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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