Original subtitles

I'VE BEEN BUILDING CARS FOR OTHER PEOPLE FOR FAR TOO LONG.

NOW I'M TAKING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

AT MY NEW SHOP, ARCLIGHT FABRICATION,

I'M DESIGNING AFTERMARKET TRUCK PARTS,

BUILDING UNIQUE VEHICLES THAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BUILD,

AND I'M HAVING MORE FUN DOING IT.

I'VE HANDPICKED A TEAM OF THE BEST BUILDERS

FROM ACROSS AMERICA TO JOIN ME.

BUILDING THESE CUSTOM VEHICLES

WILL CHALLENGE OUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE ON EVERY LEVEL,

AND WHEN THEY'RE DONE, WE'LL PUT EACH ONE TO THE TEST.

I'M AARON KAUFMAN, AND THIS IS "SHIFTING GEARS."

--Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

TONIGHT...

THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN,

THE CELEBRATION OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOT RODS,

IS ONLY A WEEK AWAY,

BUT OUR MODEL "A" DRAGSTER...!

...AND OUR WORLD WAR II-ERA HARLEY...

OH, YOU PIECE OF CRAP....ARE FAR FROM RACE-READY.

YOU WANT TO NAIL THAT SEAT DOWN? NOPE.

I THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHERE IT GOES.

NO, I DON' KNOW WHERE IT GOES.

AND WITH ONLY A FEW DAYS TO FINISH OUR BUILD...

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S SPARKING.

...PROBLEMS MEET US AT EVERY TURN.

I THINK ALL THREE OF THE ACCELERATOR PUMPS...

ARE DOOKIE.

I GOT A WILD MUSTACHE HAIR THAT'S GONE BERSERK.

I DON'T THINK WE CAN FIX IT.

- THIS IS FOR A LATER MODEL. - WE CAN'T USE THAT.

TURNS OUT IT'S THE WRONG CAM FOR OUR MOTOR.

- SOMETHING GOING ON. - OH, BRAKES.

- WE LEAVE IN TWO DAYS... - THERE'S NO BRAKES.

...BUT, RIGHT NOW, IT'S KIND OF LOOKING PRETTY BLEAK.

I'M GOING TO GO CRY IN THE CORNER.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S SPARKING.

I DON'T EVEN...

OH, YEAH.

WELL, I WAS HOPING TO HAVE MY HARLEY-DAVIDSON W.L.A.

READY TO GO TO T.R.O.G, THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN,

OUT IN WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY, IN A WEEK...

OH, COME ON.

...BUT THE BIKE MAY HAVE OTHER PLANS.

OH, YOU PIECE OF CRAP.

THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN, TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE

THAT APPRECIATED SOME OF THE SAME THINGS I APPRECIATE --

EARLY FORD, HARLEY, INDIAN.

ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT MADE I FEEL LIKE, AMERICA GREAT.

OUR INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

WAS BUILT ON THE BACK OF PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES.

AND SO, ULTIMATELY, THIS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS

PUTTING ON A RACE OF ERA-APPROPRIATE MOTORCYCLES

AND RACE CARS ON THE BEACH,

I THINK, IS SUCH A HUGE CELEBRATION

OF SUCH AN INTERESTING TIME IN AMERICAN CULTURE.

ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE THINGS ABOUT THE BEACH

IS THE VAST EXPANSE OF RACETRACK.

THERE WEREN'T SPEED LIMITS LIKE THERE WERE ON THE STREETS.

THE COPS WEREN'T PATROLLING IT

LIKE THEY WERE IN YOUR SMALL TOWNS.

THERE WERE NO FREEWAYS YET.

THERE REALLY WAS BUT ONE PLACE.

IF YOU WENT TO THE DRAG STRIP,

YOU ONLY HAD A 1/4 MILE OR 1/8 OF A MILE TO FIND OUT,

BUT ON THE SAND, WE CAN GO FOR MILES AND MILES,

AND WE REALLY CAN FIND OUT WHAT WE HAD BUILT,

WHAT THEY HAD BUILT.WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WANT TO LOOK AT THIS LITTLE HALF CAR?

TAKE A LOOK AT HER.

ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I BOUGHT MOST OF A MODEL "A"

TO RUN AT T.R.O.G IN THEIR NEW RAIL DRAGSTER CLASS.

ANYBODY ORDER A RACE CAR?

THE CLASS REQUIRES THE CARS HAVE NO BODY,

AN UNLENGTHENED FRAME,

AND PERIOD-CORRECT MOTOR AND PARTS.

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY --

THE CHEAPEST HORSEPOWER IS LESS WEIGHT.

THE ORIGINAL FOUR-CYLINDER MOTOR JUST WASN'T GOING TO CUT IT,

SO I DRAGGED MY '36 FORD THREE-WINDOW UP TO THE SHOP

SO WE CAN SCAVENGE ITS MORE POWERFUL FLATHEAD V-8.

SORRY, '36. WE'RE STEALING YOUR GUTS.

BUT THAT WASN'T THE ONLY THING

WE ENDED UP PULLING OUT OF THE '36.

AAH! THERE'S A CAT!

THERE'S TOTALLY A CAT IN THERE!

NOW I'M NOT SUPERSTITIOUS,

BUT I REALLY DO HOPE THAT FINDING CATS

IN THE TRUNK OF MY OLD FORD

IS GOOD LUCK ON OUR DRAGSTER BUILD.

- GIVE THESE TO THE GIRLS. - FOR ROBIN.

YEAH, Y'ALL CAN DEAL WITH THESE THINGS.

OH, MY GOD.

AS FOR THIS HARLEY W.L.A., I'VE BEEN MEANING TO GET

THIS THING TO T.R.O.G FOR YEARS.

BUT I RAN INTO AN ISSUE

AND MISSED THE DEADLINE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

HOLY.

IT'S FINALLY TIME.

THIS IS THE YEAR I'M GONNA MAKE IT HAPPEN,

EVEN IF THE BIKE ISN'T CURRENTLY COOPERATING.

OH!

SHE'S GOT FIRE.

THE BIKE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE,

SO IT LOOKS IT JUST NEEDED THE COBWEBS SHAKEN OFF.

SO PEOPLE ASK ME WHY I RIDE HARLEYS,

LIKE, WHY I'M A HARLEY GUY.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY BUILD THE GREATEST MOTORCYCLE.

THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL.

THE DEAL IS, IT'S OURMOTORCYCLE, RIGHT?

IT'S LIKE THE ONE THING YOU GOT TO REALIZE

IS THAT IT IS HERITAGE.

IT IS OURS. IT'S UNIQUELY OURS.

THAT BIKE IS SO COOL.

THIS PARTICULAR MODEL HAS ITS ROOTS

ALL THE WAY BACK IN THE LATE '30s

WHEN WORLD WAR II WAS JUST BEGINNING.

AT THE TIME, HARLEY WAS PRODUCING

A CIVILIAN MODEL CALLED THE WL THAT USED AN ENGINE WHICH,

LIKE THE MOTOR WE'RE USING IN OUR MODEL "A,"

WAS A FLATHEAD.

UNLIKE THE FORD V-8, HOWEVER,

IT WAS A 45-CUBIC-INCH TWIN CYLINDER MODEL.

