rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Welcome Clyde. I used to be @ Ft. Ord years ago -- just down the road from you. This board has a pretty active classifieds board and also a very active engine & drivetrain board where the aluminum block 215's are covered in tons of detail. Post what's going on with your engine there & I'm sure you'll find plenty of help (even if it's not in a british car).
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Stage6TD Ed LaBrush OH (5 posts) Registered: 10/28/2010 09:51AM Main British Car: 1952 MG TD Chevrolet V8 350 ZZ4 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Hi All,
A life long preoccupation with small cars powered by relatively large V8s should be explainable. Incidents during the formative years may have played a part. It may have started with the Hurricane Hot Rod Association races on the ¼ mile dirt oval track inside the Milwaukee Mile in the late 1940s. These stripped-down roadsters were powered, primarily, by hopped-up flat head Ford V8s. Following the feature race, the pits were opened to the spectators. The night air was filled with the smell of hot oil, over heated clutches, brakes and tires. Some of the engines with their aluminum heads and dual carburetor manifolds were still making cracking and snapping sounds as they cooled down with steam still blowing from their radiators. The race cars were driven up the trailer ramps with exhaust blowing from open headers. Intoxicating! A memorable tow car was a lowered de-chromed 1941 Mercury convertible with dual “motor boat” mufflers. The rumbling sound of its exhaust pipes in the tunnel under the mile track as the Mercury pulled the loaded trailer up the incline may have had an irreversible effect. Those impressions were reinforced by the road race at Elkhart Lake in 1951. Sitting on a billboard at the outskirts of town, observing the awesome sights and sounds of the racing Allards and Cunninghams at our feet could alter the direction of one’s life. Some of the engines howled or shrieked but the V8s boomed. Famous and wealthy people seemed to like participating in these events. Good or bad, these are things that can’t be ignored. Many others seemed to be similarly affected. A magazine told of a road racing MG with a Ford V8 60. Just imagine, a MG roadster with a hopped-up V8 engine from a record holding circle track midget or hydroplane. In 1949, Cadillac and Oldsmobile released their overhead valve V8 designs. It may have been a good thing for some of us that those vehicles didn’t handle very well. The Oldsmobile wrecks, in particular, began showing up in the salvage yards making the engines available to poorly financed enthusiasts. My $150 on Carl’s counter in exchange for a 1949 303 cid Olds Rocket V8 confirmed my eagerness to join the movement. I’d gone from observer to participant. This could be attributed to the rebellious teenage years. The photo, below, from 1954 shows that engine after some development. A used Edmunds 2 carburetor manifold was purchased. Inspection of my new treasure revealed why it was available, a part of a sand core blocking a port! The Stromberg carburetors were from Carl’s flat head Cadillac engines. The hydraulic lifters were made into solids by removing the springs and check balls. Ak Miller adjustable push rods were used. The heads were milled to increase compression. Mallory supplied the coil and distributor. A camshaft change came later. This engine was used in various forms in a 1933 Ford cabriolet, 1938 Ford 2 door and a 1940 Mercury club coupe until military draft papers were received in September of 1955. Serving 2 years in the U.S. Army with a Military Occupational Specialty, 635.10, Vehicle Repairman, only deepened the affliction. Being surrounded day and night by other auto enthusiasts in motor pools and Ordnance Depots is not likely to lead to a higher calling. By 1957 the movement was in full bloom on the streets, circle tracks, drag strips and road course race tracks. The high winding small block Chevrolet V8 was changing the landscape. Shortly after discharge from the Army, a 1957 Corvette came my way. It went through a series of modifications, including installation of a 4 speed transmission. A factory 2-4 barrel carburetor set-up and 3 Rochester 2 barrel carburetors on an Edelbrock manifold were tried. The engine was bored and high compression pistons were added. Various camshafts were tried. The later model Corvette traction bars were added to prevent spring wrap-up. The Corvette was great for ripping through the gears but, the British cars seemed to have an edge in the handling department. Increasing the power to weight ratio of a British car with a V8 engine seemed reasonable enough. By 1969, the sacrifice of more normal pursuits allowed the purchase of a new 350 hp 327 cid Chevrolet V8 engine and aluminum case Muncie 4 speed transmission. These were installed in a 1962 Jaguar XKE coupe that had been acquired for this project. At the time of the photo, the engine was basically a standard 350 hp long block with two 550 cfm Holley carburetors on a Edelbrock cross ram manifold. A Mallory distributor and coil were used. The exhaust header tubes are 5/8 inch diameter X 34 inches long. The car turned a 13.2 sec. at 110 mph at Great Lakes drag strip in 1970. The rear axle ratio was the standard 3.31:1 so it went through the traps in 3rd gear at about 6000 rpm. Firestone Wide Oval tires were used. Now that the obsession had been confirmed, it just became a matter of trying to balance it with the other aspects of life. There is no known genetic disposition toward V8 engines in the family. Unfortunately, the condition may be infectious. In the 1951 photo, the 1933 Ford cabriolet still had its flat head V8 and a cable operated muffler cut-out. My brother, Al, is seated next to me and Jerry is on the nearside running board. I accept some responsibility for Al’s affliction. Ed Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2010 11:39AM by Stage6TD. |
BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6508 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Ed, I've been toying some time with the idea of a flathead V8 in an MGB. As someone who has probably seen this done, is the Ford flathead the lightest one that was produced, or is there another?
