The Rodding Roundtable

Motorhead Message Central => Rodder's Roundtable => Topic started by: Flipper on July 27, 2004, 08:12:27 PM

Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 27, 2004, 08:12:27 PM
Some of you from the H.A.M.B might have seen this already.  For those who don't go there, here is an update on my '47 Seagrave hot rod project.

I found Alcoa wheels on E-bay.  24.5 x 8.25 rear wheels with 285/75/24.5 tires (41.5" tall) and 22.5 x 7.50 front wheels with 255/70/22.5 tires (36" tall).  Believe it or not, they really don't look all that big.

The big news is the motor I picked up.  It also came off of e-bay.   ......An all aluminum, air cooled, 1,790 cubic inch V-12 out of a Patton Tank ! ! !

It is the same engine that is in the Blastolene Special (now the Jay Leno hot rod  :( )

The body is probably going to be altered to make the engine fit (cowl moved back).  I am going to mate it to the 4 speed that came in the truck.

Anybody here ever messed with one of these motors (Continental AV-1790-5B)?
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 27, 2004, 08:14:30 PM
in daylight  ...yes that is a crew cab SuperDuty
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 27, 2004, 08:16:50 PM
front wheels with a fender mocked up.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 27, 2004, 08:18:20 PM
same wheel, different angle
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: enjenjo on July 28, 2004, 12:42:46 AM
In the third picture  is that the tank motor on the left? If so, it looks like it has an SAE bellhousing, so fitting the truck trans to it should be fairly easy.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: 40 on July 28, 2004, 08:58:54 AM
What is the horsepower and torque rating on that bad boy?
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: purplepickup on July 28, 2004, 10:37:38 AM
AAUUURRRRrrr!! :shock:  ....I say in my best attempt to make that Tim (the Toolman) Taylor sound.  You're definitely stepped it up a notch.  Keep us posted with lots of pictures.  It's going to be one cool ride :D
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Ohio Blue Tip on July 28, 2004, 11:18:03 AM
Looks like you have an 810 HP at 2800 RPM 1790 CU. IN. engine.
Those were used in the M46 Patton tank.  
Jay Leno has one out of the later M47 and may be about 900 HP.  The later supercharged engines were over 1000 HP.  We are still building the basic engine that was designed in 1943 but is now a supercharged diesel that puts out up to 1200 HP.
Jay recently needed a rod for his engine but the parts have mostly been scraped by us and the Army so we couldn't locate one.  (He'll just have to make one)
The tank retriever the pulled over the statue of Saddam in the war is equipped with a 1790 1050 HP.
I need a ride when it's done, never run a gasser but drove many a mile in a diesel powered tank.  Built and ran many in test cells also.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Dirk35 on July 29, 2004, 05:39:59 PM
Isnt that the Blast-o-leene(SP?)?
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: unklian on July 29, 2004, 05:55:38 PM
Flipper:Love the wheels,
and it looks good with the bottom of the fender so low. :wink:

I don't remember,is it going to have air bags ?
How tough will it be to shorten the body,when you move the cockpit back ?
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 29, 2004, 07:17:44 PM
Quote from: "unklian"Flipper:Love the wheels,
and it looks good with the bottom of the fender so low. :wink:

I don't remember,is it going to have air bags ?
How tough will it be to shorten the body,when you move the cockpit back ?

Yep, it's gonna get bagged.  It shouldn't be very hard at all to slice it.  There is already a verticle seam in the midle of the body. ....and I am wanting to ditch the water tank in order to add more seating (that is closer to the front seats).  I'm kinda thinking about making it a four-door while I'm at it.

The cutting will take place right in front of the rear fender.

I also want to replace the angle iron at the back of the body and the tube that goes halfway down the side with 1" or 1 1/2" round tubing.  The round tubing will also frame the top of the body (on the inside side)
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 30, 2004, 10:39:31 PM
Here is the photo chop I did shortly after my dad bought his 1938 Seagrave.  

I also have a 1940 model in addition to the 1947 that is getting rodded.....they were too cheap to pass up.....all 3 were less than $1,000 if you don't count gas money
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: unklian on July 30, 2004, 10:45:02 PM
And it will look even better with the cab moved back,
and the cylinder heads hanging out in the breeze.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 30, 2004, 11:29:22 PM
Quote from: "unklian"And it will look even better with the cab moved back,
and the cylinder heads hanging out in the breeze.

Mine is actually a bigger truck than the one in the pic (179" wb vs. 159" wb).  Since mine came with the "big V-12" the hood was about 10" longer than the one pictured.  Mine also has about another 10" in the body behind the doors.  Overall length is the same though. ....less overhang in the rear.

Here is a picture of it looked like when it left the factory.  It used to have a roof (kinda).  The roof got cut off and a bigger water tank installed (by the Grand Island, Nebraska fire department) in around 1961 according to an old fireman I tracked down (ain't the internet wonderful)
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 30, 2004, 11:33:41 PM
My truck (same serial number) is also in a book that I bought.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on July 30, 2004, 11:42:10 PM
Quote from: "Flipper"My truck (same serial number) is also in a book that I bought.

After looking at my own pictures just now, I think I might recess the firewall a little instead of making the hood longer.  The proportions of the fenders, hood, and windshield look just about perfect to me in the bottom pic.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: unklian on July 31, 2004, 02:30:16 PM
Here is that pic with the roof removed and the cockpit moved back.
FWIW
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on August 01, 2004, 09:41:13 PM
I was surfing some european tractor pulling sites and found some cool stuff.  Too bad most of it is in a languange that I can't read.

This one has the heads turned backwards (intake and exhaust where they are "supposed" to be) and has three blowers (6-71?) in-line.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: Flipper on August 01, 2004, 09:44:23 PM
This one is even neater to me.  They got rid of the big accessory drive- gearbox thing on the front of the motor.  They found another way to drive cams, ignition, fuel pump, starter, and oil pump

The heads on this one are also swapped.  oh yeah, it also has turbos.
Title: Update on my BIG rod project
Post by: alchevy on August 11, 2004, 03:33:27 PM
While I was in Louisville, a '29 Studebaker with a motor like yours came through my town and was in the newspaper. Go to www.vicksburgpost.com and click on archives on the lefthand side and do a search for Studebaker and find the article called "Rodzilla rides roads for freedom" about  Rodney Rucker of Winslow, Ariz. The article was in the 8/7/04 issue.
AL