My dad had a 1951 Chrysler Imperial Club Coupe, 331 Hemi, that was his baby. He would race it from time to time but it was also our family transportation. It was a beautiful car. Electric windows, PS, PB, wire wheels and a mohair interior! He had that car until 1975. He sold it to help pay for my wedding. He was a great humble man. I miss him. Bill from Linglestown Pennsylvania
@@blinkie1523 He got the Chrysler in 1954, the year I was born. One thing I remember as a kid was the gigantic steering wheel! It looked to me like it was 3 feet across! We used to go to a drive-in burger joint with the girls on roller skates. The place was called the Bar-B-Que Cottage in Harrisburg, PA, specializing in pulled pork bar-b-que! I can taste one now and that was 60 years ago! It was open until the mid 1980's.
Leo, you ARE A VERY LUCKY YOUNG MAN , getting a chance to work and learn from Nick ,Manny, Robert . With Nick you are working with someone who is Legendary in the Mopar field ,but at the same time he is what I call A Master Master Mechanic ....His knowledge is amazing and the attention to detail is astounding...So you pay at attention, listen ,learn , do whatever Nick tells you ...You have a once in a lifetime chance to really pickup old school trade in this art of rebuilding engines and keeping these ol cars and muscle cars alive ...One day down the road what Nick is teaching you now ,will serve you well and you'll have great memories of the days working at Nick's Garage....All the best Leo .
hi nick this is samson from cincinnati ohio. i used to have a 354 hemi in my imperial.I have fond memories of me and edna cruising down central parkway. thanks for bringing those great memories back.
Nick, you and I are contemporaries. I was born in March of 1955; you in 1956. It’s awesome to take these trips along memory lane with you and marvel at the ingenuity of the engineers “way back then”. My dad would be 105 had he lived, and was an automotive mechanic. He had all of my brothers and me working with him from the time we could read the sizes of wrenches and sockets. The earliest model Plymouth I remember was a 1958 that he bought new. But my brothers and brothers in law were always bringing their old cars, from late 1940s to mid 1950s out to our house for Daddy to supervise repair and rebuilds. He would not allow any cutting of corners, “If I’m going to help, it’s going to be right.” He’s been gone for 21 years, but his legacy lives on. Sorry about the wordiness. Keep doing what you are doing.
I noticed that too. I think its great when everyone plays nice. Nick, Tony, Derek and all the other guys who make these shows possible. Well now its back to figurin" out why my Camaro doesnt want to start. I dont think it likes me anymore. It used to start back when it liked me. Come to think of it that was about the same time my wife stopped likin me.
we pulled an old 331 Industrial hemi that was in the mountains off a wood mill that it once ran after machine work it now resides in a 1931 Ford Coupe and it runs fantastic, plenty of power for the coupe.
I'd say! Bud bought a '32 with a gm 383 in it, was to much-if it got driven I was the one doing it. Scared him the first time he started it. Pulled it and dropped in a buick V-6 and it was still a stout little rod.
I was 3 years old when we picked up our brand new 1956 dodge station wagon. I still remember the black and white pattern on the seat scratching my legs because it was September 1955 and I was wearing shorts. It did not have the optional hemi engine and it had the 2 speed push button automatic. I thoroughly read the shop manual that my father got with the car and used the knowledge to rebuild many small block and big block Mopar engines. We spent many happy hours in that Mopar over the next 10 years.
Thanks Nick, great show. The excitement of the young man taking the Hemi apart was fun to watch and listen to. The bearings were in incredibly great shape. I hope everything goes smoothly with the rebuild. A cracked block at this point would be absolutely devastating. Teach him well Nick, the young are the future, and the future is dependent upon them. Man O' Man, I love the HEMI'S! Take care, my friend. ✌️
The crank and rods are forgings so unless it broke,just a polish on the crank should be all it needs. These were hand assembled and have very tight tolerances from the factory. Chevrolet had the marketing Ford had the long standing name and Chrysler had the engineers.
@@BuzzLOLOL true but they didn't have an engineering staff like Chrysler. And even though number three made some excellent stuff. Also alot of innovations along the way. P/ S was one development by Chrysler.Hydraulic brakes too were a better design than the early Lockheed system used by Duesenberg. The only other maker to use them. Not sure but 22' or 23'? Way before Ford or Chevy.
@@Mr39036ce Youu are very mistaken on power steering. It was invented by Pierce Arrow and first used by GM. Chrysler first used power steering 10 years after GM.
@@derekbowbrick6233 Good morning Derek, the weather has improved steadily over the last few days, cold mornings and then a warmup in the afternoon, 40 deg F right now.
It is a real pleasure to see these old Hemi engines being brought back to life on Nick's Garage. When I worked at the Dodge dealership in the 60's there were still many of them on the road. I got to drive, and work on many of these early Hemi engines, and I thought they were very advanced, and had very good power. I will be waiting to see what kind of power this rare engine will make on the Dyno. Good work Leo, you can never learn too much, and you have an excellent teacher, keep up the good work.
Good day Eugene,how are you doing,I feel like I know you,even though we’ve never met.I think I’m looking forward to your car being completed as much as you 😂.Have a great day my friend.
@@oxyfee6486 Hi David, all is good here, and I hope you doing ok too. There has been much done since the 500 arrived back at Nick's, and it probably finished by the end of February, or early March. Take care and have a good day.
Last time I saw orange six pack duster was in the early 90s Racin by one of my friends house that summer a few times it was a Lotta cool cars in peoples backyards back then that didn’t run from the 70s I’ll kinds of gems in that neighborhood, seem like you could look over any one of my friends backyard fences and check one out.😂
Sweet little classic Hemi from days gone by, I love all this content, especially the Dyno runs, makes me smile from ear to ear, I like how you added VGG's opening music, I bet Derrick was tickled.
Really good to see Nick take his time and teach young mechanics the trade. To many companies doesn't do that but the next day they stand crying "there's no people to hire that knows their profession". I wonder why... Schools can only do so much, experience can only be had by working (though it gets accelerated a lot with the aid of a mentor). (I'm a teacher of advanced machining)
We ran the industrial version of the 354, called the "56A", on our irrigation wells. They'd run 24/7 for 9 months at a time for years burning Natural Gas. Probably put the equivalent of a million miles on some of them. Wish I'd saved some of the ones we "retired" to the scrap yard!
Great to see some coverage of the early hemi. They were referred to as the double rocker shaft engines back then. These days everyone seems to think Chrysler started it all with the 426 hemi . To me the 1st generation of the hemi is far more interesting. It's really great to see one of these for a change.
