Don and Peter's Hot Rod Corner

[MountainDon]

The first series was simply a carry over of the early fifties. I guess if they were thinking like they do today the new body style introduced sometime in '55 would have been called a '56, or even a '57, it was so far in the future as far as looks.    :-/

The new style were fancied up a lot compared to the old style / first series.

I recall the old wrap around windshields were also known as the knee busters.    Not too bad on those mid 50's trucks but when they became more wrap around, '59 or so, they could be awkward.

[glenn kangiser]

Random internet pix, Peter.  I don't remember if I have one in my junk pile or not. :-/

Just funnin you Peter.  I really don't have one.

I have a few very old 37 to 40 something junkers -- 76 Union truck with the big steel block letters on the tank.

[MountainDon]

Bush Hog is here.  Not too much evidence to show that it was hit by a out of control 18 wheeler.

Glenn, I've been remiss in asking just what happened. Interesting story?

Met a guy here in NM with one of these. Said he loved it; better than any four wheeler ATV he ever had. Plus it had a seat for his Golden Lab. Dump box too.

[glenn kangiser]

Sorry I missed this one, Don.  It showed as read but I didn't. :-/

Mike displays a couple of these in front of his shop along a state highway.  A truck driver for a major supermarket chain went to sleep and ran off the road taking out about 6 of his employee vehicles and this Bush Hog and ending up in the yard next door narrowly missing a power pole also.  

Since it could no longer be sold as new but was still in pretty decent shape I made a deal with him on his house project.  He gets a bunch of work and I get a Bush Hog.

On other news, the transmission - a 727 went out - specifically - the torque converter trashed itself.  Flew into a million little metal pieces -- since it was a slow partial failure it was pretty hard to diagnose, however after checking a few things and it locking into reverse and killing the engine we decided it had to be the TC.  We were right.

The local mountain transmission guy is a real pro fortuneately, so since we pulled it out he rebuilt it for $808 including a rebuilt torque converter.  Luckily this one is a cheap one to rebuild.  We should have it going some time this week.  

I think the new Platinum plugs and wires got it running so much better that the trans couldn't stand the strain-- engine will still need more work later but it's coming along.

[MountainDon]

I knew that eventually you'd get around to this.  

I sometimes have the opposite happen; have something marked to be notified of replies, get an email, and find nothing new.  :-/ Go figure.

Too bad about the 727. They are pretty tough but anything can happen. I remember way back it was the tranny of choice when the slingshot dragster guys first tried using an A/T gearbox with a clutch in place of the torque converter. They used a P/S pump to pump the oil around. A friend had one set up with pushbuttons from a '57 Plymouth Fury.

I believe I have an axle bearing going out on the Cherokee front. Got noisier and noisier coming home tonight. Non-replaceable bearing; it comes with the axle half shaft.  :'(  That and I need new tires soon.

[glenn kangiser]

It was slightly burned when I got it - Aparrently a bit low too but I don't think that tore up the converter.

Same trans upgraded a bit behind the Cummins diesel.  When I worked for Dodge they published a booklet telling you how to soup up the 727 - solid shift etc.  The SunCoast or other valve bodies take care of that quite well though.  It is one of the best automatics I think.

I changed the front u-joint on the back drive shaft. before the trans went out too- but that was cheap.

[glenn kangiser]

I could have gotten a used one pretty easy but for the price I figured it was money well spent to know I wouldn't have to worry about that part of it any more.  Output shaft would have likely been wrong too.  Seems it changed from the inside?

I have overhauled a few myself in the old days but didn't really want to mess with it for the time it would take me when there was a good trans mechanic around.  

[MountainDon]

Peter, I do like some of the old Studes.  

Yours like this one?  :-/  Sorta. This one's been modified a little.  



I must admit tho' that I like the '53-'54's styling better



Outside of a Studebaker lovers meet about the only place you see them is at Bonneville.

[glenn kangiser]

I like Studes - Sassy doesn't.

I like the one with the round grill.



http://info.detnews.com/joyrides/story/index.cfm?id=388

[glenn kangiser]

We used to have a 37 Chevy coupe - suicide doors if I remember right.  My cousin got it -then who knows.  Wish I had it.  It was original and very nice.

[MountainDon]

I need you western dudes to be finding these things for me!

Problem is a lot of the oldies here are in hidden places and some of the current owners seem to think they're made of gold, not steel.

There's also the problem of vandalism, target shooting and so on that reduce many I have seen to little more than nostalgic heaps of metal.

Then to add insult to injury things like encroaching civilization, housing slowly expand and make the land where the carcasses have been collected more valuable for subdivisions. We had a junk yard collection go to the car crusher here about a year or so ago. It was a small yard and was crammed full of mostly 40's and 50's trucks, but there were a few older ones too. There were a couple late 30's Reo Speedwagons I was crazy about, but in no position to do anything about. A friend got a real deal on a Jeep FC. (picture is Not his)

[MountainDon]

I like Studes - Sassy doesn't.