AFTER PEARL HARBOR, HARLEY-DAVIDSON BEGAN PRODUCING

A VARIANT OF THAT MOTORCYCLE CALLED THE W.L.A.,

CUSTOMIZED FOR USE BY THE U.S. ARMY.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE WAR,

MORE THAN 90,000 WLAs WERE PRODUCED.

THEY EVEN EARNED THE NICKNAME "THE LIBERATOR,"

AS THEY WERE SEEN BEING RIDDEN BY SOLDIERS

DURING THE LIBERATION OF OCCUPIED EUROPE.

AND SO HARLEY-DAVIDSON, AND THIS BIKE IN PARTICULAR,

WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY THOUGHTS

AND IN MY GARAGE.

BUT IT'S A 75-YEAR-OLD MOTORCYCLE

THAT'S BEEN SITTING FOR ABOUT A YEAR,

SO THERE'S SOME CRITICAL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADJUSTED

BEFORE I CAN RACE IT.

READY?

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO CHECK OUT

IS THAT THE OIL LEAKING FROM THE BIKE

IS LEAKING FROM THE PROPER LOCATIONS,

OR, IF IT WAS A CASE-HALF LEAK,

BUT IT DOES APPEAR THAT IT'S THE CHAIN OILER,

WHICH IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE.

IT SPITS OIL OUT OF THIS LITTLE TUBE ONTO THE CHAIN.

WE DON'T HAVE A BELT. IT HAS A PRIMARY CHAIN.

AND TO KEEP FROM GETTING ALL RUSTY AND JAMMED UP,

IT HAS A CHAIN OILER RIGHT HERE

SO IT DRIPS OIL ONTO IT, SO, CONSEQUENTLY,

IT LEAKS OIL ALL OVER THE PLACE, AS YOU CAN SEE.

NOW I'VE VERIFIED THAT, YOU KNOW,

THE MOTOR IS NOT LEAKING.

IT'S JUST THE CHAIN OILER.

POP THIS ALL BACK TOGETHER

AND ADJUST THE CHAIN TENSION

BECAUSE THE CHAIN IS SUPER-LOOSE ON IT.

IT'S JUST SLACKED OUT A LITTLE BIT,

SO IF I CAN SHORTEN TWO LINKS ON IT, I WILL,

AND I'LL BRING THE AXLE UP INTO THE CHAINSTAY A LITTLE BIT,

TIGHTEN THE AXLE UP

AND THEN TAKE IT FOR ONE LAST SHAKE-DOWN RIDE.

BUT PAST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST PUT NUMBER PLATES ON IT,

AND, IF THEY'LL LET ME RUN IT DOWN A BEACH,

WE'LL GO RUN IT DOWN A BEACH, AND I'LL TRY NOT TO FALL OFF,

AND IT'LL BE A GOOD TIME.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS SHIFTING

ON THE SIDE OF THE TANK BUSINESS?

SO I'LL SPIN THE STORY FOR YOU QUICK.

MOST MOTORCYCLES THESE DAYS

HAVE CLUTCH LEVERS AND SHIFTER PEDALS,

BUT, BACK IN THE DAY,

HARLEYS HAD A MUCH DIFFERENT CONTROL ARRANGEMENT --

CLUTCH PEDALS AND HAND SHIFTERS,

BUT EVEN THOSE DIDN'T NECESSARILY WORK THE SAME

FROM BIKE TO BIKE.

FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE OUR W.L.A.

SO THIS IS A ROCKER CLUTCH ON IT, SO I CAN...

WE CAN COME TO A FULL STOP,

AND I CAN BE IN FIRST GEAR BECAUSE OF THE CLUTCH, RIGHT?

SO IT'LL STAY IN WHATEVER POSITION,

WHETHER IT'S ENGAGED OR DISENGAGED, RIGHT?

YOU CAN HAVE IT IN THIRD GEAR AND COME TO A STOP

AS LONG AS YOU PUT THE CLUTCH IN,

TAKE BOTH FEET OFF, BUT, LIKE,

MY BLACK AND PURPLE BIKE, IT'S JOCKEY SHIFT,

BUT IT'S SUICIDE CLUTCH,

AND THE DEAL WITH THE SUICIDE CLUTCH

IS THAT ONCE YOU STEP OFF OF IT, IT'S LIKE THE ONE IN YOUR CAR.

ONCE YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF IT, IT ENGAGES.

THE MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION ARE LINKED,

AND THEN THE JOCKEY PART OF IT IS WHERE YOU REACH.

JUST LIKE WHEN YOU RIDE A HORSE,

IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO WHIP THE HORSE

SO THIS IS THE JOCKEY POSITION, IS JOCKEY SHIFT BACK HERE.

SO RAAAAAAA-CLACK-CLACK!

I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF WHAT HE WANTS,

LIKE, WHERE THE BUTT SECTION IS.YEAH.

HE WANTS THAT KIND OF KICKING IT.

UH-HUH. LIKE A...

YEAH, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW HE WANTS

TO SIT WAY BACK.

SO JASON AND I SPENT SOME TIME

GOING THROUGH PICTURES THIS MORNING,

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION FOR OUR SEAT FOR THE MODEL "A."

- OH, THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE. - YEAH, YEAH.

- I LIKE THAT ONE. - UH-HUH.

- THAT ONE WORKS. - I CAN GET US THAT ALL DAY LONG.

THAT'S NO PROBLEM.

YEAH.

SINCE THE RULES OF THE CLASS THAT WE'RE COMPETING IN

STIPULATE THAT OUR DRAGSTER HAVE NO BODY,

THE STOCK MODEL "A" SEATS WOULD LOOK COMPLETELY OUT OF PLACE,

AND IF WE USE BENCH SEATS, AARON IS GOING TO BE BOUNCING

ALL OVER THE PLACE DOWN THE BEACH,

HAVING A HARD TIME CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE.

I DID FIND ONE THAT I'M ACTUALLY DIGGING ON PRETTY GOOD

AND THAT LOOKS PRETTY COOL.

SO, INSTEAD, WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH A BOMBER-STYLE SEAT,

WHICH WAS FAIRLY COMMON AMONG DRAGSTERS IN THE '50s AND '60s.

THE DIFFERENCE IS, BACK IN THE DAY,

MILITARY SURPLUS YARDS WERE OVERFLOWING WITH BOMBER SEATS

LIKE YOU'D FIND IN A B-17.

BUT NOWADAYS, THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE RARE, EXPENSIVE,

AND, FRANKLY, UNCOMFORTABLE,

SO, INSTEAD, I'M GONNA CUSTOM MAKE A BOMBER-STYLE SEAT.

SO I STARTED THE SEAT, AND I CAME UP WITH A DESIGN.

IT'S JUST A BASIC, GENERIC STYLE OF A BOMBER SEAT.

WE'RE GOING TO ADD A FEW FEATURES OF OUR OWN TO IT,

SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT SIMILAR

TO A LIST OF DIFFERENT ONES

BUT ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME, TRY TO MAKE IT OURS.

NOW I KNOW YOU'RE ABOUT TO ASK ME,

"WHY ARE WE USING ALL THESE MODERN MACHINES FOR THIS?"

THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER A TIME CRUNCH,

AND WE'LL BE UPHOLSTERING OVER THE SEAT FRAME,

SO MOST OF THE WORK WON'T EVEN BE VISIBLE

IN THE FINISHED PRODUCT.

COOL.

