| The
Twin Engine Orange Monster
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Pictures are thumbnails, click for larger versions. More pictures and video will be added as time goes by. |
I can be contacted at 757-376-7275, or by email
at calypsonut@aol.com. Thanks, Robbie |
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| July 25, 2006___Don't know what it is, but it's mine. I bought this car from East Coast Classic Cars in Lillington, NC. I bought it sight unseen and he shipped it to me. True to my lifestyle, it arrived after midnight. It's titled as a 24 ford, but we have our suspicions that very little, if any is actually that old, or Ford for that matter.. The front engine has been disconnected from the rear, but it is connected to the cooling system and the throttle linkage is there. This thing must have really flown at one time. Can't wait to see what I've got here and where it came from. A plaque on the frame tells me the builder's name, so here I come Google.com July 26, 2006___Alerted the neighbors of the impending exhaust rumblings and fired this thing up today. With the rear engine running, Lynley and I took her around the block for the first time. Even with the transmission slipping, it was incredible. With no tags, no insurance, and no sense I waved at the officer as he drove by the house. He smiled and flashed me a peace sign. Everything is gonna be just fine I think. August 2, 2006____Titled and tagged her today. It's actually titled as a 1924 Ford Model T 4 door Sedan. This is the way it was when I got it, so this is the way I left it. I've heard it can be hard to title customs in VA.. Insurance is like 42 cents a year or something. What I save in insurance I'll more than spend in fuel after I hook these engines together. August 4, 2006___,, Got home from a long band road trip, fired up (no name as of yet) for a quick cruise and dropped the transmission after just 12 blocks. Funny how people will stop to look but not help. Bwahahaha, we looked cool though. Looks like the greasiness begins right here August 5, 2006___, Bearded Dan is gonna help with the transmission. While he's doing the hard part, I'm gonna be yanking the radiator, it's has issues too. Sure hope we find the guy who built this thing, I have 1,000,000 questions. August 6, 2006_____ Spoke to a guy Named Norb Locke today. Norb used to run a double engine dragster in the sixties. Although norb never cooled his engines, he did have great ideas and forwarded my info onto friends of his who may be able to help. His website is here. DRAG RACING AS I DID IT, AND AS I SAW IT. 1959 - 1965 It's a fun read that's full of history. Check out the dragster on the bottom of page 1, it can't be but about six feet long. August 21, 2006_____,Pulled the radiator and found out just how much coolant is in a two engine beast... A LOT. Took the radiator to Glen at Beach Radiator. He says it's an old Chrysler style honeycomb and looks to be at least 40 years old. He's going to see if he can get it to hold pressure so we can at least use it to get temp and pressure readings. August 28, 2006____Went downtown to meet Alan Thornton, the owner of Flatlander's Hot Rods. We talked for a while about the car and how I should focus on safety. You can't drive it if you're dead. After bumping around a few ideas, I saw a picture on the wall that was taken at the Southernmost Point in Key West. The conversation quickly changed. Been here? Yup. Cuban here? Yup. BO's Fishwagon? OF COURSE! He closed at 6, I left at 7. August 30, 2006___After some online
sleuthing and sending letters in the mail (remember the mail?), I
was given a great gift, a phone number for Joe Jerominek, the builder.
Nice guy, with an acute memory. He remembers this thing down to the
bolt sizes. September 4, 2006___Bearded Dan Perry and I started today on what was supposed top be a routine transmission rebuild, but wait, this is hot rodding right? Nothing goes as planned when you're dealing with hot rods and customs. At the onset, all tools were clean and organized. In the end, even the tools we didn't use are trashed and greasy. Dropping the tranny isn't easy when the frame rails get in the way, so we decided we'd take the bucket off. Close scrutiny revealed only 2 bolts holding the bucket to the body. JUST TWO! End of day 1, the tranny is completely disconnected and so is the body. Next time, we pull the body so we can get the tranny all the way out. Wish us luck, please. BTW, Bearded Dan is not pretty when he's covered with Transmission fluid and gasoline. As usual, click the little pictues for bigger ones.