A neighbor had a 354 DeSoto Hemi sitting on a bench in his garage when I was a teenager. I used to go over there and help turn a wrench on limited occasion. Thus began my life-long appreciation of the Hemi. He ended up scrapping that engine, and I for a while wished I had asked to take it. Back then in the 90s, there was no call got these early hemis. The 392 hemi was looked at as heavy and outdated, and you could still find a 426 if you looked around. Direct Connection and Mancini Racing here in Detroit still carried the torch for early Mopar performance.
I would still have my '31 Ford long body built with '56 DeSoto hemi if I hadn't been drafted for Vietnam and then sold it in case I wasn't coming back...
@@BuzzLOLOL I have 2 Uncles who served in Vietnam. One was sent to Vietnam by a judge who gave him option of jail time or enlisting---for getting caught street racing way too many times. Both are combat veterans.
I'm a mechanic of over 35 years. This is one of the great videos that I have watched. I've had numerous apprentices over the years. It brings me back to the first days of being a "lakky". Working under a master mechanic. Given specific instructions. Told a way to remove a part. And even if I didn't achieve it. The way that Nick in his calm direction made it work. That is the reason that I can repair a 1920''s side valve/ flat head. To the most complex 2020's quad cam direct fuel injected v8 and diagnose and repair all the supporting systems. We still need the young lads/lasses being taught this system of repair. GOOD ON YOU NICK!
We had a 58 Imperial. Beautiful car. 392 Hemi. Very strong. I would sneak it out several years before I had a drivers license. Kinda fun to light up the tires. Wow that thing ran strong, yet the car was beautiful with all the options.
I love that oil pump design. Brilliant and ahead of its time. I heard that racers use solid oil pumps (no pick up pipe) to address oil pump pick up pipe failures but this design is better. Allowing the pick up pipe to move (instead of being fixed, welded or bolted) decouples the oil pick up pipe from engine harmonics. Keep that oil pump Nick.
Found you through the Dyno videos, but I love these old teardowns. I'm a mechanic that mostly works on 80s-2000's German cars, but have soft spot for 50's and 60's American engines. They were well engineered and assembled by people that take pride in their work. Your attention to detail and willingness to teach the next generation is refreshing, and gives us hope for the future of these incredible pieces of machinery!
Hi Nick, Brought back memories, in 1966 I aquired a 56 New Yorker Town & Country wagon with a seized engine. If memory serves correctly, It cost about $425.00 for parts and mackine shop labor includuding balancing, Drove it for 9 years and traided for a 56 Chevy 10 short bed, wished I had been able to keep the wagon, it was sweet..
I was once the young guy working for the older guy except it was 1982 in the USA learning about VW and imports ! Imagine how much Leo learns from Nick !!! Priceless
In 1967 my mom had a 2 door, blue & white '57 Saratoga. It wasn't a hemi, but she wasn't shy about putting the local kids with their GTO's & Galaxies in their places. When the Torque flight trans went south for the second time, dad drove it to the scrapyard. I was only 14, but we stopped at a sandpit, & he let me drive it around (stuck in first gear). If I had one classic toy, a 57 Saratoga would be it!
I am happy to say that my son and I subscribe to the best old car channels- Nicks and VGG. Pleasure to watch and learn from two knowledgeable men. Thanks Nick!
Hot Heads in NC has the compression style core plugs ( and everything else ) for this engine. You will want to go with the oil bypass plug under the rear main ( replaces the ball and spring ). Also every bolt seems to go into an oil or coolant passage just beware. Oil to the top end is complicated and essential ( notice one rocker stand on each side has a passage unlike the others ). Every engine series has it's " quirks " , this one has a few , lol. Well worth it from my experience !!!
Wooly check out Mopar Action mag and on-line, coming up article of my buddy’s 1957 DeSoto Adventurer . We are just finishing the interior when the cloth arrives. Everything else is done. Goes like hell!
We had a 1957 Chrysler New Yorker with the 392 cu in 325 bhp version. I learned to drive in that the car instructed by my mother and got my driver’s license at age 16 in 1961. My in-car test was in Baltimore afternoon traffic. The examiner pointed to a slot on the street and said, “Park there, Kid.” Since mom and I had practiced, it was a breeze, helped out no doubt by the over boosted power steering and the fact that the fins in the rear and the little tips over the headlights up front told you where every corner of the car was. That was the only on road driver’s test I ever had to take.
Nick, you seem like a really nice dude. Leo is lucky to have you as a mentor. He even talks like you….”there you go.” 😊 Oh and great “Vice Grip” tune dedication!
Nick, my memory is of my Dad's '55 Chevrolet Belair Sport Coupe with the 265 V8. I was young and my favorite place to ride was in the middle of the back seat leaning forward behind Mom and Dad. I sure wish I had that car today for sure. Today I really like my '12 Chrysler 200 Touring Convertible which I am learning more about so that I can do a lot of things on that late model for myself. This was another fine Monday episode of Nick's Garage and as a DIYer I'm picking up pointers as well.
Our family had a 54 Imperial with 331 hemi. Huge car! Dad looked away as I tinkered with it and learned basic mechanics. It was bullet proof but did have a habit of throwing fan belts on our summer road trips to grandpa's farm. Traded it for a 58 Chrysler Saratoga in '59.
Looks like Leo’s doing very well, he’s being taught by a master. Well done Mr Nick for passing on that knowledge to a young & eager pupil. Cheers & stay safe guys😊
My Dad had a 1955 Chrysler, remember how smooth a ride this was. It was about 1962 when I was 10 years old. Always drove a mopar, I still do today. Dad had a 46 dodge coupe, 69 newport, 65 cornet 500. I have had a 72 challenger, 71 roadrunner, 3 dodge vans and two jeeps. Kept a 86 dodge van for 26 years, still driving a 2002 dodge van and just got new grand cherokee, love mopar cars and your show.
Very cool. Back in the early '60s my folks had a '54 Dodge Coronet (or Royal) with he small HEMI engine. That was the first car that I remember my dad letting me hang around and hand him tools when I was probably 6 or 7.
Here's your chance to stroke the first 354 Hemi on this planet. I was born in '54, and my parents were Chrysler all the way. I can only remember back to my Moms 1959 Dodge DeSoto with push-button automatic. She had this 1967 Fury Sport with a 383. That car ran strong influenced me on the 1970 Roadrunner I bought.