HERE. YOU STAND ON THIS SIDE.

I'LL HOLD IT FROM OVER THERE.

ACTUALLY, BRING IT DOWN SOME.

YEAH. I DIG IT.

- LET'S JUST ROCK AND ROLL. - COOL.

ON YOUR STEERING BOX,

WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT THE EXTENSION ON IT.

LIKE, IF THAT'S PUT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE,

AND THEN WE NEED TO GET THAT...

DO WE HAVE A PITMAN ARM ON THIS THING SOMEWHERE?

IT SHOULD BE ON THE STEERING...

IT'S RIGHT THERE.

WE'RE PLANNING ON CENTERING

THE DRIVING POSITION ON THIS DRAGSTER,

WHICH, "A," WILL LOOK BETTER WITH NO BODY

AND, "B," WILL MAKE THE CAR MORE BALANCED

SO IT'S EASIER TO MANAGE IN A DRAG RACE ON THE SAND,

BUT THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO CENTER NOT ONLY THE SEAT,

WHICH JEREMY IS WORKING ON,

BUT THE STEERING BOX, AS WELL.

- I'M JUST GONNA... - YEAH. GO FOR IT.

I'M JUST GOING TO SET IT RIGHT HERE LIKE THAT.

TRADITIONALLY, IT WOULD BE INSIDE THE FRAME RAIL.

THE PITMAN ARM WOULD COME OUTSIDE THE FRAME RAIL,

AND THEN YOU'D HAVE IT PUSH OUT TO THE STEERING.

- 14 INCHES. - OKAY.

SO WE GOT TO GO 14 INCHES TO GET OUT THERE.

SO THE STEERING BOX WOULD COME THROUGH THE FRAME.

FRAME RAIL WOULD BE IN HERE

AND THEN THIS WOULD PUSH AND PULL OUR STEERING,

MAKE US GO RIGHT AND LEFT.

YEAH. SOMETHING LIKE THAT RIGHT THERE. EXACTLY.

I THINK IT'S THE EASIEST SOLUTION.

OUR FRAME RAIL IS STILL HERE,

BUT WE'VE MOVED THE STEERING BOX TO ABOUT HERE,

SO WHAT I'M MAKING IS A STEERING SHAFT, ESSENTIALLY,

THAT WILL COME FROM OUR CENTER-MOUNT STEERING BOX

AND WILL ESSENTIALLY EMULATE OUR ORIGINAL SHAFT

THAT WOULD'VE COME THROUGH THE FRAME

SO THAT THIS WOULD GO INTO THE PITMAN ARM.

WE CAN USE OUR FACTORY PITMAN ARM,

AND THEN ALL IT'S GOING TO DO

IS JUST TRANSFER THE STEERING FROM THE CENTER.

NOW IT'S JUST MAKING THAT STEERING SHAFT LONGER.

IT'S A BIT INVOLVED,

BUT ANYTHING THAT HELPS CENTER THE WEIGHT IN THE CHASSIS

IS AN ADVANTAGE WE NEED IN THE SAND,

WHERE TRACTION IS ALREADY LOW.

THAT IS HOT. BE CAREFUL.

THE STUDS HAVE TO COME OUT,

AND THEY'RE NOTORIOUSLY A PAIN IN THE ASS,

SO I JUST WENT AHEAD AND WELDED THE NUTS TO THE STUDS.

HOPEFULLY, THE HEAT WILL BREAK THE CORROSION

THAT'S HOLDING THEM TOGETHER.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN REALLY

DO BESIDES...

I'M DOING THE GAS TANK DEAL.

YOU WANT TO NAIL THAT SEAT DOWN?

NOPE.

I THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHERE IT GOES.

NO. NO, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT GOES.

SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE FOR THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN

IN JUST FOUR DAYS, AND WE GOT A LOT TO DO.

GAS TANK WILL BE DONE HERE SHORTLY.

- YEAH. - I CAN'T REALLY FINISH

THE THROTTLE PEDAL BECAUSE OF DISTANCE.

BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS CAR,

EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO DO IS KIND OF DEPENDENT

ON SOMETHING ELSE BEING FINISHED FIRST.

SO TO KEEP THINGS MOVING,

WE'RE TAKING A STEP BACK AND WORKING ON THINGS

THAT DON'T REQUIRE US ALL TO BE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.

JASON IS GOING TO DO SOME MOTOR WORK,

AND JEREMY IS HEADING OVER TO THE METAL SHOP

TO GET SUPPLIES WE NEED TO FINISH THE BUILD.

ME, I'M WORKING ON THE MOUNT

FOR THE VENTED-STYLE FUEL TANK THAT AARON BOUGHT YESTERDAY

THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE ON THE CAR.

THIS WOULD'VE BEEN ON, LIKE,

AN OLD TRACTOR, A OLD BOAT.

YOU KNOW, THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN ON TOP

OF A OLD TROLLING MOTOR.

SO IT'S JUST KIND OF RAD,

FITTING THE NOSTALGIA FACTOR THAT WE'RE GOING FOR.

IT'S GOT A COOL LITTLE CLEAR GLASS BOWL

THAT WILL COLLECT ALL THE SHMAGMA

THAT MIGHT BE IN YOUR FUEL,

SO I'M GOING AHEAD AND MAKING SOME STRAPS FOR THIS ONE

JUST TO GET THIS ONE ROUGH-MOUNTED

BEFORE AARON GETS HERE.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE.

WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REINVENT A WHEEL,

JUST KIND OF HOW WOULD THEY HAVE DONE IT

BACK IN THE DAY WITH THE ADDED BENEFIT

THAT WE'RE GOING TO SAVE WEIGHT OVER A FULL-SIZE FUEL TANK.

SIZE-WISE, WE'RE GUESSING IT HOLDS

HALF GALLON TO A GALLON,

SOMEWHERE IN THAT BALL PARK.

WE'RE ONLY GOING 650 FEET,

SO, ESSENTIALLY, IT'S PLENTY OF GAS.

THAT'LL WORK.

WE'RE HEADING TO THE METAL-SUPPLY PLACE.

WE'RE GOING TO PICK UP SOME MATERIAL FOR THE...

TO FINISH OUT THE BUILD ON THE MODEL "A".

THERE'S JUST A FEW THINGS WE HAVE TO GET.

SOME SWEET SHORTS THERE, CARLO.

I KNOW IT'S HOT.

WHAT I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH IS THE UNEVENNESS.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT METAL SUPERMARKET.

I'M PICKING UP THE METAL WE'RE GOING TO NEED

TO FINISH UP THE MODEL "A".

ALL RIGHT, TONY. THIS IS WHAT I GOT.

I NEED 1/4-INCH PLATE.

YOU GOT LIKE A 2x4 DROP OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE?

- I GOT NO METAL 2x4. - OKAY.

THESE GUYS HAVE HELPED US ALONG THE WAY

THROUGH THE PROCESS ON EVERY PROJECT THAT WE'VE DONE.

LET'S DO 3/8 HOT OR COLD SOLID STOCK.

- HOW MUCH? - 5 FEET OF THAT.

WE STILL HAVE A BUNCH OF THINGS TO FABRICATE,

AND WE'RE GETTING LOW ON MATERIAL.

SHOW HIM THAT, YEAH, AND WE'RE GOOD.

I STILL NEED TO FINISH FABRICATING A BRACKET

FOR THE CUSTOM BOMBER SEAT I MADE.

