Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

The Legendary SURFERS!!!!!!!!!!!


Fuel Coupe

Recommended Posts

Thanks to the guys that commented I appreciate the the time you took to look around...

Here's another update

I built another Cirello "Frankenstein" Magneto. Very popular Mag with the fuel crowd. Surprisingly, I haven't seen one in kit form so I built one.

photo_1_copy_5.jpg

First I cut up the materials I needed.

2" strip of .022x.022

7mm piece of .10x.20

4mm piece of .080 half round

small piece (drop) of.060 round rod.

DSC_0286.jpg

round off the four corners of the .1x.2 take the 2" strip and glue it around the edge of the piece you just sanded. Take the half round and glue it at one end on the bottom to replicate the curved bottom. next take the drop and glue it above the half round and drill it to accept the coil wire. now at this point you will need to find a dist cap and glue it above where you'll need to drill the dist for the drive shaft. drill the cap..

the plan is to use an aluminum sleeve over the brass rod. you can use a piece of 1/16 rod for the shaft, the choice is up to you...

here you go, Pics are worth 1000 words to me.

DSC_0287.jpg

DSC_0288.jpg

DSC_0292.jpg

here's the fuel injectors, pump and fuel blocks.

DSC_0289.jpg

DSC_0290.jpg

DSC_0291.jpg

heres the motor mocked up

DSC_0293.jpg

If anyone is interested in seeing the fuel pump built I can do a tutorial just say the word guys...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I built another Cirello "Frankenstein" Magneto. Very popular Mag with the fuel crowd. Surprisingly, I haven't seen one in kit form so I built one...

...at this point you will need to find a dist cap...

If anyone is interested in seeing the fuel pump built I can do a tutorial just say the word guys.

There is a magneto very close to the Frankenstein in the Garlits WynnsJammer kit and its various re-releases, but I found the distributor cap on it very small & hard to drill out. I also got one on a resin parts sprue that came with a 1966 Comet body ordered from Reliable Resin.

Norm at Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland has a "pre-drilled distributor" 3-pack in resin. The cap is separate from the body/shaft and is molded in a reddish/brown color. Should work perfect here. I've used the caps on turned alum magneto bases before. (I'd give the catalogue # but am away from home for a few more days)

I know I am interested in the pump tutorial, although Straightline have a tutorial for a similar pump if you are short on time.

Great build of a significant car going on here,

Thanx for taking the time to share your progress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a magneto very close to the Frankenstein in the Garlits WynnsJammer kit and its various re-releases, but I found the distributor cap on it very small & hard to drill out. I also got one on a resin parts sprue that came with a 1966 Comet body ordered from Reliable Resin.

Norm at Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland has a "pre-drilled distributor" 3-pack in resin. The cap is separate from the body/shaft and is molded in a reddish/brown color. Should work perfect here. I've used the caps on turned alum magneto bases before. (I'd give the catalogue # but am away from home for a few more days)

I know I am interested in the pump tutorial, although Straightline have a tutorial for a similar pump if you are short on time.

Great build of a significant car going on here,

Thanx for taking the time to share your progress.

Its an honor to work with Tom on this car and share with it you guys....

My pleasure

I don't like the Mag in the Wynn's kit. I forgot about RMoM having caps. they are great and Norm is an awesome guy. And I wont comment on reliable Resin....

Edited by TxRat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

very sweet man and any tutorials coming from you are A extremely welcome and B extremely informative. You've made making that mag (look)so simple I'll have to try it out regardless of whether I'll use it.

Edited by brett
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i can't remember what build i used it on but i built something similar to that Mag from Replicas and Miniatures parts. i used Normans Harmon-Collins flathead magneto with his regular 8cyl. distributor cap, both excellent pieces. i do really like though that you have sratchbuilt your own :)

looks like that Hemi and the tires both found a good home!

Dave

Hmm good point Dave, I wasn't aware that RMoM offered the H&C mag which is close enough to modify into the Cirello mag. Man I gotta order some stuff from him again....

I'll put something together on the injectors. They took all of five min. to make...

Edited by TxRat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Been a while guys and I haven't forgotten about the tutorial. With temps near 100 and a heat index of 109 Ive put the 1:1 away for a while and got back to my surfers car.

