Monday, July 29, 2024

Big Iron

 


7 comments:

  1. Romantic for sure, but poor breathing and three-mains makes for flimsy output.
    But does output matter so much if there is a truckload of cool?

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  2. It wasn't really big in terms of displacement. It was 255 cubic inches (4.18Litres). The exhaust valve was on the opposite side of the head from the port so the exhaust gases have to pass through the block, strangling the breathing and adding extra heat for the cooling system to dissipate. The three main bearings (almost all V8s have five) were another impediment to high performance.
    On the plus side they were produced by the millions so hot-rodders could buy them cheap at any scrapyard and the flat head configuration was compact.
    Al_in_Ottawa

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  3. Flatheads, baby, My first car has one, it's pre-war. The radiator is about 4 ft tall. One of the consequences of all that cooling capacity is a very quiet engine, the noise surrounded by all that coolant. At a stoplight, I couldn't hear it running, if there was another car alongside. It's a beautiful-sounding engine.

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  4. BIG IRON

    Song by
    Marty Robbins

    To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
    Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say
    No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
    For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip
    Big iron on his hip

    It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
    He came riding from the south side slowly lookin' all around
    He's an outlaw loose and running, came the whisper from each lip
    And he's here to do some business with the big iron on his hip
    Big iron on his hip

    In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
    Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
    He was vicious and a killer though a youth of 24
    And the notches on his pistol numbered one and 19 more
    One and 19 more

    Now the stranger started talking, made it plain to folks around
    Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town
    He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
    And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red
    After Texas Red

    Wasn't long before the story was relayed to Texas Red
    But the outlaw didn't worry men that tried before were dead
    20 men had tried to take him, 20 men had made a slip
    21 would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
    Big iron on his hip

    The morning passed so quickly, it was time for them to meet
    It was 20 past 11 when they walked out in the street
    Folks were watching from the windows, everybody held their breath
    They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
    About to meet his death

    There was 40 feet between them when they stopped to make their play
    And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today
    Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped
    And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip
    Big iron on his hip

    It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round
    There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
    Oh, he might have went on living but he made one fatal slip
    When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
    Big iron on his hip

    Big iron, big iron

    When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
    Big iron on his hip

    Songwriter: Marty Robbins
    For non-commercial use only.

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  5. ME (!), singing that song:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5srrznxK_Q

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  6. Not thrilled with the modern dual action swing pedal hydraulic brake reservoir. Spoils the look a bit. Bottom end fragility was never their problem. The story goes that Zora Duntov (chebby smallblock designer) borrowed a '36 coupe from a friend and needed to get to some place fast and was amazed that the Ford was non affected with sustained 5500 rpm, so he built the Ardun overhead valve setup for flathead Fords.

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  7. but with all said- don't they look cool !

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