the thoughts, keep em coming.

[BigBlockMopar]

I always like it when folks go for more 'sculpted' motormounts. Muchos bonuspoints for that!

Do you think the chassis is strong enough just after the Z right below the firewall?
My gut says I would extend Z a bit further to the front of the car for more rigidity and less flex.

About the waterpump, I would be hesitant to 'cheap out' and mount Chevy-parts awell. But then again, weightsavings is also all about hotrodding and you could paint aluminium to look like cast iron. You could also install the alt/generator near/above the waterpump to block it from sight a bit more perhaps.

We won't spill the beans and tell it's there to the HAMB uptighties...

[Bob Holmes]

How did I miss this thread, its a win all the way around.

Whatever gets it closer to done, its a hot rod.

[Deaf Bob]

Me?, I'd get a SBC one... If you are awaaaay from home... What do you do? .. The old one'd be hard to find, maybe?
Plus the SBC one will keep em guessing...

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

Ok I haven't accomplished much here, except motor mounts. It is time to complete this engine.

My brain is conflicted, I can save almost 50 pounds and a few inches of length by losing the cast iron front cover and water pump. (I can install an aluminum cover that adapts to the easy to find sbc water pump.) On paper it's all win, but in my gut, it feels like a sell out. I'm trying to make it look like it was built in the 60's, actually work on the street, and be reliable.
I'm afraid that I might have visited "THE HAMB" one too many times. Heck those uptight SOB's would probably ban me for having an aluminum trans adapter. LOL

What say you? SBC pump or rebuild oem iron one?

[Mater]

that cleaned up nicely

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

Not a lot of progress here in the grand scheme, but I did get some Hemi goodness back from the machine shop last week.

this is one of the sleeved holes - the hole is gone yeah!


A head job is always a good thing!


and I did get started on the engine mounts, now that the block is home I can start the top pieces.

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

No road racin' just parts that I picked up. If I don't like it I'll order one in steel. They are not cheap, bur I can get one.

The wagon never did run properly. My orig heads were cracked and a former coworker had a set of small combustion chamber heads he built and ported and"ran for 1 summer" (dude builds sprint car motors for his son). I bought them and didn't disassemble them before installing them. DUMB DUMB DUMB. They had an exhaust valve hanging and 2 intakes that didn't seal. It has maybe 150 miles on it since I put it all together. It's just been sitting, and in the way. Time to fix it and drive it, or send it down the road.


I guess I should dig that thread up and post up some more fail...I was just being cheap and lazy, I know better than to trust a used part.

Funny u mention about the beams. I have a w 8-18 26'L in my driveway since last spring.........seemed like a good plan "in the moment".

[milner351]

'Lumnum flywheel? you gonna road race this coupe when yer dun?

Sorry to hear about the boat - and what's up with the wagon - long time since we met up in Indy - nope I still haven't done a derned thing with all those I beams!

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

OK I just heard from the machine shop, the crank is ready. Std on the rods and .001 on the mains ;-). The block is still not bored, but will be soon.

I knew I didn't want to cut that crank. It is time to start locating the goodies I have "squirreled away"......

He also has the heads for my cursed wagon ready.......


Here is the trans adapter and ALUMINUM flywheel. I have the distributor somewhere I converted it to electronic already.

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

Great to hear from you again - this is going into the uber cool old coupe you saved - right?

Been out on the boat yet this year?

YUP same old pile sitting in the corner...with a few parts collected it's time to dig it out.

Ah the boat(sigh) The motor ate itself last year. Wife is back in school and working full time, so decided on a year off for the ol' Daytona.
I'm hoping to add a s/c this winter - (DON'T TELL MY WIFE!!!)LOL

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

thanks guys!

I considered the offset crank turn until I realized that the crank only needed to be polished!!!
A blower would be nice, but I'll save that for a 392, since those parts are possible to get.
It will be going into a 47 Dodge cab based old styled hot rod. It came with the hemi and that is where the ol' Desoto mill will start out to see how I like the combo. I really REALLY like this thing being all Chrysler. It's why I bought it.

[milner351]

Great to hear from you again - this is going into the uber cool old coupe you saved - right?

Been out on the boat yet this year?

[BigBlockMopar]

Nice build!

I dragged home a 392 years ago with a spun rodbearing.
After opening it up it was sludge city in there.
I had the block machined .020 and bought some Egge pistons for it. Engine is still in the stand waiting for the heads to be rebuild aswell.

[ls7gto]

thanks for saving the native wildlife....whats the intended use? Street Rod, old school digger , or just a bitchen Hot rod?