Author Topic: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...  (Read 3272 times)

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cjshaker

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Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« on: March 09, 2021, 04:25:44 PM »
It's a pretty lame video, but it does have some good shots of the internals of the engine and valvetrain. The saving grace is that at least you get to hear it run near the end....and it sounds crisp! I've never seen one of these engines, let alone heard one run. I'm not sure if it's the oval collectors or the heads (I'm guessing the heads), but it certainly has a different sound than any FE I've heard. Hopefully it won't be another 47 years till it runs again. ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtY7OMT49CE
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

gt350hr

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2021, 05:09:31 PM »
  The ex M/T employee was Scott Dapron (rip) Scott was best known for being a crew member on the M/T Bonneville record runs with the '69 Mustangs. Scott and Fritz were the best of friends and the only reason the engine was built .
   Randy
« Last Edit: March 10, 2021, 12:54:59 PM by gt350hr »

Jb427

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2021, 06:01:59 PM »
Compression is king #Bring back leaded fuel

machoneman

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2021, 06:41:13 PM »
Heads. It does sound almost like a early model 392 Chrysler Hemi. It should, as the Ford FE and Pontiac versions (yes, M/T did both at the same time) were patterned as closely a possible to the early design 354-392 Hemis.
Bob Maag

plovett

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2021, 07:25:23 PM »
.....for when an FE is just too mainstream.   :D

Very cool.  Thanks for sharing.

pl

Gaugster

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2021, 08:06:15 PM »
+1
Very cool! Thanks for sharing!
John - '68 Cougar XR7 390 FE (X-Code) 6R80 AUTO

427John

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2021, 08:18:47 PM »
Heads. It does sound almost like a early model 392 Chrysler Hemi. It should, as the Ford FE and Pontiac versions (yes, M/T did both at the same time) were patterned as closely a possible to the early design 354-392 Hemis.
So close if I remember correctly the valve covers will interchange.

Stangman

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2021, 09:47:20 PM »
Anybody know what this car ran back in the day.

winr1

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2021, 09:52:27 PM »
Cool !!

Wonder about the rods ??

Were they one off made for the engine ??



Ricky.

hbstang

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2021, 10:55:15 PM »
really neat car and video!there was an engine for sale maybe 10 or so years ago on a boat website,but it was sold when i found the ad.a day late and a dollar short as usual. heres a short video i shot at BJ auction in2012.MT hemi bolt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwmH4joaS7I

plovett

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2021, 07:17:05 AM »
Anybody know how well those heads flow?

pl

turbohunter

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2021, 09:29:00 AM »
My new favorite vid.
DAMN
Marc
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gt350hr

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2021, 01:03:52 PM »
Anybody know what this car ran back in the day.

   I only saw it run one weekend at Lions with the hemi. It ran low 12's and broke something on the second or third run. The headers were FAR different and it had 9" M/T slicks back then. Mickey drove it that day and was not easy on it. Tire spin was a problem. It ran almost 120 which was BIG for the day. It never fit into an NHRA class as the head was never accepted in stock or super stock classes despite what the current fender lettering says.Lions at the time was AHRA sanctioned and "anything" had a class.
  Randy

Stangman

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2021, 02:59:27 PM »
Im sure with todays tires and suspensions(Caltracs) high 10s low 11s should be possible

gt350hr

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Re: Mickey Thompson lightweight hemi-head runs again...
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2021, 12:12:34 PM »
Cool !!

Wonder about the rods ??

Were they one off made for the engine ??



Ricky.

    Ricky,
      Mickey had serious intentions of going into the steel AND titanium rod business. In the Long Beach shop , the upstairs mezzanine had stacks of boxes of rods in MANY configurations , mostly "H" beam designs and "somewhat" similar to a Carrillo rod. I bought several sets from M/T after I discovered them up there. They featured "pinned" bearing caps the "prevent" spinning rod bearings ( common to aluminum rods) and all had allen cap screws as that was the best bolt available "at the time". The parting surfaces were also serrated ( saw tooth) like an aluminum rod was  back then. I still have a few from a small block Ford stroker I built in the'70s. A really odd 5.220 length.
   Randy