I'M ALSO PLANNING ON MAKING A MOUNT

FOR THE WATER TANK WE'RE USING INSTEAD OF A RADIATOR.

OH, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO CUT THAT.

I'M GOING TO GET 5/16 OF FULL JOINT.

- I'M JUST GONNA USE FULL JOINT. - NOT A PROBLEM.

WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE MOUNTS FOR OUR PEDALS,

OUR NUMBER PLATES.

SO EVEN THOUGH OUR DRAGSTER DOESN'T HAVE ANY BODYWORK,

YOU CAN SEE WHY WE RUN OUT OF MATERIAL SO QUICKLY.

FINGERS CROSSED, THIS SHOULD LAST US

UNTIL THE END OF THE BUILD.

SO ANY TIME THAT YOU HAVE AIR INSIDE OF A CAR,

THEN YOU HAVE AN AERODYNAMIC PROBLEM, RIGHT?

YOU'RE CAUSING A PRESSURE SITUATION

THAT'S SLOWING THE CAR DOWN.

ALL THE STUFF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

ARE NOT REALLY THINGS THAT PEOPLE REALLY

THOUGHT ABOUT BACK THEN.

THEY WEREN'T THINKING ABOUT AERODYNAMICS.

100% WRONG. 100% WRONG.

AND WHOEVER TOLD YOU OTHERWISE WAS 100% WRONG, AS WELL.

EVERYONE THINKS THAT CARS THAT WERE BUILT IN THE '20s OR '30s,

BECAUSE THEY WERE SIMPLE,

THEY WERE BUILT BY MINDLESS MORONS.

THESE CARS INCORPORATE SOME OF THE MOST MODERN TECHNOLOGY,

AND PEOPLE WERE EVERY BIT AS SMART AS THEY ARE NOW.

THEY UNDERSTOOD ALL THE PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS

EQUALLY AS WELL AS THEY DO NOW.

YOU GOT TO REMEMBER,

WE'RE BUILDING AIRPLANES AT THIS POINT.

SO ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT THERMAL EXPANSION?

ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT THERMAL DYNAMICS?

ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT PHYSICS? YEAH. THEY'VE BEEN THERE.

WHEN IT COMES TO AERODYNAMICS, YEAH.

THEY'RE ALREADY THERE.

THING WAS, THERE WAS A VERY LOW NECESSITY,

SO, FIRST OF ALL, THERE WERE VERY, VERY FEW PAVED ROADS.

THE ONES THAT WERE PAVED WERE PAVED IN BRICKS,

AND THERE WAS A LIMIT TO WHAT THE WHEELS COULD TAKE.

THERE WAS A LIMIT TO WHAT THE TIRES COULD DO,

AND THEN, NOT TO MENTION, SOCIETY, AS A WHOLE,

WASN'T REAL HIP ON FAST VEHICLES,

PARTICULARLY IN TOWN, AND BETWEEN TOWN

WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DID A WHOLE LOT OF.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF DIRT ROADS,

AND THEY HAVE ISSUES THERE,

SO IT WASN'T THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T CONSIDER IT.

IT WASN'T MUCH OF A FACTOR.

SO JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE OLD DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE CRAP.

SO AARON DECIDED THAT HE DIDN'T WANT

TO RUN A RADIATOR ON THIS VEHICLE,

NOT BECAUSE IT'S AGAINST THE RULES OR PERIOD-CORRECT

BUT BECAUSE IT LOOKS OUT OF PLACE

ON A VEHICLE WITH NO BODY.

INSTEAD, WE'RE GONNA COOL OUR MOTOR

USING FRESH WATER FROM THIS WATER TANK

THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOUNT BEHIND THE SEAT.

THIS CAME OUT OF A B-17 AIRCRAFT.

THIS WAS THE O2 TANK.

THIS IS THE BREATHING OXYGEN FOR ALL THE CREW MEMBERS.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT A WATER TANK,

AND I'M JUST COMING UP WITH SOME BRACKETS

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY MOUNT IT TO THE BACK OF THE CAR.

I'M THINKING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO THIS IS OUR BOTTOM BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE TANK.

WE HAVE TWO HINGE POINTS FOR THE STRAPS,

AND WE'LL HAVE A BOLT THAT RUNS THROUGH IT.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO A RADIATOR

BECAUSE IT'S BIG AND OBNOXIOUS UP FRONT.

WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH THIS AIR TANK

'CAUSE IT'S REALLY COOL-LOOKING.

YEAH, WITHOUT A RADIATOR,

WE DO RUN THE RISK OF OVERHEATING THE MOTOR

BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE SO LONG

BEFORE THE COLD WATER CIRCULATES THROUGH THE BLOCK AND HEATS UP,

BUT BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY DRAG RACING 660 FEET,

WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO SWAP IN FRESH,

COLD WATER BETWEEN RUNS, AND REALLY, TO ME,

THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN IS ALL ABOUT STYLE,

SO I HOPE IT'S A RISK WORTH TAKING.

YAY.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THIS OLD FLATHEAD V-8 CAME FROM

BEFORE IT MADE ITS WAY INTO AARON'S '36 FORD,

SO WE'RE MAKING SOME CHANGES TO ENSURE THAT IT RUNS RELIABLY

WHILE ALSO GIVING IT MORE POWER.

FIRST, WE'RE SWAPPING OUT THE WATER PUMPS

THAT CAME ON THE MOTOR FOR BRAND-NEW ONES WE KNOW

WON'T FAIL ON US THE FIRST TIME WE START THIS MOTOR UP.

WE ALSO BOUGHT A NEW CAM SHAFT THAT'S SET TO GO IN TOMORROW,

BUT THE BIGGEST CHANGE WE'RE MAKING

IS INSTALLING NEW ALUMINUM HEADS.

COMBINED WITH THE NEW CAM SHAFT,

THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE OUR ENGINE BREATHES BETTER,

WHICH, IN TURN, IS GOING TO GIVE US MORE HORSEPOWER,

AND SINCE MOST EARLY FLATHEADS STRUGGLE

TO GET INTO THE TRIPLE DIGITS, EVERY BIT COUNTS.

THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, THE STUDS YOU BOLT THE FACTORY HEADS TO

WON'T WORK WITH OUR NEW ALUMINUM HEADS,

SO THE STUDS HAVE TO COME OUT,

AND THEY'RE NOTORIOUSLY A PAIN IN THE ASS IN FLATHEADS,

SO I JUST WENT AHEAD

AND WELDED THE NUTS TO THE STUDS.

HOPEFULLY, THE HEAT WILL TRANSFER THROUGH THE STUDS,

BREAK THE CORROSION THAT'S HOLDING THEM TOGETHER,

AND THEN THEY'LL COME OUT.

I DON'T KNOW. WE'LL SEE.

WE HAVE TO LEAVE FOR T.R.O.G IN JUST THREE DAYS,

SO WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO FEEL THE PRESSURE

TO GET THINGS BUTTONED UP,

BUT OUR TO-DO LIST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GETTING ANY SHORTER.

SHOP TOWEL IS BURNING.

THE AIR BLOWER?

I THINK IT'D JUST MAKE IT WORSE.

HERE'S A NOVEL IDEA. ANYBODY GOT SOME WATER?

- THIS IS FOR A LATER MODEL. - WE CAN'T USE THAT.

