This morning my son and I made this video of our 1930 Chevy with the 3.50:1 gears I make driving on the freeeway and around town. This car has the engine it came off the assembly line with, that I rebuilt about 20 years ago. Just FYI the cars weights in at 2930 with the twin side mounts etc and full of gas.
Don't get to feeling like that you have a extra fast Chevie. My 28 stock sedan runs at 55 MPH and has some more if you choose to put the peddle to the metal. I don't know why the modern drivers think that a Chevrolet back in the 1930s and 1940s would only run at 45 MPH. But if it makes you feel good that is ok too.
Life's a long winding trail, love Jesus and ride a good horse!
My 1930 Sport Coupe (same color scheme and Viking cap) cruises at 60 plus with the highway gears but I redid the engine using aluminum pistons, cut the head and ground the cam. Problem is that it needs a lot of room to stop with mechanical brakes and it's got to be a smooth road or it's all over the place. My car was used in the remake of the movie, Mildred Pierce which will be released in the spring of 2011. Hope it makes it past the cutting room.
That was a great video to watch. I especially enjoyed seeing the VCCA Blue Oval in the front lower corner of the windshield. I have driven a 1931 F*rd at 50mph+ more than once in my life. I remember 2 things about that experience. The first was that the steering was not very good at that speed. The second was that if I had any ideas about stopping suddenly, forget it.
dtm
the toolman 60th Anniversary Meet Chairperson Dave VCCA # L 28873 VCCA #83 Tool Technical Advisor for 1914-1966 VCCA #83 1940 Chevrolet Technical Advisor
You can do that but why push it. Expecially the way people drive this day and age. Try to blow their engine getting around you and then stomp the brakes. If they do that 50 feet infont of you, well good luck. Much more safer at 45 or so than pushing your luck with 60 MPH. Which is ok if you had hydralics. Mechanical brakes ARE, beleive it or not, just as safe as hydralics when properly maintained and adjusted. It's just the foot power you have to use. And i gaurntee you dont have enough foot power to stop from 60 MPH to a dead stop within 20 feet with mech. brakes if someone jackrabbits on you.
Last edited by OilSpot; 11/14/1012:41 AM.
In my shop, quality is a standard, NOT and option.
M006840, It is great when someone else tells those who have been convinced by the hotroders or part sellers that mechanical brakes do not stop. I am sure it will not stop (pun intended) but at least some may think again about changing to hydraulic brakes when it is not necessary and likely much more expensive than fixing what they have.
Hey!!!! That sounds like Larry Jackson talking in the video! Really cool! Larry, you ready to make more gears?
By the way, I can lock up all four (4) on my 32 if I want to make them. Chevrolet had the most superior mechanical breaks in 30-32. I would have no problem driving my car at 60.
32 Confederate Bruce S. DeFord VCCA Judging Committee Chair
Is there anything like that for a '34 Master? Before anyone mentions using the country roads, there aren't any here. Well, there are some but they are gravel logging roads. There is one highway in and out of this town, it is two lane and it is the Northern Route of the Trans Canada Highway, which means there are about 200 transports an hour going by at 70MPH.So if you are to get on the highway with an old car that can't ceuise at at least 60, it's decidedly unsafe.
The 1934 Master and early 1935 Master had a different rear pinion bearing. His 1935 (late) and 1936 Master gears will work but require some machiening. That is the same gear as the 1/2 ton truck up trough 1939. Its like a 3.3 to 1 ratio. I always crusied my 1934 Master between 55 and 60 MPH with the4.11 rear end. The only thing it had was the lighter aluminum pistons. It was a 4 door with a trunk and was very heavy. I doubt if it would have been "happy" with a 3.3 to 1 ratio.
If I could cruise at a steady 55, I would be legal, but I'd still be collecting convoys. In the hillier areas there are passing lanes, but around here it's mostly flat and straight. What level of machining is required for the '36 gears? Is it something a regular machine shop can do, or do you have to go to a gear cutting equipped shop?
