Thanks to Bruce and Jim for the BB responses...
I just may pick up that 402. Sounds a little less involved than my last
(and only) attempt at a BB Swap. Jim Forbes mentioned something about
"Driving like a Teenager" in his response. I have a smidgen of experience
with that, and that phrase fits right in with my first attempt at a BB
conversion... Though we weren't working on an old truck, I've gotta share
this...
In '73 myself, my friend "Turtle" and his older brother Bobby attempted to
stuff a Mercury Big Block out of a "Montclair?" into a '65 Mustang. For
some of the technical details of this swap you'll need to use your
imagination. (Trust me, WE DID!)
We pitched in our paper route money and got the Merc complete with the car
attached for $25.00, and the pretty much gutted Mustang for free. Wow, did
we learn some things on that one! (Smile!)... Performing some engineering
feats never seen before, and never since replicated, we managed to get the
motor and tranny into that "Real Tiny" engine compartment... Complete with
a driveshaft that was even connected to the rear end!!
We figured we had it pretty much together, and Turtle won the flip for the
privilege of starting it. I remember Turtle grinning madly behind the wheel
sitting on a milk crate as he cranked over our "Monster Mustang" for the
first and last time... And that same grin growing as his lips were
stretched out around his ears by the "G" forces as he shot by me and Bobby
and headed down the driveway... The blazing acceleration was only matched
by the growing volume of his screams of terror, and the howl of agonized
rubber doing a one tire burnout that left a gouge in the concrete driveway
still there to this day. Turtle lost his death grip on the steering wheel
and vanished into what was once the back seat as he and the milk crate went
A** over tea-kettle. I do believe I saw his tennis shoes attempting to
steer the beast as it impaled itself into a concrete wall directly across
the street.
It sure was fun while it lasted, though! Yeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaawwwwwww! We
had the Fastest and Loudest Monster Mustang on earth for about 6 seconds!
Well worth the $25.00, and the loss of the Mustang. Turtle recovered from
his injuries, and his name was forever changed to "Flash".
(I believe some of you might call it "Yankee Ingenuity".. Others would say
"Real Dumb!") Getting Turtle hauled off to the Hospital was pretty scary,
getting the Mustang hauled to the junkyard and getting hauled off to the
Police Station wasn't so much fun, and the neighbors wouldn't speak to my
parents for the rest of their life. The Police "did" however, have "much"
to say about the evolution... and so did my Dad after he was called back
from a business trip...
Thanks again for the inputs,
Kevin P. (Older, Wiser and not into having quite "that" much fun anymore!)
'59 Apache 38/NAPCO
The NAPCO Owners group
http://www.stovebolt.com/napco
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|