Hi guy's, I haven't been on here for a while so I thought I'd pop in and say hi and share some build Pix of my 54 taken about 20 years ago. These are pretty good pix of the Jim Meyer front suspension, my custom built intake and S.S. fender well headers, sheet metal work, rear suspension, and let's not forget the custom built 4 bolt main caps in the lower end of my 261....Big Tim
Hi Greg, the 4 bolt main caps were custom machined out of 1" plate by a man named Jerry Hill. He worked at Bell @ Gains service center and speed shop Modesto Ca. Jerry is no longer with us, he passed about 15 years ago but Bobby Gains still owns the business and is still open today. I understand that there was a lot of engineering that went in to those caps and I'm sure that they can be duplicated but you would have to find someone that would be willing to take the time to do it with out putting you in to the poor house. At the time when the machine work was done on this 261 I think I spent about $800.00. That was to make the caps, line boring, bore the cylinders, deck the top of the block, install the cam bearings, I beam grind and re size the rods and install ARP rod bolts. Also the center weight was cut off the crank and everything including the Aluminum fly wheel was balanced.... Big Tim
So after all of that, how did it affect your confidence and change your redline? Considering that in basically stock form, a 261 at 4000-4500 RPM makes you start singing church hymns, where do you feel safe now? How has the engine held up?
Hi Greg, This truck is still in the building process after all these years but I have taken it out a few times and got on it. This engine also has 9.5:1 pistons and .125 shaved off the head as well as .008 off the top of the block. The head has been port match to the intake and exhaust and the valves have been recessed. With the hydraulic lift cam (yes I said that Nate LOL) the 261 has no problem going through 1St. second and third at 6000 RPM and 4Th at about 5000 rpm with the 456 gears, Borg Warner Super T 10 and 31" tall tires. You know what they say though " the brighter the bulb the shorter the life" so it's not something you want to push all the time....Big Tim
Thanks Nate, and Bill that's darn close to what I came up with at 102 MPH or maybe 101 and some change. It's been several years since I did the figuring for what gears I wanted to run with those tires....Big Tim
Never Forget : Just because I choose to run close to Stock ; Doesn't mean I don't appreciate good Hot Rodding when I see it Tim ~ It's just that I live in La La Land , supposedly the Home of Hot Rodding and now , as always has been , 99 % of all ' Hot Rods ' are crap , poorly envisioned and built with only looks in mind , nothing about going fast , turning and certainly not worried about stopping . Them's the sad facts , jack . Your AD OTOH , is a nice insparation to many more than you imagine . That it runs a 6 Banger , is just cream in the coffee .
Nate La La land isn't really that bad of a place to be if you want to escape reality, I go there my self quite often...Big Tim
Escaping Reality Yep ; I usta do just that a good fair bit in my '49 3100 ~ climb in the cab , grip aholt of that big fat Ivory steering wheel , fire the 235 up and let out the clutch , I'd be in 1962 again in a trice....... . Now it's a bit different , I drive a slushbox equipped '69 C/10 but I'm still enjoying life just fine thankyouverymuch no dope , booze etc. . I'm planning my last Moto Ride Sunday November fourth , taking my Kookie Kommie Ural Solo sT for a day ride before Surgery .
