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So Cal 53 Mainline street gasser

61K views 475 replies 22 participants last post by  1937Austin 
#1 · (Edited)
I just recently became aware of this site. I've been a gasser guy since the mid 60s. My 53 has a fresh +.030 428, Dodge I-beam (big brakes) in front, a Mopar 8 3/4" (also big brakes) with 4:56 gears and a full spool in back, it has 16x10 American Torque Thrusts in back and 15x4 American Torque Thrusts on the front.
I've also got a 41 Willys pick up with a SBC that's about 60% done. The bad thing is it's in storage because I don't have room in my garage.
 

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#2 ·
Wow, that is definitely a worthy participant here. Nice ride. Love the engine. I've always had a soft spot for cross-rams. I like the horn button also.



Any shots of the Willys?

Mike
 
#5 ·
LOVE or HATE Cross Rams

...... I've always had a soft spot for cross-rams. Mike
I have a "cross ram" that has been hanging on the workshop wall for a LONG TIME!!!!

Hope to use it one of these days.




A GREAT nostalgic piece. :cool:
 
#4 ·
Welcome to the site. That's an awesome Ford. The big block looks great. Fills that large engine compartment well. Lots of power too, I'll bet. Show us your Willys when you get a chance. Humm......well, I mean your pick-up. :)
 
#9 ·
Sbauman2. I've mentioned this before since you are new. Back in '66-'67 when I was 14-15 I worked in a gas station across the street from my house. There was a local guy, last name of Frost, (always thought that was a cool last name) that had what I believe was a '53 or possibly a '54 Crown Vic tinted glass half roof Ford. To this day I would love to have that car. He did not have a straight axle under it but it was lifted as high as a stock type suspension would allow. He was supposedly running a side oiler 427 FE but I don't remember if that was rumor or fact. BUT. He went to college about 24 miles away and would fill up with gas almost every morning. I worked early before school (and after school, and closing) but he would come in and leave the car idling and with out an exaggeration at all, it literally shook the windows. Those being my precar days, I was heavy into motorcycles. But that car and a ride in a friends built 375 horse 396 SS Chevelle really dragged me into cars. And I never looked back. Your '53 brings back those great feelings so I really thank you for that. I always kept an eye out for a Crown Vic with the glass roof but I have never seen one since his. His was also a dark Forest Green with dark center Torq thrusts or a like wheel. With the dark green of the glass roof it was really striking. Can't tell I liked it can ya, huh?? Heh. MArk L
 
#10 ·
I'm still into bikes; I've got 2 Harleys in my garage, that's one of the reasons for no room for the Willys. I think probably everybody has a particular experience that really hooked them. For me (I was 15) it was the car the dude that was dating my older sister had. It was a red 39 Chevy Coupe. It had if I remember a simply badass 421 Olds with dual quads, fenderwells, up in the air, etc. The one thing I remember was when he took me for my first ride. We went to the end of the street, he turned it around, straightened it out, pulled out a handle from the dash (a pressure valve for the hydro he was running) and told me to hang on. He could have given Jungle Jim Liberman lessons on how to do a burn out. That car lit those tires up FOREVER; and I was forever changed......... I've included a few photos of my hot rod Harley. My other is just a basic black 103 inch bagger.
 

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#13 ·
It's been on going for 10 years. Almost every part on this car has been replaced the most recent being the 428 I built and installed last summer.
 

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#18 ·
Valls mention of rain in his "project progress" report inspired me to contribute. Instead of adding this to the threads I did on modifying the BBC fenderwell headers or the twin electric fan install I thought I'd scroll back to my very first post when I found the site and add this post to that thread. As I've said in a couple prior posts I just haven't been motivated to do a damn thing on either this car or my Willys pickup. Well, my cousin got fed up with my lazy ass and he's coming down to kick me in the ass so I can swap out the correct 428 flex plate and also put in the new Hughes converter. Wouldn't you know it, he's getting here tomorrow and rain and showers are on their way for the next two days. Hey, when it rains it pours right.
 

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#20 ·
Yeah what he said.......put your gear in... in whatever. Get under that cool car and swap that flex plate will ya......:)
 
#21 ·
Yeah, I've been a bit under the weather lately. After pissing blood for a month and it not fixing itself or going away (like things used to 40 years ago) I decided to go to the doctor; turns out it's bladder cancer. I've had the first 2 treatments and they're not fun. A catheter is shoved up your dick into the bladder so that the medication goes right into the bladder. Then I came down with broncitius and was fighting it for 3 weeks. Started back to my handyman clients today so I'll be playing catch up for a bit. For all you young members out there, don't get old because your body turns on you.
 
#25 ·
I'm on my way for my third treatment this morning but yesterday was a day of accomplishment; the new flex plate and converter are in!!!! The vibration is gone finally. Wish I'd known when I built the 428 that it took its own flex plate with the big ass counter balance weight on it. Next up is the Gear Venders OD which should go smoothly, probably just going to need to modify the existing trans mount or build a new one.
Thanks for the well wishes guys, they're appreciated.
 
#27 ·
Atta boy Steve. On both events. Good to see you posting.
 
#29 ·
Flat Cam

Sometimes it seems like you're chasing your tail with these cars. After 4 years I finally got around to changing the parts that were causing the vibration in my 428. My laziness is probably what caused the new problem. The car would sit for months without being started; I think once it went for a year. Probably the valve spring load and dry starts did the damage. It's funny because after my cousin and I finished working on it and took it out for a test drive I mentioned that the idle didn't seem the same, not as radical and that the motor seemed to be less responsive.
Sunday I washed the car (been many years) in anticipation of enjoying a cruise of longer than 10 minutes. I'm a few blocks from the house and start to hear a clatter that seems to be getting louder so I turned around, came back, parked and said fuck it I'll look at it during the week. Yesterday I pulled the valve cover from the side that seemed to be the noise maker and found 3 rockers that had about 1/4" to 3/8" clearance. With that I shut the hood and went inside.
Like they say, if it's got wheels or boobs it's going to give you trouble :(
 
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