Tag: HotRod Network

Mike Finnegan’s First Legit Barn Find! – Jordon Scott @HotRod

Advertisements

Yes, believe it or not, legitimate barn finds are still out there. Whether it’s tired old junk that was left somewhere and forgotten decades ago or a beloved and preserved family heirloom that no one knows what to do with, automotive gems can be found everywhere—especially in someone’s backyard. Mike Finnegan has never seen a real one himself, but he’s always heard of them through friends, connections from his time as an automotive journalist, and the exploits and adventures of automotive archeologist Ryan Brutt. But now, his day has come!

While filming the social-distance budget-build grudge-match against Tony Angelo (Roadkill Episode 111), Brett from Paradise Dragstrip, “The guy who pretty much runs the place,” asked if Mike had seen the junkyard yet. Finnegan has been to Paradise a couple times this year, for the second episode of Faster With Finnegan and the previously mentioned episode of Roadkill, and was curious about what the small, private junkyard had to offer. The forest around Paradise had plenty of cool old junk sitting around, but the barn was the piece de resistance. Inside was something Mike Finnegan was not expecting—a Pro Streetstyle 1967 Pontiac Firebird big-tire drag car. So, of course, he had to buy it.

Read on

Fox Body Mustang Land Speed Record Car with Turbo 1950 Mercury Flathead V-8 Power – Taylor Kempkes @HotRod

Advertisements

If the title of this Readers’ Rides feature didn’t already give it away, the 1984 Ford Mustang you see here is not your average Fox Body Mustang. Owner Phillip Landry of Lafayette, Louisiana took his 1980s Mustang build in a very unique direction—the car was put together for land speed racing and is powered by a 1950 Mercury flathead V-8 engine that Phillip can switch between a roots-style supercharger and a turbo depending on the event.

“We race this car at Bonneville where we hold the XF/BFALT record at 142.822,” Phillip told us. He also races with the East Coast Timing Association (ECTA) at Wilmington, Ohio, and Blytheville. With help from his friend Damon Braus and brother John Landry, the trio has the car dialed. So much so, Phillip said, “At Wilmington we would change over from a single four barrel to the supercharger setup while waiting in line.” He also added, “Of course I couldn’t do all this without my wonderful, supportive wife Mary.

Read on

Vintage Drag Racing with Ford Flathead V-8s: RPM Nationals 2019 – Povi Pullinen @HotRod

Advertisements

One of the best chances to experience what those early years felt like—the sights, the sounds, the smells—is at the RPM Nationals held in beautiful Rancho Santa Margarita, California. In its third year, the event seems to be a simple flag-start, no-time, two-lane race down a piece of tarmac, but it actually represents much more than that. The people who put it together, Justin Baas and Russ Hare, live and breathe this stuff, as do the racers and spectators. The event has even attracted some of the most iconic hot rods to exist, names like Bill Niekamp, Ray Brown, and Eddie Dye, whose historic builds have graced the tarmac at the Ranch. Vintage Drag Racing with Ford Flathead V-8s

 

Vintage Drag Racing with Ford Flathead V-8s

Read on

Related – Allentown Fairgrounds Vintage Drags

Not a Barn Find Customized 1961 Ford Econoline Shop Truck – John Gilbert @HotRod

Advertisements

Not a Barn Find Customized 1961 Ford Econoline Shop Truck

There’re just some people that don’t know where to draw the line to stop when it comes to putting out quality automotive work. Harold Clay owner of Harold’s Hot Rod Shop is a perfect example. Harold has been doing quality work on cars and trucks since 1979 when he first opened the doors to Clay’s Collision Center in Enid, Oklahoma. Forty years later Harold still has a hand in day-to-day operations at Clay’s Collision, but if you want to find him it will be past the 12,500-square-foot collision shop and at the very back in an 8,500 square-foot building enjoying his true passion building high-end hot rods.

Not a Barn Find Customized 1961 Ford Econoline Shop Truck

Two-years ago I visited Harold in Enid while he was building his 1961 Ford Econoline 3-Window pickup to use as a shop truck. I didn’t have the heart to tell Harold at the time, but he was already taking things too far if he wanted to throw car parts in the bed. The economy in the name Econoline meant the little trucks were bare bones and the unibody beds are of single-wall construction.

Not a Barn Find Customized 1961 Ford Econoline Shop Truck

Read on

Related – Little delivery van with maximum style, 1955 Chevy Sedan Delivery Street Rod

Installing the Legendary Isky 404A Cam in a Ford Flathead – Barry Kluczyk @HotRod

Advertisements

Installing the Legendary Isky 404A Cam in a Ford Flathead

In September 1952, the Flathead-powered streamliner dubbed “City of Burbank” (also known as the Bob Estes Mercury) lit up the racing world by clobbering a 15-year-old international speed record held by the factory-worked, 16-cylinder Auto Union Type C.

