Bonneville?

[bob westphal]

I've been tending to estate business so haven't been around for a few weeks. Did anyone make it to Speed week?

[blueskies]

I was there, but I didn't take my Plymouth this year because of the high water. Didn't want to drive the car through the brine... The water was over a foot deep at times, but only for a short distance from the end of the road.

Motored around the salt on my ol Honda instead, hauled the bike down in the back of my '53 chebby truck.

Pete

[james curl]

I was there and met Pete, I did drive my 48 Plymouth and as far as I am conserned I think I have ruined the car. Pulled the flywheel cover and the clutch pressure plate and the flywheel were solid rust. I have washed the underside of the car many times since I got home and each time when it dries there will be white salt all over the frame and bottom side of the car, I put the water hose in one of the holes just in front of the front of the rear spring hanger and let water run through the frame and after it dries you can see salt all along the lap seam on the bottom of the frame.

[blueskies]

I was there and met Pete, I did drive my 48 Plymouth and as far as I am conserned I think I have ruined the car.

James-

You might look into getting some "Salt-Away". Supposed to get rid of the salty residue... I've never tried it myself.

I've had my car on the salt once, but it was dry.

It was hard enough getting the chunks off, I can't imagine what happens when you drive through liquified salt that gets into every possible nook and cranny...

I see no ill effects of driving my car on the salt.

Still, it was cool to meet you and see your car on the salt!

Pete

[james curl]

It was really good to meet you and after I rest awhile I might tackle the chore of removing the front clip and starting over. I now have over 2500.00 dollars in this engine with the dual carbs, the dual exhaust and all of the engine work. Have a friend who bought a 340 MOPAR engine from the machine shop because their client got a divorce and could not retrive it for 1500 dollars, going into what was once a slant six, three speed stick shift Dodge Challenger undergoing a complete clone restoration. Body shell now back on four wheels after about one year of 4 hour days,he is 76 years old, this will be his 6th car since he retired from the Federal Gov.

for Tim, you still have time to restore all of your cars.

[Eric47Dodge]

I ran my D24 at Bonneville quite a lot at World of Speed, which was last month -- a smaller, less crowded version of Speed Week. This was the 4th time we have had it down there. Always gets a lot of attention. This link will get you to a page in the USFRA web site which has some pictures, including one of our car. Car # is 5548 in case you can't pick it out.

http://www.saltflats.com/WOS_07_Photos_2.htm

[Don Coatney]

I ran my D24 at Bonneville quite a lot at World of Speed, which was last month -- a smaller, less crowded version of Speed Week. This was the 4th time we have had it down there. Always gets a lot of attention. This link will get you to a page in the USFRA web site which has some pictures, including one of our car. Car # is 5548 in case you can't pick it out.

http://www.saltflats.com/WOS_07_Photos_2.htm

Eric;

Did you set a record and how fast did you go? Really good to see a 4 door race car on the salt:cool:

[No Bux Rod]

Does anyone know aht the fastest stock bodied Mopar with a Flathead 6 has done a Bonneville? The engine class is XO or XXO and most of these records are 150+/-.

Thanks,

N B R

[Eric47Dodge]

The XO/Production record is 139+. Our car's fastest speed is 92.97. Still working out gear ratios and tires. No real good place to test it in my neighborhood, as it has no mufflers, no back brakes, and takes 2 miles to get up to speed. Lots of XO motors are much larger than the 230 flathead, so we will never set a record with this car, but we shoot for our own record each year. It makes lots of noise, and believe me, when you are driving this car 90 mph on the salt, it seems like 200. We have lots of fun with it and the cost is much less than a lot of race teams spend.

[eric wissing]

Eric, That looks like a lot of fun. Maybe you have posted it before but what are the engine mods if any on the car? Is the interior gutted? Eric

[Eric47Dodge]

Interior is gutted, with a full roll cage and simple halon fire system. Electrical system runs through two circuits: ignition and everything else. Engine is pretty fresh, so its only mods are two Holley 94 carbs, headers, and a high energy ignition system I bought from Tom Langdon. Car runs on 12 volts, with no generator and a 1700 dry cell battery in trunk. Battery holds lots of juice to run at Bonneville for a week without a re-charge. Car has a little aluminum radiator from Summit, and no fan. Will only idle for 7 minutes without overheating. We're about at top speed for power available, so thinking of internal mods. Easiest one that comes to mind is increase of compression; then increasing breathing efficiency. Due to rule changes by SCTA for 2008, I need to change driver's seat and do a little mod to roll cage this winter; so getting internal engine mods done will depend upon time available. Would like to take this car to 100, though, so considering options.

[greg g]

What RPM is the car running when it hits the ceiling speed wise. Lookslike you picked up about 6 MPH, from last time you ran. there should be 4 or 5 in there somewhere. I think compression and a cam will wake it up to take advantage of the increased carburation. What do you run for air intake/filter.

The calculator says with 3.23 rear, 1 to 1 trans, 28.3 in diameter tire says it wil take 3840 rpm to get 100MPH.

[PatS....]

I was there and met Pete, I did drive my 48 Plymouth and as far as I am conserned I think I have ruined the car. Pulled the flywheel cover and the clutch pressure plate and the flywheel were solid rust. I have washed the underside of the car many times since I got home and each time when it dries there will be white salt all over the frame and bottom side of the car, I put the water hose in one of the holes just in front of the front of the rear spring hanger and let water run through the frame and after it dries you can see salt all along the lap seam on the bottom of the frame.

James, how about putting the grass sprinkler underneath in a few different spots and just let it go for half an hour in each spot?

[Jeff Ivan]

James, you could also drive it slowly thru a fresh water creek crossing:) . Here in PA we get lots of road salt on our vehicles. Our private road floods out occasionally from run-off and melting snow. I make sure I really splash thru and make a wake sometimes, sounds stupid but it DOES wash off the salt in all the hidden undercarriage spots. Muddy water silt is better than salt for sure. Of course you would have to drive slowly, our 4x4's are pretty waterproof.

[Eric47Dodge]

Car is running right at 4000 in high gear now -- I think so anyway, as my tach is bouncing around a little when running flat out, and you really need to focus on the track to keep it from getting sideways. I usually run it to about 4200 in 1st and 2nd. In high gear, it won't pull tires quite as tall as your calculations for 100 mph. With more power maybe. I tried a couple sets this year. Had better results with a shorter set that came on my Z28 Camaro. Of course they are way too wide for best results on salt, but just really trying to get diameters worked out, as this is the 3d gear ratio we have tried. Seem to be pretty close for this car now. A while back you posted a photo of combustion chambers on a high-compression head for this motor. Do you still have that? I can't locate it. I have a friend with a machine shop, and want him to take a look at photo. Thanks, Eric

[greg g]

I'll get you some fresh pics in the morning. Could also send you a modeling clay impression. Or I have some old candles I could put in a spark plug, spray a cc with some pam and fill it with wax. If you friend has cad capability he could then dump the dimensions into his mackine.

Also I noticed it appears that your exhaust dumps right at the front fender. I wonder if a bit of back pressure from longer pipes, maybe exiting in front of the rear wheels might be beneficial. Just out of curiosity, what do you run for tires? Any thing mandated for safety. or just speed rated street tires??

[bob westphal]

Eric,

Great pics!! It's great to see old flatheads running on the salt. May the force be with you!! That guy on the Kart looks like he had a great time.