JB |
Bow Scott Bowen NW Houston, TX (3 posts) Registered: 11/01/2010 10:41AM Main British Car: Nissan KA24DE |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
I', Bow,
Live on the Northwest side of Houston, TX. I'm looking for a British car to swap my built Nissan KA24DE (2.4L, DOHC, FI) into. |
jim0899 James Willenbrink Florence, KY (60 posts) Registered: 10/05/2010 04:46PM Main British Car: 1978 MGB Chevrolet 327 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Ed,
Nice to have you on the forum, looks like you have quite a bit of experience with Chevy powered British iron. I was curious to find out what part of Ohio you are located, and I sure would get a kick out of seeing pictures of your Chevy powered MG TD. Jim Willenbrink just south of Cincinnati, OH |
nellotinnirello nello tinnirello cleveland ohio (6 posts) Registered: 11/16/2010 04:33PM Main British Car: 1980 tr7 buick v6 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
GREETINGS ALL,
MY NAME IS NELLO AND MY PROJECT NOW IS A TR7. I HAVE LUGED THIS THING AROUND FOR 13 YEARS ITS TIME TO FINISH IT. I HAVE TO GET SOME PICS LATTER TO PUT ON. I AM IN THE PROCCESS OF MAKING A NEW BODY KIT FOR IT. NOT JUST GETTING AN MR2 BUMPER AND SLAPPING IT ON. MOST OF IT WILL BE CARBON SUCH AS BUMPER HOOD AND TRUNK. WHY, MOST PEOPLE ASK AND I SAY "BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME." I NEED TO FEED MY PROJECT SO IF ANYONE WANTS ME TO MAKE THEM SOMETHING WITHIN REASON I CAN HELP "COMPOSITE WISE" ILL MAKE IT FOR ANY CAR. SO FAR ON MY PROJECT I HAD TO PULL OUT THE GRAND NATIONAL MOTOR BECAUSE I HAD TO SELL IT. I BOUGHT ANOTHER V6 AND SOON AN OLDER CARB TURBO SET UP. I ALSO HAD ADAPTORS MADE TO FIT PORSCHE WHEELS. MOST PURIST CRING AT ME OH WELL. |
switchblade7.62x51 James ! The Bourbon Smoky Hills of TN a wee bit south of B (13 posts) Registered: 12/01/2010 05:43PM Main British Car: 1954 Austin Healey 100-4 Chevy 350 LT-1 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Hi, my name is James and I'm a Gearhead(Boy, that was real tough, you know, first time admission!)
I been wrenching everything I have owned to a point since I was a kid. You know the deal, no money for a real mechanic to do the work, so drive on. Dirt bikes, a 1966 Mustang(now with a 357ci Windsor in it), a 2002 Harley Sporty with a stupid fast 110hp motor in it(cafe racer, needs body work, but motor and suspension are done), and a Factory Custom Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4(Panty 6's). We(me and Sam) now have the 1954 AH 100-4, a '72 LT-1, a '83 Doug Nash, and the will to see where we can go with it all in the next few years. I been military all my adult life. Entered the USMC in '82, served until '86. CA Nat. Guard from '87 - '95, HI NG to '97. Army from '97 - '09. I am now a full time student as of January 13th at APSU to get a MEdical Technology BS degree(How about that! after 26 years of service I can finally get a BS degree!) Hopefully between the books and papers I can give Sam a hand with this little semi rusty project and make it look a little like this by the time it's done: Sam of course wants wider wheels and tires and the 100-4 has the cool triangular grill with the lightning bolts on it. His color of choice at this time is a very dark 'black jade' to make a nicer shade of BRG with some metal flake in it and he wants the sides done in white flake |
Orange Alpine Bill Blue (45 posts) Registered: 12/20/2010 07:36AM Main British Car: 1967 Sunbeam Alpine 2.5 Ford Duratec |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Hello, my name is Bill Blue. My car, a 67 Alpine. While the body and suspension are pretty much stock, the drivetrain is Ford. Engine is a 2.3 Duratec (Ranger edition), as is the transmission. Rear axle is Ford 8". Front brakes are a combination GM "Metric" calipers with Pontiac rotors. Rear brakes are Saturn disc. It has an aftermarket EFI, producing close to 200 hp.