The Class B “City of Burbank” ripped the Bonneville Salt Flats to the tune of 230.16 mph, propelled by a 248-cube Mercury mill that featured overhead-valve cylinder heads and fuel injection, but no blower. That’s right, 230 mph and unblown.

Installing the Legendary Isky 404A Cam in a Ford Flathead

Read how they did it and why  here

Related – Cars We Remember: Getting to know Zora Arkus

Splitting Wishbones for a Dropped Axle – Gerry Burger @HotRod

Advertisements

Splitting Wishbones for a Dropped Axle

In our ongoing series dedicated to resurrecting one 1936 Ford Phaeton (which admittedly has a 1935 body and frame with 1936 front sheetmetal) we have stayed the course of keeping things simple. How simple? Well, we decided to build the car without removing the body. It seems the body has never been separated from the frame and far be it from us to break an 83-year bond. We converted the rear to an open 9-inch Ford with leaf springs, hopped up the 59AB Flathead, and adapted an S-10 five-speed to the motor. Now it was time to attach the front suspension, and in keeping with the simple approach we opted to use one of Super Bell’s new forged, 4-inch dropped axles.

Suspension decisions are a critical part of building any hot rod and we gave ample thought before deciding the buggy spring and bones would work just fine for us. First thought was theme. This car is going to be a very traditional, late-’50s tub with Flathead motor between the rails. This seemed to call for a straight axle suspension. The next consideration was performance. Yes, IFS (independent front suspension) will out- perform a straight axle in ride and handling, and disc brakes are most certainly superior to their drum counterparts

Splitting Wishbones for a Dropped Axle

Read the article here

Related – Bolt-on Speed and Performance for the Flathead V-8

Powermaster Improves a Flathead V8’s Charging and Cranking Without Sacrificing the Vintage Vibe – HotRod

Advertisements

Retaining the vintage vibe on a hot rod you really want to pile the miles on can lead to compromises. Old engines and speed parts that have the look you want may not perform the way you expect during a 400-mile journey, and, in many cases, you may just have to settle.

Many find they have to swap original fans for electric ones for efficiency, for example, hide a stealthy fuel-injection system, or even use an alternator in place of a generator. Since it’s mounted right out front on most engines, a generator certainly carries the traditional vibe, but it falls far short of current output compared to an alternator.

Read the article here

Mighty Mills Propel Classic Hot Rods: TROG 2019 – Scotty Lachenauer @HotRod

Advertisements

Mighty Mills Propel Classic Hot Rods

One of the great features of The Race of Gentlemen (TROG) is the variety of engines that you can spy in the hot rods on the beach. Though Ford ’banger and flathead V8s are the most popular, over the years more of the less-common traditional powertrains have shown up on race weekend, giving the field the variety that helps make the experience well-rounded.

The traditional Ford mills often come with some of the rare speed parts that make hot rodders turn sea-foam green with envy. You’ll see Blue Oval four-cylinder machines built with high compression heads, and some even with prized OHV conversions from makers such as Riley and Cragar. Flathead V8s built with rare heads and hard-to-find intakes also get the senses going.

Mighty Mills Propel Classic Hot Rods

Read the rest of the article

Related – Beach Invasion TROG — A Giant 2018 Race of Gentlemen Photo Gallery

 

The Forgotten “Elvis Roadster” is For Sale! – Zach Martin @HotRod

Advertisements

The Forgotten “Elvis Roadster” is For Sale! – Zach Martin @HotRod

On August 31, 2019 the roadster that Elvis Presley drove in the hit film Loving You will be auctioned off in the Kruse GWS Auction titled The Artifacts of Hollywood & Music at the Hollywood Hard Rock Café. This car only had one owner, and it wasn’t The King. It was owned and built by hot rodding pioneer John Athan in 1937. It is a Ford Model A body sitting atop 1932 Ford frame rails powered by a Flathead V8 with twin Stromberg carburetors.

The car was driven by Elvis himself in his first role in the 1957 film Loving You. It was all but forgotten even by his biggest fans because according to GWS Auctions, Athan had a lot of sentimental attachment. So much so that one of the biggest music and pop culture icons, Elvis Presely, couldn’t even buy it.

Read the article here

Related – Rare Vintage Photos of Deuce Roadsters Racing on California’s Dry Lakes – Robert Genat, Don Cox – Photographer

Bolt-on Speed and Performance for the Flathead V-8 – Gerry Burger @HotrodNetwork

Advertisements

 

Until the mid ’50s the Flathead Ford V-8 was king. The engines were plentiful, cheap, and could easily be swapped into virtually any Ford. Because of this a vast array of speed equipment was produced for the Flathead motors.

Being fully aware of this history we decided to continue the tradition when it came time to “build” the 59AB Ford Flathead V-8 under the hood of our 1936 Ford Phaeton. The AB was produced from 1946-1948 and displaced 239 ci, so our car already had a performance upgrade, producing 100 hp, a gain of 15 hp over the 1936 V-8.

Read the rest of the article here