THE CAM SHAFT THAT WE GOT IN YESTERDAY --

TURNS OUT IT'S THE WRONG CAM FOR OUR MOTOR.

WE LEAVE IN TWO DAYS.

MY GOAL IS TO HAVE THIS THING RUNNING BY TOMORROW NIGHT,

BUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S KIND OF LOOKING PRETTY BLEAK.

- YEAH. - START OVER.

YEAH.

- WHAT DO YOU KNOW? - HEY, BUDDY.

HOW YOU DOING?

MY BUDDY, ARRON MATHER, IS A BIT OF A MENTOR.

HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MY EARLY EDUCATION

IN THE MACHINE SHOP

AS WELL AS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON

AND QUITE POSSIBLY MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH IT,

SO I INVITED HIM DOWN TO THE SHOP

TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR DRAGSTER

BECAUSE I KNEW HE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

SO THIS IS OUR T.R.O.G CAR.

SO, BASICALLY, WE'RE BUILDING A MODEL "A" RAIL JOB.

SO MODEL "A" STOCK CHASSIS, MODEL "A" REAR.

WE'VE WELD THE SPIDER GEARS, AND THEN WE PULLED THE MOTOR

AND TRANS OUT OF MY '36 FOR IT.

COOL. COOL.

OH, HEY, MAN. LET US TAKE YOU TO LUNCH.

- LET'S GO. - ALL RIGHT.

AARON IS A BRILLIANT BIKE BUILDER IN HIS OWN RIGHT,

AND WE GO WAY BACK,

BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN EACH OTHER IN A WHILE,

SO, OF COURSE, I'M GOING TO JUMP AT ANY CHANCE

TO GET OUT OF THE SHOP AND CATCH UP WITH HIM.

AND THE NEAT THING ABOUT THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN IS

THEY DO KIND OF CONTROL, IN A TOTAL SENSE,

THE STYLE OF RACING.

THEY CONTROL THE LOOK, THE FEEL, AND WHAT'S HAPPENING.

WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATION FOR GOING THIS YEAR?

YOU WANT TO SHOW THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO,

OR YOU JUST WANT TO... I WISH THAT WAS THE CASE.

...GO HAVE FUN WITH THE GOOD OLD BOYS?

THAT'S MORE LIKE "B,"

BECAUSE, LIKE, LAST TIME, I SHOWED UP,

AND I PLAYED WITH EVERYBODY ELSE'S TOYS,

AND SO I WANTED TO BRING A COUPLE OF OUR OWN,

SO THE THING I APPRECIATE SO MUCH ABOUT IT IS THAT,

WHEN WE PLAY WITH OLD TOYS,

IS THAT, IN MY OPINION, IS THAT WE'RE KEEPING IT ALIVE,

SO IT'S JUST LIKE RELIVING A SNAPSHOT OF HISTORY,

AND AS LONG AS THAT IT'S STILL ALIVE,

THAT MEANS THAT PEOPLE STILL KNOW HOW TO FIX IT.

THEY STILL KNOW HOW TO BUILD IT.

TO SOME DEGREE, THAT KNOWLEDGE

IS BEING PASSED ON TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, THIS TYPE OF RACING,

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING,

YOU DON'T...

YOU DON'T RACE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET THE THING TO RUN.

- AND THAT'S... - YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO START...

THERE'S NO BUTTON.THERE'S NO START BUTTON.

THERE'S NONE OF THAT.I'LL TELL YOU...

YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE ARE THERE BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT.

IT IS A GOSH-DARN GOOD TIME.

- YOU'LL HAVE A BLAST. - I CAN'T WAIT.

- I CAN'T WAIT. - YEAH.

- IT'S GOOD. I'M LEAVING NOW. - YEAH?

WHAT DO YOU THINK, JASON?

UH... I THINK IT'S KIND OF A CAR.

- ALMOST A RACE CAR OR NOT? - NO, FAR FROM IT.

OH. OH. NOT A RACE CAR?

SO, RIGHT HERE, WE JUST FINISHED UP.

JASON FINISHED UP THE THROTTLE PEDAL.

I GOT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY DONE,

AND WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE CLUTCH PEDAL.

NOW, IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT, BUT, IN THE SPIRIT OF T.R.O.G,

WE'RE TRYING TO UTILIZE AS MANY MODEL "A" PARTS AS WE CAN.

WELL, WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND BEND RIGHT HERE.

TAKE THAT OUT.

I MEAN, I THINK WE CAN STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, IT NEEDS TO COME OVER

OR JUST STRAIGHT UP?

I THINK STRAIGHT UP.

SO I HAVE IT MOUNTED WHERE I THINK IT'S GOING TO WORK.

I'M GOING TO TEST FIT A ROD,

LEAVING THE FOOT OVER HERE, AND THEN WE'LL HEAT IT UP,

AND WE'LL GIVE THE FOOT A NEW PLACEMENT,

CLOSER TO THE PALM, WHERE WE WANT IT.

OUR FEET, WHEN WE WERE SITTING IN IT,

ARE ALWAYS SITTING, LIKE, RIGHT HERE.

I SAW.

YEP. JUST LIKE THAT.

SO DO YOU WANT TO GET BANNON ON THIS?

I THINK JUST DO IT.

ALL RIGHT THEN.

SO WHAT A CLUTCH DOES --

IT CONNECTS THE OUTPUT OF THE MOTOR

TO THE GEARBOX,

AND BY PRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL,

IT ALLOWS YOU TO DISENGAGE THE CONNECTION

THROUGH A SERIES OF LINKAGES, CABLES, AND LINES

SO YOU CAN SHIFT THE GEARS WITHOUT GRINDING.

YOU CAN COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHOUT STALLING.

SO ONCE I BENT THE PEDAL INTO A COMFORTABLE POSITION,

I NEED TO MACHINE A BIT OF THE PEDAL

SO THAT THE CLEVIS ON THE LINKAGE

WILL FIT OVER IT.

JUST GOT DONE MAKING THE LINKAGE FOR THE CLUTCH.

WE'RE STILL GOING TO BEND THE PEDAL AROUND

TO GET IN A BETTER POSITION.

IF THE PEDALS AREN'T IN A GOOD POSITION,

IT'LL MAKE IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT

FOR AARON TO SHIFT SMOOTHLY,

AND HE'S ALREADY GOT A LOT TO FOCUS

ON TO PUT TOGETHER A GOOD RACE ON THE SAND.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET THE PEDAL BENT,

WELD THE TABS ALL THE WAY, AND THAT'LL BE OFF THE LIST.

SO WE GOT BRAKES, CLUTCH, THROTTLE.

ONCE THE INTAKE IS ON, IT'S DONE.

IT STEERS.

SO IF JASON CAN MAKE IT GO FAST, WE CAN GO HAVE FUN.

SPEAKING OF GOING FAST, WE'RE TRYING TO SQUEEZE

WHATEVER EXTRA HORSEPOWER WE CAN OUT OF OUR FLATHEAD V-8

BECAUSE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN,

THE OTHER GUYS AT T.R.O.G. ARE NO JOKE.