I think if my mom didn't own a 1985 Nissan Maxima, I wouldn't have taken interest in Nissans. Instead, it made me want the 300ZX Twin Turbo the moment I saw it.
My hockey coach had a 1956 Imperial , 4 door hardtop , two tone paint , what a car ! smooth and powerful , push button transmission , steel dash , big white wall tires , never forgot that car or him , great guy !
Oh yes, the old hemi teardown, it is amazing to see how well that motor was taken care of, like it was some little old lady who took it for oil changes every 3,000. I don`t even see scratches on any bearing surfaces, that teeny cam probably is reuseable, if it all checks out, very little wear on anything, that tells you it`s a low mileage engine, that`s amazing after 66 years. I believe it`s the little old lady who went to the grocery store once a week, just like my neighbor, who`s car is 7 years old and just hit 6,500 miles on her Buick, awesome Nick and Leo.
For the life of me I cant understand why one of the best if not THE BEST car channels on UA-cam has so few subscribers and/or views on these videos. The production quality is professional and the content is extraordinary. Im a little older than Nick and grew up with these cars. I like to think I know a little bit about cars but Im sure Nick has forgotten a lot more than I know. I take my hat off to this man.
Well, Nick's shows are for the guy that wants to get right down to the real nitty gritty (as the song says). Some of the other shows focus on risky road trips which is a different type content.
my aunt and uncle drove Chrysler's back in the 50's. I was too young to remember the models, but I was used to the Chevy's my folks drove and the Chrysler seemed massive in comparison and the dash and gauges were beautiful. I was impressed.
Nick: Important to remember is an oil bypass valve. Without the new valve, not all oil goes to the filter. Another item is the cam and how it oils the rockers. Grove the cam I believe the #2 and 4 so that oil goes to the rockers full time. The oem cam can also be regound. Grind for max power down low.
Good old Pennzoil, you built up more crud in the pan and lift valley every time you changed your oil. To get the inside clean, I added a half quart of Dextron because it had lots of detergent in it, and change the oils again after about 500 miles. Then I got smart and started using Valvoline, never had any crud after that.
Nick, spray lifters in place with PB BLASTER, they'll come out. I had 7 Dodge and Chrysler early hemis, polys from a junkyard, disassembled them in bed of a pickup truck, using 120v elecctric impact gun, use spray!
Fantastic show as usual! Thanks for all the hard work that goes into one these shows. As I stare outside and see 2ft of snow,dreaming about driving my car,your show makes it bearable. Thanks again.
Nick l had an uncle that married my dad sister.....He my uncle was from Norway and he was a Scientist of some kind....When he came to our horse for a visit he drove a 1956 Chrysler Imperial it was black,it was so big l loved it and so did my dad and mom🤩....This was back in the 1950's....l was born in 1939👀🧓....Thanks guy's 👍
Sweet teardown. You guys made my day. Its nice to see Leo learning from you Nick. Im grinning ear to ear. Its so nice to see you teaching him the old school engines and passing on your wealth of knowledge Nick. My hats off to you. I really enjoyed this. Thanks Nick
Let's go Leo! What could be a better introduction to the Hemi than an original from the fifties? Speaking of originals from the fifties...Hi George and Nick!
Back in the mid-60's a friend was racing a '55 Pontiac in NHRA "Modified Production" at Amarillo. When they got the car running it's weight put them in the middle of the "B" class which was a bad deal (MP rules forbade ballast). He was working on it one day and had to move some 1/2" steel plate and suddenly realized he need some serious traction bars. Next trip to the strip the car weighed exactly enough to be at the top of "C" modified and he went on to win lots of races.
Thanks Nick...that brought back memories. In the 70's I put a 272 Ford Customline Y block in a speed boat. Big heavy motor but it never let me down. Just look at the motor and it would start. Thanks again!!
In the 60’s a friend of mine would buy a 55 or 56 Chrysler or Desoto every time he could find one for sale. Maybe a few hundred bucks for them. He had a yard full of them. I think the Desotos said FireDome on the valve covers if i remember. I remember driving one that did run well. It was an amazing vehicle. Always enjoy your videos Nick.
So cool to see how much WWII aircraft tech filtered into these high end auto engines in the 1950's. The water pump assembly itself is a work of art, the rod bearing size and oiling, the precise notching on the pistons....no wonder the rail draggers fitted them with superchargers- it's like they were built for them!
That floating oil pickup is to keep it above the bottom of the pan to prevent picking up dirt. Same as on my 230 flathead six in my 1956 Dodge 1 1/2 ton stake body truck.
We’ve got a 55 Chevy stake body 6400 so it’s giant as well we put a small block in front of the original trans and because we may have accidentally killed the old 261 the day we got it but we later found it definitely wouldn’t hold up to todays speed standards. It’sjust a bare bones 350
The first Hemi I had the pleasure of owning came out of a 53 New Yorker. I tore that engine down to rebuild and out of curiosity I plasti-gauged the bearings . With over one hundred thousand miles on it they measured 3 thou. I put that engine in a 1928 model A roadster pickup. The second one I had was in a 1956 3 ton truck that I made into a tow truck and it would haul any load I wanted. It was a 354 and the 53 was a 331. I`m 76 in a couple days and I enjoy seeing those old engines. I also enjoy your videos and love to see you keeping those old engines going. The only Mopar engine I have now is a 440 in my motor home. Sad but I can`t afford to drive it now with the price of gas. Thanks for the videos Nick.
Goooood Monday morning, ever’body!!!!! Man, where do I start???? Great to see classic engines being disassembled, and even more so, great to see the interaction between professor and pupil!!! Leo is an eager young man who will go far!!! I remember my older (16 years) brother having a DeSoto that he swapped the engine ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE!!! As I remember further, it was a 354 hemi (as he related to me later) that he put into it: I can STILL remember him roaring up and down the street in it after he got it running. It was a 3-speed manual to boot, so it was probably the first ‘hot rod’ I ever rode in!!! Great day and week with much love to you all!!!! 😀
in high school I took auto shop and I was ahead of everyone the teacher gave me the shop motor to work on it had not turned over in years it was locked solid took the intake and heads off did not find anything wrong then I took off the bell housing and found 2 inch lock washer I put it back together and it ran fine my teacher was so impressed with how I figured it out
My dad was a “Chrysler man”. Growing up we had a hemi Belvedere, max wedge Polara, max wedge Savoy, had a turbine charger on order so they substituted a hemi, when my brother was born got a 440 magnum coronet station wagon then a 70 imperial lebaron. Loved that mopar muscle , learned to drive in it.
