As for gearing ... never saw anyone beat my buddies Model T across an
intersection. Of course he had all the available good stuff on the engine
in 1950.
Wes
----------
> From: Dick J <lsr_man@yahoo.com>
> To: The Butters Family <bbutters@dmi.net>,Finishline Coatings
<lona@finishlinecoatings.com>, ARDENDOUG@aol.com
> CC: land-speed@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: flatheads & GMC's
> Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 06:00:32 -0700 (PDT)
>
>Well, from my perspective, I think it might be
>gears. Back then, in high school days, you
>slapped on a couple carbs and duals, maybe raised
>compression and if you were a "real" mecahnic,
>stuck in a cam. Hardly anybody changed gearing
>from whatever came in the car. Fords had more
>available, even had an overdrive. Old Chevs just
>had one gear (as far as I knew). Even with my
>high school jalopy, I could pull a car length on
>most Fords coming off the line, but when I went
>for second, they were still pulling first, and
>caught me, when they went for second, they just
>kept going, and going, and going. I had to reach
>for high gear at about fifty five - as I remember
>it, some of those Ford guys were going to seventy
>in second! When people really started racing
>these things, they used different gearing. Ford
>guys had several different rear ends, two speed
>differentials and all that good stuff. I believe
>that the GMC 6 has more torque and HP potential
>all the way up the line, and the Wayne head puts
>it in a whole other world.
>
>
>--- The Butters Family <bbutters@dmi.net> wrote:
>> I didn't ever get into either one
>> of these motors, just went
>> strait from Model As to a 55 chev, But there is
>> one thing I don"t understand
>> here. So everyone seems to agree that the
>> flatheads beat up on the Jimmy's
>> in the 50s, so what changed the situation? I
>> can understand the Wayne head
>> advantage, but we aren't talking that here are
>> we? Is this just an
>> advantage that showed up on the Salt, seems
>> like they both blow up just as
>> readily as each other. I'm not beating up on
>> either motor, I love seeing
>> them on the Salt, especially in roadsters, Just
>> curious.
>> I'd also like to apologize to
>> anyone I may have offended here.
>> We need to recognize that most of us don"t know
>> one another. The recipient
>> can't see that twinkle in your eye when you
>> make a tongue and cheek remark
>> like he can when you are face to face. If you
>> are fooling around chiding
>> someone make sure you let them know you are
>> just fooling around. If you
>> aren't fooling around and are actually
>> attacking someone, it has no place
>> on here. We all come from different backgrounds
>> and the only thing we all
>> have in common is that we all dig the sounds
>> that a hot motor makes. So
>> lets be constructive and helpful with one
>> another, no put downs okay.
>> Yours L. Kvach Butters
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Dick J <lsr_man@yahoo.com>
>> To: Finishline Coatings
>> <lona@finishlinecoatings.com>;
>> <ARDENDOUG@aol.com>
>> Cc: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
>> Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 1:46 PM
>> Subject: Re: flatheads & GMC's
>>
>>
>> > Hey RM,
>> > I too started at the same time you did, also
>> with
>> > a stove bolt in a town full of flatheads. I
>> > eventually became president of our hot rod
>> club -
>> > only one other stovebolt ever showed up.
>> Through
>> > all those early years, I never beat a
>> flathead
>> > beyond first gear with my chev. I guess I
>> envied
>> > them and that's why I got into flat motors at
>> > this stage in my life. They had such a neat
>> sound
>> > - - although my old Chev blasting through a
>> > home-made split exhaust manifold with a pair
>> of
>> > Smithys and two 2" cast iron sewer pipes (my
>> dad
>> > was a contractor) had a very unique song of
>> it's
>> > own.
>> >
>> > Dick J
>> >
>> > --- Finishline Coatings
>> > <lona@finishlinecoatings.com> wrote:
>> > > Well Doug, I went back over my e-mail
>> several
>> > > times to see what I had
>> > > said that warranted the put-down from you.
>> I
>> > > expected to get the kind
>> > > of answers that I did from Mike in LA and
>> Dick
>> > > J., but not a put-down.