IT ORIGINALLY STARTED OUT AS ONLY AN EXHIBITION

WHERE GUYS COULD SHOW OFF THEIR OLD HOT RODS AND MOTORCYCLES

AND CHECK OUT WHAT OTHER ENTHUSIASTS

WERE BUILDING OR RESTORING,

BUT AS TYPICALLY HAPPENS WITH CAR GUYS,

THEY WEREN'T CONTENT WITH TAKING IT EASY,

SO IT TURNED INTO A FRIENDLY SPEED COMPETITION.

AND WITH BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE LINE,

DRIVERS KEPT TRYING TO PUSH THEIR PERIOD-CORRECT MOTORS

TO GO A LITTLE FASTER AND FASTER,

AND NOW IT'S EVOLVED INTO A FULL-ON DRAG-RACING EVENT.

THIS YEAR IS SHAPING UP TO BE THE FASTEST YEAR YET.

WITH THE NEW DRAGSTER CLASS THAT WE'RE RUNNING IN,

IT PROHIBITS THE USE OF BODIES,

MAKING THE VEHICLES LIGHTER AND EVEN QUICKER.

SO TO AVOID GETTING EMBARRASSED WHEN WE SHOW UP,

WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND GET AS MUCH POWER

AS WE CAN OUT OF THIS MOTOR, AND ONE WAY WE'RE DOING THAT

IS BY SWAPPING OUT THE STOCK CAM SHAFT

WITH SOMETHING MORE AGGRESSIVE.

IT WAS A BIT TEDIOUS,

BUT I'VE GOTTEN ALL THE LIFTERS AND VALVES OUT,

SO, UM, ANYWAY,

THE CAM IS READY TO COME OUT,

SO LET'S GET THIS THING OUT.

THIS IS YOUR CAM,

AND IT'S CONNECTED TO THE CRANK WITH A GEAR, SO IT ROTATES.

AS IT ROTATES, ALL THESE LOBES ROTATE,

AND EACH ONE OF THESE HAS A JOB --

INTAKE EXHAUST, SO ON AND SO FORTH

ALL THE WAY DOWN, SO AS YOUR LOBE COMES UP,

THIS RIDES ON THE LOBE,

AND SO AS IT COMES UP, IT OPENS YOUR VALVE.

THAT IN TURN PUSHES ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS STEM,

WHICH OPENS THE VALVE, LETTING AIR

IN AND OUT OF THE CYLINDER JUST LIKE THAT.

THAT BEING SAID, THE BENEFIT TO DOING AN AFTERMARKET CAM IS,

BY CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE LOBES ON THE CAM SHAFT,

WE CAN CHANGE THE SPEED AT WHICH THE VALVES OPEN

AND THE DURATION THE VALVES STAY OPEN FOR,

ALLOWING US TO INCREASE THE AIRFLOW

IN AND OUT OF THE CYLINDERS.

THE MORE AIR YOU CAN PACK INTO THE CYLINDER,

THE MORE POWER YOU MAKE.

HENCE, WE DO A CAM,

OPEN THE VALVES MORE, SUCK MORE AIR IN.

COPY THAT.

SO WHICH CAM SHAFT

HAS A GEAR-DRIVEN DISTRIBUTOR?

THIS IS FOR A LATER MODEL.

THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING.

DISTRIBUTOR COMES IN THE SIDE RIGHT HERE.

YEP.

WE CAN'T USE THAT.

THE CAM SHAFT THAT WE GOT IN YESTERDAY,

TURNS OUT IT'S THE WRONG CAM FOR OUR MOTOR.

IT'S FOR A FRONT OFFSET DRIVE DISTRIBUTOR.

THAT'S NOT HOW OUR MOTOR IS SET UP.

THIS CAM SHAFT,

THE DIAMETER OF THE CAM SHAFT IS SMALLER.

LOBES ARE SUPER NARROW ON THIS LITTLE BOOGER.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

ALSO, GET A SET OF CALIPERS

AND CHECK THE LIFT ON THESE THINGS.

THEY DON'T LOOK AS BIG AS THE OTHER ONE.

WELL, THIS SHAFT DIAMETER IS WAY SMALLER THAN THAT ONE.

YEAH, LET'S JUST CALL JOHN.

LET'S CALL. LET'S CHECK SOME NUMBERS.

WE COULD MACHINE THIS AND PUT THIS IN HERE.

IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.

- I DON'T WANT THAT. - YEAH. FOR SURE.

WE LEAVE IN TWO DAYS.

MOTOR IS TORN APART.

MY GOAL IS TO HAVE THIS THING RUNNING BY TOMORROW NIGHT,

BUT, RIGHT NOW,

IT'S KIND OF LOOKING PRETTY BLEAK.

THROW SOME CALIPERS ON IT.

IF IT'S JUST A DISASTER, THEN START OVER.

YEAH.

WHEN I SNAPPED THE THROTTLE BLADES OPEN,

THERE WAS TOO MUCH AIR, NOT ENOUGH FUEL.

I THINK ALL THREE OF THE ACCELERATOR PUMPS

ARE DOOKIE.

JUST A JOKE.

GOOD NEWS -- THE DAY IS SAVED.

SINCE AARON BOUGHT THIS MODEL "A" ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO,

WE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES TO GET IT READY

FOR DRAG RACING ON THE SAND AT T.R.O.G.

WE REPLACED THE FOUR-CYLINDER MOTOR

WITH A FLATHEAD V-8 FROM AARON'S '36 FORD.

WE'VE MOVED THE DRIVING POSITION TO THE CENTER.

WE REMOVED THE RADIATOR IN FAVOR OF A WATER TANK,

BUT, EARLIER TODAY, WHEN WE WERE UPGRADING

THE CAM SHAFT IN THE MOTOR, WE RAN INTO SOME FITMENT ISSUES.

I MADE A FEW PHONE CALLS AND WAS ABLE TO SCORE US

A NEW CAM SHAFT OFF A SIMILAR MOTOR,

SO THIS IS A HUGE WEIGHT OFF OUR SHOULDERS

BECAUSE, IF WE HAD TO ORDER IT,

WE DEFINITELY WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN A REPLACEMENT IN ON TIME.

SO GET THIS THING SHOVED IN THERE.

WE'LL BE GOOD TO GO, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE

WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO GET THIS MOTOR FIRED UP TOMORROW.

CAM SHAFT FITS LIKE IT WAS MADE FOR THIS MOTOR.

CRAZY.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY TWO DAYS TO GET THE MODEL "A"

AND THE '45 READY FOR THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN,

AND THERE'S STILL A TON TO DO.

SO, RIGHT NOW, I'M CUTTING OUT SOME METAL

TO FABRICATE INTO A FOOT PLATE.

IT'S BASICALLY JUST A HEEL REST, A SPOT TO PUT YOUR HEEL

SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD YOUR FEET UP IN THE AIR

TO USE THE PEDALS ALL THE TIME.

THEY CAN REST DOWN JUST LIKE ANY VEHICLE'S FLOOR BOARD.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO SOMETHING REAL SIMPLE,

NOT TRYING TO DO A WHOLE FLOOR IN THE CAR, KEEP WEIGHT DOWN.

THEY WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT BACK IN THE DAY.

I'VE ONLY BEEN ASKED ABOUT A MILLION TIMES.

THERE'S NO ANSWER. I DON'T HAVE A GREAT ANSWER.

I ONLY REGISTER FOR THINGS ABOUT TWO DAYS BEFORE THEY CUT IT OFF,

SO I END UP KIND OF WITH WHAT EVER.