My father had a 55 DeSoto with a 331 firedome hemi engine . I remember it running so smooth. He also had a Ford flathead engine that sat in the garage for 35 yrs , then gave it away.
Nick, you inspired me to rebuild a 440. I just bought one out of a 67' imperial. I'm basically using your shows as a tutorial, and just started disassembly. Also got a torqueflight 727 with it, and I saw you rebuild one of those on one of your shows. Thank you brother, you've bought a refound love back into my life. Wish me luck!
1975. I made the acquaintance of a young lady whose parents had bought her a 1956 Desoto 4 Dr. The car had a 330ci Hemi. Torquie motor. It would pull the car quite well. Later on however the cylinder head developed cracks down into the valve seats and we were told this was quite common. That car drove well and had a great ride. The back seat was quite spacious as we discovered in our forays of young love ❤️. I do have some fond memories of that old Desoto.
I currently have a 1956 Imperial Southampton (4 dr sedan) with the 354, and the pushbutton automatic. I drive it as often as i can and it moves great for such a big car. The 354 is one of the smoothest engines I've seen run. With about 85,000 original miles, it's getting tired but shows no sign of wanting to quit. I'd love to send you a picture.
The first fire truck I learned to operate was a 58 Dodge/American LaFrance. It had a 354 with a small 2 barrel Carter. Once it warmed up it was a beast. It carried 1000 gallons of water and was in service until 91.
Great to see an early Hemi get some Nick love. Egge Machine or Hot Heads Hemi should have parts. Looks good for the age. Great for Leo to learn with too. George great video!! 😎👍
Yes, I have heard EGGE is one of the best places for rare engine parts. I saw Myvintageiron's rebuild of a Plymouth 230 flathead and saw something interesting about Egge pistons. The Plymouth 230 originally had 4 ring pistons, 2 3/32 compression rings, and 2 5/32 oil rings. Egge replacement pistons are 3 ring pistons, they only have one 5/32 oil ring. When Myvintageiron gave them a phone call, Egge said that modern oil rings work so much better, that they decided the second oil ring was not needed. Interesting approach, I like seeing more modern pistons and rings in classic engines.
I was trying to remember those company names .. I can see the add in the back of hot rod deluxe but not the name .. thx I was getting a headache trying to remember
...been waiting for a video like this, I have a pair of 331ci Industrial Hemi's from 1956 as well...would love to be able to send one of them to Nick for an overhaul.
I had a 1956 Desoto with a 331 Hemi. It was given to me when I was 14. It ran extremely well. By the time I was 16, (in 1970), I had installed the Hemi into a T bucket roadster I built. It had a 16 gallon beer keg for a gas tank. Olds rearend from the same era. Early Ford straight axle with no backing plates no, brakes in the front. Pretty much a suicide machine. I drove it to high school and even made a trip through Yellowstone Park. I raced a fast 1968 427 powered Corvette. He backed out of it around 130-140 mph, he said, after I had beat him. I still have pictures of the car with me and a friend setting in it in 1970 in front of his garage where much of the car was built. "Never go faster that your Angels can fly"!
My dad had a 1951 Chrysler Imperial Club Coupe, 331 Hemi, that was his baby. He would race it from time to time but it was also our family transportation. It was a beautiful car. Electric windows, PS, PB, wire wheels and a mohair interior! He had that car until 1975. He sold it to help pay for my wedding. He was a great humble man. I miss him. Bill from Linglestown Pennsylvania
There is no better car than your father's car.
Great story Bill thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Wow that must of been a real awesome car Bill for your dad to have kept it for so long, way cool!
Wow
@@blinkie1523 He got the Chrysler in 1954, the year I was born. One thing I remember as a kid was the gigantic steering wheel! It looked to me like it was 3 feet across! We used to go to a drive-in burger joint with the girls on roller skates. The place was called the Bar-B-Que Cottage in Harrisburg, PA, specializing in pulled pork bar-b-que! I can taste one now and that was 60 years ago! It was open until the mid 1980's.
Somebody, in 1956, put their heart, soul and pride into that mill. Like a time capsule. Sweet.
Yes what a machine! ahead of its time!
I liked that term mill that's old school for sure
Leo, you ARE A VERY LUCKY YOUNG MAN , getting a chance to work and learn from Nick ,Manny, Robert . With Nick you are working with someone who is Legendary in the Mopar field ,but at the same time he is what I call A Master Master Mechanic ....His knowledge is amazing and the attention to detail is astounding...So you pay at attention, listen ,learn , do whatever Nick tells you ...You have a once in a lifetime chance to really pickup old school trade in this art of rebuilding engines and keeping these ol cars and muscle cars alive ...One day down the road what Nick is teaching you now ,will serve you well and you'll have great memories of the days working at Nick's Garage....All the best Leo .
Thank you.
hi nick this is samson from cincinnati ohio. i used to have a 354 hemi in my imperial.I have fond memories of me and edna cruising down central parkway. thanks for bringing those great memories back.
Go Bengals Go.
Nick, you and I are contemporaries. I was born in March of 1955; you in 1956. It’s awesome to take these trips along memory lane with you and marvel at the ingenuity of the engineers “way back then”.
My dad would be 105 had he lived, and was an automotive mechanic. He had all of my brothers and me working with him from the time we could read the sizes of wrenches and sockets. The earliest model Plymouth I remember was a 1958 that he bought new. But my brothers and brothers in law were always bringing their old cars, from late 1940s to mid 1950s out to our house for Daddy to supervise repair and rebuilds. He would not allow any cutting of corners, “If I’m going to help, it’s going to be right.” He’s been gone for 21 years, but his legacy lives on. Sorry about the wordiness. Keep doing what you are doing.
Your dad was right. Do it the right way.
Very interesting first gen Mopar Hemi engine tear down. Loved the vice grip (garage) music.
A tip of the hat to a great channel.
As soon as you played the music, I knew what you were talking about. Agree 💯
I noticed that too. I think its great when everyone plays nice. Nick, Tony, Derek and all the other guys who make these shows possible. Well now its back to figurin" out why my Camaro doesnt want to start. I dont think it likes me anymore. It used to start back when it liked me. Come to think of it that was about the same time my wife stopped likin me.
I wonder what a feller is up to today...
we pulled an old 331 Industrial hemi that was in the mountains off a wood mill that it once ran after machine work it now resides in a 1931 Ford Coupe and it runs fantastic, plenty of power for the coupe.
