Build Thread : The Bonneville experiment.....

[Merle Coggins]

Looks kind of tight if you ever have to remove a valve cover. Otherwise it's lookin' good. How much time left until Speed Week?

Merle

[48Dodger]

Thanks guys. I made the floor board a little tight so I could "play" with the distributor hump, etc. Now that the hump is tack welded, I'm trimming back the floor board. I'll take a better picture. I'm bending the bars for the rollcage and trying like heck to hide'em without giving up safety. I want to maintain as much of the orginal look...from the outside anyway.

48D

[blohmiller]

Bud,

If he had a spare 318/727 laying around I would have got it from him back at the BBQ actually I would like to have a 360/727 combo more. I think he has just about every thing else but that around there.

Bryan

[buds truck]

I could live with the 360/727, but could also live with a 440/727 Bud

[blohmiller]

I do have a line on a 383 /manual for free not sure how much work it will need to make runnable that's why I'm a little hesitant on it

Bryan

[48Dodger]

440's are more common than 383's and cheaper to build. 440: cheaper to build/more Hp....go figure. I'm borrowing my 360 circle track race motor for the Bonneville run. In the Street Stock Division (circle track), I can't use a bigger motor than 360, which is why I have it in the first place and not a big block. Of course its a 408 stroker which is a completely different story. lol. In the Bonneville race I'll be in the "B" class engine, which is 400 ci.+ and "PP" for production pick-up 1946 and up. The guy who holds the record in B/PP ran it at 194 mph!!!! Really....just want to have fun....lol. if I break 100 mph I'll consider it a victory.

The mock up motor you see in the pictures is a 68 318 with 80,000 miles. I know, cuz I bought the whole car from a friend of mine, the original owner. The car was in a wreck so I cut it up for parts. I'll be putting a spare set of race heads on it with a nice cam as well. Nothing wrong with the 318/360 heads combo....saves money too. The engine will reside in the 50' when its not using the expensive motor to run fast.

48D

[48Dodger]

I had to get to the bottom of the cab with the Sandblaster, so I welded some tabs to the side, drilled a couple holes and used some spring clips. Still got welding to do but by tomorrow the bottom will be all sealed up. During the process of sand blasting, I uncovered pin hole rust at that bottom of the passenger door. Other than that, just a bunch of scale rust.

48D

[Shifty Trick]

I've been enjoying watching the progess as you post ,looks great .

Can you post a pic of the sandblaster you are using ? I want to buy one and want something that's adequate , that won't take a week to blast a cab ,but not spend a lot more than I need to.

Xris

[48Dodger]

Here's a pretty good thread concerning sand blasting and related ways of removing rust. I posted my "rig" of stuff on that thread. Thanks for the kind words and good luck with your cab.

48D

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=13161

[Shifty Trick]

Thanks for the link.

Xris

[48Dodger]

I sandblasted the bottom side of the cab, shot it with "Rust Out", blasted it again, then sealed it with Rustoleums "Rusty Metal Primer". Of course there was some discover on the passenger side door. Rust through and pin holes. Probably gonna fill'em up with long hair fiberglass. If it becomes a bigger problem I'll cut the bottom and patch some metal in. My time is getting short, so I have to pick my battles. lol. I'll be filling some seams with fiberglass and finishing the rest with seam sealer. All this to keep the salt at bay. Then I'll I'll paint the bottom with a light gray enamel. Why? Well, in racing, when everything counts on you finding "it" before it breaks, light gray works better. You can see leaking problems etc....better than if everything was painted black.

48D

[blohmiller]

48D

on the Volari front end do you have temp-let's to cut the steel for boxing the frame around the front end?

Bryan

[48Dodger]

Yep.

They are cut to the demensions related to where I put the frame jig. They'd easily be adjusted for any new project of course.

These 3 pictures show the drivers side cut out with a bend I put in for the steering box. The steel is a 3/16 PG+E Panel I got for free. I welded up the bolt holes before welding it to the frame. I'll have to find pictures of it finished.

48D

[blohmiller]

Or I'll be by next fri and get a closer look at it then

Bryan

Edited August 19, 2009 by blohmiller

[48Dodger]

Well.....I did what I could with the time I had and funds I had...but, I won't be racing this year at Bonneville. I've learned a lot about the sport and have met a few people who are sucessful in thier classes. More important is I haven't given up on the project, but I have been experiencing a certian amount of disappointment. I'll be at the World Of Speed as a fan, not a driver, learn a few more things about the "race community" and enjoy the fact I'll be there next year. I'll still post the progress and try and catch up on some other projects that got sidelined, lol.

