Hot Rods at the Drive In

 Today we have a trio of hotrods I spotted while out and about yesterday.  I saw them on Hwy 81 going the opposite direction I was headed at the time.  So, when I was done with my errands, I made sure to go back the way I saw them go, and sure enough, I found them at the drive in restaurant I thought they’d be headed to. 

I approached the three guys and introduced myself, then asked if it would be okay if I took some pictures of their cars.  The leader of the group, we’ll call “Frank”.  He was kind of a surly old fellow who, unlike most people I’ve talked to who put this kind of work into a car, did not seem to want to talk too much about it.  I told him my name and he responded with “I’m Frank,” then pointed to the name patch on his work shirt and followed up with “and that’s all you need to know.”  -Well, okay then, Frank, sorry I happened to notice your shiny, flashy, super-loud, attention-getting hot rod.  I didn’t realize you were trying to be all discreet and undercover when you parked in a prominent spot at the drive thru where people go to show off their wheels. 

I got the distinct impression that I was intruding on their No Girls Allowed Hot Rod Club, so as I tried to gather info about their cars, I was only getting succinct answers.  I reduced myself to playing dumb even, and asked what kind of engines they had in their cars, when I already knew I was looking at small block Chevy engines -which are pretty much a staple of hot rod customization -to no avail, and at that point, I called it quits and bid them adieu.

Here’s what I did gather though:

The first photo is of Frank with his car.  You’ll note I’ve obscured Frank’s face, because I didn’t actually ask permission to photograph him -only his car.  Cantankerous old guy that he is, I don’t think he’d much appreciate being in my blog. 

Anyway, Frank’s car is a 1922 Moon.  Moons were cars built for middle class car buyers between 1905 and 1930 in St Louis Missouri.  Originally, Frank’s moon probably had a straight 6 engine and about 20 or so HP.  Alas, the great depression came along and wiped out Moon Motorcars, which is why it’s possible that you’ve never heard of it before today. 
Frank has obviously altered his car from what it originally looked like and how it originally performed.  Gone is the straight 6, and in its place is a Chevy 355 (5.8L) V8 which is a Chevy 350 cu in (5.7L) V8 engine that has been bored out.  It’s also got a 6-71 blower mounted on top of it with 2 4 barrel carburetors. 

A blower is the same thing as a supercharger.  Normal cars use atmospheric pressure and the vacuum produced by the piston moving up and down in the cylinder to move air into the engine.  Superchargers use mechanical means to stuff and cram air and fuel into the combustion chamber for more power.  The goal isn’t added pressure, but rather, denser air -and cool air too -which is more dense than warm air, of course.  If the air gets too hot, it can cause engine detonation, which can wreck your engine from the inside out.  A blower like the one on Frank’s car can’t just be bolted on by itself.  There are other things that need to be added to make it work and keep the engine from self destructing.  High flow heads, a high volume fuel pump, and larger exhaust valves to let the car exhale all that extra breath are just the start of what needs to be added.  In short, this stuff gets expensive in a hurry, and you have to take care to keep it tuned up nicely, or things can go haywire. 

One thing Frank was forthcoming about was stomping all over the power of his two comrade’s vehicles by insisting that he was pulling over 800 HP out of his set up.  I asked the other two guys (who, in their defense, were a bit more outgoing than Frank) how their cars stacked up, and they sheepishly muttered something vague about not having as many horsepower as Frank was packing, but never spoke an actual number. 

The second photo here, is a 1927 Ford with a 355 Chevy V8 and a 6-71 blower, much like Frank’s set up, but apparently, less powerful. 

The third photo is a 1924 Ford with a 350 V8, and a 4-71 blower.  It also features some naked lady wheel covers that its owner said might snag him a win at a hot rod show.  Well, they are cool wheel covers, and the guy has to have something to try to keep up with Frank. 

All personal feelings aside, Frank did build himself one crazy cool car.  Even though he might not like to talk about it (to me, anyway), I have to give him credit for all the work, time, and money he must have poured into building such a fantastic machine.