I'd say! Bud bought a '32 with a gm 383 in it, was to much-if it got driven I was the one doing it. Scared him the first time he started it. Pulled it and dropped in a buick V-6 and it was still a stout little rod.
I was 3 years old when we picked up our brand new 1956 dodge station wagon. I still remember the black and white pattern on the seat scratching my legs
because it was September 1955 and I was wearing shorts. It did not have the optional hemi engine and it had the 2 speed push button automatic. I thoroughly read the shop manual that my father got with the car and used the knowledge to rebuild many small block and big block Mopar engines. We spent many happy hours in that Mopar over the next 10 years.
Iwas glued to this show didnt want to miss a second of it , so enjoyable
Thanks Nick, great show. The excitement of the young man taking the Hemi apart was fun to watch and listen to.
The bearings were in incredibly great shape.
I hope everything goes smoothly with the rebuild. A cracked block at this point would be absolutely devastating.
Teach him well Nick, the young are the future, and the future is dependent upon them.
Man O' Man, I love the HEMI'S!
Take care, my friend. ✌️
The crank and rods are forgings so unless it broke,just a polish on the crank should be all it needs. These were hand assembled and have very tight tolerances from the factory. Chevrolet had the marketing Ford had the long standing name and Chrysler had the engineers.
Agreed 💯
GM had 52% of the market in those days and 1960s-70s, all the other car makers together in the world split up the other remaining 48%...
@@BuzzLOLOL true but they didn't have an engineering staff like Chrysler. And even though number three made some excellent stuff. Also alot of innovations along the way. P/ S was one development by Chrysler.Hydraulic brakes too were a better design than the early Lockheed system used by Duesenberg. The only other maker to use them. Not sure but 22' or 23'? Way before Ford or Chevy.
@@Mr39036ce Youu are very mistaken on power steering. It was invented by Pierce Arrow and first used by GM. Chrysler first used power steering 10 years after GM.
@@otm646 maybe you shout look at the option list for the 51' Chrysler Imperial. Thank you.
Watching this build closely. I have a 56 Imperial with 354 HEMI that may need rebuild. I’m glad y’all (I’m from Texas) are doing this build.
Long live the 354.
Good morning Nick, and George, I have worked on many 354 inch Hemi engines, a very good engine.
Good morning, Eugene! Very nice! You have some very interesting stories, no doubt.
Good morning Eugene how's the weather?
good morning eugene I seen that some snow made it's way down to Texas
@@derekbowbrick6233 Good morning Derek, the weather has improved steadily over the last few days, cold mornings and then a warmup in the afternoon, 40 deg F right now.
@@danohstoolbox Good morning danoh, Some parts of Texas got some snow, but all we had was freezing rain, and ice. It's all gone now.
Leo is learning from the best. Great tear down & explanation of process by Nick. Leo will remember these days when he opens Leo's Ole Skool Garage.
It is a real pleasure to see these old Hemi engines being brought back to life on Nick's Garage. When I worked at the Dodge dealership in the 60's there were still many of them on the road. I got to drive, and work on many of these early Hemi engines, and I thought they were very advanced, and had very good power. I will be waiting to see what kind of power this rare engine will make on the Dyno. Good work Leo, you can never learn too much, and you have an excellent teacher, keep up the good work.
Good day Eugene,how are you doing,I feel like I know you,even though we’ve never met.I think I’m looking forward to your car being completed as much as you 😂.Have a great day my friend.
@@oxyfee6486 Hi David, all is good here, and I hope you doing ok too. There has been much done since the 500 arrived back at Nick's, and it probably finished by the end of February, or early March. Take care and have a good day.
Eugene, the 500 looks awesome in the back ground.
@@joebacarella2829 Thank you, I enjoyed seeing it the background while Leo was tearing down the Hemi.
Last time I saw orange six pack duster was in the early 90s Racin by one of my friends house that summer a few times it was a Lotta cool cars in peoples backyards back then that didn’t run from the 70s I’ll kinds of gems in that neighborhood, seem like you could look over any one of my friends backyard fences and check one out.😂
Sweet little classic Hemi from days gone by, I love all this content, especially the Dyno runs, makes me smile from ear to ear, I like how you added VGG's opening music, I bet Derrick was tickled.
Morning Nick,George and staff. Big Daddy Don Garlits museum in Florida may be a possible resource for parts supplier. Have a great day.
Really good to see Nick take his time and teach young mechanics the trade. To many companies doesn't do that but the next day they stand crying "there's no people to hire that knows their profession".
I wonder why... Schools can only do so much, experience can only be had by working (though it gets accelerated a lot with the aid of a mentor).
(I'm a teacher of advanced machining)
I couldn`t agree more, hands on is always best, and Nick teaches as he goes, great teacher.
We ran the industrial version of the 354, called the "56A", on our irrigation wells. They'd run 24/7 for 9 months at a time for years burning Natural Gas. Probably put the equivalent of a million miles on some of them. Wish I'd saved some of the ones we "retired" to the scrap yard!
WOW. They were brutal for sure.
Great to see some coverage of the early hemi. They were referred to as the double rocker shaft engines back then. These days everyone seems to think Chrysler started it all with the 426 hemi . To me the 1st generation of the hemi is far more interesting. It's really great to see one of these for a change.
Actually, Chryslers 'hemi' experience started with 1940's WWII military tank and aircraft engines!
A neighbor had a 354 DeSoto Hemi sitting on a bench in his garage when I was a teenager. I used to go over there and help turn a wrench on limited occasion. Thus began my life-long appreciation of the Hemi. He ended up scrapping that engine, and I for a while wished I had asked to take it. Back then in the 90s, there was no call got these early hemis. The 392 hemi was looked at as heavy and outdated, and you could still find a 426 if you looked around. Direct Connection and Mancini Racing here in Detroit still carried the torch for early Mopar performance.
I would still have my '31 Ford long body built with '56 DeSoto hemi if I hadn't been drafted for Vietnam and then sold it in case I wasn't coming back...
@@BuzzLOLOL I have 2 Uncles who served in Vietnam. One was sent to Vietnam by a judge who gave him option of jail time or enlisting---for getting caught street racing way too many times. Both are combat veterans.
@@dougsmaintenanceshop5868 Desoto's largest was 345...