September 5, 2006_____ Got an email from Rob Jerominek (Joe's son). He remembers the car and the cruises his family used to take in her. His email helped get me outta this "half empty", "no light at the end of a greasy tunnel" feeling. I can bitch and moan, or I can smile and turn wrenches. Hand me that 9/16 wrench, would ya? September 9, 2006_____Ordered rear tires today as a strange kind of kick in the pants. After hours (who am I kidding,,, DAYS), of surfing and shopping I finally decided on 33 x 22 x 15 Mickey Thompson S/R radials from Jegs.com. The were a few bucks more at Jegs, but the free shipping made them the cheapest deal in town. September 11, 2006_____After finding out from Beach Radiator that the old '51 Dodge honeycomb unit is trash, I started looking for a suitable replacement on Ebay. I found a brand new Walker t bucket radiator just 15 miles away in Hampton, VA. Terry (Lynley's brother) and I went for the ride to look at it and quickly found it to be not only brand new, but 4 row, heavy duty with transmission cooler. I paid $425, but it's $700 plus shipping online from Walker and he threw in a brand new fiberglass radistor shell. After the price of the tires, it's nice to save a bit when I can. September 12, 2006_____Another day of sheesh. Decided today that if I needed to shore up the windshield, I might as well take it off and remount it a little more securely. Well, that led to taking out the dash and I'm glad I did that because the gauges were being held in place by silicone caulk and all the connections were...you guessed it...finger tight. Looks like the dash that is made from a 1915 ford floorboard is outta here. I'll use it for a template and then it's work is done. Gotta get this body off the frame next so we can get to the transmission. Lynley says that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. She's so cool.
September 13, 2006_____Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah, BWahahahahahahahaha! Tires came in today. What was I thinking? These things are huge! Terry and I looked at them and said "Well, Go Big, Or Go Home", Lynley just said, "those things are not coming in my house". The small tires in the pictures are 26" tall and 12.5" wide, so you can just imagine how big 33" x 22" really is. They're gonna look great on the old girl one day soon.
September 20, 2006_____ Measured the
bucket and rear axle 8 times to get the backspacing numbers right
for Rob at Stockton Wheel Co.. Ordered 2) 15x16 steel solids with
7 inches of backspacing. Trim rings and 5" Shannon cone center
caps are on the way too. With the rear wheels off and tell-tale grease
on the inboard sidewall of the tires, I figured it was time to look
at the brakes. Long story short; shoes, wheel cyclinders, axle seals
and hardware kits are on the list. <sigh> Would sure like to
find something that doesn't need repair. One bite at a time
right? October 4, 2006_____Started rear brakes
today. Some rust, lots of wear, stuck parts and contaminated lining
means it's definitely necessary. Wheel cylinders are 10 bucks a piece,
so out they go too. 30 minutes into the job and I rounded off a wheel
cylinder mounting bolt. No biggie, drilled it out and moved on. Axle
seal on the left looks fine. If the right is ok, I'll leave them,
if not, they're outta here too.
October 8, 2006_____Brake work is a lot like riding a bike, you never really forget how. New shoes, wheel cylinders, and full hardware kits for just 65 bucks and a few hours of "Me" time. Lynley and Terry helped me move it into the back yard for the beginning stages of "Operation Bucket Strip".
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The
Orange Monster as I recieved it. Beat up, but breathing. |
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| Engines | 2 Dodge 318's, new for the build in '81. Timed 180° out. |
| Transmission | 904, but orginally had a 727 |
| Rear end | Dana, mid-seventies dodge van |
| Body | Fiberglass 1915 Dodge Brothers Touring. Made by Florida Rods (now closed) in Tampa |
| Chassis | Custom dual Chassis built by Joe Jerominek |
| Front Supension | Porsche, with '57 Ford Spindles |
| Rear Suspension | Custom 4 link |
| Front wheels | 19" Stainless Spokes with motorcycle tires |
| Rear Wheels | 14" E/T mags with L 60-14. Nowhere near as large as the original Rolling Pins. |
| Cooling System | Shared cooling system with thermostat in rear engine only and a 1951 Dodge truck radiator. |
| Paint | Tangiers Orange |
MORE INFORMATION AS I RECEIVE IT |
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