The Raymond Loewy / Virgil Exner designs were mostly truly cool. Exner worked for Loewy for a while and Loewy got most of the credit for Exners work. Exner also did the Forward Look styling for CVhrysler 50's to 60's..

The '50 Studebaker lineup was the best selling in Studebaker's entire history.

[MountainDon]

Took me a while to find this picture. A hot rodded street/show Jeep is rather rare. FC-150



Chevy V8

[MountainDon]

Peter, have you ever heard of Skinned Knuckles magazine. For restorers.

http://skinnedknuckles.net/pages/index.htm

[MountainDon]

Peter, here ya' go. '36 Pontiac coupe. I'd say nearly anything in the 36-37 years is so cool and sorta sexy looking...



... and one for Glenn, scale Kenworth W900 series (70's?)...



This has got to be one of the most radical custom VW



... the only rear shot of the VW...

[glenn kangiser]

Cool stuff Don.  Looks like my KW had a baby.

[MountainDon]

Yeah I like that one! Years ago I read an article in some magazine about an engineer who retired from life long work at Kenworth. He was so well liked a bunch of the fabrication workforce volunteered their time to build a scale KW with a pickup bed, about the size of a 70's Chevy pickup truck. The company paid for the materials. It had a 4-53 Detroit in it. From time to time I think of it and wonder where it ended up. I don't think this is it tho; it didn't have a sleeper.

[MountainDon]

But you gotta give the guy points for the idea/work. Like, anybody can chop a '49 Merc.

[MountainDon]

I love the idea of building a "retro"-rod. Flathead Merc, Edelbrock, Weiand, Offy, heads and manifold. Way cool! Lincoln-Zephr tranny. How about a Halibrand quick-changer rear end? And gen-u-ine Halibrand mags! Wouldn't Ardun heads be so cool! Tho' they were a b**ch to really make work and last.

I would love to have late "T" or maybe "A" roadster body with an all-out flathead. No fenders. Cool!

I had a '54 Canadian Meteor coupe way back ('64ish). 255 (Merc) flathead, triple Stromberg 97's, Edelbrock heads and manifold, Isky cam, and Vertex mag. Torched front coils for the low in the front look (and lousy ride), exhaust cut-outs for noise. Dark green.  Loved that car! Had it for a few years. Did a swap to a 327 Chevy (Carter 4 bbl. and Duntov cam) before I eventually sold it. Whoo-Hoo! .

Then I somehow discovered the Volvo P122/123. Total opposites. Go figure.    Went from straight line to turns! FCun of a different kind.

[glenn kangiser]

I had a 40 Lincoln Zephyr until a couple years ago -- way too much of a basket case -- I wasn't doing anything with it so let a guy trade me out of it.  Still got a bad block or two around - 12 cyl beer can pistons.

[MountainDon]

I am a 9 inch ford guy myself... user friendly affordable easy to find...

One of the best things about the 9 inch Ford is the removable third member. I had a 9 inch in the Volvo with two different carriers with different ratios for different tracks. The low pinion was nice for keeping the driveline low in the car.

You can also get special high pinion versions that are very nice for lifted off road vehicles. Improves the u-joint angles.

Re the flathead Ford V8... there is a guy who is selling a modernized version of the cast aluminum Duntov brothers creation.  http://www.ardun.com/index.html   Don't ask how much!!

OK, I'll tell.  $13950  

[glenn kangiser]

and... speaking of geniuses, Peter and Don.... :-?

Combining my finely tuned lifelong mechanical skills with my CountryPlans building skills and tools, I fabricated a transmission jack adapter that perfectly put the Jeep transmission and transfer case right up into place -- no bruised knuckles or smashed torsos.




OK - so I was too tight  (read poor) to buy both a good Harbor Freight floor jack and transmission jack.

Besides -- this worked just fine.

[MountainDon]

....I want a 37 ford coupe....

Peter, 3W or 5W? Chopped or not?

[MountainDon]

and... speaking of geniuses, Peter and Don.... :-?

Glenn, what's that mixed in there with the wood scraps? A diaper?  

Nothing like a custom fitted tranny jack.  I've never owned a proper tranny jack either. Of course some of the trannys I worked with, like the Volvo M41 (even with OD) can be man handled in and out without a jack.

[glenn kangiser]

This Jeep needs a diaper, Don - has it's own oil well -- but no Don -- it's a rag.  The rags on the Jeep, Don.  Actually it's plugging the hole.  The filler tube hole in the transmission. :-/

Got her in and made the maiden voyage tonight.  I have a leak to fix on the cooler line - cut a hose and tighten a clamp, adjust the throttle sensor linkage and put the speedo cable in properly -- missed the hole.