The new OLD FTF gets a "Duesenberg DOHC 4-valve"

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I haven't run mine. I filled the corner fillets with weld so it matches up to the port. Mismatch is not a good thing. I doubt if a streeter would see a noticeable difference though.

[clintonvillian]

You just filled the last half inch or so and then ground them to transition them into the head? You didn't/weren't able to fillet the entire things were you??

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

That's right. I like to weld the ends of runners on each side to minimize the chance of cracking.

[rikard]

Great work FTF love reading your posts.
Please keep the updates coming.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
rikard aka Rick

[chessterd5]

Hi FTF, Looks good! Got any calveskin gloves to go with the goggles & the hat? Just out of curiosity, What kind of radiater are you going to run? Maybe slanted with an electric fan? What kind of front axle is that I'm guessin mid to late 50's Truck? What's the wheelbase? Just for fun maybe the next project could be a v-12 "Forderarri". You do brilliant work sir. I can't wait to see it boil water!

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I built the grill shell to hold a '64 Mustagn radiator with an electric fan. I may use a mechanical fan if there is enough room - to make it look more period correct.

The axle is indeed a '53 Ford truck, narrowed 6 inches, smoothed and drilled full of lightening holes. While most cars of that era ran only rear brakes operated by a hand lever I am going to run front and rear brakes operable by either the outside hand brake lever or a foot pedal inside the car.

I hope to get an old pilots skull cap, goggles, an old polo stlye helmet and a pair of gauntlet gloves for photo ops.
(For hot laps its a fire suit and Simpson safety equipment tho.)

I forgot the wheelbase - around 111" I think.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

After another winter hiatus I am back on the "speedracer" project. I am doing the steering drag link and associated stering nacelle to conceal the pitman arm:

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Today I made a push-off board for the truck:

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I made these strips to hold on the body panels. Way back when the body panels were usually held in place with angle flanges riveted to the edges of the panels. Now it would be soooo much easier to attach them with quarter-turn Dzus buttons but to stay close to original I just embossed rivet heads on the flanges and will spot weld them on to the body.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I placed all the semi-finished panels on the chassis to mount the body to the frame using the flanges, like they used to.

[bubba22349]

it's looking great!

[1986F150six]

What a wonderful project! Thanks for sharing with us.

[Lagerhead]

FTF it time for some 15 inch dirt tires on the back and 10 inch on the front and a fairly stock motor because with all the torque a 300 makes it will still spin the tires off the corner

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I agree. Aside from the side draft carbs and the exhaust system and a set of hypereutectic pistons and the crossflow head the engine will remain basically stock, including the stock camshaft for lots of tire wrenching torque and a tractible idle slow enough to be driven in parades and parade laps.

Even so, I expect it will put out more power than the typical Miller or Offy of that era.

I am looking at skinny Coker dirt tires and wire wheels. Some things I've heard about some Coker tires (mostly their whitewalls) are a bit unsettling, but other vintage tire makers like Diamondback do not offer dirt tires. Dayton wire wheels are too pricy for my budget - about 2 grand a wheel! - and Coker wires fit my drums.

[Lagerhead]

forget the wires big Weld sprint car wheels or wide five with some big Hoosier

[chessterd5]

Wow! congrats FTF, a magazine car! If anyone is interested FTF's Duesenberg has been published in the latest issue of Street Rodder magazine.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Thank you chessterd,

I knew it was coming but I'm travelling now - I'll check it out when I return home.

Its only a subject for Professor Hammer's column on shaping metal. Someday I'd love to see a feature done on it after I complete it. I'd better get humpin'.

[Greg D]

I never posted on this thread.
I have been watching this for years though - so cool.
Would you be willing to share some pics of the 3 carb manifolds as you were doing them?

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I never posted on this thread.
I have been watching this for years though - so cool.
Would you be willing to share some pics of the 3 carb manifolds as you were doing them?

Thanks Greg D.
Did you mean the 2 x 1 intake on this build, the 3 x 1 build from three stock intakes, the EFI based 2 x 2 intake or one of my 3 x 2 race manifolds?

[herosandwich]

WOW those are some long drag links hanging out the side. also same, been watching this thread for as long as I can remember and that's really beautiful, FTF.

[henline6]

What is that head, and where did you get it? I noticed that it has the Ford casting marks on it; so its not one of these chopped up and welded together heads.

I mainly ask this because Im planing a very high HP build for my 93 300 and am trying to look for all types/options of crossflow options.

(Excuse my ignorance Im relatively new to this forum and haven't been through all the great info on here)

[Lagerhead]

That's an ultra rare ford crossflow only a few ever made if I remember rite less than 100. Good luck finding one the last one I saw was on eBay and a reserve not at $1500

[jamyers]

Any updates?

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I did a little more work on the head rest. I think it looks too big and I'll make it lower and shorter.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Hey, I just realized this thread has been moved over to this forum - I thought it had been deleted somehow. I'm in SoCal taking a little break but when I return I'll post an update.

[pikesan]

Hey, I just realized this thread has been moved over to this forum - I thought it had been deleted somehow. I'm in SoCal taking a little break but when I return I'll post an update.

First time I've seen this one! Come'on back... I'd love to see any progress!

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I have a much more detailed build thread over on Jalopy Journal's H.A.M.B. bulletin board:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thre ... 98/page-10

The champ car came back to my home shop today, reunited with the '46 Ford push / tow truck and its own trailer. This build has been going on a long time, but the truck and trailer got finished in the mean time so I suppose that signifies some progress of sorts. Stay tuned.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

In these old replicas there are a lot of little "visual delights" that can make a car interesting to see. I thought I would make one of those little visually appealing details today. A heat shield for the exhaust pipe. First I cut a blank of sheet stainless, laid out some cooling holes and rolled a curve in it. Then I made a small belling tool for my DiAcro press so I could put a bell mouth on the holes. This is needed to prevent the shield from becoming a cheese grater on my body parts should I come into contact with it during an upset. I just need to make some stand-off nuts to weld it in place when the time comes.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I did some more shaping on the tail section. Its almost ready to baptize in bondo. Attaching the mounting flanges comes next.

[67Straightsix]

That's way to pretty to cover in bondo. It sure would look good polished. Nice work

[bubba22349]

By "THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER" My old topic got "locked". As I have a lot more left to do I'll start another one. As luck would have it this summer I'm building the "mule" engine for it, along with another U-flow engine for my son's Anglia, on which I may start another thread if time permits.
This week I started on the head:



the intakes get a 30 deg. back cut


ready for reassembly


The full build story is on the H.A.M.B.:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... ct.223598/