1925 Chrysler Speedster

Here's those pics I promised of the front motor mount. Note that the bottom of the mount is not made to sit on a flat frame so even if you find a stock one, your speedster chassis or the mount will probably need to be changed. The bottom holes are about 13" apart, and the top ones are about 10" above them. If you decide to copy my nifty engine stand, get better castors. These old brutes are heavy.

More pics.

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away!!!!!!! Anyway a lot has happened over the past month and a half. School finished, had end of year exams, got 3rd in calculus, did the first cut of hay for the season (we were up till 10 pm stacking it in the shed so it didn't get rained on the next day), put an application in to join the NZ Army and now Christmas is coming. And all through that there was a bit to time for car projects.

The engine is slowly coming together. All the internals are in I just have to bolt on the external bits. The water pump is proving a bit tricky as it needed a full rebuild and the guy who was going to sell me a seal kit for it has disappeared with out a trace. I started work on the tuned intake and exhaust manifolds and hope to have at least the intake dome by the end of the week. my plan is to make a big 180* arc of 35mm mild steel tube over the top of the motor and mount the carburetor roughly inline with the thermostat housing so I can have long runners for low RPM torque and the whole setup will fit under the bonnet. The headers I think will will have to wobble their up in front of the oil pump as the steering box will be at the back of the motor and it will be a too tighter fit to go between it and the engine block (Stupid american cars and being optimized for left hand drive). I plan to do a 6 to 3 to 1 setup in a "tri-Y" style (Actually now I think about it, its going to be a "quad-Y") starting at 38mm pipe and finishing at a massive 76mm pipe, I'm a little limited by the size collectors I can buy and their inlet and outlet diameters.

I had a stroke of good fortune during my last trip to the local vintage car club parts shed. for $55 I picked up a working starter and a excellent condition Chrysler 3 on the tree gearbox. It wasn't the 4 speed I was hoping for but I'm OK with one less gear and saving myself $2000. unfortunately Hurst don't sell a a floor shift kit for the early Chrysler 3 speed boxes but making one is not that difficult. Does anyone know how to date the Chrysler gearboxes? the first pic is the number on the main gearbox and the second one is of the tail shaft housing. as far as i am aware the starter is off a late 40s dodge truck being a maw 4041.

I have a line on some period seats, a set of taller diff gears and some head lights so maybe i will have some more parts soon.

There was a 1925chrysler speedster in Perth western Australia about 10 years ago and it could do over 100 mph plus it had twin ball and ball carbs

nzcarnerd, on 02 Dec 2013 - 03:29 AM, said:

Ha ha, yes dad agrees. The cheapest way to improve the power to weight ratio is to remove weight.105680.attachIt has been proven with the 1926 Pontiac. This pic is two years old and it has had a few improvements since but is not roadworthy yet. By the way this is probably the only surviving right hand drive 1926 Pontiac on Motor Wheel disc wheels - different from the Baker type usually seen on Chevs. I guess it was once a sedan but that is all that there was of it.

If we are going to improve the power to weight ratio, how many of us are going on a diet?  LOL

We haven't heard any updates on this one for a while... any progress?

Not much progress. I have decided to go for a boat tail design. I'm trying to find a later diff to give me a good top speed. The engine is being held up by the water pump.

I have also move away from home and started a new job. The the picture is of the view from the tea room. Unfortunately I had to leave the Chrysler at my parents place but once a couple of cars leave the shed at work I might be able to bring it along.

Great to hear about the job.  Looks like a neat place to work.

Tell us about the shop and what you are doing there.

The place is a dedicated Rolls-Royce and Bentley workshop. we're able to work on anything from the early 1900s right up to today. I'm the new apprentice. First day on the job I was let loose on a 1960 Bentley S2. I have to strip it down for a reprint and an engine rebuild.

Does this mean the speedster is going to get a Rolls Royce power train? Nice looking shop.

I wish, it's a little far out of my pay rate at the moment. On the bright side I got to take a Bentley t1 for a test drive today. Also spent most of the day using the sand blaster, I felt like dath vader with the respirator on.

Nothing much has happened on the Chrysler except for parts acquisition. I rescued this carrot harvester from the scrap metal dealers to get the axle off it. I think it is Desoto. The harvester is a New Zealand no. 8 wire special of build a portable machine out of whatever is lying around and something stationary.   

I also got this diff which might com in handy for later projects. Dad thinks it might be early Buick 

Life happens... you're making more progress than I am... my 228 is still sitting in the corner on the homemade engine stand, and the Whippet chassis is still in the pasture. Hopefully I'll make some progress on my shop over the winter. We're in the process of freezing up and getting snow on the ground as I type...

Well time flies when you're having fun And good things come to those who wait. I picked up a very rusty '59 Fargo truck which had a 4 speed floor shift box and a long block flathead six. That was the combo I wanted to start with. After violent removal with saws, a rattle gun, and the forklift I discovered the gearbox was out of a early 40s powerwagon and the engine was a 241cui. The 6.4: first gear in the trans mission means I can run a really tall diff for comfortable open road cruising..... and a 200kph theoretical top speed. The 230 motor will probably get sold and the 241 will be rebuilt as a 250 with a .0625 overbore. All the torque. The truck also had a period remote brake booster which ill see if it can be rebuilt and used on the speedster. Other than that nothing has really happened. I've got 3 weeks off so might get a little done in between Toyotas and Datsuns. 

