cazalea
[Seiko Moderator]
16111
How to build a Hot Rod engine that will knock their socks off
I know this could easily have been written by Bill our fearless leader, but he's busy with dive watches and ripping up and down the coast on his boat, and he wrote up the story on one of his cars already!
So for newcomers or those who have forgotten, PLEASE LOOK HERE (then come back if you haven't fainted in delight).
(Bill's body-off photo below)
Once you have read about Bill's car you might wonder how in the heck does this happen!
(Hemmings sample engine below)
Promise me you won't leave here and never come back, nor spend all your money on 'Rods rather than Rolexes! But I found an article on Hemmings that reveals how to do it.
FOR EXAMPLE, this is a Chevy small-block with 4 Webers, but as I read today in the article:
" it’s an excellent illustration of ... a“little bit nicer” approach, with 2-percent better here, 5-percent better there…. a lot going on with various textures, finishes, and other details that aren’t immediately apparent."
One detail hiding in plain sight is the accessory drive. “We wanted to use the serpentine setup, but it doesn’t lend to the ’60s look. I wanted to make it blend in so it wouldn’t look out of place, so we painted all the brackets orange to match the engine, but we left the alternator and A/C compressor unpainted.” The unpainted components “feel” right because they are in familiar places with familiar finishes, yet those finishes have been “tuned” as well. The bright polished aluminum pulleys are not a product of the ’60s, but they emulate chrome and don’t seem out of place on a period hot rod engine.
Happy reading, rodders (and wanna-be rodders) this article on Hemmings should suffice to make you want your own engine detail.
Cazalea
(Close-up of Bill's engine)
(Ford Engine below from Hemmings)
How to build a Hot Rod engine that will knock their socks off
I know this could easily have been written by Bill our fearless leader, but he's busy with dive watches and ripping up and down the coast on his boat, and he wrote up the story on one of his cars already! So for newcomers or those who have forgotten, PLEA...
The joy is in turning the wrenches, which in turn bring forth 'life'.
Love the pics and details, you rock! 😎
The best I can say that I have done
is to color-match the cam cover on my Lotus Elan, after the paint job which was more affordable due to the child labor involved ... although I had to put the engine back in after the paint job. Most of my effort was dedicated to getting all the wiring to ...
Of course child labor...
...you need small hands for under-dash wiring. My dad taught me to solder @ 5 years young. Next thing you know I'm building tube amps and.... Cars are cooler, you're a great dad. 😎
I didn't do the painting, it was a pal of mine from work and his daughter
But thank you anyway for the compliments. I too was trained early to do soldering, and I was repairing tube-powered juke boxes in high school and building my own (short-lived) amps just at the time transistors came in. Didn't take long for them to melt do...
Brings back memories of growing up in the era of hot rods and the guys that built them..
Gordie Bonin was from my home town and drove the Pacemaker Bubble Up Funny Car and in a previous life I used to stand at the start line and take pictures.
So you are now hearing impaired?
There was a company located near me called CNC ( nothing to do with computer numerical control ) run by Chuck Neal, and they made all sorts of machined racing gear, esp. brake and clutch cylinders, dune buggy parts, etc. and sponsored a dragster. Their da...
No but I should be. Unbelievably we didn't even wear any hearing protection.
I had to sign a waver to stand there, so I wouldn't sue if I got hit by shrapnel from a blown engine or bell housing.
My favorite big block!
Here's a modern one, which gives you 750 hp for "only" $30 grand and ready for your blue hot rod Or 900-1200 hp if you prefer boost ...
