H&H proprietor Mike Herman...
H&H proprietor Mike Herman holds an aluminum tooling pattern that was hand fabricated by Barney Navarro. The rest of the cross-ram mold has not turned up among Navarro's collection, but Herman and Allison agree that existing A&A cross-ram production patterns could be modified to accept the twin carburetor insert.
Usually this wouldn't be noteworthy until you realize that H&H Flatheads is the sole proprietor of the Navarro speed equipment dynasty. When Barney Navarro (a legendary California hot rodder since day one) passed in 2007, Mike sealed a deal to keep much of the vintage Navarro parts in production. While most of it is centered on Ford flathead stuff, Mike wasn't sure what to make of the dual quad tooling pattern. But we sure did!
Borrowing a stock Max Wedge cross-ram from Max Wedge fanatic Bob Mosher, we placed the pattern atop the manifold and the mystery of the four carb cross-ram was solved.
The Navarro dual carb tooling...
The Navarro dual carb tooling insert measures 15 1/4 inches from flange to flange. There is a section missing from between the two carburetor mounting pads. This is where the Navarro logo was originally positioned. Apparently Barney used a saber saw to remove it at some point-probably for use on another Navarro project after the quad carb cross ram had run its course. Compare this image with Mazzolini's photos of the real thing and the resemblance is unmistakable.
It turns out that Barney Navarro cast an unknown number of these wild four carburetor Max Wedge intake manifolds in the early '60s. Most likely they were made for land speed and marine use. But that's about all we know at this point. Check out the photos and captions and see how the story unfolds.
Best of all, we ran the pictures by Rick Allison at A&A Transmission (makers of reproduction Max Wedge and Race Hemi cross-ram intake manifolds) and he says if there is enough demand, he'll collaborate with H&H Flatheads on a run of reproductions! Can you imagine popping the hood and seeing four carburetors perched atop any 413-440 wedge? Let's make it happen!
Tom Hoover, Max Wedge Project...
Tom Hoover, Max Wedge Project Coordinator (shown above): “I have never seen this manifold until you showed me the picture. My guess is that very high engine speed would be required to make it work.”
To see if anybody at Chrysler knew of a clandestine collaboration between the factory and Navarro on the quad-carburetor cross-ram, we showed several high ranking ex-Chrysler engineers photos and asked them for their input. These guys weren't only Max Wedge racers, they designed the Max Wedge. Here's what they had to say:
Bill Shope, former Ram Chargers member (1958) and Chrysler ram tuning engineer: "That's an interesting design! It reminds me of the fabricated manifold Barnes Daniels used on his E/Gasser. His was more akin to the Weber designs, but he used 8 Carter side draft carburetors. To sum up, it's an interesting design, but no, I don't think the unit shown in the pictures came from within Chrysler."
One guy who certainly can...
One guy who certainly can tackle the job of reproducing the Navarro intake is Rick Allison. His shop, A&A Transmission offers reproductions of conventional Race Hemi and Max Wedge cross-ram intake manifolds. Shown here is the A&A 440 port cross-ram. With its smaller 440-sized ports and a set of box stock Edelbrock Performer 500-cfm carburetors (PN 1404) it idles great in traffic and is totally streetable. We'd bet a Sixteen Pack could be very tractable with some tuning. If you want one, let the guys at A&A and H&H know. A small run of Sixteen Packs could be in the works if demand warrants it.
Barnes Daniels, former Ram Chargers member (1958-1963) and Chrysler engineer: "I've never seen anything like it. Not sure how a four carburetor cross-ram like the Navarro unit would work, but we sure didn't make it."
Bill Weertman, former Chrysler Assistant Chief Engineer- Engines: "That quartet of four-barrel carburetors is certainly an impressive top end for any engine. No shortage of inlet air capacity-at least not through the carbs. Some dyno work would be needed to see if those extra throats can actually translate to a difference at the flywheel. The photos were the first time I have ever seen or even heard about the setup so I can't help with any additional information. Perhaps Tom Hoover has some knowledge about it".
Though solid evidence is evasive,...
Though solid evidence is evasive, clues indicate the Navarro four carb cross-ram was made for guys like Norm Thatcher. At the age of 70, Thatcher set a series of land speed records in Dodge and Plymouth products during the early Sixties. Thatcher (on right) owned a repair shop in Van Nuys, California, and was a regular contestant at Bonneville and Muroc. If anybody can shed more light on the mysterious Navarro four carb cross ram, we're all ears.
The Navarro pattern's primary...
The Navarro pattern's primary throttle bores measure 1.44 inch and the secondary bores measure 1.69 inch-just like a Stage I/Stage II Chrysler manifold. Clearly Navarro intended the manifold to accept 1962-1963 Carter 3447 spread bore Max Wedge carburetors. Late 1963-1964 Stage III 3705 Max Wedge Carters have larger 111/16 primary and secondary throttle bores, which would not have fit this manifold without enlarging the throttle bores-a simple machining operation.
Placing the H&H/Navarro dual-carb...
Placing the H&H/Navarro dual-carb tooling insert atop a standard cross-ram (thanks to Bob Mosher for the loan) offers a glimpse of what the few Navarro quad carb castings looked like. We're still wondering about the rest of the manifold casting. The similarity with Chrysler castings suggests some level of collaboration between Navarro and Chrysler. But first hand accounts from ex-Chrysler engineers nix the theory (see sidebar).
If a four carburetor Max Wedge...
If a four carburetor Max Wedge isn't strange enough, how about a four door Max Wedge race car? Though few were ordered, Max Wedge power was factory optional in station wagons, convertibles, and yes, four door sedans. This is the Palmer Dodge sponsored '62 Dart four door in action at Muncie, IN. Interestingly, Palmer Dodge also co-sponsored the ill-fated Dodge Challenger Indianapolis Pace Car program of 1971 in which Eldon Palmer accidentally drove the pace car into a scaffolding supporting several race photographers.