Secret intake mojo

[Tom Kochtanek]

I spent Monday in the KC area, dropping off a slew of parts at the chrome shop. Gave Phil Reed a call and we met at Tony Schaffer's place in Independence, MO, called Day Automotive. If you like "W" engines, especially rare ones, this place has tons of eye candy.

Here's a pic of Phil covering up some secret mojo work Tony was doing to a modified 2x4 intake. Over Phil's left shoulder is a 1962 068 block with date coded matching 690 heads and a 454 stroker build. Behind Phil is a built QB short block. At Tony's feet (not in picture) are three recently bored blocks, a QA, a QB, and a truck block. This was just for starters :)

Cheers,

TomK

[Tom Kochtanek]

Phil will probably ban me from the September get together, but I snapped a few shots of his Z-11 parts, including the block, crank, and heads. I'll hold off until Phil gives mt the green light to post those, as I suspect he is waiting for the right moment to share these with you. Here's another shot of the master, Tony of Day Automotive, doing some cleanup on that intake:

[Tom Kochtanek]

Here's a closeup of that '62 QB stroker engine, with roller cam:

[63z11]

Thats awesome Tom, sure would love to stop by there in Sept. Hurry on the Z11 pics. PLEASE!!

[Travis Horton]

That customized single-four intake is mine! We decided we were going to be different and try it out. Tony is intrigued with this approach as he's never modified one for racing. I hope we won't have to kill you now, Tom!
Travis

[IgnitionMan]

Man, all you guys make me nutzo. I hope I get moved and settled before the get together later this year. If not, changing the ejngine in my AA/FA from the all aluminum big block back to the original engine in a motel parking lot will be nostalgic, but no fun.

That original engine was in a series of five, all W Z11 engines, with Velasco strokers, 5/8ths incher's, 6/71's and Crower valve trains and 8 luggers, Howard Johanson's aluminum rods, Forged-True pistons, etc.

It'll make me so crazy, I'll just have to bark the Altered off at the show, on a light load, 85 percent or so, just enough nitro to get it running.

See what kind of trouble all of you start, especially dq!

[Tom Kochtanek]

Travis, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak :) I didn't know that was your intake. Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player!

Keep an eye on Phil, as he has that 1963 Black Beauty with the original 400 horse 409, and being a single four barrel, you know he'll want Tony to eek more HP out of that design. My guess is your setup is leading the league right now :) :) :)

Phil, can I put a pic of the Z-11 parts up, or would you rather wait until a more appropriate time?

Speaking of Phil Reed, you've just gotta see this guy's warehouse of parts and such. Ever wash your hands in the Men's room and have 409 towels to wipe off with? This makes the toilet paper fabrication look Plain Jane (but still pretty cool)!


You've just got to see the display cabinets he set up. It's the real deal, with photos, signatures, the Beach Boys vinyl, keys from hotel rooms with "409" on them, you name it. All 409 memorabilia :)

Then there's 10,000 square feet of shelving with parts and more, all Chevy and mostly 409 stuff. Blocks, heads, intakes, bellcranks, you name it, it's there. Even a 1961 409 short block and a 425 horse complete engine. Total eye candy!

Phil was kind enough to detail the rubber parts I will be needing (3 pages worth, all in stock) plus shoot me a bid on a complete interior kit from C.A.R.S. I think he agreed to take my first born male in trade for some parts, at least as far as I recall :)

If anyone needs a part while we're in KC for the convention, I think we have a place to begin looking for it!

Cheers,
TomK

[dq409]

I`m most interested in the mojo he`s doing to the dual manifold !!

Want to let us in on what he`s doing ???? ,,dq

[Phil Reed]

Tom:

We really wish you hadn't mentioned anything about the Z-11 project. Now I've got a real can of worms to deal with!!! What you didn't realize was that this is a HSSP ...highly special secret project...that I was contacted to do. But now that you have mentioned it, I might as well fill you in on some of the details. It wasjust last week I called President Bush to inform him of the project but he hasn't returned my phone call yet. Probably got other things on his mind!!