48D

[buds truck]

Tim, its ok. You did great. My 49 Plymouth project was supposed to be done in a year........... only took 13. LOL. You got a lot done and you did good work. Next year you will "get er done". Maybe this way some of us can save up and actually get down there to cheer you on. I have loved following this thread. Don't stop updating us. Bud

[Don Coatney]

Tim;

Next year works for me as I might be able to join your pit crew. I am getting good at 13 minute tire changes:D I also have a good knife to strip the tread from your tires making them high speed tires same as Burt Monro did. However this might take 13 days:rolleyes:

Your truck looks great and I do hope to see it up close and personal some day.

[48Dodger]

Thanks for cheering me up guys. If waiting another year means seeing a few more members make out to the race, that's alright by me. The more the merrier. Don, if you can shave it down to 12m 30s, your in! lol. I'm sure after I come back from the races, I'll be full of re-newed enthusiasm. It'll get done, and when it does, who knows where I'll race it first......

48D

[coW52Dodge]

That's an incredible project. You have mad skills and it is looking great.

Don't beat yourself up over not making your time line - we've all been there.

For instance, I have a VW bug in the garage that I gave myself one year to do a full body off restore on. That was five years ago but it is finally getting there.

When you do race, please post some video here. We would all love to see what a fast PH looks like, no doubt.

[msjenkins]

I'm just over 14 years on mine truck and I'm still not done.

I've wanted to get it done for Hot August Nights for the last two years (and counting). Your making exceptional progress, can't wait till next year's BBQ to see it. I'm sure I'll have mine finished by then

[48Dodger]

I guess things happen for a reason. If I had finished my truck, I would have been to sick to race it ! lol. I got the flu last week and have had a terrible time. 9/15 was tech day and 9/16 the first day of the event. Well...on the the 12th I was thinking I would be to sick even to make the trip to be a spectator. But as 9/15 rolled around I decided to suck it up and make the 9 to 10 hour drive. I left at 11pm Tuesday night and made it there by 9 am. The weather had pushed everything back. The rain soaked salt was off limits til Thursday. So the main road in (it's about 3 miles towards the center of the lake bed and deadends there) was packed with parked racers and fans. They tech'd the race vehicles that day and had inadvertently created a "car show" atmosphere. I met a bunch of great people and learn a lot about the race itself. I can't tell you how friendly everyone was, not one person was to busy to talk about their ride or their experiences. I only met one person who was driving a truck like mine to get into the 130 club, but his chances didn't look to good and I think he knew it. His knowledge of racing was very limited, was there to have fun and promote his website. I fell in love with the 33 Plymouth. It has a 392 Hemi, and a great trailer. lol. This is his second try at the 130 club. Unfortunately I was to sick to stay, and it may have been til Friday before anyone could take a stab at racing. I hung out with some great biker dudes from Kansas who are race fans, a man from Virginia hoping to see an Austin Healey a friend buildt, some Michigan boys who didn't finish the VW they wanted to race, and a few Mopar fans who say they'll be looking for me next year. In all, it was worth the extra cold medicine I took to get there. lol. Here's a few pictures from the trip, and I'll start posting more pictures from the build soon.

48D

You can see how wet the track was. Note cones marking the direction of the course

This guy wanted to put a hemi in the pontiac, but it wouldn't fit. The graffic went on before the hemi problem...lol.

Edited September 18, 2009 by 48dodger

[carl b51]

48D Sorry you were sick and like you have heard a lot there is next year .

Your right the plymouth looked Great. Keep us updated and good luck! Carl

[buds truck]

Glad you are feeling better. You are more of a man than me, I would have been under the covers whimpering......... not that it would have done any good.

[Frank Elder]

Glad you are feeling better. You are more of a man than me, I would have been under the covers whimpering......... not that it would have done any good.

My Esmey always tells me to take it like a man, go to the corner and cry like a man, boo hoo, she is a little stronger than most guys can take...Hope you feel better soon Dodger!

[48Dodger]

Ok....gettin back on the project! The firewall is done and the rear end is figured out. I fabbed a Thunderbird IRS mounting system for Bryan's 48 dodge and was convinced this the best thing for my truck too. I'm racing on a natrual terrian and the Independent Rear Suspension will keep the tires on the road. The truck needs to be evenly wieghted. The wieght of the cross member and IRS will do this.

I'm looking to make this a fun deal and want to invite club members to show up. If we can set up camp with a few original trucks and the racin' truck, we could have a great time.....just a thought.

48D

http://www.saltflats.com/

Plus the thread I started on the Landracing.com:

http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,7882.0.html