HalfdollarMayflower

I guess you've tried Lebaron Bonney and SMS Auto Fabrics...will look and see what I can come up with, although I've had good luck with those two suppliers. What color/fabric are you looking for and how much do you need? Gary

Can somebody post a pic of the left (drivers) sway eliminator bracket (the steel straps that hold the inner bushings & bolt to the frame horns)? I picked up a sway bar today off a P18 Suburban and tweaked the drivers side bracket in the process...need to see if the P15/D24 brackets are the same. Thanks!

Hmm...my 1950 MoPar passenger car parts list shows; P19/20, D33/34 Intake 868886 P19/20, D33/34 Exhaust 954302 Edit: p/n 868886 is the same part as 1109911 - 42-53 Ply/Dodge

Thanks again Don...spoke with Mr. Asche tonight, he says that all flathead gaskets he's come across measure about 1/16. Additionally, he says these iron heads can be milled up to 0.125" with no valve intereference, provided a stock lift cam is used. Deck is safe to mill at least 0.020", although he mentioned that famed modified/stock car driver Cotton Owens told him he went as much as 0.040". George seemed a little concerned about cutting into the valve seats that far, as he's never decked a block other than to freshen the surface...any thoughts on this? CC'd my head tonight...comes in at 85cc's, so it's bone stock-untouched. I estimate that milling 0.060" off the head will reduce the chamber size by approx. 12.5-13 cc. Milling 0.050" should reduce the chamber volume by 10 cc...maybe someone will find that info useful. I'm going to try to cc my old head gasket tomorrow...might be useful helping to calculate static compression ratio. It measures in at 0.070" in thickness, manufactuer unknown.

Thanks Don...what brand & part number is on the gasket?

Somebody's gotta know the compressed gasket thickness...Fel-Pro p/n 7564C, Victor p/n 1059. Can't find it on the web, parts manual or Fel-Pro's website....

All, Been a while since I've had a chance to post (medical issues, but that's a different story)...I'm in the final planning stages for a rebuild & need some measurements to help me decide what I want to do. Motor is a 1950 P20 code (218), stock bore & stroke, never been touched as far as I can tell. She will be getting a .020 overbore and I'd like to have the block decked & cylinder head milled. With a straightedge and feeler gauge, I have calculated that the deck clearance is 0.016" (piston sits 0.016" in the hole at TDC). This is contrary to a post stating that another (early) 218 had a deck clearance of 3/32", but the decks might have gotten shorter over the years...who knows! Cylinder head is stock - I've read somewhere around 85cc and stock static compression ratio for this engine is 7.0:1. By my calculations, decking the block 0.030" will make the piston stand proud of the block by 0.014" (.016 - .030 = -.014). Decking the block in this manner has obvious advantages; it will bump the compression ratio slightly by reducing the 'quench' or 'squish' area and create more turbulence in the combustion chamber (so I have read), all of which leads to increased power! I'd also like to mill the head somewhere around 0.050" to 0.060", but need a couple specs before I can get everything nailed down. First, does anyone know the compressed thickness (or thicknesses) of head gaskets for these motors? I have heard 0.065, but surely someone knows for sure...this measurement is critical in determining my quench distance and static compression ratio. Second, for you guys who have milled heads, do you have cc measurements of your combustion chambers after milling? Using some of the more refined compression ratio calculators on the net, I come up with a chamber volume of 85cc stock and approx. 75cc with 0.050" milled off...does this seem close? Thanks! Gary

Don, what's that funny white stuff yer standin' on? We don't see that stuff 'round these here parts. Gotta agree with Tim, I LOVE the south (born & raised) in the winter...high 30's in the morning/evenings and upper 50's in the daytime...its glorious! Plus, there's lots of times we get to wear shorts for Christmas & New Years, at least that's how it is in East & Southeast Texas. In my 29 years growing up & living in the Houston area (I'm a few hundred miles north of there now), I only saw snow one time...just a few flurries. Six months after moving, we came home for Christmas (2004) and got 6" of snow in the Houston area on Christmas eve. Never thought I'd ever see a white Christmas in Southeast Texas!

prototype slant flathead six?

Yes, you can run without the bypass. Bypass was a standard feature on Special Deluxes until 1951 when the internal bypass ports were added to the blocks. Prior to 1951, Deluxe models did not typically use a bypass. A simple bypass on a non-bypass engine is easily engineered by drilling two or three 1/8" holes in the thermostat. This not only 'burps' the cooling system, it also allows a small amount of coolant to flow thru the system, thus eliminating 'hot spots' and reducing the liklihood of pump cavitation. I believe its an old racer's trick on SBC's.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! Here's what mine looks like...I'm afraid its too far gone.

Hang in there pard! Here's to a speedy recovery and many years of crusin'! Let the low side drag! Gary

Anybody got a non-bypass (straight) thermostat housing? I've done a search, but haven't found anything, nor an aftermarket supplier. Mine is rusted thru in a couple places. I've got one with a slight 'bend', but I really need one that's straight. Thanks, Gary

fo shizzle!

I wouldn't use Stockton if they were the last wheel company around. Do an internet search about their customer service...lost wheels, incorrect backspacing, long waits, etc.

I'd second the ebay nomination. Got my 1950 Texas plates in near mint condition for 35 bucks on the 'bay. Swap meet rats wanted $50-75 for downright nasty '50 plates. I should note, however, that I called my DMV before the purchase to ensure that the plate would be acceptible. Some states do funky things like require an alpha character whereas 60 years ago the plates might have been all numeric. Gary

Had a good visit with David after his Sunday morning session...it turns out that he built the car & uses it primarily for road racing. He says he set the car up based on photos of similar cars that ran at Darlington back in the early 60's...lots of negative camber on the right, lots of positive camber on the left. It was also interesting to note the evolution of the stock car from the early 50's through the late 60's. The Johnny Mantz Plymouth that won the inaugural Southern 500 was bought off a dealer lot and the only things changed were the spark plugs, oil, and performance piston rings! By the late 50's, the cars were getting closer and closer to purpose-built race cars with highly adjustible suspension components, full-bore engines, and stripped down bodies/interiors.

David Strachan brought his '62 Wynns Ford out and turned some hot laps (38.68 seconds!). He went home with a 'Darlington stripe' to prove it!

Flew into Charlotte last Wednesday for a little father-son trip with the old man...had a wonderful time touring some of the NASCAR Sprint Cup racing shops. Drove down to Darlington, SC last Friday and to attend Darlington Raceway's 2nd annual historic racing festival. Got a chance to listen to racing legends Cale Yarborough, Bud Moore, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, and Johnny Rutherford. Also had a nice visit with '61 Daytona winner Marvin Panch. Plenty of cool cars and lots of good times shooting the bull with the drivers and watching the cars give the 'lady in black' a good run. If you ever have an opportunity to attend, do so...it was the best two days and $25 I ever spent!

Michael, Follow this LINK Scroll down about 2/3 of the way down the page or use the drop down menu in the upper right. Its all there.

154 posts in a month!?!?! I've barely got that many in 2 years. That must be a record!

Looks good, but I can't make sense of what you're asking.

^^That looks awesome! How long have you had it painted up that way?