Early Hemi 60s style Fed nears completion

[Dolmetsch]

Was at my pal Mike's today. Mike is working on a 60s style Chassis Research type dragster. He has been at it three years. He is now wiring the ignition  and tach and was installing a trans cooler when I was there. Mike Sietsma started this project after seeing an old faded drawing of a early Ch Rsrch frame. First he mocked it up in ABS plastic pipe. Then changed what he didnt like. He did it his way and is unimpressed by other's ideas of how he should do it. The engine is a 331 hemi sporting a custom ground hydraulic cam. The intake is an old marine unit and sports two large single barrels giving about 600 CFM which BTW is enuf for a moderate 331. Stock distributor was reworked by Mike for modern Mopar reluctor and pick up. An early short tail stock Powerglide is adapted to the hemi through a homemade adapater. A 8 inch dynamic converter hides inside the housing. Wheelbase is, I believe, 131. A 30s Dodge front axle rides on 1/4 eliptics and is steered by a rack and pinion from a early sixties British sports car. Rear end is a narrowed 8 3/4 mopar with 3.55 gears twisting M&H 28 inch street slicks. Cooling uses a storage tank rather then a rad. Mike is a plumber who works in hot water heating industry so I never question as he knows his craft.  Goal is a good running safe car for some Sat afternoon fun at Picton Airfield. Actual times are not important. Reliability and fun at first on the list. This is Mike's second ground up build. First was a 41 Willy Gasser which he drives all summer long (also Hemi powered.)  I expect to hear it bark to life in a week or so. He is pretty close. 
Don for Mike S

[Dolmetsch]

After three long years of work the old Hemi barked to life at 2.15pm. Mike has been working hard on the rail the last week and told me he wanted it to run this week. Yesterday we spent much of the day preparing the car for firing. The stock distributor has been reworked for a reluctor and pick up coil and a LX101 box used to fire a hi perf coil. When I left there yesterday we had timed the engine best we could by putting the reluctor tooth at break point a 10 deg BFTDC. Mike has some small thing to take care of and valve covers sparkplug tubes and spark plugs to install. When I got there today all was done and he had it sitting on the ground with the vintage wire wheels on front.  He had for safety blocked the back wheels off the ground just in case. He turned on the fuel pump for the first time and we waited while the pump filled the huge float bowls on the two Rochestor single barrel truck carbs sitting on the vintage 2 singles marine manifold. Total CFM will be about 600so that will be fine for this vintage style built 331. He cranked the engine for the first time after giving the carbs several good pumps. Small smoke rings from each zoomie as it rolled over firing. It barked to life for a second. I grabbed a 1/2 inch wrench and loosened the dist giving it about another 5 or six degrees. I nodded to Mike and he hit the switches. It barked immediately to life and we took it up to about 2500 to begin breaking in the cam. The hydraulic lifters filled and self adjusted and the engine sounded good. This is a vintage from back in the day grind. Mike likes it that way. As it was as much as is practical.  I stayed long enuf to be satisified he had it all under control then after two big hand shakes from him I congratulated him on his build and left him to work peacefully on his own. He is no fool so I know all will be well. Tis exciting to watch an old friend conceive an idea and carry it thru to completion. How cool is this rail? If Big Daddy saw it he would offer Mike $ for a ride. At least that is my take. I have never seen a real live one built or running of this style or vintage. It will take a week to wipe the smile from Mike's face!
Don

[Dolmetsch]

Pics today
Don
BTW Mike likes the colour black

[ricci32]

WOW Don that thing looks great Very retro cool.

[Dolmetsch]

Yes, Pictures don't really do it justice. Mike really did a great job with it. Now we have to find him some seat time in it before the big Sept meet. He also built a 41 Willys gasser 4 years ago. It is so retro it is scary. Also 331 Hemi. When Mike says vintage he means it with capital letters. Right down to the camshaft he wants it as it could have been back then. It was a hard sell to get him to ditch the points and go electronic ignition even. Then only if he could install it all inside what was left of a stock distributor(It was all apart in a box with several pieces missing). We don't know for sure but we suspect the pre-narrowed diff is from a Forklift. The rear wheels he had custom made. Fronts are from a 1911 Neuburgh so he has been told.
Don

[Dolmetsch]

Cam is now run in. Engine will run for 11 minutes before getting warm (195F) II suggest a rad but Mikes says back in the day it would have had no rad or tank so he should be able to tow to the line fire, short warm up, burn thru, back up and run in less then a minute which I believe is reasonable BTW then kill it at the finish line and coast around the corner to his tow vehicle. Probably possible but it will wear thin quickly I think. Anyone running a no rad deal on gasoline with any advice or experiences?
Don

