November 2004 Flatheads Forever
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Flatheads Forever November 2004 My first car was a 1940 Ford 2-dr. sedan purchased Upcoming for $50. I was in High School and worked part time Events at a Buick-Pontiac dealer. My wages were $1 per hour which was pretty high for the type of tasks I was Nov 14th capable of performing. This wage was strictly a result The Varsity, of the Dealership owner being a friend of the family, and was not based on job performance. The year was 1958 Downtown Atlanta and the $50 price tag was reasonable given the fact that the previous owner had damaged the transmission Dec 4th and it would need work before it could be driven. The Monthly Meeting- previous owner had found the car at a farm, in the barn, and it was absolutely beautiful. He drove the car only a Christmas Dinner @ short time before his lead foot and quick clutch release Mary Mac’s Tea- technique destroyed the original transmission. I just room don’t want to discuss what finally happened to that car, so I’ll get to my present 1940 Ford. Like so many of us who are in the process of re-living our childhood, that original 40 sedan never left my mind. SOOooo, when I had the Inside this issue: chance to buy my present 40 two door, I took my wife to look at it and we wrote a check and I drove it home. It was running very rough and I soon learned the reason was a valve seat which had jumped out of the block. With the engine still in the car I removed the passenger side head and found a crack had opened between the cylinder bore and the port bowl where the loose seat was. The crack did not appear to be Cover Story: John 1 leaking coolant but allowed the seat counter bore to relax enough for the seat ring to become loose. I made a special boring tool to machine Lawson’s 1940 Tudor the damaged counter bore for a slightly oversized seat ring and made the repair with the engine still in the car. My wife held the nozzle of the Sedan shop vacuum in proper location while I machined the block. I had the new seat ring in the freezer and had made a special installation tool Editor’s Note: 2 which would allow me to quickly center and slam the new seat into the freshly machine block. As a further step to prevent future problems, I drilled and tapped the block and seat ring on their mating line, perpendicular to the gasket face, so I could install a small #8 machine screw (Dutchman) with threads half in the block and half in the outside diameter of the seat ring. The only logical way for that seat ring to get out Feature Article: now is if it is in 2 pieces. Junior Johnson & World’s Greatest Cars I drove the car for several years with that original engine and it was still in the car when we all (RG#24)gathered for the 2 day Halloween tour Tour Recap: 8 to Jekyll Island during 1999. However I am never satisfied with my cars until they receive some “special attention” and the list of changes I St. Simons Island, Ga. have made is rather extensive. All in the name of making my car fit me and be more fun and comfortable for me to use. & Moonshine Festival V8 Ladies’ Glove 9 I built a 265 inch 59A engine (.060 bore X 4” stroke) to give me some more power. Installed air conditioning, installed a Mitchell overdrive, Box: Women Who installed Lincoln (Bendix) brakes, installed NOS springs front and rear, with Teflon buttons, installed tube shocks on front, moved front seat 3 Changed inches to the rear for more leg room, installed radial wide whites, replaced all shackles, bushings, and bearings in the front and rear of the car Transportation History both inside and outside of all wheels, housings, etc. Installed heavy duty anti-sway bars both front and rear, converted to 12 volts using a 100 amp alternator, installed a MSD ignition control to fire the .080 plug gaps I use, installed an electronic adjustable ignition timing control so I Tech Section: Two can regulate timing from the drivers seat, installed a compliment of Auto meter gauges to back up the stock units and did many other minor Full Pages This Issue! miscellaneous things to make the car “mine”. The black paint on exterior has also been replaced, but I had that done by a local shop rather than doing it myself. Classifieds: New Items Listed!! The 265 engine received an upgrade to 276 earlier this year. I was preparing my 40 for my second trip to Speed week, at the Bonneville Salt Flats. I drove it out there in 2002, and was going to do it again in 2004. The gas prices have changed significantly since 2002 and I wanted to insure that my 265 was as efficient as possible. I removed it from the car and put it on my dyno to see if I could improve the Brake Specific Fuel Consumption. This is Engineering Speak for developing more power while using the same or less fuel. About midway thru my testing regime I was reworking and replacing heads when I discovered a keyway in one of the cylinder walls. It seems a tiny end piece had broken from a piston pin retainer and became lodged below the 3rd ring. I had been testing the engine at maximum RPM and it rebelled. It only takes a few strokes at 4000 or 5000 RPM to do a lot of damage. It took all of the additional .060 overbore to clean up the damaged cylinder wall, so now it is +.125 bore X 4” stroke. I have a very mild cam which produces peak torque at around 2000 RPM. The final drive ratio with the Mitchell overdrive is 2.43 to 1, so at 70 MPH on the highway my engine is turning 2000 RPM. I found the 4 barrel carb to be most efficient, so that is on top of my engine and I am using the maximum CR (compression ratio) which my engine can use with 87 octane fuel. In this exam- ple it is 8.7 to 1. I could go on and on about all the people I have met as a result of driving old Fords, and tell stories about some of the questions I get from Not what we say about our the uneducated, but suffice to say that driving old Fords is a welcome and hallowed part of my lifestyle. blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of I don’t know exactly how many miles I have driven and enjoyed this old Ford, but it is in the 50,000 mile range. I know modified cars are not our thanksgiving. for everyone, and I have a deep respect for pure, original, Fords. But this is MY car and for me to enjoy it I had to make it suit me. I hope the --WT Purkiser purists understand as well as I understand them. John Lawson Fitzgerald, Georgia Wow, October was another very active V8 Attention: Condolences month, (I don’t know about the rest of you guys, If your Birthday or but Barry and I put over 1500 miles on the ’37 this Anniversary was left month!!) Several of the club members and I have attended out or listed wrong, Our condolences go out the regular club monthly meeting in Athens, at George Please forgive me in advance, but Bugg’s and one for the 2005 National Meet at Burns & also drop me a note, or give me a to Larry Tanner and Janice Cox, plus the officers had a officers board meeting. call so you will be added to the list Then Bob P., Jerry and Bob Schwartz went to the Apple correctly! his family. Long time Festival in Ellijay to sell raffle tickets, and then several of us went on the annual club tour to St Simons Island, while If you know of a club member club member Joann Lamar Hart and several more members attended the All Ford who is not getting their subscription Show at the Hapeville Ford Plant on the same weekend . of The Running Board, please let me Tanner passed away The fourth weekend we went to Dawsonville to the Moon- know. shine Festival and sold raffle tickets there too! the afternoon of Oct I would like to Thank all the extra club members who have Also, if you like to add a post about stopped buy and helped sell tickets or wives that helped fill someone who should be in our 20th. I am sure she them out, or just anyone that stopped by for moral support, thoughts, drop me a line! it’s much appreciated by all who are working the booth! Keep V-8ing! The Editor of The Running Board will be miss by all. Julie Ann Knott Editor, The Running Board November’s Birthdays 11/1 Tim King I am proud to announce Let’s Welcome Our New Members! that Jerry Reichel won 11/2 Kathy Gwinn 11/3 Martha Hembree the national election for Charles & Lettie Garner from Loganville, Ga. the Southeastern National 11/4 Josephine McCart 1940 Ford Coupe 11/5 Linda Chelena Director position. He has stepped up to be the next 11/5 Ronnie Holland Gary Brigham from Kennesaw, Ga.