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LADY IN RED IS ALMOST READY TO DANCE
It has taken nearly 12 months to complete and there have been problems along the way, but the 354 blown and injected Chrysler Hemi engine prepared by Booth-Arons for Europe’s first dragster is just about ready for shipment back to the UK. The rocker covers in the photos are not ours but they show how spectacular she will look when ours return from the Chrome Shop within a day or so. And that’s the Maestro Denny Hummel - the man who built her. The engine’s a real ‘Lady in Red’ with just the blower intake piping, fuel system, electrics and Dyno-Test before she’s ready to dance. We can then get her back to Beaulieu and continue with the rest of the restoration of Sydney Allard’s 1961 iconic car. But we will need more funds to cover the cost of the extra work that has been required during the engine build process, plus the cost of transporting it home. Not everything has been donated by suppliers. See latest news story for details.
ENGINE BUILD UPDATE AUGUST 2010 This is the latest news about the engine for the Allard Chrysler being built by Booth-Arons in the USA. A complete and accurate replication of the original built in the winter of 1960/61 was not possible due to some parts manufacturers not being around anymore and other original details missing from the available information. Booth-Arons recommended that the new engine be built to take high nitro loads (90%) for the best ‘cackling’ performance - i.e. lots of noise and flames. This would also toughen up the engine, making it less likely to fail. But aesthetically it would be exactly the same as that built back in 1960/61. They located a 1956 354 Chrysler Hemi engine with original paint and decals on the valve covers - a truly unmolested and perfect starting point having originally been an industrial engine.
This was completely disassembled and, thankfully, it was discovered that it had a standard bore and crank. The thick walls and webs on these older, untouched, blocks don’t require a torque plate. It was baked and blasted prior to honing. The head surfaces were then decked and made parallel so that everything was equalled out and the bore honed to a perfectly round 4.060 inches diameter with a 3.625 inch stroke taking it out to 375 cubic inches. This un-shrouds the valves (normal practice for race engines) and facilitates a louder more fiery sound when the engine is fired up plus more flames from the exhaust headers – providing the right cam is used of course. Taking it out to 375 cubic inches also enables the use of Big Block Chevrolet rods, pins and journals; often easier (and cheaper) to obtain than Chrysler. Racetec Pistons designed and donated the pistons - 10 billet slugs to provide spares. The main bearings are standard Chrysler Hemi size.
Beaulieu had a blower, blower manifold and Potvin adapter, from a part-restoration carried out in the 1980s by Brian Golder. These were sent to Booth-Arons and the blower forwarded to Littlefield Blowers in California who re-tuned it for the front mounted Potvin set up that characterises the car. Meanwhile, back at Booth-Arons, the bright work was tumbled and polished - including a rare set of valve covers that were sent to the chrome shop after some metal work had been carried out by Al Bergler. Because the engine was so pristine, with little run time, the crank was simply checked that it was straight, then polished and nitrided for surface hardening. Other parts were machined and made ready for assembly. Everything was weighed and balanced on an individual component basis before the piston/crankshaft assembly was balanced. Steve Sanchez of Total Flow Products, Michigan did all the headwork. New Manley valves, valve guides and seats were fitted. Trip Manley is Vice President of Manley Performance Products Inc, a company with a relationship with Booth-Arons that goes back to Trip’s father Hank and Denny Hummel. When Trip heard about the Allard Chrysler dragster restoration he was keen to become involved.
He said, Crower donated custom-ground cams and springs. Trend Performance supplied the pushrods (and piston pins). The block and heads were registered and receiver grooves machined when the heads were returned to Booth-Arons and assembly of the short-block commenced.
Hilborn supplied a 2-port injection system and fuel pump. Edris Snipes is Vice President Hilborn Fuel Injection and she said, But prior to mounting the blower it was discovered that the crank snout had to be shortened before it could be mated with the blower adapter. And there have been other problems along the way such as the length of pushrods and the need for spacers between the heads and the blower adapter (both probably the result of decking the head). Availability of parts (difficult enough with an engine of this vintage) has gradually become more of an issue as the economic recession has forced suppliers to reduce their stock holdings. A brand new Taylor Vertex Magneto has been located in the USA - exactly the same as the Scintilla unit fitted to the original engine back in 1961. And at the time of going to press the engine was getting very close to final assembly ready for dyno-testing before dispatch to the UK in November - providing we hit no further unexpected problems.
Denny Hummel who is building the engine said, Stuart Bradbury of U S Automotive of Bedford has been handling the USA-UK logistics and technical liaison and they will organise the completed engine’s return to Beaulieu. Work can then start on finishing the restoration of the rolling chassis and components. I have been very disappointed with corporate response to the project and so far has we have raised all the funding for the restoration ourselves - with a little help from Performance Direct and some product support from American suppliers. If you would like to help fund or sponsor this unique and exciting project, then select the merchandise page and use the Pay Pal link or contact ACAG Chairman Brian Taylor (telephone on 01395 579733).
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