[Dolmetsch]

I made a short video of Mikes rail running today at the Ameliasburgh car meet. Cant get it to load but did burn a disc.
Don

[Dolmetsch]

Ah Ha there it is!
don

[Dolmetsch]

CACKLEFEST at Ameliasburgh meet. At dusk SAT at I went to the shop to make sure all was off and of course to have another look at the VW gasser
As I walked from the garage to the house I could here Mikes Hemi running and another rail I know well. That of Pat Doornbos. Pats is an old FED from years ago and he runs a BB Chevy with a set of Hilborns which gives it a characteristic sound. Both cars were on display at the Ameliasburgh meet and were parked about 300 feet apart on the grounds. The Meet is about a mile from my door so the sound carries down here easily. I heard today that Mikes rail has eight pointed blue flames licking the grass as it ran.  I wish someone had the forthought to have made a video or even a picture.
Don

[Dolmetsch]

Apparently Sat aft mike discovered why the rule book specs a neutral safety switch. My old boss stopped by Mikes and asked to see the  run. Mike said when he fired it he forgot he had put it in reverse to roll it. (he hasn't got his shifter linkage sorted out yet) Luckily he was in it at the time. That is the first it has moved under its own power. Said that night he backed it back in the garage the same way. He was going to work on the linkage tonight. I heard it running about 7.30 even though he lives a couple of miles away in the valley so maybe he has that sorted out. Says it runs fine . We haven't set anything yet. It is just as it was for initial firing.
Don

[George]

Ah Ha there it is!
don

You won't make any friends in the pits with the header discharge into the ground. TOO much dust or debris !!

[George]

Apparently Sat aft mike discovered why the rule book specs a neutral safety switch. My old boss stopped by Mikes and asked to see the  run. Mike said when he fired it he forgot he had put it in reverse to roll it. (he hasn't got his shifter linkage sorted out yet) Luckily he was in it at the time. That is the first it has moved under its own power. Said that night he backed it back in the garage the same way. He was going to work on the linkage tonight. I heard it running about 7.30 even though he lives a couple of miles away in the valley so maybe he has that sorted out. Says it runs fine . We haven't set anything yet. It is just as it was for initial firing.
Don

No track inspection? Outlaw?

[Dolmetsch]

Car has not been to the track. He is still finishing it. The shifter he was given for it has too long and arm requiring excessive cable travel if he matches the arm length on the trans so he is working around that. I will make sure he has a neutral switch. I didn't realize he didnt. He has everything else , power shutoff properly located, driveshaft shield , flywheel shield, running light etc etc . Since Mike is trying to duplicate an early 60s rail I doubt anyone will get him to change the headers. His heritage occasionally raises its head and no one will change his mind. (WH WS WL)Since it is a tow to the line and tow back deal probably wont be a problem. Outlaw track? I guess that means non NHRA. Not a luxury we have had since the early 1970s. (Mohawk)I know the tech at Picton checks for neutral switch because they always check mine. So either Mike didn't get around to it yet or I neglected to inform him. Most powerglide shifters have provision for a switch. He was on a burn to have it running for the Ameliasburgh show and succeeded. He started working in the final stuff before our fall Picton race yesterday. We will be sure he has a switch. I think this little mishap has brought this detail to him front and centre.

[Dolmetsch]

Mike had a great day at the Picton Airfield Armdrop Drags. He hisself drove two passes in the car and seasoned Vintage racer FED Pat Doornbos ran one for him. Pat told me late Sat night that the car handles surprisingly well and feels solid and safe with no bad manners of any kind. Said he could feel as soon as he got into the burnout that the car had some "stomp". Has a slight bog coming off flat footed which will be a minor adjustment to carb squirter sizes. (A pair  of Rochestor single barrels) He ran it and broke absolutely nothing. A real credit to his ability to bring a conception to fruition. This all started when I found a fadded  mechanical drawing of a old Chassis Research style rail. I took it and had it touched up and reprinted and gave it to Mike for the wall of his Memorability Room. Mike as you can see took it a step beyond and began the 2 1/2 yer journey making it and racing it. He changed a lot of things to suit his eye and style. Seeing it out on the track it was like seeing a ghost. Lots of interest.  Last night the track organizer Glenn phoned and told me Mike received the VIP trophy named Beazers Pick chosen by the famous Bob Beazer (NHRA rain dance specialist from the 1960s)hisself who is always at the Airfield races. Couldn't come this time to a more deserving guy. Mike is one of those guys who does rather then talks. Most impressive.
Don