I'm a mechanic of over 35 years. This is one of the great videos that I have watched. I've had numerous apprentices over the years. It brings me back to the first days of being a "lakky". Working under a master mechanic. Given specific instructions. Told a way to remove a part. And even if I didn't achieve it. The way that Nick in his calm direction made it work. That is the reason that I can repair a 1920''s side valve/ flat head. To the most complex 2020's quad cam direct fuel injected v8 and diagnose and repair all the supporting systems. We still need the young lads/lasses being taught this system of repair. GOOD ON YOU NICK!
We had a 58 Imperial. Beautiful car. 392 Hemi. Very strong. I would sneak it out several years before I had a drivers license. Kinda fun to light up the tires. Wow that thing ran strong, yet the car was beautiful with all the options.
I love that oil pump design. Brilliant and ahead of its time. I heard that racers use solid oil pumps (no pick up pipe) to address oil pump pick up pipe failures but this design is better. Allowing the pick up pipe to move (instead of being fixed, welded or bolted) decouples the oil pick up pipe from engine harmonics. Keep that oil pump Nick.
Found you through the Dyno videos, but I love these old teardowns. I'm a mechanic that mostly works on 80s-2000's German cars, but have soft spot for 50's and 60's American engines. They were well engineered and assembled by people that take pride in their work. Your attention to detail and willingness to teach the next generation is refreshing, and gives us hope for the future of these incredible pieces of machinery!
Thank you.
Leo’s got the touch. And makes Nick laugh. Great addition.
Hi Nick,
Brought back memories, in 1966 I aquired a 56 New Yorker Town & Country wagon with a seized engine. If memory serves correctly, It cost about $425.00 for parts and mackine shop labor includuding balancing, Drove it for 9 years and traided for a 56 Chevy 10 short bed, wished I had been able to keep the wagon, it was sweet..
I was once the young guy working for the older guy except it was 1982 in the USA learning about VW and imports ! Imagine how much Leo learns from Nick !!! Priceless
In 1967 my mom had a 2 door, blue & white '57 Saratoga. It wasn't a hemi, but she wasn't shy about putting the local kids with their GTO's & Galaxies in their places.
When the Torque flight trans went south for the second time, dad drove it to the scrapyard. I was only 14, but we stopped at a sandpit, & he let me drive it around (stuck in first gear). If I had one classic toy, a 57 Saratoga would be it!
I am happy to say that my son and I subscribe to the best old car channels- Nicks and VGG. Pleasure to watch and learn from two knowledgeable men. Thanks Nick!
Thanks for watching.
Leo, it a smart man who not only wants to know modern tech, but grasp where it originated from....never lose that thirst to learn...
Hot Heads in NC has the compression style core plugs ( and everything else ) for this engine.
You will want to go with the oil bypass plug under the rear main ( replaces the ball and spring ). Also every bolt seems to go into an oil or coolant passage just beware. Oil to the top end is complicated and essential ( notice one rocker stand on each side has a passage unlike the others ). Every engine series has it's " quirks " , this one has a few , lol. Well worth it from my experience !!!
Go Leo, Go! Learn all you can from Nick. Nick is the grand master.
Love those old Hemi engines. Worked on so many. Zero deck that sucker cuz the pistons are always so far down in the bore. Just built a 55 Dodge 270.
The Chrysler 354 and 392's were 9.5 and 10-1 respectively, lots of power.
Wooly check out Mopar Action mag and on-line, coming up article of my buddy’s 1957 DeSoto Adventurer . We are just finishing the interior when the cloth arrives. Everything else is done. Goes like hell!
We had a 1957 Chrysler New Yorker with the 392 cu in 325 bhp version. I learned to drive in that the car instructed by my mother and got my driver’s license at age 16 in 1961. My in-car test was in Baltimore afternoon traffic. The examiner pointed to a slot on the street and said, “Park there, Kid.” Since mom and I had practiced, it was a breeze, helped out no doubt by the over boosted power steering and the fact that the fins in the rear and the little tips over the headlights up front told you where every corner of the car was. That was the only on road driver’s test I ever had to take.
Nick, you seem like a really nice dude. Leo is lucky to have you as a mentor. He even talks like you….”there you go.” 😊
Oh and great “Vice Grip” tune dedication!
Nick, my memory is of my Dad's '55 Chevrolet Belair Sport Coupe with the 265 V8. I was young and my favorite place to ride was in the middle of the back seat leaning forward behind Mom and Dad. I sure wish I had that car today for sure. Today I really like my '12 Chrysler 200 Touring Convertible which I am learning more about so that I can do a lot of things on that late model for myself. This was another fine Monday episode of Nick's Garage and as a DIYer I'm picking up pointers as well.
Our family had a 54 Imperial with 331 hemi. Huge car! Dad looked away as I tinkered with it and learned basic mechanics. It was bullet proof but did have a habit of throwing fan belts on our summer road trips to grandpa's farm. Traded it for a 58 Chrysler Saratoga in '59.
Nick and Leo, great work explaining all the phases and knowledge of the engine process and parts.
Love these tear downs of crusty piece of history. Good to see Leo’s development at Nick’s Garage University! Stay warm. Spring will be here soon.😎
You have a super nice working atmosphere there Nick and it's pleasure to watch you mentoring Leo your trainee, good work
Looks like Leo’s doing very well, he’s being taught by a master. Well done Mr Nick for passing on that knowledge to a young & eager pupil.
Cheers & stay safe guys😊
My Dad had a 1955 Chrysler, remember how smooth a ride this was. It was about 1962 when I was 10 years old. Always drove a mopar, I still do today. Dad had a 46 dodge coupe, 69 newport, 65 cornet 500. I have had a 72 challenger, 71 roadrunner, 3 dodge vans and two jeeps. Kept a 86 dodge van for 26 years, still driving a 2002 dodge van and just got new grand cherokee, love mopar cars and your show.
True Mopar family.
Thank you for sharing stuff like this some of us will never see this if it wasn't for you taking the time to tear it down and make a video
Very cool. Back in the early '60s my folks had a '54 Dodge Coronet (or Royal) with he small HEMI engine. That was the first car that I remember my dad letting me hang around and hand him tools when I was probably 6 or 7.
That is the 241 Nick was referring to. You can see his dyno run in a video a year or so ago.
I was in first grade when this engine and car were sold. THIS is the kind of video I watch more than once.
Kudos to Leo for being willing to learn from Nick, not many young guys understand the value of this knowledge, it is priceless!
GREAT VIDEO! Brought back a lot of memories to THIS old man!👍 Thanks!
Leo, you're doing well. You've got the best teacher in the business. Blessings from New Zealand. ❤❤❤
Here's your chance to stroke the first 354 Hemi on this planet.