About a month ago, the good Doktor Torbeck and some engineers from NASA came to the shop. They were needing some help. From this initial meeting has come the OMZMR-11....the Original Mystery Z Mars Rover-11. They are needing to develop a new power plant for the human Mars Rover that will need to be operational by 2006. Doktor Torbeck himself is designing the camshaft profiles and piston dome configurations. I don't have any cam specs at this time but I know The Good Doktor has been looking at Aubrey's custom design. But even with that, he is concerned about flame travel and proprogation of fuel at 36,000RPMs, which is the design revolutions for this transporter. At this time, we are using a Kunhartly crankshaft and Pro Stock Volvo light-weight connecting rods. An induction system is now in the design phases, that will make it's own air on Mars. It is quite complicated!! The transmission will be a HIGHLY MODIFIED M-20 Muncie with 19 forward gears and 3 for reverse. A special T-handle shifter is being fabricated for this project.

Propolsion will be accomplished in 2 stages. First, The JATO (Jet Assisted Take-Off) wil get the OMZMR-11 up to about 20,000RPM and then the engine will kick in and go up an operating range of approximately 36,000RPM. At this speed, we should have better control over our shift points on the M-20 Muncie. An original 63 340HP 409 tachometer is being modified to provide accurate instrumentation. Getting the proper traction to the rear wheel drive OMZMR-11 will probably be accomplished using one of Aubrey's rear ends.

It was my intent on being the very first "Operator" (driver) on this vehicle but in checking my calendar, I find that I have a colonoscopy that day so will be unable to go. The Good Doktor Torbeck, in reviewing his files, has suggetsed that maybe DQ would be a good canidate. He realized that there would be a large learning curve but, with time, he could work around that. I suggested that Jims409 would be good too, as he acts like a Space Cadet most of the time!!!! Doktor Torbeck didn't think that would be a good idea!!

It was really my intent to have this project done and on display at the Convention. With all this publicity now....I don't know if that will be possible. The next time I speak with Doktor Torbeck, I will ask his permission about releasing the photos.

In the mean time, if you are contacted by the CIA, FBI or ESPN, don't tell them anything!!!!!

[dq409]

http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/b0/togo.gif HERE WE GO AGAIN !!!
I can`t believe you let him out again,, http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/k0/smashfreak.gif

I don`t know what you guys are smoking....... but it must be good !!!http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/k/hippy.gif

[grumpy]

Surely this must be Docktor Torbek, Jr. as DT senior was killed in the California mountains several years ago in his ill fated JATO Impala.

[TomO]

TomK and Phil - Man it sounds like I missed out. I should have made the 5 minuet drive work into my schedule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tom count me in on your next trip to Tony's.
TomO

[Tom Kochtanek]

Phil, it all makes so much sense now that you've explained it so well. My lips and camera lens are sealed...

TomK

[Rockfish39]

Originally posted by Phil Reed
.....In the mean time, if you are contacted by the CIA, FBI or ESPN, don't tell them anything!!!!!

Phil, Phil ... If that is you in the photo above, and you are calling a 53 year old Tom (happy B-day to you Tom) a young pup...then I need to buy stock in Grecian Formula #16. :D

BTW....You never know where the FBI may be lurking.

:cool:

[hrlykngt]

What brand of roller rocker arms and guideplates are they using on the motor in the pic?
I saw a 2 inch spacer that was welded on to a 400 horse intake like that, you could run a holley or any other carb you wanted and after all the machining on it you couldnt hardly tell it wasnt made that way.

harley

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Tom, I think Phil may have just "slipped". Klause Torbeck jr has yet to receive his honorary doktorite from the top secret U of M ( so top secret, that I am not permitted to state what that stands for ). This is the reason that we have heard so little of the young Mr Torbeck.

As for the tentative plans to utilize my piston design...
In my preliminary conversations with a close associate of the young Mr Torbeck, we had discussed the possibility of first trying them out in his own 400HP car.
I would consider it an honour if the aforementioned associate does in fact place that special order with me.