>> > > Sorry if I offended you, I won't let it
>> happen
>> > > again as I learned a long
>> > > time ago that if I'm going to be offensive
>> to
>> > > someone and be frustrated
>> > > in the process, that it's best that I don't
>> > > become involved with
>> > > them...so I'll be gone.
>> > > But let me share with you a couple of
>> things
>> > > before I go.
>> > > Fifty years ago when I got my first car in
>> > > 1951, it was a 48 chev, 6
>> > > cyl. I have had a love affair with sixes
>> ever
>> > > since. I lived in a town
>> > > that had 10 flat motor powered hot rods for
>> > > every six cyl. Even the
>> > > local
>> > > car club was dominated by flat head powered
>> > > cars. The name of the club
>> > > was the "Head Hunters"! The club plaque was
>> in
>> > > the shape of a finned
>> > > Ford flathead. Needless to say, I took a
>> lot
>> > > of ribbing being the only
>> > > 6 cyl. guy in town, far from the fastest
>> but
>> > > definitely the loudest!
>> > > (With split manifold and straight pipes)
>> Well,
>> > > to this day that good
>> > > natured rivalry still exists. The guys I
>> run
>> > > with still tease me about
>> > > having only 3/4 of a v-8 and I tease them
>> right
>> > > back about it taking
>> > > them 8 pistons to do the job of 6 and all
>> the
>> > > other clichés that go
>> > > along with racing. Since 1964, I've
>> followed
>> > > the flat motors and sixes
>> > > at B-ville. Having friends that were
>> running on
>> > > the salt since sixty, I
>> > > finally started building my car in 1967.
>> It's
>> > > been a long journey,
>> > > every single piece of this car I built with
>> my
>> > > own two hands-except for
>> > > the front wheels,tires, engine block & head
>> and
>> > > 3rd member and some
>> > > other parts-like the fire bottles, etc.
>> This
>> > > doesn't make the car any
>> > > better than yours, or anyone else's. It's
>> what
>> > > I chose to do. I even
>> > > ran it on the drag strip for several years
>> > > before getting it done enough
>> > > to run on the salt. Finally made it to
>> B-ville
>> > > in 9/98. First pass at
>> > > 116 mph. Four passes later, we managed to
>> go
>> > > 125. I was in heaven!! The
>> > > times didn't really matter. After 32 years
>> of
>> > > working on the car, I
>> > > finally got there. That same year, I got
>> to go
>> > > to El Mirage in
>> > > November. Three runs later, we got it up
>> to
>> > > 138 mph. Finally felt like
>> > > I was learning how to make the injection
>> work.
>> > > Got to go to Muroc last
>> > > year and got it to 150 for 4 passes. Went
>> to
>> > > B-ville last year and the
>> > > best was 138. Then I managed to make it
>> run
>> > > slower every pass!!..that's
>> > > life. But if you re-read my e-mail, you
>> will
>> > > find that this is what I
>> > > said... "It does not matter how fast I go,
>> it's
>> > > about having fun with
>> > > people that enjoy the same thing that I
>> enjoy."
>> > > Last year, my son, Cedric, drove the car
>> and
>> > > this year my daughter wants
>> > > to drive and try to get Ced's record. The
>> neat
>> > > thing to me is that my
>> > > kids are getting to enjoy this too.
>> > > Maybe you just didn't understand what I was
>> > > saying. I don't know..but it
>> > > won't happen again cause I'm gone.
>> > > I wish you the best of luck in your racing,
>> > > Doug, and to all those going
>> > > to Muroc - drive safely but have fun and go
>> > > fast.
>> > > RM
>> >
>> >
>> > =====
>> > .............................
>> > ..........Dick J.............
>> > ......(In East Texas)........
>>
>=== message truncated ===
>
>
>=====
>.............................
>..........Dick J.............
>......(In East Texas)........
>..........# 729..............
>........Roadsters............
>.Hemis and Flatheads Forever.
>.............................
>
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