I was born in '54, and my parents were Chrysler all the way. I can only remember back to my Moms 1959 Dodge DeSoto with push-button automatic. She had this 1967 Fury Sport with a 383. That car ran strong influenced me on the 1970 Roadrunner I bought.
I think if my mom didn't own a 1985 Nissan Maxima, I wouldn't have taken interest in Nissans. Instead, it made me want the 300ZX Twin Turbo the moment I saw it.
My hockey coach had a 1956 Imperial , 4 door hardtop , two tone paint , what a car ! smooth and powerful , push button transmission , steel dash , big white wall tires , never forgot that car or him , great guy !
Oh yes, the old hemi teardown, it is amazing to see how well that motor was taken care of, like it was some little old lady who took it for oil changes every 3,000. I don`t even see scratches on any bearing surfaces, that teeny cam probably is reuseable, if it all checks out, very little wear on anything, that tells you it`s a low mileage engine, that`s amazing after 66 years. I believe it`s the little old lady who went to the grocery store once a week, just like my neighbor, who`s car is 7 years old and just hit 6,500 miles on her Buick, awesome Nick and Leo.
Haha...the Vice Grip music. Nice touch and cool video!
One thing I've noticed with the early hemi's is how smooth they are, very well balanced and a lot of mass around the moving components.
For the life of me I cant understand why one of the best if not THE BEST car channels on UA-cam has so few subscribers and/or views on these videos. The production quality is professional and the content is extraordinary. Im a little older than Nick and grew up with these cars. I like to think I know a little bit about cars but Im sure Nick has forgotten a lot more than I know. I take my hat off to this man.
Thank you very much! Tell a friend and help us grow?
Well, Nick's shows are for the guy that wants to get right down to the real nitty gritty (as the song says). Some of the other shows focus on risky road trips which is a different type content.
my aunt and uncle drove Chrysler's back in the 50's. I was too young to remember the models, but I was used to the Chevy's my folks drove and the Chrysler seemed massive in comparison and the dash and gauges were beautiful. I was impressed.
Nick: Important to remember is an oil bypass valve. Without the new valve, not all oil goes to the filter. Another item is the cam and how it oils the rockers. Grove the cam I believe the #2 and 4 so that oil goes to the rockers full time. The oem cam can also be regound. Grind for max power down low.
I have the by-pass valve with the ball under the rear main cap.
Love the shout out to VGG...
Derrick should feel proud to be acknowledged by the "Professor " of muscle car motors and cars...
Good old Pennzoil, you built up more crud in the pan and lift valley every time you changed your oil. To get the inside clean, I added a half quart of Dextron because it had lots of detergent in it, and change the oils again after about 500 miles. Then I got smart and started using Valvoline, never had any crud after that.
Good morning nick! I love those old Hemi engines. I am glad you and your crew bring these old engines back to life and better than new!
Morning Clare. We are happy to do it for the few clients who still have these old machines.
Nick, spray lifters in place with PB BLASTER, they'll come out. I had 7 Dodge and Chrysler early hemis, polys from a junkyard, disassembled them in bed of a pickup truck, using 120v elecctric impact gun, use spray!
I have to say, I love following this channel and was really surprised to hear the Vice Grip music! Another great channel to follow!
I was 1yr old when this Hemi was made.
I love things in the 50's. Music 🎵 and R&R and Cars! I'll never live that again!
Fantastic show as usual! Thanks for all the hard work that goes into one these shows. As I stare outside and see 2ft of snow,dreaming about driving my car,your show makes it bearable. Thanks again.
Nick l had an uncle that married my dad sister.....He my uncle was from Norway and he was a Scientist of some kind....When he came to our horse for a visit he drove a 1956 Chrysler Imperial it was black,it was so big l loved it and so did my dad and mom🤩....This was back in the 1950's....l was born in 1939👀🧓....Thanks guy's 👍
Sweet teardown. You guys made my day. Its nice to see Leo learning from you Nick. Im grinning ear to ear. Its so nice to see you teaching him the old school engines and passing on your wealth of knowledge Nick. My hats off to you. I really enjoyed this. Thanks Nick
I love watching people like this working on old 50's American engines. 👍 I liked the VGG music and mention. Derek has a awesome Channel.
Let's go Leo! What could be a better introduction to the Hemi than an original from the fifties?
Speaking of originals from the fifties...Hi George and Nick!
Thanks for hopping in, Frog. Glad you are here.
Chrysler's original hemis were WWII engines from the Forties!
Back in the mid-60's a friend was racing a '55 Pontiac in NHRA "Modified Production" at Amarillo. When they got the car running it's weight put them in the middle of the "B" class which was a bad deal (MP rules forbade ballast). He was working on it one day and had to move some 1/2" steel plate and suddenly realized he need some serious traction bars. Next trip to the strip the car weighed exactly enough to be at the top of "C" modified and he went on to win lots of races.
Appreciate the hat tip to Derek at Vice Grip Garage!
Thanks Nick...that brought back memories. In the 70's I put a 272 Ford Customline Y block in a speed boat. Big heavy motor but it never let me down. Just look at the motor and it would start. Thanks again!!
Forgot to add it was a 1957 motor.
So nice to see the respect you both have for each other.
RThank you. Back in the day I had a 1954 Dodge Hemi. You couldn't kill it. Rich from NJ
EXCELLENT sound tracks. THIS is the kind of music you want on this show.-
In the 60’s a friend of mine would buy a 55 or 56 Chrysler or Desoto every time he could find one for sale. Maybe a few hundred bucks for them. He had a yard full of them. I think the Desotos said FireDome on the valve covers if i remember.
I remember driving one that did run well. It was an amazing vehicle. Always enjoy your videos Nick.
Dr. Nick, the look that Leo has when he is tearing down that hemi says it all, cheers.
So cool to see how much WWII aircraft tech filtered into these high end auto engines in the 1950's. The water pump assembly itself is a work of art, the rod bearing size and oiling, the precise notching on the pistons....no wonder the rail draggers fitted them with superchargers- it's like they were built for them!
Good Point.
That floating oil pickup is to keep it above the bottom of the pan to prevent picking up dirt. Same as on my 230 flathead six in my 1956 Dodge 1 1/2 ton stake body truck.