Too bad you weren't closer... I'm looking for the same truck for it's front and rear axles (with 5 bolt hubs). Time does fly... 2 yrs later and my Whippet chassis just barely made it into the heated shop before the snow flew... 

whtbaron,  You mention a "228" is that a Chrysler product?  I just picked up a Chrysler IND 265 that will eventually end up in a 1937 DeSoto coupe.

Al

Whoops - done it again - hit edit instead of quote.

1 hour ago, alsfarms said:

whtbaron,  You mention a "228" is that a Chrysler product?  I just picked up a Chrysler IND 265 that will eventually end up in a 1937 DeSoto coupe.

Al

 

Whoops - done it again - hit edit instead of quote.NZC

Al, no doubt you know that all of the Canadian built flat head sixes - starting from 1938 - were long blocks - i e 25" - so they have some odd sizes.

Canada even did long block 201s for the pre war Plymouths -  3.375" x 3.75".  Makes for plenty of confusion in this part of the world with a mix of US and Canadian cars here.

1 hour ago, alsfarms said:

whtbaron,  You mention a "228" is that a Chrysler product?  I just picked up a Chrysler IND 265 that will eventually end up in a 1937 DeSoto coupe.

Al

 

Whoops - done it again - hit edit instead of quote.

Lots of info here   -   http://p15-d24.com/topic/9618-canadian-built-25-b-flatty/

The P-15-D24 does have a good forum area.  I was trying to learn the difference between the different length Chrysler product engines while I was contemplating purchase of  the IND 265 for the DeSoto.  I feel I have a small working knowledge of the differences but still not great.  One question is how did the long block 6 engine fit into the 1934 Plymouth cars built in Canada?  My original question for whtbaron was what his "228" engine was.  I know that Chrysler built a 228, but I also know that GMC built a fine 228 engine, used in lots of pick-up trucks.  I am in process of installing a 302 in place of a 248 in a first series 1947 GMC dump truck.  Engines are fun!

Al

Anxious to hear about the build of the  230 Chrysler 6 for the early speedster project.  Now I just noticed the sawzall on the front fender of the RUSTY truck.  That would be better than resorting to the use of a heat wrench (cutting torch) to get the offending parts out of the way!  Do you guys in NZ have access to a good amount of speed parts for the early Chrysler 6 engines?

Pretty much the major differences are block/head,manifold/crank/cam length (dah), bore/stroke figures due to the long block running bigger bores, and the fact that the 23" engines have the rods offset on their big end bearings. That's what I've learnt from pulling a couple apart. I assume you realise your IND 265 engine is a 265 cui long block. My original plan was to use a gas axe for cutting but It's closed fire season here and a friend said the saw would be faster. There is sod all in the way speed parts or any parts for that matter in this part of the world. The options are custom make it or get stuff ex USA. NOS parts turn up for sale from time to time. 

3 hours ago, alsfarms said:

One question is how did the long block 6 engine fit into the 1934 Plymouth cars built in Canada?  

Regarding the engine in the '34 Plymouth, 1938 was the first year for Canadian built engines. Its assumed that up to that date the engines were sourced form the US and were probably short blocks. 

oh I see, the engine out of the rusted truck is a long block version and you will end up with about a 250 CID engine  if you build it correctly?  Is that the plan?

Al

Yeah pretty much. Might see if the engine runs and run it as is if it does. 

I am in the same boat with my "new" IND 265.  It came out of a fork lift so It may or may not be in good mechanical order.   I will get it mounting in a test rack and see if and how it runs before I do anything.   I have spent much more time with the Over head valve GM engines so this rebuild will be a new experience for me.

Al

I'm late getting back to the question, but yes, the 228 did come out of a 54 Canadian built Dodge pickup so it is the long block version. My Mopar mechanic is currently putting the 54 pickup on a late model 4x4 chassis which would make a few guys around here cry a little. On the bright side I was able to score a mint running flathead with the 4 spd transmission for $300. LOL... I just noticed the remnants of the tree in the wrecker when I was about to say that wrecker ( oh man, is that a hand powered winch??) might have some resale value. Guess it comes with free fire wood?

Yes hand crank winch @whtbaron. 2 speed as well. basically a very big version of whats on most peoples car trailers.  I'm not sure if it has any value but was hoping to use it as a bonfire for a national get together that's happening in April. Roll it up douse in diesel and throw a match at it. Camp ground isn't keen though.  

I know some guys that are into "ultimate" wiener roasts... they launch a lit wad of rags soaked in diesel fuel with a potato canon into unwanted buildings stuffed full of dead limbs (trees boys, think trees...) . Obviously they live out in the country where there are no park staff involved, but the resulting flame has been seen from miles away.