New member from Oregon, Gofish

Gofish

Well Known Member
I’m a new member, but have been reading the forum and browsing the technical info on the website for a couple of years. I have a tri-power 348 going in a fenderless 1931 Model A. The engine has the 9.5:1 pistons, Show Cars 0902 solid cam, and 379 and 256 heads. Hope to fire up this build in about a month.
 

Gofish

Well Known Member
Last edited:

61BUBBLE348

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
Welcome aboard, nice coupe.
Good to see the masking tape lining the grill shell up, nothing worse than an A with a deuce grill shell and the hood running uphill.
 

Gofish

Well Known Member
A little update. Didn’t get far enough to drive it last summer, but my dad and I did get it fired up (first time since rebuild in 1998!, but that’s another story), then I decided to repaint the car. Turns out it was a candy paint needing some repairs, and I don’t have that kind of skill. So a repaint it was, this time with a candy base coat that looks close to the other, but can be repaired if needed in the future. I painted it in my garage with a buddy. More updates after I get back on it in April.

Whoops! Just remembered I posted similar info in Builds and Projects some time ago.

D7544670-EBAB-426E-8E78-52EB6615568C.jpeg018A5E63-C7E5-4BD7-8390-7C5AF18DD973.jpeg9E85EA79-0B1D-4B96-A576-09C76F288158.jpeg5C203566-E104-429E-A4FA-D90EE1A135AF.jpegCD35F702-163A-4F06-93E3-4FC0552FB2FF.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Gofish

Well Known Member
A little more info about this journey, since most of us have more ‘free’ time than usual. As I said before, this is a 348 rebuilt in 1998 that I bought a couple years ago from a guy that bought if from a guy. As I mentioned before, 9.5:1 pistons and heads are 379 and 256. On visual inspection it looked good, even with a scope in the cylinders, and I spoke with the builder.

Here are some interesting things I found along the way: The stock distributor shaft didn’t seem to contact the oil pump drive shaft, so I pulled it apart and found the shaft was for a SBC. Apparently the pumps are the same, but as most of you know (and now me), not the drive rods. I replaced with the correct rod. A ruined engine averted!. Then, I degreed the cam and found it to be a 425 hp 409 cam (roughly .520 lift, etc). I replaced it with an Elgin 0902 cam from Show Cars (basically the solid lifter 348 350 hp cam, .413, .415 lift, etc.). Likely another ruined engine averted! At that point I pulled the heads to see what else might be lurking. No problems found, but I did see the stock 1.94 inch intake valves had been replaced with 2.06 valves. I’m not sure it will be a benefit in this low-compression engine, but I’ll take it. I added assembly lube wherever I could (though the original lube was still there), and pre-lubed the engine prior to firing it.

After all that I was able to get it started last summer and it seems to run great, though it’s still only in a rolling chassis and has yet to hit the road. This has been great fun for me and I’ve learned quite a bit about this 348 along the way. I’ll drive it some time this summer. ‘31 Model A, maybe 2000 lbs?, 700R4, 4.11 gears, 6-inch wide rear tires. Watch out.

Stay safe.
 
Top