is it still an SP

[kenny38]

Hi everyone. this posting has urged me to get opinions. I have a 131/4592 car. However the previous (second) owner used the car as a pace car at Winton Race Way and ran it boiling hot most of the time and when I purchased the car the engine rebuilder (a racing mechanic place) said the engine block is cracked and if you want a good result a new 440 HC in line with the SP engine will have to be purchased.Plus new oversize pistons because that is what we do. It was done but they wouldn't replace the six pack as "antiquated hard to keep tuned and uses a bucket of fuel. And we will never see the %$#& back of youse." I currently run a Holley 780. Since that day the car was "derusted" bare metal respray and generally classed as excellent by Richard Calver but uprated to "outstanding" but not in writing when I agreed to keep his three legged goat and allow him to bury "things" in my land. My question is.......is my car still an SP? Kenny38

[johnw]

Yes it is Kenny. Absolutely. Although I can't get the vision of a dodgy mechanic somewhere driving round in a 440 six pack pickup or tow truck, a couple of dodgy Sheila's on board, hired help for "recovery", and a healthy pile of empty beer cans, even though some were no doubt thrown out at passing cyclists. You didn't spot the match sticks in the vacuum hoses of the six pack? Does that ring a bell? A woman mechanic would never do that. It was a bloke wasn't it! There is a Facebook group for original Six Pack owners. He might be on that. Before this gets too woke and eko, they are all especially nice people and that, thumbs up to the do gooders picking up empty beer cans by the road and in parks for recycling. How many empty beer cans have you contributed Kenny? Enough for a Keith Black (BLM they really do) 440 alloy block? Have you got a story about the transmission shop you went to? I bet that is a laugh. The SP was Jensen's most economical 440. With a manual trans (an alloy one like Pirate Jenny used, ask Surprise Santa about what happened to that) and a lighter block, and a new 100% recycled 6 pack, you too could be riding high and mighty!

[Chris_R]

On a more serious note, there are a good number of SP owners over here running their SP's on the 6-pack quite successfully (and not using buckets of fuel). Like a number of other things in motoring (e.g. Triumph Stag engines), what was once perceived as unreliable and troublesome is now understood better and is made reliable.

[johnw]

Taking the serious note that Chris reinforces, the SP is the most fuel efficient 440 when setup properly and driven lightly. The beautiful high compression 440 with big valves, maybe the 906 heads?, breathing through the tiny super efficient centre carb, smack in the middle of the engine, is pretty perfect, lots of airflow through 2 tiny venturies gives great atomisation. No electronics required! The more basic and economical Chrysler V8s had just a 2 barrel carb. Take dynamic mixture readings while driving on the centre carb on the road with an in car mixture display from a removable lambda sensor, pull up and adjust until it reads perfectly. Then start to adjust the outer carbs at wider throttle openings.
Edit: Phil Lochner, tuned his Carter Thermoquad to levels of fuel efficiency equal to a modern fuel injection system. See video here https://youtu.be/L8iLbZo-Er0

[kenny38]

Hi, Johhny the Wild. A fter the engine was done i was reccommended to a trasmission place well thought of. He was italian had a cretin son and talked the walk. He dropped the pan and showed me the oil. He was smoking at the time and now i know he blew smoke on the oil and told me a complete trans out and rebuild required. I was young (well fairly), siily and trusting at the time and was wearing an expensive suit. Later (much)trans expert i went to (as had stripped the gears by shoving from D to R in a panic as car was in gear and heading for car parked in front). He said take thatcost away ($1200) and trans had never been touched befor except me. Got certain info and drpped italian in the Shite with ATO and he eventually declared bankrupt and lost his house. I never felt better. Kenny38