Check out this cool handmade V 12!

32 Chevy · December 15, 2004, 11:29:39 PM

Last weekend I went to Ray Baker's shop in Seattle. He is the machinist who helped me build the stroked Buick 215/ 305 that now powers the 32 chev. I was just visiting, and having him go over the motor now that it has a few miles on the clock. As an aside, Ray inherited his mechanical prowess from his Dad who pioneered the development of the 215 and also sold many kits to install baby buicks into Vagas and MG's.

So I asked Ray what he has been up to and he replied, "Well mainly trying to keep my head above water, but if you want to see something neat I'll show you my latest." So we walked across the street to his house and he opened the garage door and my eyeballs just about fell out. Nestled snugly between his wifes minivan and another long overdue project car sits a polished aluminum V 12.

Ray takes two 215's cuts 'em into two 6 bangers, welds the blocks together, MAKES a new Crank, MAKES a new cam ( I saw a crank being made on his lathe) Built a complete fuel injection system , built a dual magneto setup, built the headers , then fired it up on a dyn0 (525 hp from a 495 pound motor). So I'm impressed. And he swore me to secrecy, but now he's building two V12's under contract that are based on new Corvette V 8's. So don't tell anybody... I know they exist, I saw 'em with my own eyes...

I have no idea what the Crovette V12's will go for, but the aluminum engine in these photos would be around $20,000. That is definitely out of my budget, but compared to what I see people paying for warmed over 350 chevys seems to be a great deal. Ray says most of these motors end up in aircraft but would love to see one in a Rod.

This is so cool I had to share...

Cheers,

Dave

Dave R

nzsimon · December 16, 2004, 04:59:34 AM

Some people are just way too clever for words

enjenjo · December 16, 2004, 06:23:57 AM

That has EFI, and computer ignition too, doesn't it?

40 · December 16, 2004, 09:11:40 AM

I'll bet that thing sounds "Tough" !!

SKR8PN · December 16, 2004, 09:48:09 AM

Can you just imagine the jig it took to get those blocks lined up,before he welded them back together,not to mention how much work the crankshaft and camshaft,must have taken.
THAT guy has some serious talent

32 Chevy · December 16, 2004, 10:58:34 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"That has EFI, and computer ignition too, doesn't it?

Yeah, Frank, it sure does. I'm not sure what he adapted the EFI and ignition from, but he did say that it could be tuned with a computer.

He did not want me to take pictures in the shop of the crank on his lathe and the block jig but to my untrained eye it seemes deceptively simple. There's undoubtedly lots more behind the scenes. The shop itself is also one of those innocuous garages next to a house in a residential neighborhood where you you would never guess the talent inside. Ray is also quite young to have developed this expertise. I'm guessing that he's in his 30's.

Dave

1FATGMC · December 16, 2004, 12:41:09 PM

Quote from: "32 Chevy"
I have no idea what the Crovette V12's will go for, but the aluminum engine in these photos would be around $20,000.

Wow!!! Personally I think $20,000 is a steal for that motor, not that I have that to spend, but there are a lot of people out there that do. A friend built a $180,000 Willys for a guy and the exhaust alone was $5000 and not as nice as what is on that engine.

Thanks for posting the pictures,

Sum

Bruce Dorsi · December 16, 2004, 06:09:52 PM

IMPRESSIVE, indeed!

It is always a joy to see workmanship of this caliber.

There is a guy here in the east (New York, I think) that welded SBC 350's together, to make a V-16.
....His was a lot heavier though, as his blocks & heads were cast-iron.

He displayed and ran the engine for a year or two, before installing it into a rod. ....It sounded wonderful!

47wood · December 17, 2004, 08:38:41 AM

WOW, Ray has an impressive embarrassment of riches when it comes to executable skills. A lot of guys can talk a good show, yatta, yatta, but very few can make it happen ...especially at his age. My hat is off to him. Thanks for sharing.

Carps · December 17, 2004, 10:29:36 PM

Quote from: "nzsimon"Some people are just way too clever for words

Many of them have way too much or not enough spare time.

Land Yacht · December 18, 2004, 09:13:06 PM

I was just wondering, are those from Buick 215's or the later range rover productions? , I assume there were/are aluminum also...

32 Chevy · December 22, 2004, 08:54:49 PM

Quote from: "Land Yacht"I was just wondering, are those from Buick 215's or the later range rover productions? , I assume there were/are aluminum also...

These are from the later versions, the ones with larger webs at the crank bearings. The 215's were kinda lightly built there.

Dave

sirstude · December 23, 2004, 09:47:34 AM

I would LOVE to hear it run.
Not to take anything away from that work of art, and it is, but for any of you that follow the land speed guys, the Burkland car out of Montana that when 417 this year is powered by 2 aluminum Donavans. Gene Burkland scrounged 4 or 5 broken blocks and cut and welded them into the two motors he runs. It is amazing the talent that is out there. He didn't do the crank stuff the the V12 needed though.

Doug