Hand laced rims

DSC_0908.jpg

DSC_0906.jpg

Built an axle for it. Went back to basics on the front axle.

DSC_0907.jpg

did a small amount of brass work

DSC_0909.jpg

Edited by Fuel Coupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent topic, Shane.

The Surfers were an awesome team for that period in the early top fuel (AA/FD) days.

They tried new things that worked and that car would fly.

Plus, Mike Sorokin was probably close to the best driver in that era.60'

That's great that Tom Jobe has been helpful to you as well.

The recreation (by Pat Foster, RIP) is an amazing piece too.

Good luck with this one...... I'll be watching !

I watched drag racing in the mid 60's and there were a lot of great drivers back then, not just Mike Sorokin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sooooo glad to see this back! B) B) The wheels look outstanding. It looks like they're laced with styrene rod. Am I mistaken? BTW, the Cirello mag was based on the Harmon Collins mag, Cirello having bought the tooling from from Scheifer who had bought out H-C. Cirello's still around restoring, modifying and maintaining H-C, Scheifer and Cirello mags but unfortunately sold his tooling a few years back to another company who had neglected to get permission for the H-C and Scheifer copyrights which has left them somewhat in limbo, as far as I can tell.

Edited by Bernard Kron
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone, Its good to be back. Ive missed building but have been having a ball with my 1:1.

Bernard Kron: Thanks for the kudo's and info on the Mag.

Dave: Thanks The axles turned out pretty good, I have the brakes shoes started and will be in a coming update

1320wayne: yes, I used the straightliners site and it was really easy to do...

I watched drag racing in the mid 60's and there were a lot of great drivers back then, not just Mike Sorokin.

Nick, Please feel free to talk about the build but lets not turn this into who's a better driver than who, PM Hondo if you like, Thanks..

Edited by Fuel Coupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This looks fantastic...The Surfers history is probably (to me) one of the most interesting, hilarious, tragic, & just plain amazing stories I've ever run across. It would make a fantastic movie and I would advise any of you to seek out Cole Coonce's excellent writings on the subject, most of which appeared in Hot Rod Magazine before they started running stories about chopping up 'vettes and using leaf blowers as superchargers...

My favorite anecdote concerns their revolutionary 'combination' that resulted in very little maintenance between rounds. They would go out and run low E.T. then push the car right back in line. While other guys were thrashing madly, the Surfers guys would ride up to 'em on their skateboards and say "Wow man, you really know how to work on these things..." Psych!

BTW, I have an excellent PHR article from '66 that has some great B&W pix that I would be glad to scan for you, but from the looks of the way the build is progressing I don't think you need 'em...

Edited by funhouse1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...The Surfers history is probably ...one of the most interesting, hilarious, tragic, & just plain amazing stories I've ever run across. It would make a fantastic movie and I would advise any of you to seek out Cole Coonce's excellent writings on the subject, ......

Cole Coonce is to hot rod writing what Robert Williams is to hot rod art! He rules! Here's a link to the Surfer's article on Coonce's website, Top Fuel Wormhole : http://topfuelwormho...of-the-surfers/ And here's a picture of Bob Skinner, Tom Jobe and Mike Sorokin with the bountiful Linda Vaughn after winning the 1966 US Fuel & Gas Championship in Bakersfield, California.

travel_sorokin.jpg

Edited by Bernard Kron
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Walter, I didn't have this pic please feel free to post more or I can shoot you my email and you can send them to me that way. , Bernard I tried checking that link a few months ago and it didnt work, Thanks for re-posting this as I've been wanting to read it..

From what I've read and told by Mr. Jobe was the secret was in the Home made 200 PSI injectors. No one was running that much pressure and it allowed the near 100% Nitro. There were some additives that kept it from being a true 100%. I loved the fact they told everyone in the pits they couldn't afford the beakers to measure the fuel so they just poured it in straight. The competition would panic and mix up a batch 5 or 10% hotter and cook their engine. Tom would just smile and fill up the tank again for next round.

Edited by Fuel Coupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is going to be so good. Love the historic story behind this build and the fact you're making a tribute build. The frame and everything you've got so far look great. I'll be following along closely.

Edited by gasser59
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...