The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-14
Making q Speedster
 Out Of the Old Boat
B. RAIrH DE PALMA


 of enthusiastic readers to tell them how to make speedsters out of resrllar stock models They probably consider me qualified particularly well in this case because happen to be a race driver. As matter of fact, I have had some ex- perence in doing this very job, because in the early days of motoring l built several cars. employing stock parts bought from various makers and some ef tEe finished productions were pretty speedy for their day and generation. 0r dirarily however the race driver of the present dav would not be called upon 10 know very much about rebuilding ear Having demonstrated that l am somewhat qualified to write on the sub 3ect will yie.d to the requests that are before me and endeavor to tell the owner of an ordinary stock car how he may inlect more speed into the old relic.
 Let me say in the first place that py making certain definite changes, it IS possible to add from l0 to 70 miles per hour to the speed of almost any car this side of the junk heap l have seen an ordinary stock Ford car so spruced up that it would reel off 15 miles. If the owrer of the car is somewhat of me- chanic, he can make some of the changes tha: are necessary in the search for sleed. The majority of the changes con- sist of substituting special parts for the stock units and the work is largely as- sembing. In some instances, however, the owner would have to call in the help of a well equipped machine shop.
 BEGIN ON ENGINE
 The natural point at which to begin an operation of this kind is the engine and the first change needed is to in crease the compression pressure. This may be accomplished in d number of different ways. When the engine is of the conventional removable cylinderhead type. this part may be machined just a little. which makes the compression space smaller and the pressure conse- guently higher. Another way of accom- plishing the same result is to have the bottom of the cylinder block machned a trifle, which brings the block down and decreases the compression space, as the pistons travel further up into the cylin- ders. Still another and very commonly used method is to fit the engine with pistons having higher crowns. Some times pistons of the same size as the old ones are used, but having the piston pin placed further down. The idea of having thin plates of metal riveted on [ the tops of the old piston is not so satis- factory a solution as the others. It must be remembered that changes increasing the compression pressure are almost ac- ademic, they are so infintestimal. Ae de- crease of a thousaRdth of an inch i'll the compression space means a compa ra- lively large increase in compression pressure This must not be lost sigst of in making changes in the compression space.
 h the attempt to secure higher speeds the use of lighter rsciprocatng parts Is one of the most important There are manufacturers now in the field who car furnish lighter than stock parts fol practically every modern engine. I vii be glad to give readers the names ot concerns from whom they can obtair parts for special jobs of this kind
 ALUMINIUM PISTONS
 The first change to be made in thi: instance is to swap the conventional iror pistons for set of aluminium parts II buying aluminium pistons the set should be weighed one by one and there should not be more than half an ounce differ ence in weight among the lot. This i important if satisfactory results are t be obtained. The aluminium should hav a greater clearance than the iron part because the coeffcent of expansion i greater in the former Manufacturers 0 these parts can give accurate fits fo all motors upon consultation.
 If the car owner does not care to fl aluminium pistons, it is possible to lighter the ordinary iron parts by drilling. Hole should be drilled in the skirt not to- close to the piston pin. It is conSidere, the best practice in speed job to us only two rings, a wide one above tn pin and a narrow one below, or two mar row ones at the top.
 When it cones to the connecting rods the best plan is to get a new set o tubular steel rods or alloyed steel rod in the shape of an l-beam.
 The crankshaft presents considerabl Of problem, so much so that the usua course of procedure is to let it severel. alone. However, it is possible to dril this part, which not only lightens it, bu permits oil from the main bearings [, feed the lower connecting rod bearings This gives better cooling facilities fo ths oil and also insures adequate lubri cation of the bearings at high speed | it is intended to use the car for extended speed flights, it is essential to provide