If "old parts" could tell their story?

[John Palmer]

I'm in the process of collecting some parts to do a 3x2 carb set up on my small block Chevy powered 32 High Boy roadster. So last weekend at Pomona Swap Meet I walked about ten miles and scrounged up five Rochester 2C small base carbs to get the project started.

Mind you that I've only got $40 invested in these five "core" carbs so they are not what you would call "new old stock" quality and I knew what I was buying. They are pretty beat up but I think that I can make three working carbs out of the five cores.

Here's what got me to thinking while stripping them and cleaning, "How can these things still be around after all the abuse they have taken during the last fourty or so years"? Two of the five have the air cleaner hold down bosses broken out of them, one had a jet broken off in the body, four of the five had the throttle shafts frozen with rust, parts missing, broken off, etc. etc. you have the idea.

When you think of all the cars we "thrased" as kids, the parts broken by "amateur auto mechanics", and I won't even mention all the cool parts consumed by (us) teenage "street racers" during the 1960's you have to wonder how we have anything left to hot rod today. I guess that is why we see growth in the aftermarket industry. Boy, If only they could talk?

[Mike P]

I've been doing Tri-Powers for a long time (building my own carbs) so I grab up every SB Rochester I can find, and any LB Rochester off of 350 or larger V8s.

20-25 years ago I could go to a junkyard and pick up 3 or sometimes four carbs and put together a set. Finding 2 mathced carbs (say off 283s or 307s) for end carbs was no problem.

Back when I started doing these, there was no demand for the old Rochesters. They ran $5-10 at the junk yards and you could pick them up at swap meets for $1-3 in most cases in working condition.

Now I can hardly find them at all and even the junk on E Bay goes way to high. THe ones that are left have a lot of the problems you mention.

I went on a building spree over the winter and put together a Tri-Power set for one engine and a 6 duece setup for another. I went through over 20 carbs to build the 9 I needed. Age and abuse has sure taken it's toll on the parts sources.

Kits are another story, where i used to just go in and pick them up at the parts store, in most cases they are now order from the warehouse (only take a day) but at least they are still available for the most part.

A guy can always ante-up and and just buy a set from a couple of the outfits that have sprung up selling them ready to go.....but I ENJOY building my own as long as I can get something to work with.

[John Palmer]

Mike thanks for the info. I've read several of your old posts in history about converting old carbs into 3x2 set ups and appreciate your input to CHR. Maybe you could answer a couple of multi carb questions for me.

CARB FINISH....Have you ever tried to refinish (chromate) any of your Rochester carbs, and if so what was the out come? Do you have a reference for this? Not sure I want to powdercoat them, but they all need to have a uniform finish and color. Does Eastwood have anything that looks good and also holds up well?

MANIFOLD FINISH.....Have you tried to have an aluminum intake manifold powdercoated chrome, if so how did it hold up near the heat ports? Should it be polished first?

MANIFOLD BRANDS.......Do you have any preference between the Edelbrock or Offy retro 3x2 manifolds? This would be for a 350 SB Chevy engine.

I've enjoyed the Vintage Speed site, but really want to build my own set.

[48fordnut]

John, I know this wasn't directed at me, but i will give you a answer.The chrome powdercoating,in my opinion looks like crap. i bead blast my intakes and clear coat them. i also block off my heat risers. it works for me.

[Mike P]

I personally like the Edelbrock a bit better than the Offy (the Offy is a single plane design) that being said I am running an Offy because that is what I have and I know that there is room to adapt it to a large base center carb.

I've never tried re-coloring (although I'll occasionally hit the base plate with a light coat of flat black paint). In the past I've have been lucky enough to find carbs that had a pretty unifom finish for the set.......but as mentioned in my first post it's getting a bit harder to be picky. I've heard good and bad Eastwoods system...the bad, mostly that if you ever spray them with Carb Cleaner the finish goes away. I would be very hesitant to powder coat the carb. The curing temp is 500 degrees and I'd be concerned about warpage on the center and top and on modified base plates you would run the chance of either melting the soder out fuel passages or re-sodering them after and hurting the finish. I have often wondered about having them tumbeled but never got beyond the wondering part.

Manifold finishes......I had a friend who did powder coating for a while some of the near chrome finishes didn't look too bad, but they didn;t look chrome. Best sugestion would be to have them do a sample part for you to look at before you send the manifold and see how you like it. Yes it will discolor slightly at the heat crossover....but that only proves you drive it.

Personally I prefer a natural aluminum finish on my intakes but will not clear them. If you drive the cars (mine usually get several thousand miles a year put on them). Clear will work for something that only gets used once in a while but will yellow over the years and if you do use carb cleaner on it it goes away. A few cans of carb cleaner on a natural manifold and it will look like new even after number of years (especially if you keep up with it). If you want shiney on the intake I still think your best bet (and most labor intensive) is to polish it.

As far as blocking off the heat riser my opinion is that it's a bad idea unless you never plan on driving the car unlesss it's a nice warm day. Again I drive mine frequently. It's not unusual for me to pull one out to drive to work on a winter morning and it 15-20 degrees (it will usually be 70 in the afternoon........love AZ). If there is any chance of driving in weather below 40 degrees leave the heat riser open.