Project Austin street gasser.

[SuperBuickGuy]

how much faster is it with chrome?

[1946Austin]

how much faster is it with chrome?

.0000001 in the 1/8th!

[SuperBuickGuy]

must be from the better aero underneath

So how many "how much faster is it chromed" will you listen to before you paint it black?

[1946Austin]

must be from the better aero underneath

So how many "how much faster is it chromed" will you listen to before you paint it black?

Well since most people can't see it without kneeling down, I wont have to answer too often! ;)

[SuperBuickGuy]

Well since most people can't see it without kneeling down, I wont have to answer too often! ;)

I ever mention to you about the time I came out from a store to find several guys standing around my car with the hood open on my Buick - they "just wanted to see what it'd runs"....

Plus, I wouldn't know anyone in the Portland area who'd spread a vicious rumor about a certain Austin that's all chrome and no go though, I would say, should you hear such a terrible rumor, I'd look for a short, bald guy who's shaped like an egg

[Monk]

Thanks! Nothing like heads up racing at an outlaw track for real fun!

Hell yes.......run what ya brung

Cool project

[1946Austin]

I ever mention to you about the time I came out from a store to find several guys standing around my car with the hood open on my Buick - they "just wanted to see what it'd runs"....

Plus, I wouldn't know anyone in the Portland area who'd spread a vicious rumor about a certain Austin that's all chrome and no go though, I would say, should you hear such a terrible rumor, I'd look for a short, bald guy who's shaped like an egg

Can't imagine who that might be!;)
This summer my wife and I drove to Kalama for the car show, and I was out running around with her brother looking at cars. When we came back my wife told me she heard the car door open on the Austin and thought I'd come back, but looked up to see a lady climbing into the ddriver's seat! She jumped to her feet and asked what the she was doing, and she said she wanted to have her friend take a picture of her in the car. My wife doesn't hold back and she told her to get out, and never touch anyone's car without asking. I thought it was pretty funny, and would love to have seen it myself.

[1946Austin]

New interior door handles came today, so rushed out and put them on. Glad to finally have one style handle and crank that all match, instead of 4 different styles that don't match and don't fit right.
The handles are fully adjustable to mount on numerous shaft types, plus they adjust to allow them to sit in any direction once the adapter and base are mounted.
This will really make it go faster!!!! LOL
Since they sent 3 pairs of adapters for each pair of handles, I ended up with 16 bushings 1/2" thick leftover. I'm sure these will come in handy as spacers for other car projects!


After the handles were done I did a tuneup on the Burb, and graphited all the door locks on it, and my wife's car. Winter always makes them a little sticky, and the powdered graphite keeps it all working in cold climate.

[MP&C]

New interior door handles came today....... This will really make it go faster!!!! LOL

Haha, Isn't that the truth! Nice build!

[1946Austin]

Thanks! They're a pretty good item, with lots of adjustment built into the way they're made, so they can be indexed to sit in the correct orientation.

[1946Austin]

Well that shiney fast chrome cover for the trans is a piece of cheap Chinese crap! Started the car up and it sounded like the gear drive had gone bad, or a cat got caught inside the fan! Pulled the cover and the starter ring on the flexplate is touching the cover in the bottom! Had to put some spacer washers under the mounting screws to clearance it!

[1946Austin]

Had the Austin out for a cruise today. Beautiful crisp, clear day in the high 30's. I was cruising along just enjoying the drive, when this black Mercedes E class coupe pulls up next to me with two young guys in it, and they began to play. After numerous jumps on the throttle to try to get a response, I finally decided to give them a little go.
I was only going about 30 mph, and I dropped it a couple gears to 1st and jumped on it briefly. When they came up beside me at the next light the passenger rolled down his window and asked, "What is that thing?" I told him, "It's a British Austin with a 4 cyl. that's had a little work."
The look on his face was priceless. I think he was actually wondering if I was legit, or pulling his leg.

Later I stopped for gas and the car wouldn't start. The starter is brand new, and it seems I had the tolerances a bit too close. Once the engine warmed up the starter wouldn't mesh with the starter ring. It just kicked in and spun. Had to call the wife to bring me a couple shims and some hand tools. She's pretty saavy, so she brought more than enough tools to rebuild the engine almost the whole engine! Took me about 5 minutes to lower it enough to slip the shims in, and then it engaged just fine.
I've never set a starter up, and had it not work correctly later when the engine warmed up. Another first!

[SuperBuickGuy]

when you're building the motor - just before you drop it in - do the paper clip test. Take the solenoid off, bolt the starter to the motor, engage the plunger by hand. If you can put a large paperclip in between the teeth, it'll work perfect (unless, of course, you have an out-of-round flexplate). Even under the car you can do that test, but it's a lot easier when the motor is on an engine stand.

Nice rescue though, I figured with how fast you worked, you'd have swapping in a manual box so you wouldn't have to rely on the starter

[1946Austin]

Yeah, I usually use a 1/8" allen wrench, as the bent end makes it easy to get into the mesh of the teeth, but got rushed and didn't check this one. I just tossed it in and hit the key, and it worked. I knew it would bite me in the butt!
And I'd have a stick in the Austin if there was room for the clutch linkage or another pedal on the floor! I did a lot of measuring for it, and nuerous issues that would be a bugger to sort out. First being the two seats sitting so close together that they almost touch, so the shifter would be forward and have to lean to reahc it. Then of course the issue of two pedals that my big feet would have to clear and not hit brake and clutch at the same time. My next gasser will be a bit larger, with enough room for a BBC and a 4 speed

[SuperBuickGuy]

Yeah, I usually use a 1/8" allen wrench, as the bent end makes it easy to get into the mesh of the teeth, but got rushed and didn't check this one. I just tossed it in and hit the key, and it worked. I knew it would bite me in the butt!
And I'd have a stick in the Austin if there was room for the clutch linkage or another pedal on the floor! I did a lot of measuring for it, and nuerous issues that would be a bugger to sort out. First being the two seats sitting so close together that they almost touch, so the shifter would be forward and have to lean to reahc it. Then of course the issue of two pedals that my big feet would have to clear and not hit brake and clutch at the same time. My next gasser will be a bit larger, with enough room for a BBC and a 4 speed

I ran into that problem with the CTS Spider... I'm using floor mount pedals with remote reservoirs - it was the smallest footprint I could find. The benefit of that, you can put the pedals forward (towards the driver) of the gas pedal thus it gives you the room to have your foot side-by-side on the brake and clutch while still having room so that you can blip the throttle over the top of the pedals.

*snicker* "next gasser" any ideas what form that may take?