We ran across Drew Strunk and his bitchin' '29 Model A closed-cab pickup while on the 2006 Road Tour. The young man built the truck on his own and it had a number of unique features, some of which we showed in the November '06 "Shop Manual."
Recently, Drew dropped us a line to show off his newest project, and there are a number of noteworthy features on it as well that we though were worth passing on. We figure we're never too old to learn-even from a youngster.
I just wanted to thank you for running a photo in STREET RODDER of the Oakland dash and homemade steering wheel in my Model A truck. It was only my second hot rod; by the way, that wheel got very hot on the way home going through Death Valley. It has been a dream to drive something I built to California and back, then get to meet guys from the magazines and drive down rural parts of Texas and look over and see Jake Jacobs in his panel, door handle to door handle. It just does not get any better. That truck moved on to Indiana near Chicago now, and I have moved on to a steel '32 Ford five-window coupe. I chopped it 4 1/2 inches, and it has a '57 Caddy 365 with three 97s on an Offenhauser intake, surplus fuel tank, Sig Emerson quick-change, 16-inch Firestones, real Cirello magneto, bobbed frame, '35 Ford headlights, '37 DeSoto taillights, and unknown surplus seats.Drew StrunkVia the Internet
Still RevoltingI enjoy reading "Shop Manual," so I am writing to give you another way of wiring six-volt gauges with a 12-volt car. I have done this a few times with a good outcome. I start with two six-volt batteries; dry cells work the best because of their size.
The 12-volt electrics are wired the normal way, but the six-volt gauges are run off the closest six-volt battery to the ground or negative battery cable. The wire coming off of the positive post of the first six-volt battery is run to a Bosch relay that is turned on by the ignition switch and then connected to the six-volt gauges. Paul DunneVia the InternetThanks for the tip, Paul.
Hot FlashesQ. I've checked all my past issues and can't find your article concerning different cooling problems. I like to call mine the "yo-yo" problem. It seems on 90-plus-degree days and after about 30 miles of interstate driving, the temp begins to yo-yo. We have a 195-degree thermostat in a Ram Jet 350, and it will swing from 180 to 220 degrees and never hold steady. The longer I stay on the interstate, the higher the fluctuation. I have added a 3/16-inch hole in the thermostat, as I thought there might be air trapped in the system, added an overflow tank, changed the radiator hoses ... help, I'm lost.J.J.Via the Internet
A. Your situation isn't that unusual, and the good news is it's easy to solve. Evidently you have a very effective cooling system, because when your rod's engine temperature rises to the point the thermostat opens, the coolant temperature drops low enough for the thermostat to close and the cycle repeats. The problem is the thermostat and the solution is a more sophisticated replacement.
There are basically two kinds of automotive thermostats: the poppet style and the sleeve style. The names refer to the types of valves that open and close to control coolant flow. Poppet-style thermostats are, if nothing else, inexpensive. By comparison, sleeve thermostats have a number of advantages: The system pressures above and below the thermostat's moving valve is balanced so they respond to system temperature only, they have faster response time, and they generally flow more coolant. They are more expensive, but you'll find they are worth it.