Hemi Coupe: 1931 Plymouth Hot Rod project

[Hemi Joel]

After more than 5 years since i Started the project, I finally made it to the track. Thanks to Kevin and Jeff for all the help! I made 3 passes, none of them were full clean runs. There are issues to work out, but nothing really bad. I couldn't get the T56 Magnum to shift clean under power, there is a mystery oil leak to find and fix, and the Nut behind the wheel needs dialing in. But I'm satisfied. Nothing blew up, I didn't crash, and I have a to-do list.

I am going to remove some counterweight from the clutch and see if that helps it shift.

I was trying to use my GoPro as a data logger, filming all the gauges. For some reason, it didn't record the Innovate MTX-l a/f gauges well. It just showed a lot of flashing. Maybe the shutter speed of the camera aligns with the digital gauge in a bad way?

There sure is lot's of work yet to do before drag week, I need to get busy.

[JERICOGTX]

So happy to see the car at the track. It sounds really wicked. Will only get faster with seat time.

[Hemi Joel]

We made it to Drag Week, and finished with no serious problems! Of course there was a huge last minute thrash to get ready that is now just a blur. Since the coupe was no where near being adequately sorted out, I said that DW 2018 would just be a test and tune, and develop a to-list. But in my heart, being competitive, I really wanted to win and have everybody carry me around on their shoulder and sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" while the confetti falls. But I had to settle for 4th place in the Hot Rod class because 3 awesome cars and drivers cars were consistently faster than me. But I'm still happy the way it turned out. The whole time, we had the hurricane looming, threatening to strand us and blow us away and drown us. But we dodged that bullet, barely.

We got to Atlanta Dragwway friday and did some test and tune friday night and sat before drag week. But right away friday when we got there we had to change rear end gears. The car had 3.70 in it, and I wanted 4.57.





Brain Kohlman, with the Nitro Coupe pitted by us on friday night- sunday.



Squirrel show up to:



Sunday we got checked in early, we were 12th in line out of 375. Made some test passes,

Moday morning we left the trailer behind and went to the pits and got ready, and to the drivers meeting.



Then made 2 passes at atlanta.
Here is the better of the 2:

https://youtu.be/MJ1PFO89740

https://youtu.be/1UmNHffaj5I?t=4h9m12s

Then we packed up to leave;





It started raining just as we left the track, and rained on and off during the drive:

[DanStokes]

SO COOL! Love the car and the adventure. For a basically unsorted car ya done good!

Dan

[silver_bullet]

[Russell]

Loved seeing the car at DW.

[Hemi Joel]

Thanks for the nice comments, guys. I'll try to get some more stuff on here as time permits. Here is a fun time lapse video of the gear swap when we got to Atlanta Dragway friday night before drag week:

https://youtu.be/OgPHw3CgeTg

[Hemi Joel]

Hopefully this winter I'll get the Hemi onto the Dyno with 8 02 sensors and really get it optimized. Probably try the dual quad again too. Just to see what I'm giving up with the X3 8 carb. Maybe test major changes in lash to see if it might like a bigger or smaller cam. Any suggestions on what to experiment with?

[Hemi Joel]

With the 8 carb X3, it is a cross ram with a separate left and right plenum. Each 2 bbl carb sits right over the top of a port. I'm not sure, but it would seem that the a/f ratio of each cylinder would be most affected by the carb that is above that cylinders port. The carbs have aftermarket adjustable main jets, with a needle valve extending partly into each jet. So the point of the 8 O2 sensor test would be to equalize the a/f ratio of each cylinder, then dial in the most powerful overall ratio. THen when tuning for weather changes, turn each needle exactly the same. In this pic you can see the needle valves.

[Hemi Joel]

Getting back to the story, on Sunday tech day, and Monday the first day of competition there was a lot going on.

These fellas had destroyed their Camaros turbo’ed LS motor, and were changing it out for a hastily sourced junkyard motor in the pits: Even if you hate LS motors, you have to give them credit for resourcefulness and persistence!



Drag Week draws a good crowd. The spectators are free to roam everywhere, that make it fun.


Mike Finnegan was there with his gen 2 Hemi powered, stick shifted 55 chevy gasser, and the raodkill ramp truck with a 700 horse compound turbo Cummings swapped in. How can you not love a guy who puts mopars best motivators into chevies? 9.39 at 147 was his opening shot on Monday.






In the A Gas class, Finnegans rival for the #1 position was also a Hemi powered brand x, Jarrad Scotts 62 Ranchero. He laid down a 9.07 at 155 on Monday. Where else but Drag Week?



Nick Plewniac brought his extra awesome “Dirty Thirty” 1930 Plymouth. I had to get a picture with his 30 and my 31 together. Even though they are 2 different years, Plymouth made midyear changes to the models, so they are the same model. Nicks Plymouth runs leaf springs and caltracks, running in the Super Street Big Block power adder class. He ran a best of 8.35 at 166 before he DNF'ed

[SuperBuickGuy]

coolness.

[silver_bullet]

Epic!