Early Micky Thompson and Engineering history
 

For some reason things fall into my hands.As some might know I bought a built a early pontiac all alu engine.Many know Micky raced a hemi pontiac and one the 62 nationals beating Don Garlets.Virtually no one alive knew the factory made some alu blocks just for the hemi heads.M/T learned early they had to grind grooves in the deck to clear the hemi pushrods.At first they did some iron blocks and thenat the end some alu.A pair of these raw hemi blocks came to me today.I want to build one with a set of KRE D ports and put a all alu 421 in my 62 GP.As many of my projects it will be a journey.Enjoy the pics.Tom

I hate you!!! lol

That is a really neat score. Hopefully you will do a full build thread with updates when you start.
Curious, what type of mains are on it? Splayed or Straight?

Mike,raw block,can be what ever will fit.Have not pulled them out of the crates yet.I would never try to build big HP with them.Just too rare to chance breaking.Jack put a lot of HP to a similar one in his hemi pontiac puller.Not sure if Jacks had the joined lifter bores.Im sure he will add to this when he sees it.The challenge will be to get them machined first.One was cast with sleeves but never decked.Will get the bore size in the next day or so.Hope it can go the 421 4.09 bore.Tom

Fantastic Road-Racing Blocks.

I'd figure JZ DeLorean would be pleased to see those prepped & built for a Handling car.

Tom, we really need the whole story on these!!!!!-----lol
How did you come across these?
Were they local?

Wish someone could dig up these molds!!!

I am subscribed. I think this will be a great build And a great story.

Congrats!
Very cool to have one block, 2 must be wild.

:)

Do they have the cam gear setup like the RA V blocks?

:)

John they are raw,I have not pulled either one from the crates yet.Will get them out this weekend and post more pics.Tom

Tom, I'll pay shipping here if you're too busy to uncrate them.

Im trying to figure what to open first,the factory 303 RA V heads that came today or the blocks!Tom

Blocks, most of us have seen RAV heads!!!

Kind of off topic, did you see where the Challenger II is at Mecum Kissimmee?
(no Pontiac in it though)


Also a SD Catalina I think. (among others)



:)

There is a guy that used to live in SoCal that has a lot of M/T stuff but is hung up in a lawsuit.I think he has a pair of Challenger engines still.Tom

Tom S you come up with some of the most rare and cool old Pontiac parts ever. Maybe only Nunzi could come close. Thanks for sharing these!!!

Cool stuff! I assume they're from around 1961?

I think Steve Barcak has some extra hemi heads, it would be neat if you could build a streetable hemi all aluminum Pontiac. :)

Thanks for sharing. Congratulations.

Some very cool history you have there in your hands Tom. Should be fun putting one together for your 62.

First- I knew nothing of these until Tom called. And I thought I had researched the issue as much as anyone has.
These almost had to have been done sometime in 1963. Perhaps by then Liberman's failure to conquer the hemi valvetrain issues scared everybody away from the M/T hemi(?).

Second- hard for me to label my reaction- annoyed maybe, that 34 years ago I could have merely searched for one of these instead of busting my arse to use one of the Harvey Aluminum blocks under hemi heads. And then 26 years ago putting even more effort into making a hacked-up Harvey block usable after breaking my first one.

Tom- the lifter cross-bracing in my blocks is TIG'd in place- one by Fritz, one by me.

Did the seller know whether these have D- (development) numbers issued by Pontiac? Does he know who-all has had their hands on them since new? Any stampings on the crates? Let me know about the bellhousing bolt pattern (although I assume it's post-1960, since as you said these were "late" on the scene). Interesting how they cast the whole top of the valley to clear hemi pushrods, instead of just notches.

Lastly- and not too sure I'm joking- I may hate you forever if these blocks don't get to their rightful place under M/T hemi heads.:(:(:(
Simply to have an aluminum engine for your '62, why not use just any-old aluminum block?

Made from aluminum? More like made from unobtanium. What a cool find, and I agree with Jack. Huge disservice to install anything on either of them other than a M.T. Hemi head. You said you're not going for "Gonzo" power with them so why not go the full nostalgia route? How cool would it be to put one in a mid-late 60's era FED and cackle it? Save the Earth rotation efforts for the racers running late model parts.