I'm retired and spend lots of time working on the car. I have put 8,000 miles on this install, but it is now undergoing a winter rebuild. Mostly a bunch of items that are not exactly right. Most noticeable is the tranny, a $38 Ebay buy, it has no 2nd gear synchronizer to speak of. Getting a larger throttle body, fix the AC, the list goes on. Here are a couple of photos of the more or less finished build. I am willing to answer any question of anyone interested in the build, also have a bunch of them taken during the build, if anyone is interested. Bill |
Moderator Curtis Jacobson Portland Oregon (4595 posts) Registered: 10/12/2007 02:16AM Main British Car: 71 MGBGT, Buick 215 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Quote: Welcome to the forum, Bill! I know I'd love to see more pictures of your very unusual and exceptional build, although this thread isn't the place to go into those details. Have you surfed through our "How It Was Done" articles or our photo gallery sections? The best How It Was Done articles are the ones with lots of in-process photos. Alpines are under-represented, and I'm keen to fix that. Please help. Here's information about how to get your car featured where it belongs: [www.britishv8.org] |
Orange Alpine Bill Blue (45 posts) Registered: 12/20/2010 07:36AM Main British Car: 1967 Sunbeam Alpine 2.5 Ford Duratec |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Uhh, don't think so. As I read the fine print, any picture I submit and you accept, becomes your property. To me, that means I loose the ability to post those photos elsewhere without your permission.
Don't need that, ain't gonna do that. Bill |
BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6508 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
That would be incorrect Bill, based on common usage and custom. May sound that way by the agreement but what it really says is that once submitted you can't keep the site from using the photos however they see fit. You still retain your own copies and rights to those. I would expect Curtis will confirm this interpretation.
JB |
Moderator Curtis Jacobson Portland Oregon (4595 posts) Registered: 10/12/2007 02:16AM Main British Car: 71 MGBGT, Buick 215 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Jim's explanation is absolutely correct. Without the "fine print", we could go through all the work of publishing an article in good faith and then be forced to pull the photos off our website. Photos from "How It Was Done" articles sometimes get recycled into tech article illustrations. Incidentally, almost all the photos in our galleries have been "Photoshopped" in one way or another. It might be as little as re-sizing them, but quite a lot of them have been rotated a few degrees, re-cropped, color-adjusted, sharpened, and then stored with our own preferred compression settings. (It's very rare for me to repair a ding or fix rust, but I use Photoshop to clean distracting oil spots off people's driveways all the time. Recently someone asked me to take his wife out of a photo. You might be able to tell I did so if you carefully study the newest Photo Gallery additions.) Therefore, I feel no shame about claiming an all-inclusive copyright on photos that appears in the photo galleries.
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Spitfire 350 Phil McConnell Perrysburg, OH (Toledo area) (258 posts) Registered: 01/11/2010 09:19PM Main British Car: 74 Spitfire 350Chevy |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Bill Blue,
After being part of this website for years and meeting Curtis Jacobson, Dan Masters, and the rest of the members attending the Indy meet this year, I can vouch for the integrity of their word and their intentions regarding the agreement. They simply want protect the work they invest in the publishing, while helping as many people as possible to see and admire as many cars as possible. When I made my first post, I immediately received private messages asking questions about how I built the car. Many sounded very anxious to use some of my techniqes. Your photos and story could easily be the inspiration that knocks someone off of the fence and starts them building their dream car. Think of how good you will feel knowing you gave someone that kind of confidence. This is a great organization that I am proud to be a part of. |
Moderator Curtis Jacobson Portland Oregon (4595 posts) Registered: 10/12/2007 02:16AM Main British Car: 71 MGBGT, Buick 215 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
I would Carl, but I don't have any photos of your driveway. Send me that HIWD article and I'll see what I can do.
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jim0899 James Willenbrink Florence, KY (60 posts) Registered: 10/05/2010 04:46PM Main British Car: 1978 MGB Chevrolet 327 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
QUOTE:
"Posted by: Orange Alpine Date: December 20, 2010 08:22AM Hello, my name is Bill Blue. My car, a 67 Alpine. While the body and suspension are pretty much stock, the drivetrain is Ford. Engine is a 2.3 Duratec (Ranger edition), as is the transmission. Rear axle is Ford 8". Front brakes are a combination GM "Metric" calipers with Pontiac rotors. Rear brakes are Saturn disc. It has an aftermarket EFI, producing close to 200 hp. " Welcome to the site Bill. Looks like you did an exceptional job on your 67 Alpine. There are lots of friendly folks here to meet. Jim Willenbrink |
Moderator Curtis Jacobson Portland Oregon (4595 posts) Registered: 10/12/2007 02:16AM Main British Car: 71 MGBGT, Buick 215 |
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
Welcome to the forum Richard! Glad to see you here. (I think you're the same Richard Egge who builds miniature engines, aren't you?) One little thing though... your question about how to make a Chevy engine mate to a Land Rover definitely belongs in its own thread, and that thread belongs in our "Drivetrain" section, here: [forum.britishv8.org] (That's where you can be sure the right people will see it and give you the sort of detailed advice you want.) Jump right in. I'm keen to learn more about Chevy's 90 degree V6s.
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
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Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
hi ,barry here from lutz fl collect cars retired att 3street rods couple corvettes thought v8 mgb would be fun got it yesterday already pulling apart been retired 10 yrs. doing 302/t5 mgb rdstr
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