SO TODAY I'M TYING UP LOOSE ENDS ON THE COOLANT SYSTEM.

WE GOT THIS WATER CANTEEN.

THIS IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE OUR OVERFLOW TANK FOR OUR WATER TANK

THAT'S IN THE BACK OF THE CAR.

SOMETHING WE HAVE TO HAVE JUST IN CASE OF OVERHEATING,

SO WHEN THE COOLANT GETS HOT AND EXPANDS,

INSTEAD OF IT JUST SPEWING ALL OVER THE GROUND,

IT'S GOT SOMEWHERE TO GO.

BACK IN THE DAY, PLASTIC WASN'T A THING IN THIS ERA.

IT WAS LATE '40s, SO OBVIOUSLY, SINCE PLASTICS WEREN'T AROUND,

THEY DIDN'T HAVE ZIP TIES BACK THEN

SO IN ORDER TO KEEP THINGS TIDY,

KEEP WIRES STRAIGHT, WE'RE USING THE WAX TIE CORD.

IT'S A CORD COATED IN WAX.

YOU'LL JUST WRAP IT AROUND YOUR CABLING,

WHATEVER IT IS, PULL IT TIGHT,

AND THEN THERE'S YOUR ZIP TIE.

SO NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE I'M READY TO DO

A VACUUM TEST ON THE COOLANT SYSTEM.

SINCE WE'RE RUNNING A WATER TANK TO COOL THIS ENGINE

INSTEAD OF A TRADITIONAL RADIATOR

SET UP IN THE FRONT,

IT'S CRITICAL THAT EVERYTHING FUNCTIONS PROPERLY.

ANY KIND OF AIR BUBBLE OR LEAK

COULD CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR,

SO IN ORDER TO TEST FOR LEAKS,

I'M GOING TO PULL ALL THE AIR OUT OF THE SYSTEM

TO MAKE SURE IT ACTUALLY HOLDS VACUUM.

- THAT'S LEAKING. - IT'S LEAKING?

YEAH.

WITH A SYSTEM LIKE THIS, I'VE DONE A LOT OF WELDING

AND MADE A LOT OF TUBES FOR THIS,

100% EXPECTED

TO FIND AT LEAST ONE, MAYBE TWO OR THREE LEAKS.

- THERE'S A LEAK THERE. - MM-HMM.

AND SO I STARTED, YOU KNOW, PUTTING MY EAR UP TO THINGS

TO FIND OUT WHERE THE LEAK IS COMING FROM,

AND THERE'S JUST A LITTLE, BITTY, TINY PINHOLE

RIGHT THERE.

SO I'M GONNA FIX THAT ONE FIRST,

AND THEN I'M GONNA GET THE OTHER ONE

'CAUSE, COME TOMORROW MORNING,

THIS CAR HAS GOT TO BE READY TO RUN.

UH...

THREE YEARS.

LIKE, SOME CRAZY HIPPIE HAD IT BEFORE ME, APPARENTLY,

AND THIS THING USED TO HAVE AN AMMO BOX ON ONE SIDE

AND A BIG RIFLE SCABBARD ON THE OTHER AND HAD A BIG --

I MEAN, ALL KINDS OF GOOFY STUFF ON IT.

I MEAN, THEY USED THEM FOR ALL SORTS OF STUFF.

THEY USED THEM FOR, LIKE, CORRESPONDENCE,

AND I'LL TELL YOU, SOMETIMES YOU MAY SEE OLD MILITARY FLATHEADS

THAT HAVE A STICK ON THE FRONT OF THEM --

A GREAT BIG STICK. YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S FOR?

THEY WOULD RUN CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN GENERALS OR BETWEEN OFFICERS AND STUFF,

IN THE WOODS AND EVERYTHING.

WELL, WHAT THE OPPOSITION WOULD DO IS,

THEY WOULD TAKE PIANO WIRE AND STRING IT ACROSS THE TRAIL

AND SO IT'D DECAPITATE OR CUT THEIR THROATS OR WHATEVER

'CAUSE THE RIDER -- YOU'RE BOMBING ALONG,

CATCH YOUR PIANO WIRE AT 40, 50 MILES AN HOUR, YOU'RE DONE.

SO WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS THAT OFF THE FRONT,

THEY WOULD PUT THESE POLES AS TALL AS THEY WERE.

RAH-BING!

SO IF YOU EVER SEE ONE OF THESE

WITH A STICK IN THE FRONT OF IT...

NOW I KNOW....IT'S NOT FOR A FLAG.

CAN WE CHECK GEAR SELECTOR?

I DID.

THAT'S WHY I'M STANDING RIGHT HERE.

I'LL STOP IT.

YEAH. TIME TO LIGHT THE CANDLE.

THIS IS THE MOST DRAMATIC PART OF IT.

WE'RE T-MINUS 11 SECONDS FROM LEAVING.

ALL OF THE WHOLE ADVENTURE HINGES ON THIS MOMENT.

WE HIT THE BUTTON, AND THIS THING LIGHTS,

AWAY WE GO.

GLORIOUS WILL BE US.

IF IT DOESN'T, THEN WE HAVE TO REDO EVERYTHING.

CAN YOU COUNT DOWN?

OH, YEAH. ARE WE READY?

YEAH.

IN FIVE, FOUR...

WE HAVEN'T PRIMED AT ALL, SO CARBS DON'T HAVE ANY FUEL...

THREE, TWO, ONE.

NOISE MAKER!

OH, MY GOD! WOO!

OKAY. LET'S GO HOME.

IN ALL SERIOUSNESS,

WE'RE LEAVING FOR T.R.O.G. TOMORROW,

SO IT'S GREAT THAT THIS ENGINE STARTS AND RUNS.

NOW WE JUST NEED TO PRIME THE FUEL PUMP AND THE CARBURETOR

AND SEE HOW IT RESPONDS THROUGHOUT THE REV RANGE.

COME ON, FUEL PUMP!

OKAY, WELL... WE'RE DONE.

MUCH BETTER.

ONCE THE FUEL PUMP AND CARBURETORS ARE PRIMED,

THE ENGINE SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDLE ON ITS OWN,

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE SATISFIED YET.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE ENGINE RUNS SMOOTHLY

FROM IDLE ALL THE WAY TO RED LINE...

...AND OUR ENGINE DOESN'T.

IT DEFINITELY HAS A FUELING ISSUE.

IT BASICALLY FALLS FLAT ON ITS FACE

WHEN YOU WHACK THE THROTTLE,

NOT A PROBLEM YOU WANT TO HAVE ON A DRAG CAR.

- TIMING IS SLOW ALSO. - YEAH, FOR SURE.

THE ACCELERATOR PUMP DOESN'T SEEM INCREDIBLY

ACTIVE ON THE OUTSIDES.

SO I NOTICED, AS I ROLLED INTO THE THROTTLE,

IT SEEMED TO CLIMB RPMs SMOOTHLY,

BUT WHEN I SNAPPED THE THROTTLE BLADES OPEN,

THERE WAS TOO MUCH AIR, NOT ENOUGH FUEL.

IT COULDN'T COMPENSATE.

THAT, TO ME, POINTS NOT TO A JETTING ISSUE

BUT TO AN ISSUE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PUMPS.

JUST A JOKE.

I THINK ALL THREE OF THE ACCELERATOR PUMPS...

ARE DOOKIE.

I THINK THE DONUTS...