We’ve got a 55 Chevy stake body 6400 so it’s giant as well we put a small block in front of the original trans and because we may have accidentally killed the old 261 the day we got it but we later found it definitely wouldn’t hold up to todays speed standards. It’sjust a bare bones 350
The first Hemi I had the pleasure of owning came out of a 53 New Yorker. I tore that engine down to rebuild and out of curiosity I plasti-gauged the bearings . With over one hundred thousand miles on it they measured 3 thou. I put that engine in a 1928 model A roadster pickup. The second one I had was in a 1956 3 ton truck that I made into a tow truck and it would haul any load I wanted. It was a 354 and the 53 was a 331. I`m 76 in a couple days and I enjoy seeing those old engines. I also enjoy your videos and love to see you keeping those old engines going. The only Mopar engine I have now is a 440 in my motor home. Sad but I can`t afford to drive it now with the price of gas. Thanks for the videos Nick.
Thank you on your story and Happy Birthday Gary.
Love the OG Hemi engines! I want an imperial sooo bad another great episode guys! Can’t wait to come get Betsy’s Big Block! See ya this spring!
Goooood Monday morning, ever’body!!!!! Man, where do I start???? Great to see classic engines being disassembled, and even more so, great to see the interaction between professor and pupil!!! Leo is an eager young man who will go far!!! I remember my older (16 years) brother having a DeSoto that he swapped the engine ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE!!! As I remember further, it was a 354 hemi (as he related to me later) that he put into it: I can STILL remember him roaring up and down the street in it after he got it running. It was a 3-speed manual to boot, so it was probably the first ‘hot rod’ I ever rode in!!! Great day and week with much love to you all!!!! 😀
Yes, he knew the purpose of the floating oil pump, so Leo is well along already.
in high school I took auto shop and I was ahead of everyone the teacher gave me the shop motor to work on it had not turned over in years it was locked solid took the intake and heads off did not find anything wrong then I took off the bell housing and found 2 inch lock washer I put it back together and it ran fine my teacher was so impressed with how I figured it out
Nice work. ⭐️
In high school, did you take english and learn how to put a period at the end of a sentence?
Or any sort of punctuation, sentence structure or grammar? That was painful to read.
My dad was a “Chrysler man”. Growing up we had a hemi Belvedere, max wedge Polara, max wedge Savoy, had a turbine charger on order so they substituted a hemi, when my brother was born got a 440 magnum coronet station wagon then a 70 imperial lebaron. Loved that mopar muscle , learned to drive in it.
I’ll be following this closely as I’m working on my own ‘56 Imperial. Great vid!
My father had a 55 DeSoto with a 331 firedome hemi engine . I remember it running so smooth.
He also had a Ford flathead engine that sat in the garage for 35 yrs , then gave it away.
The floating pickup is too cool, it`s a very small screen, but it sure did it`s job, this motor was well lubed.
I love seeing the similarities to later models, thank you so much for the comparison info!
Those were beautiful cars , I hope we can see the completed car !
Nick, you inspired me to rebuild a 440. I just bought one out of a 67' imperial. I'm basically using your shows as a tutorial, and just started disassembly. Also got a torqueflight 727 with it, and I saw you rebuild one of those on one of your shows. Thank you brother, you've bought a refound love back into my life. Wish me luck!
Good luck. If you need any help, give me a call.
67 is a great looking Imperial. I like the two door hard top and the convert.
@@nickpanaritis4122 Thanks Nick! You're the best!
@@auteurfiddler8706 They're both sweet! I wish I had the car, I just have motor and tranny, but I'm happy with that!
I will be looking forward to seeing this rebuilt and on the dyno. :-) ❤️
1975. I made the acquaintance of a young lady whose parents had bought her a 1956 Desoto 4 Dr. The car had a 330ci Hemi. Torquie motor. It would pull the car quite well. Later on however the cylinder head developed cracks down into the valve seats and we were told this was quite common. That car drove well and had a great ride. The back seat was quite spacious as we discovered in our forays of young love ❤️. I do have some fond memories of that old Desoto.
Love the early hemis. I run a 392 in a 33 dodge coupe
What an outstanding opportunity for the kid to work with Nick. I'm 60 years old and I would love to be an intern at his garage!
I currently have a 1956 Imperial Southampton (4 dr sedan) with the 354, and the pushbutton automatic. I drive it as often as i can and it moves great for such a big car. The 354 is one of the smoothest engines I've seen run. With about 85,000 original miles, it's getting tired but shows no sign of wanting to quit. I'd love to send you a picture.
The first fire truck I learned to operate was a 58 Dodge/American LaFrance. It had a 354 with a small 2 barrel Carter. Once it warmed up it was a beast. It carried 1000 gallons of water and was in service until 91.
Now that was a great Fire truck.
Great to see an early Hemi get some Nick love. Egge Machine or Hot Heads Hemi should have parts. Looks good for the age. Great for Leo to learn with too.
George great video!! 😎👍
Yes, I have heard EGGE is one of the best places for rare engine parts. I saw Myvintageiron's rebuild of a Plymouth 230 flathead and saw something interesting about Egge pistons. The Plymouth 230 originally had 4 ring pistons, 2 3/32 compression rings, and 2 5/32 oil rings. Egge replacement pistons are 3 ring pistons, they only have one 5/32 oil ring. When Myvintageiron gave them a phone call, Egge said that modern oil rings work so much better, that they decided the second oil ring was not needed. Interesting approach, I like seeing more modern pistons and rings in classic engines.
Jellybeans in the valley?
It may be a shot in the dark, but I wonder if Honest Charley's might have some long lost parts?
I was trying to remember those company names .. I can see the add in the back of hot rod deluxe but not the name .. thx I was getting a headache trying to remember
...been waiting for a video like this, I have a pair of 331ci Industrial Hemi's from 1956 as well...would love to be able to send one of them to Nick for an overhaul.
Looks like a great project gentlemen... Looking forward to hearing it run when it is all tidied up! Cheers from Alberta...
I had a 1956 Desoto with a 331 Hemi. It was given to me when I was 14. It ran extremely well. By the time I was 16, (in 1970), I had installed the Hemi into a T bucket roadster I built. It had a 16 gallon beer keg for a gas tank. Olds rearend from the same era. Early Ford straight axle with no backing plates no, brakes in the front. Pretty much a suicide machine. I drove it to high school and even made a trip through Yellowstone Park. I raced a fast 1968 427 powered Corvette. He backed out of it around 130-140 mph, he said, after I had beat him. I still have pictures of the car with me and a friend setting in it in 1970 in front of his garage where much of the car was built. "Never go faster that your Angels can fly"!
Learning from the Master! Your one Lucky young man!!!
Good Morning Nick and Crew! Hope you all have a wonderful day!