RE: [Chrysler300] RE: AMAs, 355HP, Manual C300, et.al.

["Dan Elliott" <us@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd forgotten this, but a few of the tricks that Carl used were as follows:

If a team was in the top three, their engines were torn down in front of
NASCAR inspectors.
The team could decide which side of the engine to tear down.  Carl would
mill one head,
and one side of the block.  He tore down the side of the block with the
milled block, and
stock head.  The inspectors would measure the head CC's with oil and look at
the pistons
for stock.  The other side of the block with the milled head never was torn
down.  Carl
mixed high performance Texaco gas with the NASCAR Pure Oil gas; he mixed in
aviation
gas too.  They also "blew up" the gas tank with high pressure to get in more
gas, at the end of
a race, they had a hole in the trunk where they could take a maul or 2x4,
hit the tank and "deflate"
it to its original gallonage.  Any team worth its salt was doing similar
things, so the Kiekhaefer
teams were being just as smart as the rest.  No harm, no fowl.

Dan

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Dan Elliott
  Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:58 AM
  To: Lettercars@xxxxxxx; c300@xxxxxxx; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: [Chrysler300] RE: AMAs, 355HP, Manual C300, et.al.


  Hi Gil--

  I am only postulating that Carl K.had more than one c300 with manual trans
  because he had more than
  one c300 on the track at several 1955 races between April and November.
  Since the powerflite was a liability, it would have
  made no sense to put Fonty and others behind the wheel in a powerflite
car.
  Assuming they used Dodge truck transmissions,
  it may have been easier for Carl to convert the c300's himself to manual
  trans rather than get them from Chrysler. The rules changed
  for 1956, and the manual trans needed to be a production option:
  "Transmissions must be standard for make and model car used"

  I agree on the 355 HP option. Also, NASCAR approved the 355 HP option with
  "93 CC" heads. At some point NASCAR might have approved
  the 4 bolt exhaust manifold, but I have no evidence of it. The rules
stated
  generally: "Standard exhaust manifold and header pipe for make
  and model only. No alterations or changes permitted from the engine block
  to muffler take-off." I wish I had focused more on this point
  when I was at NASCAR archives, but they do charge a minimum of $25/hour to
  do research, so I didn't want to take too much time.

  I'm still hunting for that elusive picture from late in the 1956 season
  showing the 355 Hood!

  Dan

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Lettercars@xxxxxxx [mailto:Lettercars@xxxxxxx]
  Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:23 AM
  To: us@xxxxxxxxxx; c300@xxxxxxx; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: AMAs, 355HP, Manual C300, et.al.

  Rich, Dan, and All:
  I will try not to belabor this topic. (Scared to!!)

  1. My copy of the 1955 AMA Specs is also the 2-15-55. I made a copy of
  it while at Chrysler in the '70s
  and would have certainly tryed to get the latest issue. Doesn't mean
  I did, though.

  2. The 355 300B utilized a higher compression HEAD. The confidential
  bulletin to the dealers is dated
  June 13, 1956, and states the new heads are 10 to1. It also states
  the heads are identified by part
  "1730369-1". They are not interchangeable with the 9.0 1955 C300
  heads. They are to be used only with
  AGR-31 or colder plugs with ignition timing set from 0 degrees to 4
  degrees BTDC "depending upon
  octane rating of fuel available". Wonder if these had a PN riveted
  on them as Owen surmised
  his 390HP "C" may have. Likely we will never know.

  3. Chrysler microfilm records show only ONE C300 being built with a
  manual (code 1) Tranny. That car
  (built in June) did go to Kiekhaefer, who apparently converted it to
  a 300B for the next season! How
  many other C300s were converted by owners to manual shift is
  anybody's guess.

  4. Regarding octane, Hemis (sphereical segment combustion chambers) are
  more tolerant of lower
  octane because they don't "squish" the fuel-air mixture as unevenly
  as other configurations. I can
  only relate my personal experience of running my 300C in the sixties
  on Sunoco 190 with no problems.
  Ran right well too. The car had its heads milled also, as I was at
  one time going to make it into a
  390 HP version since I had one of the Isky cams used in the Daytona
  Trials. However, sanity prevailed
  and I bought a stock 300C cam from Chrysler and "did the right
  thing".
  300ly, Gil Cunningham
  Tallahassee, FL

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