IT COMES OFF IDLE LIKE THEY ARE.

OUR JETTING AFFECTS HOW MUCH FUEL GOES IN THE MOTOR

BASED ON HOW MUCH AIR IS GOING THROUGH THE VENTURI.

THE ACCELERATOR PUMP IS A MASK FOR IT,

AND THAT MOMENT THAT WE OPEN THE THROTTLE,

THERE'S A LITTLE PISTON WITH THIS LITTLE GOOFY UMBRELLA,

AND AS YOU SHOVE DOWN ON IT,

IT SQUIRTS A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THERE.

THE EXTRA FUEL HELPS COMPENSATE FOR THE RAPID CHANGE,

THE BIG GULP AS IT TAKES IN A BUNCH OF AIR.

LET'S PULL THE KITS WE HAVE

AND SEE ABOUT THE ACCELERATOR PUMP.

IT WE CAN'T FIND SOME USABLE ACCELERATOR PUMPS

IN ONE OF THESE CARBURETOR REBUILD KITS,

WE MAY HAVE TO DELAY OUR DEPARTURE.

ALL THESE EXTRA PARTS I'M FINDING RIGHT HERE

AND NO ACCELERATOR PUMPS.

I'M GONNA IT DOWN THE STREET, SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

WORSE THING THAT HAPPENS IS KILLS ME,

EXPLODES, CATCHES ON FIRE.

YOU BETTER STEP FORWARD JUST A LITTLE BIT.

OH, BRAKES.

THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

THERE'S NO BRAKES, 100%.

DOES IT FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DRIVING?

OH, YEAH. THERE YOU GO.

HOW'S THAT?

PERFECT.

MAN, THAT SUCKS ABOUT THIS ACCELERATOR.

YEAH.

SO WE RAN INTO A CARB ISSUE

ON OUR MODEL "A" DRAG CAR.

WHEN WE BRING RPM UP, IT SEEMED TO RIDE.

IT SEEMED TO RUN PRETTY GOOD.

IT WAS JUST ADDING THROTTLE WAS A PROBLEM.

I GOT A WILD MUSTACHE HAIR THAT'S GONE BERSERK.

I DON'T THINK WE CAN FIX IT.

IT'S JUST THE TRANSITIONING,

SO FROM ONE RPM TO ANOTHER.

WELL, THAT MEANS OUR ACCELERATOR PUMP COMPONENTS

INSIDE OUR CARBURETORS HAVE GONE BAD.

RIGHT NOW, JASON IS TEARING APART SOME OTHER CARBS

WE HAVE AROUND THE SHOP TRYING TO FIND

SOME MORE ACCELERATOR PUMPS FOR OUR STROMBERGS.

THIS ONE IS MORE BETTER THAN THE OTHERS.

WHILE HE DOES THAT...

WE'LL CHECK THE FUEL HEIGHTS HERE IN A SECOND.

PROBABLY WHAT WE'LL DO -- IT'S HARD ON THE BATTERIES --

WE'LL DISCONNECT THE IGNITION

BECAUSE THE FUEL PRESSURE IS MADE

BY THE CRANK SPINNING OVER, SO WE'LL RUN IT,

AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHERE THEY COME UP AND STOP AT

BECAUSE WITH THE TOPS OFF,

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEM COME UP AND STOP.

IF ALL THREE OF THE CARBURETORS

DON'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE BOWL...

DEFINITELY LOW TOO.

...IT'S GOING TO ADVERSELY AFFECT

THE DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL IN THE CYLINDERS.

IT'S NOT GOING TO RUN WELL.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ERRATIC-RUNNING ENGINE,

AND THAT'S FAR FROM A RACE MOTOR.

AFTER AN HOUR OF MESSING WITH THE FUEL LEVEL IN THE BOWLS

AND A LITTLE BIT OF THEM MESSING WITH ME...

- UH-OH. YOU GOOD? - MM-HMM.

...I FEEL LIKE I'VE GOT THINGS SORTED OUT,

AND JASON MANAGED TO SCAVENGE SOME ACCELERATOR PUMPS

THAT FIT OUR CARBS.

- HEY. - IT WORKS?

- IT'S ON. - GOOD.

THAT ONE IS SOLID.

THAT'S GREAT.

NOW THAT, HOPEFULLY, ALL OF THAT'S SORTED,

IT'S TIME TO FIRE THIS THING UP AND SEE HOW IT GOES.

THE MOTOR IS RUNNING MUCH BETTER,

WHICH IS A RELIEF,

BUT WE'RE LEAVING FOR T.R.O.G. TOMORROW,

SO I STILL NEED TO SHAKE THIS DRAGSTER DOWN

TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING ELSE IS WORKING, SORT OF.

YEAH.

I'M GONNA DRIVE IT DOWN THE STREET, SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

WORST THING THAT HAPPENS IS KILLS ME,

EXPLODES, CATCHES ON FIRE.

I'M IN FOR IT ALL.

SEE IF I CAN...

- OH! - HEY, YOU GUYS.

DAMN.

SO THIS IS A CULMINATION OF STUFF

I'VE DRUG UP FROM THE SWAP MEET, STUFF I HAD SITTING AT MY HOUSE,

AND WE'VE THROWN IT TOGETHER IN THE LAST FEW DAYS,

A LITTLE MORE THAN A WEEK, AND SO I'M IMPRESSED.

IT LOOKS LIKE A CAR, BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS,

DOES IT DRIVE,

AND THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME.

WHAT I'M AFTER IS JUST

AT LEAST SOME SEMBLANCE OF SMOOTH OPERATION,

THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING, THAT WE CAN USE IT.

SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK!

I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW FAST THIS CAR

WILL GO ON THIS TEST DRIVE.

ONE THING'S FOR SURE, THOUGH --

PROBABLY FASTER THAN IS COMFORTABLE.

DUDE, IT'S A GIANT GO-KART.

HOLY CRAP.

IT MOVES.

THE SHIFTER IS WORKING REAL GOOD.

SO FAR, EVERYTHING FEELS OKAY.

ALL THAT'S LEFT IS TO REALLY GIVE IT

THE BEANS DOWN THE MAIN DRAG.

YEAH, IT DOESN'T SOUND BAD.

YOU BETTER STEP FORWARD JUST A LITTLE BIT.

I'D GET OUT OF THE STREET.

OH, BRAKES.

THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

OH, MAN.

I'M GOING TO GO CRY IN THE CORNER.

NEXT WEEK, WE HEAD TO WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY,

FOR THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN...

THE SEVENTH RACE OF GENTLEMEN

HERE IN WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

...WHERE CROWDS CHEER AS CLASSIC ENGINES SCREAM

AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET THEM STARTED.

WE DON'T HAVE THE VOLTAGE TO SPIN IT HARD ENOUGH.

WE GOT TO PULL THE STARTER OUT.

AND THE ONLY THING HARDER THAN WINNING THE RACE...

I DON'T KNOW. BILL GALLA'S PUTTING UP A FIGHT.

HE MIGHT CATCH HIM AT THE END.

...IS SURVIVING THE CRASH.

SUSHI HAS A WIN. UH-OH.

TIME OUT.

SUSHI GOT A LITTLE WASH UP.

OOH. PUT HIS BIKE DOWN THERE AT THE END.

WE'LL SEE HOW HE'S DOING, FOLKS.