In a message dated 10/27/1999 8:22:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time, V4GR writes:
<< Subj: Re: Alloy flathead block.
Date: 10/27/1999 8:22:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: V4GR
To: ARDUN DOUG, yesford@clear.net.nz
To: land-speed@autox.team.net
Have heard for years that the guy who built the Redhead put a flathead
cylinder block on a DeSoto crank case to achieve a 5 main bearing flat motor.
Elmo should know about this if He is feeling better. Doug do you know
anything about this? Rich Fox >>
Rich,
I got my start in LSR running my original Ardun in the RedHead at
Bonneville in 1987.
I had started collecting Ardun parts in about 1980, obtaining my first
set of heads from a street rodder in Iowa who had bought 2 sets from Roy Reed
(Reed Bros & Neumayer Moon wheel disc belly tank) who had moved from LA to
Missouri.
A local nostalgia drag racer offered to put the parts together if I would
let him run the engine in his nostalgia dragster at the 1987 Fremont NDRA
meet.
The car was a high-gear only lightweight that he got from Bud Morrill in
the San Diego area. The gas Ardun was horrible off the line but pulled pretty
good at the top end, turning 132.
Jim Lattin and Elmo Gillette, owners of the RedHead, happened to be at
the NDRA meet, running one of Jims nostalgia sprinters at the Fremont circle
track next door.
They had been running a gas Ardun in the RedHead at Speed Week 1986 and
could only manage the mid 170's on a 186 record held by The Original
Goldenrod out of Colorado and powered by our own Hayseed Special (Dave
Thomsson's) Ardun.
Jim and Elmo proposed that I loan them my engine to run in the RedHead
for the 1987 Speed Week. Jims son Billy was to drive the car initially,
hopefully getting himself in the "Two-Club" at a little over 200. I was then
to license in the car and hopefully get myself in the club also.
Billy qualified the car in the short-course at 189, then went out the
next morning and ran a 212 average. By the time I made several licensing
passes, the best I could muster was a 211, so much for the club.
Regards the 5 main bearing block, Lattin told me that he'd heard all the
same rumors, but when he bought all of Ed Hardings stuff along with the
RedHead the supposed 5 main block was merely a regular 3 main FoMoCo
type......
...................................................Ardun Doug King
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